One of the most important decisions a new company with a product to sell will make is selecting a manufacturer. While some design companies may decide to keep production local, most will choose an international factory for mass production, typically in Asia or in South America, depending on your product.
For our company, split between two continents, there was no one “local” option. I live in Los Angeles and the corporate company address for our accessory company was always in Los Angeles. My partner lived in Stockholm and so our business meetings might have taken place in New York, Los Angeles or Hong Kong. Because my partner and I lived in different countries, we decided to do our sampling and production in Hong Kong and China. Since then, I have been to China and Hong Kong more times than I can remember.
Production In China
Basing all sampling and production in China made sense given the special characteristics of our products. Our handbags had a significant amount of hardware on them; the hardware was already produced in China so it was readily available to the factories. Furthermore, our handbags often had a lot of braiding and handwork which would be too costly to have done in the US.
More money spent on labor would raise the retail price of the bag beyond our target, so we opted to do production where we knew it would be the least expensive. Although cheaper than US factories, many of the Chinese factories that we would use employed real artisans. We would spend days in the factories where the employees would weave leather in the sample room and then show us their work for our immediately approval or adjustment.
Before we came to work with these artisans, we certainly had to sift through many shoddy factories and unscrupulous businessmen. We did not have any real contacts in the manufacturing side of the industry so we had to do all of our initial research online. The website www.Alibaba.com, which connects suppliers and factories to potential customers such as my accessory company, was a major resource. We interviewed one company online through email and viewing their online catalog. After we agreed to produce samples with them, I flew to China to meet with the company.
I distinctly remember taking the train from Hong Kong into China by myself. Standing at the Hong Kong station, I waited for an announcement of the track for the train to Guangzhou. But they never announced the track in English, so I just followed all the Americans and European businessmen and took a leap of faith that I was on the right train. I realize now how stupid that was, but really the entire trip placed me out of my comfort zone.
Here I was on a business trip to China and Hong Kong by myself. I was traveling into a Communist country by myself to meet a new supplier without an escort or translator. Luckily, I arrived safe and sound and the business meeting was fine… except that the product was horribly produced! Some might think that I did not need to go to Hong Kong to see the product personally, but when it cost us nearly $300 for a FedEx and a plane ticket cost $700, it made more sense for us to spend a little bit more to get more done. I still think of spending money on courier fees as a waste of time. I returned to Hong Kong that evening and started to work on a plan B.
Visiting Factories
Our factory visits were always timed to coincide with trade shows in Hong Kong. Walking these shows helped us meet many new suppliers. Ultimately it was a combination of online research and face-to-face meetings with potential suppliers and factories, which cemented our base of stable suppliers. Attending trade shows at the beautiful Hong Kong Convention Center was a very productive use of our time; we would be able to see most of a supplier’s line, or the new products at least, in one space rather than traveling all over the countryside in China.
Many of these companies had showrooms in Hong Kong as well as their Chinese factories so, after the trade shows, we would sit down with the suppliers we liked at their offices before committing to any sample or test orders. It was an important step for us as well as for our new potential suppliers. They were always extremely courteous and excited to have potential clients visit their offices. They always wanted to ‘do business with you.’
Get It Done
How we came to have our first products produced is another example of my general philosophy to just get out there and get it done. We knew what we wanted our product to look like so we went in search of people to make it for us. I see many entrepreneurs who invest years in R & D stages and never even get to launch their lines.
Some of our motivation came from aggressive deadlines that we set for ourselves. We tended to book a trade show and pay for it – and then push to have the samples done in time. Of course, we built in just enough time to have samples made, but even if the finished samples were not what we wanted, we forged ahead and did not postpone. Challenges like that always moved us into overtime; we would often do our best work when up against a tight deadline. For us, it was like cramming for a final the night before!
