James Ruiz84 said:Hey everyone 😉 Got two questions here, so if anyone can help me out... 🙂
1.) I'm planning on heading over to China for business if God willing. Can anyone recommend a solid guide or someone I could partner with right now who can scout out companies for me? I don't want to waste my damn time wandering around looking for specific products. I've heard there are these "sourcing agents" who handle all this, but I have zero clue who to even ask about them. Ideally, they’d inspect the goods before shipping so I know I'm actually getting what I paid for, find the best supplier, and vet the company so I don't get screwed by some shady internet scam.
2.)
I know a woman who lived in China for 5 years and now does sourcing—helping companies find partners, handling imports, all the paperwork stuff... you can grab her number via PM...
Since the guy who posted that sounds like a total amateur, please if anyone has info on this lady, shoot me a DM with her contact. Thanks 🙏
Jacob Long You seem like you really know your stuff regarding this topic, so I was wondering: is it actually worth importing something to the US in a quantity like this: 5,000 units of some packaging boxes (metal ones... etc.) that cost about $0.60 over there? Or is it only worth it for massive bulk orders? And how do I even calculate the total cost including all the shipping, customs, and whatever else... just to see if it's even worth bringing in—because unfortunately, I haven't found anyone in the US making them. 😢
Thanks in advance!
I might have someone I could recommend to you—shoot me a DM if you're interested.
James Ruiz84 said:Hey everyone 😉 Got two questions here, so if anyone can help me out... 🙂
1.) I'm planning on heading over to China for business if God willing. Can anyone recommend a solid guide or someone I could partner with right now who can scout out companies for me? I don't want to waste my damn time wandering around looking for specific products. I've heard there are these "sourcing agents" who handle all this, but I have zero clue who to even ask about them. Ideally, they’d inspect the goods before shipping so I know I'm actually getting what I paid for, find the best supplier, and vet the company so I don't get screwed by some shady internet scam.
2.)
I know a woman who lived in China for 5 years and now does sourcing—helping companies find partners, handling imports, all the paperwork stuff... you can grab her number via PM...
Since the guy who posted that sounds like a total amateur, please if anyone has info on this lady, shoot me a DM with her contact. Thanks 🙏
Jacob Long You seem like you really know your stuff regarding this topic, so I was wondering: is it actually worth importing something to the US in a quantity like this: 5,000 units of some packaging boxes (metal ones... etc.) that cost about $0.60 over there? Or is it only worth it for massive bulk orders? And how do I even calculate the total cost including all the shipping, customs, and whatever else... just to see if it's even worth bringing in—because unfortunately, I haven't found anyone in the US making them. 😢
Thanks in advance!
It really just comes down to how much space those goods actually take up—I mean, unless you're filling at least one 20-foot container with either small boxes or some other product, what's even the point? A 20-footer is basically half a semi-truck, or less... why bother otherwise?
It’s mostly the Chinese who throw out those numbers—just seeing how many they can cram into a small, large, or high-cube container.
So if they’re giving you an FOB quote from some port in China—you know, a specific one—you really need to hit up some freight forwarders for the ocean leg to your destination. Just keep in mind those rates and extra fees fluctuate constantly... it's a moving target. It’d be smart to nail down exactly when the goods will be ready, too, since prices shift every single quarter. Maybe grab a few different quotes and see what sticks? You'll want the destination port to be the one closest to you—it all adds up, and trucking a container overland is going to kill your margins. The agents can handle the land portion for you, or you could try hunting for your own carrier to save a bit... though honestly, having an agent handle the whole headache might be worth the extra cash.
You can just look up the customs rates in the tariff yourself—or, if you don't feel like dealing with all that paperwork, just hit up your usual freight forwarder and have them run the numbers for you. Simple enough, right?
Once you've gathered all that info—which isn't exactly rocket science to pull together—you can figure out your actual landed cost per unit. From there, you've got a decent idea of what you could flip it for... so really, it just comes down to whether the math actually works in your favor, right?
Shoot me a DM—my company actually has ten people on the ground in China who can pull quotes for just about anything almost instantly if you send over a photo. We don't really deal in these specific items ourselves, but honestly, finding the product or a decent price is never the issue—it’s all about having a buyer lined up. Since these guys are based in China, they might even be able to source the exact same thing from the same supplier at a much better rate and handle the invoicing directly. We could even help coordinate shipping to your port or right to your door... just a thought, depending on what makes more sense for your bottom line.
I haven't even seen that happen in a normal chat room—not because my grammar is perfect, but just because it’s a style of talking where you don't worry about typos, and things move so fast that everyone’s bound to mess up at some point
honestly, a random night in an adult chat is basically a psychological study in itself
Correcting people in a quick chat or a "hot chat" is just 👎 I’m always on Slack with colleagues or business partners, and honestly? Nobody cares about perfect grammar. We use lowercase for names, even in English—mostly because we're moving fast and it’s clearly just an informal conversation where everyone knows the rules anyway.
