Hello,

This is my first post and I'm new to importing.

I'm a British university student in Peru for one year and I'm looking to import alpaca and pima cotton clothing and costume jewellery from Peru into the UK once I return home later this year. My understanding is that it�s very important to build relationships with suppliers in an import/export business; I want to use my time well while I�m in Peru and make the relationships now between myself and suppliers. The Peruvian embassy website and alibaba have a list of manufactures that I could approach, I�ve been thinking about approaching these manufactures directly and asking for samples, references etc. Do other members on here think this is a good idea? If not what would be the best way for me to build relationships with manufactures while I�m in Peru? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

(I have read other posts on here about importing from Peru and I�m aware of what to look for when buying alpaca).

Many thanks

Hi Unistu0,

Welcome to Wholesale Forum

Yes, that is a great idea. You have the opportunity to meet suppliers and manufacturers in person, and test their goods firsthand, which will give you an advantage over the competition. There are many manufacturers who produce counterfeit Alpaca cotton items, visiting the manufacturer personally is the best way to make sure that you are dealing with a legitimate supplier / manufacturer.

You should ask the manufacturers you will be visiting whether they have plans to develop and expand their business in the near future, and if this will have any effect on the goods and services they provide. Remember that a supplier is one of the most important factors in any business. Maintaining you business relationships is very important, settling your accounts regularly and placing timely orders are two simple ways of maintaining a healthy relationship with your supplier.

You should never take your personal findings for granted. When you are back in the UK and are ready to start dealing with your supplier, you should start by placing small orders to check the continuity in quality and service originally promised.

We suggest you start writing your business plan before you return to the UK, in this way you will get a clear picture of all the business you should take care of while still in Peru. For example, being in the country where your suppliers will be shipping from gives you the possibility to find the best, fastest and cheapest shipping solution for your products.

Hope this helps

Thank you, your reply is a big help to me