Understanding the required initial investment is a key step for every entrepreneur before entering the growing field of foreign trade e-commerce. This article will analyze in detail the capital investment required for different stages of foreign trade e-commerce entrepreneurship, from registering a store to listing products, to operations and logistics processing, to provide a comprehensive cost overview for future e-commerce entrepreneurs.
The first step in starting a foreign trade e-commerce business is to register a store. Fortunately, this step is usually free, whether it is an individual or a company registration. However, considering the low pass rate of individual registration and the easy triggering of audit issues later, company registration becomes a better choice. For entrepreneurs without a company, it is necessary to register a company. Although this is free of charge, you may need to pay a certain agency fee.
The selection of the platform is also key. Taking Amazon as an example, its professional level account has a monthly rent of US$39.99, while the personal level account is free of monthly rent. For those stores that have not uploaded products in time after registration, they can temporarily switch to the personal level to save costs.
Products are the core of e-commerce, so the initial stocking costs depend on the selected product categories. Entrepreneurs with sufficient funds may prefer high-priced products to raise the threshold for customer consumption and reduce competition; while those with limited funds may choose low-priced products or reduce initial inventory to reduce costs.
Logistics costs are another important consideration. Retail products are usually free shipping, but the logistics costs of purchased products must be borne by yourself, including the costs from the factory to the port. Mileage costs refer to the costs from the port to the Amazon warehouse, which varies according to the volume and weight of the product. The air freight price is approximately 22-38 yuan per kilogram, and the sea freight price is 8-13 yuan per kilogram.
In addition to the above costs, service fees such as product sorting, warehousing, and warehousing must also be considered, as well as commissions and warehousing fees that need to be paid to the platform when selling products. These all constitute important investments in the initial stage of foreign trade e-commerce. Understanding these costs is the first step to success for anyone preparing to enter this industry.