There are countless options out there for those of us who are willing to invest the time and energy required to start a business of our own.  Most people who tend to look for this kind of self fulfillment, are driven by the thrill of staking their own claim, being self employed, and the potential of being the next Bill Gates.  What most people don’t realize is how daunting this prospect can be.  With 9 out of 10 start-ups failing in the first year, it is clear that there is anything but a guarantee.  If done right, you could be self sufficient for the rest of your life and if done wrong you could blow your entire life savings.  I am writing this article to showcase at least one way you can go about starting a dynamic business with only modest risk to your check book and without having to quit your day job… well that depends on how serious you want to get.

What am I talking about?  Well you aren’t too far from it if you are reading this article.  The parent of this blog is a site called The Independent Importer, or The Indie Importer for short.  They have created a marketplace for all things imported.  The idea is to establish a thriving forum for the trade of international goods and services.  What this means for the business minded, is a ready made web based platform to buy and sell goods from around the world. 

Now imagine you went out on the first day it was available and bought the new I-Phone 3G or some other phone that has access to the Internet wherever there are a few bars of service.  You could potentially run your business from just about anywhere.  The Indie Importer even gives you suggestions on where to find products to import.  Just click on the Alibaba banner on their homepage and you are in front of the world.  You can source and negotiate the import of millions of products world wide, and have them listed for sale without leaving your comfy computer chair.

If you want to get even more ambitious, you could go out and travel the world, with your I-Phone mind you, and source products yourself.  You could have your products up and for sale before you even boarded a plane for the return trip.  With a little bit of networking savvy, and an appreciation for culture and aesthetic, you could establish relationships all over the world and be the next J. Peterman, for all you Seinfeld fans out there.  I bet those Himalayan walking shoes would sell like hotcakes on The Indie Importer.

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