With my first trip to China, I really had to step out of my comfort zone. I could have stayed at home and waited to have samples delivered to my doorstep. But I decided to see what else was out there and roam around in Asia sourcing. Without contacts, without a guide, but tasked with an important goal, I knew I had to find the suppliers and manufacturers who could make our designs a reality and put us on the path to being a real company. There was only so much I could do on my computer. I had to get out there and discover it on my own.
Christine Syquia
I have been wanting to use Alibaba for a while now, I have just had no reason to use it. I will hopefully be launching an eCommerce based business next year where they might be able to help me out a little bit.
Hey if you wish you can get in touch with me for the ecommerce business. I am based in India and can help you out with that (skype ashish45 or emails or in person – all good with me)
Cheers,
Ashish.
This is something I will love to do in the near future is to have an physical product and do some late night shows…Great that you gave us an heads ups..
BTW Yaro..Can you can contact me on my contact page..Its very important..I need your help.
“Black Seo Guy “Signing Off”
Time is money Antonio. Send Yaro a tweet or sign up for private coaching. The link is at the top of the page.
Wow. That was a very interesting story, Christine. 🙂 Thanks for sharing.
Traveling to a country where you don’t speak the language in order to get what you need is no easy task… But it opens you to a new world of opportunity.
Awesome post. Getting out of your comfort zone is the best! I pray I should be able to explore that when the time comes :). Glad you made the right decision. Thanks so much for sharing.
Hi Christine,
While I admire your persistence and forward thinking, I really have to say that not giving Americans jobs and opportunities vs giving Chinese jobs and opportunities makes me think twice. Our economy is being strangled by businesses moving jobs our of this country. Maybe you could rethink your pricing and make QUALITY products here in the good ole U.S.A.
Hi Bev,
I would have loved to make our product in the US and sometimes when I do make products in the US for some of my clients the costs are simply too high for most consumers. I will comment on pricing in detail in a future post but this is how we would price bags. Let’s use the example of a shoulder bag with 12 sq feet of leather. An average price of leather is $3 sq ft. So right away we have $36 for leather, another $2 for lining, another $5 for hardware and I am being conservative. We are already at $43. Then another $25 for labor if the bag is not intricate. For the straight cost of the bag we are at $68. Then we need to at least double the cost to cover our costs which is standard practice and the wholesale cost is $136. (Actually most handbag vendors mark their bags up 2.5%.) Then we sell to a department store and they usually will mark up another 2.6% which means the bag is now $353 retail! Sadly, that price point is out of reach for many right now.
-Christine
Christine, Thanks for the update in your effort to produce quality products.
My main concern these days is that with so many Americans out of work and few prospects for future employment, why can’t more products be produced here? I totally understand the pricing structure for retail items as I’ve been there, too. And in today’s economy, it’s tough to beat the competition, especially if it’s China.
Competition is a great game to play and needs to be part of the mix. But when one country gets all the marbles, it becomes a one-sided game. China is buying our debt and pricing us out of almost all markets with cheap labor while gaming their currency. Is this fair trade? Remember, this is a Communist country. I think some of us have forgotten what that means.
Everyone I know looks for the tag that says, “Made in America” but find little if any on anything these days. Maybe it’s our Trade policies?
I understand this isn’t a political comment section, but I do have to remark on some of Dennis’ comments. First of all, GM & Chrysler not only represent car companies, they represent thousands of jobs held by Americans. According to the latest news, both have repaid billions of dollars of the Tarp money lent to them. The US Treasury is delighted and surprised that they got any money back but they did and will get more as time passes.
Just one more comment, Dennis, there are thousands of graduates of Colleges and Universities across this nation that have invaluable educations that can’t find jobs. So your comment that “education along with innovation will guarantee you a job” simply doesn’t hold water.
Best to you all,
Bev
Christine, I checked your numbers in your response to Bev and I must be missing something or your numbers are off. I calculated a 60 plus percent wholesale mark-up and a similar retail mark-up to get $353, not 2.5 and 2.6 percent.
