Alibaba Masterclass (2018)

Learn how Alibaba connects entrepreneurs with Asian suppliers to source products at low manufacturing costs, and examine advantages and challenges like quality, IP, and shipping.

Set up your Alibaba account as a buyer and learn how trade assurance provides 100 percent protection up to an agreed amount, covering shipping time, pre-shipment quality, and claims.

Learn how to find a product to sell on Alibaba by navigating categories and supplier searches, evaluating product pages, prices, minimum order quantity, and safe payment options.

Learn to reduce buyer risk on Alibaba by verifying manufacturers, using third-party inspections, checking business licenses, requesting samples and factory photos, and walking away from bad deals.

Learn to contact suppliers on Alibaba by evaluating price, MOQ, and payment terms; negotiate a win‑win, request samples, and use email or live chat to move deals across marketplaces.

Test your samples thoroughly upon arrival with a durability checklist and harsh real-world testing. Do not sell untested items to protect your seller rating and prevent refunds.

After approving a product sample, negotiate a lower minimum order quantity (MOQ) for a first test run with the supplier, outlining tested results and future larger orders in your email.

Learn to place orders with Alibaba's one line order form, using trade assurance for security, and include customizations and terms while confirming pricing and minimum order quantity.

Ali Baba's secure payment gateway uses escrow, credit cards with fees and chargebacks, and a 20 percent upfront bank transfer; avoid Western Union.

Ship sample products to you or a P.O. box to test and select a supplier. For major orders, ship to a storage location, using Amazon FBA to keep inventory categorized.

Inspect your product on arrival to verify it matches the description and is undamaged. Record unboxing, check for water damage, and contact Ali Baba support for fraud or damaged goods.

Discover how to source profitable goods from Alibaba while reducing risk by over-communicating with suppliers, clarifying terms, verifying with samples, and using common sense.