Every purchaser knows that some orders are riskier than others and the risk impacts many of the decisions they make. This is why quality planning and classifying orders by risk level is important for importers. … [Read more...]
How a China-Based Buying Office Can Add Value
If you source and buy consumer goods from several suppliers in China, your experience probably looks like this: Some suppliers are good, some are not so good and not improving When there is a quality issue, it is much better to … [Read more...]
China Sourcing: Does Your Sales Contact Really Work At The Factory?
When I meet someone who has recently started working with Chinese companies, I often urge them not to make any assumptions. One of the most common 'discoveries' buyers make is... that they haven't been working with a factory directly … [Read more...]
Actionable Tips To Improve Sourcing From China & Develop Suppliers
Over the years, many importers have contacted me after making various mistakes, and, often, the best they can do is start things over with a new supplier, but that means a lot of wasted time, money, and energy! What if you could get … [Read more...]
Sourcing From China 101: The 15-Part Guide for New Buyers
I have recently published the 15-part 'Sourcing From China 101' series for new buyers who are starting to work with Chinese suppliers (and for more experienced people who want to double-check whether they are working in a smart way). The … [Read more...]
Sourcing from China 101, Part 1: Do You Need a Sourcing Agent?
A few years ago I wrote a 15-part course that was sent automatically, lesson by lesson, to interested readers. These days, such autoresponders are a thing of the past and we will switch to something different. But, rather than ditching … [Read more...]
How to Increase Speed of Developing New Products in China
Developing and manufacturing new products in China, especially if they're customized, is not an easy task. Many new products being launched using crowdfunding platforms such as Kickstarter have delays – in some cases, they are more than … [Read more...]
How to Protect against Copies when you Manufacture in China
For certain types of products (electrical, plastic injection etc.) Chinese manufacturers are often the best source. Production can be performed with relatively high quality and a relatively low cost. However, one of China's major weaknesses … [Read more...]
An Alibaba Gold Supplier Status Doesn’t Mean Anything
I regularly receive messages from importers who were cheated by a Chinese company and seem very surprised because they were dealing with a company which had 'Alibaba gold supplier status.' … [Read more...]
The small buyer’s dilemma in China
Over the years, I have worked with many small and midsize importers who were looking for a good supplier. A very common question they have is "what kind of factory should I look for?". The problem is simple to grasp: Small factories … [Read more...]