Is this a real business?
I’ve been importing products for my auto supply business for about 2 years now, and along the way I’ve gotten pretty good at finding direct manufacturers overseas and navigating the whole process (pricing, tariffs, shipping, etc.).
Lately I’ve had a lot of friends, family, and other business owners asking if I can help them source their products the same way. It’s gotten to the point where I’m wondering if there’s actually a business here.
Where I’m stuck is how to monetize it properly.
Here are the models I’ve been thinking about:
Markup on landed cost (product + tariffs + shipping)
Percentage of the total order value
Percentage of the savings compared to their current supplier
I feel like each one highlights a different kind of value:
Markup = simplicity
% of order = scalable with volume
% of savings = aligns incentives
But I’m trying to figure out what actually works best long term, especially if I want to scale this beyond just helping people I know.
Second part of the question:
Do you think this is actually a real need/business, or just something that seems valuable from the inside but isn’t that big of a market?
Would love to hear from anyone who’s done sourcing, importing, or consulting like this.
Appreciate any thoughts.