I thought that most of you guys will find this interesting and see if this is exactly what you wanna do.  - Cool post of how George Freeman of the Freeman Import Company describes his typical day at the office:

7:00 am
If you deal with companies based in the Far East and you want to talk to them by telephone or receive a quick answer then it is important once or twice a week to start early (or stay up late)in order to catch them. I am an early riser so I often make a few calls and send a few emails before breakfast. When I launched Freeman Import Company I didn't have my own computer ? but now I have the latest Home Office, which is fabulous. I use it together with a digital camera to send and receive photographs of products.

8:00 am
Breakfast with my family. Take the kids to school. Take the dog for a walk. Read the papers (I am always on the look out for new product ideas). Only go back to my study when my wife suggests I should fix the garage door. It is wonderful working at home ? the only downside is everyone thinks you are available for doing chores. I know some Import/Export agents who like to go on buying expeditions overseas -but I hate travel and I hate hotels. My idea of bliss is staying at home all day.

10:00 am
Start work in earnest. I usually devote my mornings to marketing, my afternoons to administration. However, the post brings several cheques so I spend an hour doing my accounts, writing out some invoices, and filling in the bank book. Most of my commission is paid by direct transfer into either my US dollar or sterling account, which saves me a lot of time.

11:00 am
A manufacturer I have never dealt with before has sent me a box of thirty clock radios. He wants me to act for him in the UK.I spend an hour testing his product and after deciding that it is of good quality I create a fact sheet describing its features and setting out the price and delivery details. I make a straight 15% on everything I sell. His product offers good value for money and I know it is going to be popular. I email him a copy of my standard terms and conditions asking him to sign a copy and fax it back within 48 hours. Five minutes later the fax comes through even though he is in a time zone nine hours ahead of the UK! Keen or what?

Midday
After a break for coffee I draw up an initial list of possible customers for the clock radios. Nowadays, I have my own list of customers but there are plenty of reference sources when you are starting out. I decide to fax my fact sheet to about one hundred wholesalers ? offering them a free sample on a first come, first served basis. Thanks to the computer I can send the one hundred faxes in a matter of minutes. I don't deal much by telephone and I rarely make a sales visit ? though I do take my best customers out to nice meals every few months.

1:30 pm
Stop for lunch. Walk the dog. End up mending the garage door. Kids come home from school so I stop to have a cup of tea with them.

4:00 pm
Back in the office. Process orders for other products I sell. Some orders come by post, some by fax, some by email. A few messages get left on my answering machine. I pool smaller orders together to make up whole containers. Although this may mean a slight delay for my customers they are happy to wait because it means they can order less but still benefit from a rock bottom price. I've set myself a weekly sales target of #10,000. Last week I did #4,000 ? but this week I've already dome #18,000 and it is only Wednesday. Last year, after all my expenses, I made a profit of #57,000 ? nearly #5,000 a month. I am hoping to do considerably better this year.

5:00 pm
Send all my own orders off to the manufacturers I represent. Most now have email ? but some have to be faxed. It takes me half an hour. Deal with a telephone call from a wholesaler looking for electric kettles. Promise to send him details and prices within 24 hours and immediately send off an email to a dozen possible suppliers in Taiwan and China. More and more of my products come from Chinese factories ? their prices are impossible to beat and the quality is getting better and better.

6:00 pm
Call it quits for the day! I've done six hours actual work ? and that's enough for me. A few inquiries have already come in for the new clock radio so before I turn off the computer I run out name and address labels. First thing tomorrow morning I'll post off samples.

Replying to [Customlinepc]:

I envy you, , I'm yearning for such a life in China!!!
I'm looking for a chance to work closely together with a serious foreign buyer in China!
I like making friends worldwide and love to work at my option!
Welcome to China!

Replying to [Customlinepc]:
I feel your pain and your triumph alike. NO one ever said it was easy. I am out of the house by seven and dont see it again till ten or eleven but its a rush getting those triple digit orders in our doors! I love my job and I hope you do as well.

Good luck to you now and better luck for your future. But you and I know that luck wont change a thing only hard work, determination and great organizational skills can get you ahead in this business.

Marty

Replying to [Business in China]:
by the way thats NOT my schedule...Its some george freeman guy ...and yes i envy him also haha

Replying to [Customlinepc]:Hi just read your article on alibaba it was very interesting. We currently, import from eastern europe, a variety of timber garden products. I have recently become interested in exporting these products into the US market, but to be honest dont know where to start, I guess we would be looking for an american agent ? If you have time & any good tips i would love to hear from you.

Thanks for your time & I look forward to hearing from you.

Gary *Contact via Trade manager* we are based in Yorkshire England

It seems to me that you are leading a good business life.

I am also thinking about launching my own home-base business.

I believe you are working as a commission....but how does that work?

Your reply will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks
DAVID

Replying to [Customlinepc]:



It seems very efficient and happy job, wonderful!


Jenny

HI,

I am very intrested in getting into import export and have little experiance and was hoping that you may be able to assist in advising me what pit falls may lay ahead regarding making payment selecting products, I am intrested in shipping electrical equipment into EU and have some contact based in switzerland also shipping Waste recycling paper into India. Please can you advise what I should be aware of before going into this field.

Thanks

Replying to [Customlinepc]:
Nice day, hard work...
Can work in family and take care of the kids and dog, at the same time, can gain money.
How nice!
xunliang-zhao

Replying to [Customlinepc]:A typical day for an Import-Export Agent can be described in three words: work.......work............work

Replying to [Customlinepc]:i am a Chinese Supplier ,in my opinion ,from this article ,i find a beautifull life which combined with work and enjoy.But surely i do not envy it coz i also got my own beautiful life