5 Tips on Sourcing Products From China

February 15, 2021

Sourcing products from China can be a confusing and frustrating process. But in fact, it can be very easy once you know what you need to watch out for. So if you want to start your own business and have decided to obtain your products from China, then following these 5 tips on sourcing products from China will help you become a pro.

1. Focus On Finding The Right Supplier

For many people, Google, Bing, and Yahoo seem like logical places to find a Chinese supplier. The problem here is that finding and identifying reliable Chinese manufacturers can be a full-time job. Aside from the language barrier, if you don’t have the right experience then the risk of wasting time and money is very high and very real. All of this wasted time can make getting your product on the market a challenging and time-consuming feat.

Also keep in mind that you need to evaluate and verify your supplier, checking if they’re an actual manufacturing factory with the production capacity you need or if they’re just a middleman or reseller. You can do this by asking the factory for its audited accounts, checking its VAT (Value Added Tax) invoice, asking for product samples, checking the factory’s Chinese credentials, like location and local government office, etc. Or you can purchase an expert Chinese sourcing package that can help you get a product to sell in 30 days.

2. Order & Compare Samples

Low manufacturing costs are the main reason why eCommerce & retail veer towards sourcing from China. However, this can sometimes translate into low quality products or even products that are nothing like what you wanted to sell. We highly recommend reviewing and comparing samples before placing orders with any Chinese suppliers. Also, it’s a common misconception that suppliers always send their best samples to impress you. More often than not, they often rush and send hand-made samples, or even send the wrong product. Add to this the waiting time and it can be a very frustrating process. But there’s an easy solution: sample concierge services. You can get your samples in half the

time and at half the cost with experts that guarantee your products will meet your quality requirements before even leaving China.

3. Ensure Quality Control

Picture your worst nightmare: you find the right supplier, hire their services, get your sample, and sign the deal. But when your products arrive, they are of the lowest quality. And since you’ve already received the shipment, there’s no way to do anything with these faulty, low-quality products. This is clearly not what you pictured when the process began. Quality control is essential to ensure the products you purchased live up to your standards. However, we know it can be difficult to guarantee that your products are the highest quality before leaving the factory. A pre-shipment quality inspection can help keep the nightmare from happening by ensuring your goods are up to par before leaving Chinese soil.

4. Protect Your Trademark

Chinese copycats are one of the biggest concerns when it comes to sourcing locally. Someone else hijacking your brand or product and stealing all your hard work is not something you want happening. What makes it worse is that the first person who applies for the trademark application owns it, even if the registration is not completed. This means that you won’t be able to stop others from selling products with your trademark in China. Taking steps to make sure your trademark is protected in China, like hiring local experts who will help you protect your hard work, is essential for any entrepreneur or eCommerce business.

5. Clear Communication

As with everything in the professional world, crystal clear communication is key. What was said, what was meant and what was delivered can be three completely different things. Making sure everything is clear and in writing before moving forward is absolutely essential. Which is where a local office in China would come in handy. Lucky for you, GlobalTQM has you covered.

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