1. Margin after every cost
Aim for at least three times the landed cost, not three times the purchase price. Below that threshold, the first wave of returns or ineffective ads eats the entire profit.
2. Weight and volume
Every extra kilogram is a permanent tax on your profitability. At equal margin, a 200-gram product is vastly easier to run than a two-kilo one, especially from the Caribbean.
3. Seasonality and fragility
A product that sells three months a year demands cash reserves few beginners have. A fragile product turns every shipment into a gamble. For a first order, avoid both.
4. What makes you hard to copy
If your only argument is price, you will lose to the first better-funded competitor. A translated instruction sheet, responsive after-sales service or a bundle designed for one precise use is often enough to create that difference.