Made in Australia Scam

False labeling of goods as Made in Australia is rife in the business world.

Large companies are known to shade the truth by manipulating their manufacturing process in such a way as to avoid the tentacles of the government monitors.
Some examples of this are seen in canned goods where the manufacturing is split into global segments.
Tinned fruit and fruit juice are manufacturing processes where the production is split up globally.
Oranges might be picked from one continent, shipped to another country, mixed into a concentrate there, and then shipped to Australia for packaging.
The final product is then labeled Made in Australia.
Consumers purchase these goods in the false belief that they are promoting Australian jobs and business, while the truth is that most of the jobs and profits are generated outside Australia.

There are more obvious examples where small businesses operate under the radar of the responsible authority.

Last week I took a walk around a large city market here in Melbourne.

Having had some experience in certain sectors of business, I was able to detect three traders openly lying about where the goods were made.

Not only were they lying when conversing to their customers, they had huge signs hoisted above their stalls that read. “Made in Australia".

The purpose was clear enough to me.
Dishonest traders were ripping off the consumer by allowing them to think they were buying Australian made quality and stimulating the jobs market for the country.
The products were items of ladies clothing and leather bags.
The sad part is that many people never the questioned the word of the traders.
How can the public decide if they see value in buying Australian made, if they are not presented with the truth?
Here are the facts, if you want to know what “Made in Australia” really means and what is just dishonest manipulation.
http://www.australianmade.com.au/faq_s

Don't Kill The Customer.

Customers want friendly service.
It is gratifying to hear your customers thanking you for good service and for helping them arrive at a buying decision.
Sometimes the temptation exists to exchange harsh words with customers at the market. There are some that think that stallholders don’t deserve the same respect as other retailers. It happens.
What I learned is that in some cases the customer is only testing the responses of the trader. When I first started I was quick to fly off the handle when a customer complained about quality or price.
Now I know the correct way to deal with this.

Don’t kill the customer.
Treat all of your buyers with respect.
Do this and they will come back and buy from you.
If you want them to buy from your stall, you must develop your service skills, because your personal service is part of your product.
During my conversations with customers at my market stall, I often ask the question,

Why do you shop at the market?

Invariably they tell me that one of the major factors is the friendly atmosphere that is way too different to the cloned shopping centers found in the big malls.
Because stalls are owner operated, the seller cares more about the sale than an employee would.
Market customers expect you to service them.
Remember. Don’t kill the customer

Freighting your goods back home.

You are a small buyer and you have invested your money into a few cartons of goods that you purchased overseas.
Now how do you ship the goods back home?
Do you ship them by air or sea?
If you are dealing with smaller shipments which have gross weights in the ballpark of 100 kilos, then you will find it difficult to deal with freight offices.
They give low rates for larger shipments but not for smaller consignments. The internal administration charges that are passed back to you will eat at your profits.
You will also run into problems with courier type air freight companies such as DHL and Fed Express. They have too many ancillary charges which they slap on top of their per kilo rate, which will erode your profit.
Unaccompanied baggage offices that are situated around the airport are not cheap either, but they are reliable and convenient. To be honest there is no cheap air freight but ask yourself if you want to be waiting around for weeks for your goods to arrive.
If you use sea freight, be prepared to have your good sitting at the docks for days on end.

Bargain Markets Make A Comeback

Public markets are making an unprecedented comeback across North America. You see signs of this almost everywhere. Perhaps a new farmers market has opened somewhere in your neighborhood over the past few years, or maybe a nearby street is now bustling with small vendors selling their wares. Even more remarkable, this revival of interest in public markets flies in the face of widely accepted notions that we are moving inexorably towards a landscape dominated by big box stores and fast food chains.

Steve Davies argues that public markets are making a comeback and that America's future may be small vendors as much as big boxes.


Source: Project For Public Spaces, Sep 25, 2005
Full Story: The Great Revival of Public Markets

My Buying Trip To Bangkok

Several years ago I went to Thailand with the primary purpose of establishing trade contacts in the finished leather goods market.

I had researched the trade directories and had compiled a shortlist of potential suppliers to call when I arrived.
My initial attraction to the idea of developing a trading relationship with Thailand stemmed from the fact that other business associates had successfully established flexible and long lasting relationships with Thai exporters.
Buoyed with enthusiasm, I packed my bags.
The first morning of my arrival I rang most of the factories on my list with mixed results.
Many did not speak English beyond the basic greetings, so my list was growing smaller.

This is one of the problems when you research suppliers on the net. On the internet they appear well established and communicative but in many cases it is only perception. In reality they are not the model you had hoped for.
Nothing beats face to face business meetings, so an initial trip to your potential supplier is a good investment. After a few of these business trips I am now able to pick up the phone, order from overseas and the production gets underway. Sometimes I do this by email or sometimes just a phone call suffices. This is the kind of relationship any small business owner would dream of.

Selling Products At A Market

Selling products at a market for a living was a lifestyle choice I made many years ago
I have been a trader of Leather goods for most of my working life and even after all these years, market life is a lifestyle I would be hard pressed to give up.

Why did 1I choose the market to make my living?

I initially trained as an accountant but after a short stint as a 9 to 5 worker, I very quickly had enough and it was a case of asking I who I really was and how happy I wanted to be.

If you are serious about starting a business as a market trader or if you are only interested in visiting great markets of the world then welcome all the same.

