🎯 The concrete business: buying used/surplus 20–100 kVA diesel generators and new solar kits in the U.S., refurbishing the gensets with a local mechanic, and selling them to businesses in Nigeria and Ghana — where the grid fails daily and American equipment is the gold standard.
Weeks 1–2: LLC/EIN/bank. Pick ONE size class (say 20–60 kVA). Confirm with BIS the gear is EAR99 (one free call) — standard gensets/solar are.
Weeks 3–4: build your supply list: GovDeals + GovPlanet auctions, hospital/data-center dealer trade-ins, IronPlanet. Record 30 sold prices so you know real value. Find a diesel mechanic who’ll inspect/refurb per unit ($500–1,500).
Weeks 5–8: demand side: WhatsApp Business number (West Africa runs on WhatsApp), simple one-page site with stock + videos, list on Machinio and TradeWheel; ask your USEAC for their Nigeria/Ghana commercial specialist. Get freight-forwarder quotes for a 40-ft container and RoRo to Lagos/Tema so quoting is instant.
Weeks 9–12: first deal: buyer pays 100% by bank wire before loading (standard in this trade; serious buyers expect it). Forwarder files the export declaration (AES); chamber of commerce issues a certificate of origin (~$50) if asked.
| Broker model (no inventory — match buyer to unit, take commission) | $2,000–5,000 |
| Inventory model: 2 gensets bought + refurbed | $20,000–30,000 |
| Site + listings + WhatsApp/tools | $600 |
| Inspections/mechanic per unit | $500–1,500 |
1) LLC/EIN → 2) EAR99 confirmation (BIS call, free) → 3) per deal: screen buyer on the Consolidated Screening List (free, 2 min) → 4) commercial invoice + packing list → 5) forwarder files EEI/AES (required over $2,500) → 6) destination pre-import certs are the buyer’s job (Nigeria SONCAP, Ghana conformity) — know the names so you can point their broker at them.
1–4: Machinio/TradeWheel inquiries (answer within an hour; speed wins). 5–6: USEAC intro to vetted Lagos equipment dealers. 7–8: Nigerian/Ghanaian diaspora business associations in Houston/Atlanta — many buy for family firms back home. 9–10: repeat + referral (this trade runs on trust networks).
60 kVA genset: buy $8,000 + refurb $2,000 → sell FOB U.S. port $14,500 → $4,500/unit. Two units/month = $9,000 gross. Solar kits stack on top at 25–35% margins. Broker deals: 10% commission, zero capital at risk.
Month 3: supplier list + instant freight quotes + first 20 inquiries. Month 6: 2 completed deals, one repeat buyer. Month 12: container-level orders; consider a Lagos sales agent on commission. Change-course rule: lots of inquiries but no wires = prices off or trust missing — add video walkthroughs, third-party inspection option (SGS, ~$300, buyer pays), and USEAC-verified references.
① Fraud “buyers” → 100% prepay, verify via USEAC, never accept overpayment-refund schemes. ② Freight surprises → forwarder quote BEFORE you quote. ③ Warranty fights → sell “as-is, tested, with video”; offer the SGS inspection instead of promises. ④ The big-league note: exporting actual LNG/crude needs DOE/FERC authorizations and billions — that’s the corporate path; equipment and services are yours.