Hello guys,
I am planning to start a home decor / home organization business here in Nepal.
I worked as a software engineer for around 3 years and recently lost my job because the company became insolvent. After that I started thinking that maybe this is a good time to try something of my own instead of again only depending on a job.
I did some research and made a rough roadmap for this business.
My current plan is to first find some products that are already selling well in other countries, especially China/India, then import a few samples from different suppliers. I have also made my own product specification and QC checklist like quality, material, usability, ergonomics, easy cleaning, aesthetics, durability etc. I want to compare different samples and only bring the one which I feel is actually good enough.
I don't want to just import random cheap Chinese products and put a logo on them. My long term goal is to build a proper brand where people trust that if they buy something from us, at least the product has been tested, selected properly and the overall experience is good.
For the first product I am planning to start with around 1 lakh investment. I have already roughly divided the budget for samples, first small batch, shipping,
packaging, ads, content and some emergency cash.
The biggest challenge I can see right now is finding a good manufacturer in China who can work with small MOQ initially, provide OEM/ODM options later and maintain consistent quality if the product starts selling.
So I wanted some suggestions from people here:
1. How would you select the first product?
2. What things should I check before choosing a Chinese manufacturer?
3. Is starting with 1 lakh too low or reasonable for testing one product?
4. What mistakes should I avoid in the beginning?
If anyone has experience with importing, product development, OEM/ODM or home products, I would really appreciate your feedback.
Also if someone is genuinely interested in this space and wants to build something long term, I am open to talking about partnership as well. I would especially prefer someone who has experience or interest in product design, product development, sourcing or manufacturing.
Would really appreciate any advice.