Considering a business?
One of the first things you will need to determine is your suitability to the demands of a physically demanding market business because one of the daily tasks of your new business venture will be setting up and dismantling your stall
Nearly every city has a market of some description so it is easy enough to further your research by attending a weekend market.

Things to look for
As I mentioned, you will need to determine if you have the physical energy required to be able to setup and dismantle your stall.

Take note of which traders are only part time seasonal traders because if you become a trader you may find yourself in a business that only has seasonal profits.

Capital Requirements.
Different businesses need varying amounts of investment.
Clothing traders will always large inventory costs due to sizes and colors.


g proSelling products at a market for a living was a lifestyle choice I made many years ago
I have been a trader of Leather goods for most of my working life and even after all these years, market life is a lifestyle I would be hard pressed to give up.

Why did 1I choose the market to make my living?

I initially trained as an accountant but after a short stint as a 9 to 5 worker, I very quickly had enough and it was a case of asking I who I really was and how happy I wanted to be.

If you are serious about starting a business as a market trader or if you are only interested in visiting great markets of the world then welcome all the same.

Considering a business?
One of the first things you will need to determine is your suitability to the demands of a physically demanding market business because one of the daily tasks of your new business venture will be setting up and dismantling your stall
Nearly every city has a market of some description so it is easy enough to further your research by attending a weekend market.

Things to look for
As I mentioned, you will need to determine if you have the physical energy required to be able to setup and dismantle your stall.

Take note of which traders are only part time seasonal traders because if you become a trader you may find yourself in a business that only has seasonal profits.

Capital Requirements.
Different businesses need varying amounts of investment.
Clothing traders will always large inventory costs due to sizes and colors.


ducts at a market for a living was a lifestyle choice I made many years ago
I have been a trader of Leather goods for most of my working life and even after all these years, market life is a lifestyle I would be hard pressed to give up.

Why did 1I choose the market to make my living?

I initially trained as an accountant but after a short stint as a 9 to 5 worker, I very quickly had enough and it was a case of asking I who I really was and how happy I wanted to be.

If you are serious about starting a business as a market trader or if you are only interested in visiting great markets of the world then welcome all the same.

Considering a business?
One of the first things you will need to determine is your suitability to the demands of a physically demanding market business because one of the daily tasks of your new business venture will be setting up and dismantling your stall
Nearly every city has a market of some description so it is easy enough to further your research by attending a weekend market.

Things to look for
As I mentioned, you will need to determine if you have the physical energy required to be able to setup and dismantle your stall.

Take note of which traders are only part time seasonal traders because if you become a trader you may find yourself in a business that only has seasonal profits.

Capital Requirements.
Different businesses need varying amounts of investment.
Clothing traders will always large inventory costs due to sizes and colors.


products at a market for a living was a lifestyle choice I made many years ago.
I have been a trader of leather goods for most of my working life and even after all these years, market life is a lifestyle I would be hard pressed to give up.

Why did I choose the market to make my living?

I initially trained as an accountant but after a short stint as a 9 to 5 worker, I very quickly had enough and it was a case of asking myself what I really wanted.

If you are serious about starting a business as a market trader or if you are only interested in visiting great markets of the world then welcome all the same.

Considering a business?

One of the first things you will need to determine is your suitability to the demands of a physically demanding market business.
Remember one of the daily tasks of your new business venture will be setting up and dismantling your stall
Nearly every city has a market of some description so it is easy enough to further your research by attending a weekend market.

Things to look for:

As I mentioned, you will need to determine if you have the physical energy required to be able to setup and dismantle your stall.

Take note of which traders are only part time seasonal traders, because if you become a trader you may find yourself in a business that only has seasonal profits.

Capital Requirements.
Different businesses need varying amounts of investment, because
clothing traders will always have inventory shortages of colors and sizes.

Pricing and Suppliers

Ok You have decided to go into business. In order for your stall to make a profit you will soon realise that cheap prices are what people expect at markets.

You will need to sell a product that is roughly about 30% less in cost to the public as compared to what they see in regular stores.
In order to achieve this you will require some cash money so you can approach suppliers directly.
Most smaller suppliers have end of line items, samples and one offs that they wil clear for cash.
Remember if you buy well you sell well.
.Stock your stall with merchandise that suits your market stall's demograpics. Items that sell at one market will not necessarily sell well at a different market.4
From my trading experience, this logic applies to markets in the same cities. A good idea would be to spend some time at various markets before you trade so you can take notes on the patrons.
Look for signals. Guage what they buy and how much they send on each purchase. Information like this is in invaluable and will put your project on the right track.

Handling Competition

As with most things, competition in any business exists and market traders are not excluded.
Your competition is both your enemy and your friend. Too little competition makes for an inefficient market place. Buyers soon get tired of market places that have limited competition because competitors fighting for the consumer dollar are forced into efficient selling practices.
A competitive market place makes for a bustling market place.

When you decide what you are going to sell, evaluate your market share.

What quality of the same product will you sell?

Will it complement the range all already available in the market place?

Do you have the contacts and buying power to stay the course?

Competition is not only an issue between competing stallholders, because you will always be competing for the consumer dollar. You will need to rate your stall highly as a spending magnet because if your stall is less of a magnet than other stalls, your products will be low in priority on consumers lists.