I've noticed on these forums that some people start correcting others just because they lack actual arguments—it's basically just a way to belittle someone.
Though, sometimes I think people genuinely just want to help... like, some typos just jump out at them.
But really, the tone they use when they point things out says everything you need to know.
Sometimes the correction *is* the argument. You’ll have some guy bragging about his career or how "educated" he is, yet he can barely write a coherent sentence in English—and then he tries to lecture you on linguistics? It's pretty obvious he hasn't a clue.
Do you get your tax ID and EIN right away during registration, or is that a separate headache you have to deal with later?
Also—since things will be pretty quiet for the first few months—could someone at VSS handle the bookkeeping? Like, if they aren't a pro but understand the basics, is that doable or just asking for trouble?
I'm with you there. Honestly, it’s pretty wild seeing some mods flex their authority like that, isn't it?
I mean, look—just like any manager out there, some are better than others. We’re all just people, not robots... everyone trips up or gets a little inconsistent with their own rules sometimes.
We all wear masks in our daily lives—people see us as one version of ourselves, but that’s rarely the full picture. So, which mask actually hits closer to home: the one we wear in the real world, or the one we show in an online community? Honestly, it makes more sense to me that our digital persona is the truer one... since anonymity means we don't have to pretend to be better than we actually are.
Basically, you could argue that being part of a forum lets us tap into parts of our personality that get suppressed in real life—maybe because of social pressure or just the environment we're in. And if we're finally expressing that other side of ourselves, does that mean bonding with a virtual group isn't necessarily a bad thing?
My take? There’s some truth here—but the author feels unfinished. They throw a ton of stuff at the wall, then kind of tap out right when they hit the important parts
Sure, I could spend my time analyzing trolls and forum drama too
But what's missing for me is the actual psychology behind why people stick around online
They touch on narcissism and personal emptiness, but it’s all way too thin—not enough facts or solid theory to back it up
Plus, they frame "attachment" to the forum—and I won't use their word "addiction"—as purely negative, which I don't think is right
Personally, I see this place as an ADDITION to my life, something that enriches things rather than draining them. You can find connections here you just can't get in the real world. Like our chat threads where groups of exes or specific niche circles form—where else in America are you going to grab coffee with a group of former flames? You can't exactly call a meeting for that in a suburban Starbucks...
etc.
Basically, the internet lets you join communities that don't exist in physical reality, and thanks to anonymity, you can talk about stuff you'd never bring up with your coworkers or neighbors
You can also sharpen your debating skills, which actually comes in handy in real life sometimes
Or work on a weakness through a sort of digital team-building, making you more confident offline
I think this place is great—it all just depends on how you use it
i feel you, man—everyone wants that total independence without the massive upfront capital or the smooth sailing, but life isn't exactly a walk in the park
if your buddy put way less skin in the game, obviously he had to grind harder to pay out a partner—that’s just how it works, right? everything comes with a price tag, even business autonomy. if it were cheap, you wouldn't be looking for a boss's help today
but hey, we're all wired to root for our own side—can't blame you, i'm with you
So he’s putting up the space, you mentioned equipment access, plus covering payroll for the first six months—you just need to nail down the legalities. Is this a loan he gets repaid through future profits, or is he actually buying equity?
That whole synergy thing you guys are aiming for works for both sides, so definitely negotiate. But look, he needs skin in the game. You can't just shut him out of the ownership structure; one of you has to pitch a deal and the other either bites or counters. Makes sense, right?
I know you *can* pull this off solo, but having some backup makes life a hell of a lot easier. Don't be afraid to bring people in—just make sure even if it's your own brother, everything stays strictly on paper.
Most people start with a killer idea, but the execution is where things usually fall apart. Don't let yourself crash and burn early on just because you're too stubborn to share profits that haven't even materialized yet.
Maybe this is a bit of a silly question, but does anyone know if ownership structures for an LLC are actually public record? Like, how do you even find them? Is there a specific website or some government agency you can just hit up to see who actually owns a company—not just the CEO, but the actual owners? I’m thinking about a situation where you don't have any business ties to the firm and no obvious reason to be digging, so I'm wondering if it's even possible.
I’d say you need to nail down ownership stakes—aim for at least 51% or 55% if you want control. The split depends on how you guys play it, but profit sharing should always follow those ownership percentages.
I don't know the ins and outs of this perfectly, but from what I've gathered, there isn't really a way to split profits unless you both actually own the company.
If you're planning on giving him a cut per project, you really ought to sign a separate contract for every single one. If you don't want to go that route, he won't have any claim to the money—and trust me, he's not stupid.
Whether you're asking for too much is subjective, really. What matters is what's realistic. Ownership is based on what everyone brings to the table. From what I can tell, your contribution is just yourself and the cash. That team you're building? They aren't "contributions"—they're employees getting a paycheck. Your only real leverage is negotiating with the boss to snag a bigger percentage.
