Target Market ??

[louy]

I am looking to do something with drop shipping. Not exactly decided what and how yet.

Was wonder who should my target market should be in terms of geography.

I am currently employed and working in Singapore. I come from the UK.

If I wanted something in Singapore, I have a very small target market. Being in Asia a lot of things here are cheap and so there is not much cost advantage to be enjoyed. Also I am new to the area and do not know the market.

If I wanted to do something in UK, I am not there to set up the business and ensure it is establised properly and running efficiently. Then I wont be able to automate it.

The advise from the book and the websites listed is targeted at US.

This is one multi-national business model I am trying to get my head round

[nghs22]

Honestly Louy, your post makes zero sense. You say you aren't decided on what and how to drop ship, but you want us to somehow tell you what your target market is? Try to re-read the book mate.

[louy]

Many thanks for your comments,
However, I was looking for something more value adding than go read the book.

My situation is I do not know the market where I am in (Singapore) and I am not in the market I know very well (UK). Is this a problem and I would like to know how people see this and overcome this.

As mentioned in the book, its better to ask people who have done it then to read a book.

[Stallion]

Go read the book. All of this is explained in it. It's not like self-help books that give you some "philosophical" ideal that you must follow. The book gives step by step methods.

[Matthew Connors]

You need to take a look at google trends and other free tools

www.google.com/trends (http://www.google.com/trends)

There are lots of other free tools that can answer your questions
http://www.squidoo.com/nicheproductideas

[J C McGuire]

I believe regardless of what country or location you're in, you're going to be able to find a group of people who want what you have to sell. Whether you can sell enough to make it worth your time is just something you're going to have to test.

For instance, I live in America and I know for a fact that soccer is nowhere near as popular here as it is over in Europe. But, if it was an interest of mine, then I can be sure that it's an interest of many others here in America also. The only thing left for me to do is figure out exactly what I'm going to be selling and then test to see if it can be profitable (testing is something the book lays out).

I don't think I would ever try to determine my target market by looking at a certain geography location unless I'm opening a brick and mortar store or if I'm going into real estate.

[Matthew Connors]

you would however be amazingly surprised in the variation of search terms used across different geographical boundaries.. So some careful keyword research will prevent a lot of nasty and expensive marketing mistakes...

Google trends is 100% free, no sign up, and dead simple. It produces graphs of seasonal demand, geographical demand and tons more useful data all free.

[Gongchime]

I've been to Singapore repeatedly and they have excellent Chinese wholesale sources for herbal medicines, hand carved jade jewelry and Chinese musical instruments. If you can find enough people to buy what you want to sell, it will be profitable. I think the herbal medicines and jade with silver would sell well back in the U.K. (and in the U.S, a larger market) from a website. Just don't try to sell anything worth less than $25U.S. Good luck, it sounds exciting.

The shopping malls near Hotel 81 in Chinatown have a Chinese man who doesn't speak any English selling the carved jade jewelry at his retail brick and mortar shop. He owns and runs several jade carving factories. One in Hongkong and a few more in China.

The Chinese musical instrument shops and herbal medicine shop are also in one of the malls at the same intersection. The better herbal medicine shop is not near to there though.

I had the idea to give a sample Balinese bowed spike fiddle to the store that sells the Chinese version Erhu to see if people who already bought Chinese one's (the Chinese population in Singapore) and taking lessons at a couple of Chinese musical instrument shops, would buy a Balinese one made from a coconut out of curiosity. Then I could supply them a few each time I come. I also noticed that the Balinese make gorgeous stands for their instruments which I could also sell. Highly detailed hand carved dragons painted in gold leaf. I bet I could sell a few of those.

The other thing that you might be able to sell from Singapore would be Indian musical instruments. There's only one shop in Little India that has sitars, tablas and what not for sale so you'd have to find him and deal with him. His daughter is cute too and old enough. Haha

Anyway, pick something that seems interesting to you because you might get stuck doing something you find quite boring for a long time. I like music so I'm always attracted to that regardless of the money.