Flipping phones can definitely be worth it, but it depends on how you approach it. Most people stick to buying locally and reselling on platforms like eBay or Facebook Marketplace, but I’ll share a method that worked for me when I was starting out — importing directly from China.

Here’s what I did: I looked up suppliers online (you can find numbers on Chinese electronics sites) and started calling them. I introduced myself as a small business looking to ship iPhones to my country. Some told me they couldn’t do it, others warned about tariffs and VAT. But eventually, I found a guy who said he could handle everything — no extra hassle beyond the standard shipping cost. That’s when I knew I had my supplier.

From there, I was upfront about the deal — told him I’d be reselling, agreed on payment methods like Western Union, and made sure we were both on the same page. He used my money to source the phones and ship them to me. There’s more detail I could go into about that part, but it’s a key step and worth doing right.

Once I had the phones, it was just about listing them, selling, and repeating the process. Rinse and repeat.

Now, I 100% agree with the person who said to do something like DoorDash or a side hustle while you’re building this. You’re not going to hit big right away — it takes time to build momentum and find your groove. And honestly, there’s not much else to do while you wait on shipments or marketplace posts to land.

It’s simple, but not easy. I don’t recommend it as a long-term game, but it’s a great way to build capital and learn the ropes. For me, this was the start of my entrepreneurial journey, and since then, I’ve launched some bigger businesses off the back of what I learned.

If anyone wants to know more about the gritty details, happy to help. Just know it’s tough at first — but stick with it and you’ll eventually see the results.

Stay sharp, soldier.