Contributions can be cash, assets, or rights, so basically
My employer is willing to provide the office space, all the equipment, and even cover payroll for six months if I decide to hire a team right out of the gate.
Based on that, he's contributing the space—but you need to figure out if he's just letting the new company use it or if the company will actually own it. Either way, you can put a dollar value on it. If it's just usage rights, just look at the market rental rate for that period and there's your number. Same goes for funding payroll and the equipment. Once you see his total value, you'll know exactly how much capital you need to inject to hit that 51% or 55% mark. You can't really put a price tag on yourself or the people you hire...
Who acts as CEO is up to you guys, but if things stall, the person with the majority stake makes the final call. If you want the power to make decisions, make sure you grab that majority share.
You keep saying intellectual capital is the whole game here, but is it really that simple? You'd start the company alone if it were, but nothing is ever quite black and white, right?
My boss and I are starting a business together, but his idea was to pay my portion of the initial capital for me. People like that are rare, though—and I won't be walking away with the majority stake.
Also, make sure the operating agreement includes a clause stating that if a partner wants out, they have to offer their shares to you first.
And honestly, just do your homework—talk to a lawyer and read the actual laws.
Chloe Sullivan14 said:God! It makes me want to scream. This obsession with importing from China... it’s ridiculous. They just flood the market with junk, and then everyone wonders why they're constantly replacing broken stuff. But apparently, that doesn't bother the average person here in America. I personally refuse to buy anything made in China. I’d much rather pay a little extra for quality than deal with literal trash. I won't even step foot in their stores, let alone give them a dime. Honestly, we should be supporting our own American companies so our people actually have jobs, instead of bumping into some little fat Chinese person on every street corner. I get that domestic goods cost more, but importing garbage isn't the answer.
I'm guessing the girl in the original post doesn't buy hair clips or whatever random nonsense you find in those dollar stores. China has leveled up in manufacturing—half the things you buy from Italy or elsewhere were probably made in China anyway. Any company that actually wants to survive while making mass-market goods is moving production to China or somewhere similar, mostly because the labor is so cheap.
Either way, it's obvious she thinks selling expensive stuff to people living on an average salary is a losing game.
To me, 👎 it feels like some sort of fake patriotism—there's no such thing as "patriotism" in business.
I've dealt with plenty of Chinese suppliers myself—someone else already covered the payment side of things... I’d just add that you have to obsess over every tiny detail. If you don't explicitly define exactly what's included in the price, you're going to end up getting something completely different from what you expected. As for delivery timelines? They love to run late. You've got their New Year celebrations early in the year where everything basically grinds to a halt for nearly a month—if you need gear during that window, make sure you nail down the actual arrival date so you don't get screwed. My rule of thumb? Take whatever the freight forwarders tell you and add at least two extra weeks for the container's transit. Also, getting the actual order moving can drag on forever while you're arguing over container counts and load types. Remember the time difference, too. Don't sit on those emails—in my experience, if they catch you being slow, they'll be incredibly quick to push back during negotiations.
Keith Chase62 said:Yeah, totally on an empty stomach. It’s been 9 hours since my last meal—basically just a fancy chocolate cappuccino. Could it be because I pulled a muscle at the 3.1 miles gym yesterday, maybe overdid it a bit? I also take Vitamin C effervescent tablets every day... man, who knows. I'm just hoping everything's fine and it's just what I ate... wouldn't be able to handle dealing with some actual illness. Thanks
If you’d even eaten a whole cake this morning on an empty stomach, your sugar should at least be hovering near the normal range—what was the reading, anyway?
I don't want to freak you out, but this feels like diabetes territory... I really hope it isn't, because I don't want you going through everything I have to go through...
Cut back on the carbs (don't cut them entirely), stick to whole grain or rye bread, try eating six small meals, and watch the fruit—maybe some green apples or grapefruit, but just in moderation...
Fingers crossed for you—let me know if you're okay.
Lisa Rodriguez84 said:I don't hate any specific genre. If I'm not listening to something—well, I'm just not listening to it, simple as that. If I have to, I'll endure a few hours of stuff I can't stand, but if I get the chance, I'll try to play my own stuff instead. But there's no way I'm acting like some desperate attention-seeker in public just because I dislike certain music—trying to force everyone to listen to me rant about why a song sucks... I just don't care. For instance, I follow everything from rock to metal and all that, but I rarely actually play it...So why is it that instead of just ignoring country music, people start hyperventilating and fishing for attention?
It’s an interesting question—honestly, the psychological profile of these people is probably a much more fascinating study than the actual music they're complaining about... ...I mean, how low is their tolerance level? How does it feel to act so high-and-mighty? How do they view themselves in the world, and why do they feel so threatened in that moment? Is it possible they're just deeply insecure—using "cool" or "urban" music to build this persona they want the world to see—so if they ever accidentally slip up and enjoy some country hits, their whole identity falls apart? ...Let's talk it out—what kind of psychological profiles are we looking at here? What goes on in those heads? And if you're one of them, spill it—what are you actually so afraid of?