China

I was looking for some products to flip on Amazon and went over to Alibaba. I found these dupes for a viral skincare tool that were probably made in the same factory as the original. There are a few versions and a couple of different suppliers. I pick out one supplier, place an order, then pick put some cheaper ones from a second supplier to compare. I kid you not I had only $40 worth of stuff in the cart. I keep browsing but did not finalize my order, suddenly a DM pops up. Hmm?? It's a person named Lucky who wants to know why I didn't check out. I explain I'm still browsing and possibly have changed my mind. Lucky starts sending over suggestions, asking questions, and spends over an hour talking to me. Literally an hour for $40 worth of product. I have gone car shopping and spent less time with a sales person. I have no idea how this is a profitable use of time.

When it comes to China I think many Americans have a negative opinion because of the fact that they're technically communists and they're our #1 competitor. Their culture and world view are much different than the American, but I have always found my interactions with Chinese people to be polite, friendly, and enjoyable. Idk if I will follow through with this business idea yet or if I will ever do business with Lucky again, but the hour I spent shopping was quite enjoyable and left me perplexed for days after. It's just mind blowing to me that there is a giant online marketplace where you can buy wholesale goods in small quantities to run a business from anywhere and sales reps from these factories will spend an entire hour of their life to answer your questions for a $40 spend. It just doesn't make any sense!