March 2013
3 posts
1 tag
What is Alibaba.com? What isn't Alibaba.com?
Alibaba.com is an incredibly powerful service for small businesses and entreprenuers looking to cost effectively source quality products. The allure of Alibaba’s International Marketplace is quite apparent; millions of suppliers, millions of products, and highly competitive prices. I’ve spoken with several entrepreneurs who have used Alibaba.com to launch their brands. The success stories are...
Mar 14th
4 tags
Using 3rd Party Fulfillment To Earn Brand Loyalty
When bringing your product to market, you need someone you can trust to protect and promote your brand through the eCommerce and retail channel. A trusted partner will have facilities that are modern and secure and located near hubs for major carriers with the technology, physical network, and caring service to delight your customer. A good fulfillment partner will provide an information interface...
Mar 1st
3 tags
The 800 Pound eCommerce Gorilla
dwshorowitz: Only 40% of China’s 1.3 billion population currently uses the Internet, and China’s per capita income is 1/11th that of the US, yet per capita eCommerce spending by Chinese consumers is 78% that of US consumers. China’s eCommerce tidal wave:                         2011       2012       2013         2014        2015 USA ($B)           188         209         230           250  ...
Mar 1st
2 notes
February 2013
10 posts
4 tags
So you have a successful Kickstarter campaign. ...
Hardware Renaissance Recently a number of factors have made starting up a hardware company much more possible. An investor/mentor of ours, Paul Graham, recently coined the term ‘Hardware Renaissance’ in an essay where he outlines why we may be seeing an influx of hardware companies in the very near future. He mentions that hardware performs very well on platforms like Kickstarter and...
Feb 14th
1 note
3 tags
Feb 12th
3 tags
Feb 11th
3 tags
China Steps Up Buying In US →
Chinese firms are on the prowl for US companies. The acquisition spree is just getting started for the following reasons: Chinese firms are flush with cash.  Chinese firms want to acquire established businesses and their brands to accelerate an otherwise painfully slow US market entrance requiring brand development. Chinese firms are looking to secure intellectual property to enhance their...
Feb 11th
3 tags
Don't Judge A Person By Their LinkedIn Profile....
We’ve all seen it, and it’s painful. I’m talking about the professional who is not from an English speaking country, does not possess a strong grasp of written English, and therefore has a LinkedIn profile that would drive a 3rd grade English teacher to pop Xanax. I’m also talking about the person whose LinkedIn profile picture looks like a county jail “mug shot” taken with a Kodak disposable...
Feb 8th
6 tags
Hurun Report: Psychology and Habits Of Chinese...
We wanted to share these incredible China market insights. Equip your company with the knowledge necessary to turn China into a primary market for your products.  Hurun Report presents findings from Chinese Luxury Consumer Survey 2013: Luxury watch industry has tough year with only Longines listed as a preferred watch brand for gifting, coming in at fifteenth Millionaires don’t sleep much, only...
Feb 7th
7 tags
A Swiss Army Knife For Doing Business With/In...
23 months ago I was watching Bloomberg TV - on a short list of my favorite channels - when I encountered the fresh perspective of a man named Shaun Rein. Rein, Founder and Managing Director of Shanghi-based China Market Research Group, was brought on the March 2011 show to field questions about bearish outlooks on China from several Western thought leaders including famed hedge fund investor Jim...
Feb 6th
6 tags
Feb 1st
7 tags
Feb 1st
8 tags
Feb 1st
4 notes
January 2013
10 posts
2 tags
Chinese Companies Need To Be Seen As More... →
An international survey has found that Chinese companies are less trusted than companies headquartered in other nations - by a wide margin - a major hurdle for the growing number of Chinese enterpriseslooking to ”go global”. Of those polled in developed countries, only 19 percent regarded companies headquartered inChina as ”trustworthy.” It’s unfair that foreign...
Jan 30th
6 tags
The 4 Fatal Trade Show Marketing Mistakes
It is our belief that premium Chinese suppliers do not receive the attention from western consumers and buyers that they deserve. This under-appreciation is hurting the growth of small and large Chinese companies without discrimination. But western consumer acceptance is not to blame. In this article we will expose the 4 Fatal Trade Show Marketing Mistakes that prevent 99.9% of Chinese suppliers...
Jan 30th
1 note
3 tags
The Secret To Selling Is Inside The Golden Circle
Just last week I shared a YouTube link with Nigel Lewis, founder of Global Logistics Media. Shortly thereafter, I received a response from Nigel; “You’re onto it… I’ve been a fan for a while now, the first video I ever saw was this one [link], the man is a great communicator…” You should have seen the smile on my face. Here we are, two industry professionals from opposite...
Jan 29th
1 note
2 tags
Hurry Up, The Chinese New Year Is Coming!
This post will be short and to the point. The Chinese New Year (translated to ‘Spring Festival’) is fast approaching. The Year of the Snake begins February 10th. Most of the Chinese suppliers we work with will close up shop for national holiday between February 2nd - 5th, and re-open on or about the 18th of February. So, if you’re trying to get a last-minute production run in,...
Jan 29th
3 tags
Defining OEM: A Disambiguation
Just what exactly does OEM mean? The term OEM is used in so many ways it has become a great source of miscommunication among supply chain professionals. We’ve had the privilege of experiencing this ambiguity first hand, so we decided to offer some clarity. The acronym OEM stands for Original Equipment Manufacturer. The Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals, aka CSCMP, utilize our...
Jan 23rd
10 tags
HD Trade Services, Cartoonized!
We’re excited to share this awesome animated video explaining the HDTS Platform for international trade.  Enjoy!
Jan 19th
13 tags
Jan 17th
3 tags
2012, A Memorable Year To Say The Least
I’d like to start this post by wishing everyone a Happy New Year! We hope 2012 was as memorable for you as it was for us. I wasn’t planning on writing this post, however, as I reflected on the past year, I thought it would be a nice thing to share the earliest chapter of the HDTS journey. The past year was an incredible experience for our company, and certainly one we will never...
Jan 4th
3 tags
Jan 3rd
3 tags
Jan 3rd
December 2012
2 posts
6 tags
Ti's North America eCommerce Logistics 2012 →
HDTS is featured in Transport Intelligence’s North America eCommerce Logistics 2012 Research Report along with a fellow Y Combinator companies Bufferbox, Stripe, and WePay. Pretty good stuff. Here’s a quote: HD Trade Services…is a B2B online platform that targets small- to medium-sized business. The platform is based primarily on cloud and mobile computing and provides secure...
Dec 20th
1 tag
Welcome to the HD Trade Services blog!
Hello and welcome to the HD Trade Services company blog! Given feedback from our customers and friends, this moment is long overdue. For our first post we will outline what to expect from our blog.  Mission: to be a curated place where international trade professionals come to learn about industry and company developments.  Topics: you’re at the right place if you’re a professional...
Dec 20th