Bev I guess we simply have a difference of opinion and we could go back and forth for a while on this. I suppose education and innovation doesn’t guarantee anything but I would say that it greatly enhances your chances of landing the right job.
I’ve experienced first hand not getting a job after graduation in the field that I studied. I still had to innovate. I didn’t apply for social assistance (welfare) and sit on my ass until I was old enough to collect a pension cheque.
After graduating from university with a degree in economics and not finding work I adjusted. I accepted jobs that were supposedly beneath a university graduate. Jobs like a dishwasher, office cleaning and warehouse shipping on a temporary contract basis.
There was nothing that differentiated me from the thousands of other university graduates. No A grades, no Ivey league school, no relevant work experience and no network connections in the economics field. Basically nothing innovative about me.
Imagine Yaro not innovating and still being a grocery store cashier. Imagine Yaro not innovating and blogging about the same topics that every other meta blogger blogs about. If there is not much innovation then there’s not much reward.
GM and Chrysler represent thousands of jobs held by Americans. They also represent thousands of jobs held by Canadians, Mexicans, Chinese, Indians, Russians and a whole host of other countries. They have factories and dealerships in those countries.
If the rusty old battleship Chrysler or GM can’t float because it’s old, rusted and inefficient it deserves to sink. I would rather spend $5, 000 on a Chinese made car that meets current safety standards and assist a Chinese family out of poverty than pay $35, 000 for an American made car.
At least the unemployed American assembly line worker will get unemployment money until they adjust to the new economy where knowledge and innovation are rewarded.
It’s nothing personal or political Bev, it’s just a difference of opinion.
Bev, I too fully agree with you that keeping business in the US would be ideal, but i disagree with you fully on your response that ” “education along with innovation will guarantee you a job” simply doesn’t hold water.”
I believe that today people expect to be handed a job right after leaving collage. People are unwilling to relocate for a job or modify their initial expectations. I work in an industrial manufacturing park as an engineer, I along with my co-workers are always looking for new employees. I meet with other managers and engineers from nearby manufacturing plants on a regular basis and one of the common topics that is constantly being brought up as a issue is the LACK of collage graduates willing to relocate or take a job that would be a “Entry level” position.
I went to collage, loved it, worked hard, had a job all the way through, then graduated. After graduation I took the first job that felt right and was in my general field of work. That job led to another job, leading into a relocation within the same company, then a promotion to where i am today. I believe this is the American dream. We don’t blame anyone for our failures, but are thankful for the opportunities we have to succeed.
I found you by searching google. I invented an exsersice to go product , ive tried looking for a manufactor in the usa , but cost make that impossible , so im following your steps , searching alibaba , and looking for a trade show in hong kong were their will be factories all under one roof , good idea . I cant tell you how scared i am just thinking about going to china , but as i read in your comments , ive just got to set a time line and get it done !
Dear Janice,
I understand you are look for a genuine supplier/ manufacturer in China & India because of the low product development cost and low production cost there. I’m sure if you If you Google the product name or concept, you will find tons of suppliers/manufacturers. However, you still think you have not got one, because you want to find a capable and reliable one that would satisfy your specific needs and have a strong desire to do business with you. I understand your frustration because I have been your shoe many a times but slowly but surely having visited China and have traveled most of India looking for a right supplier I have become some what expert in this field.
To find a suitable supplier in China or India, you need a strategy in place. This strategy will consist of awareness, knowledge and a good amount of homework. Below are some practical steps to find a suitable supplier for your need.
Extensive Research. You need conduct thorough research, which can be a combination of both online & offline to first know what is available and have a way to categorize the information. I mean find out if the item, which you are planning to get made, is available in the market because the changes are it’s already there- then finding a supplier becomes easy.
Get Organised. Create a data table to help you record the search result, so the job can be done more efficiently and effectively. The table should include columns like company name, contact information, business scale and scope, category check boxes (important), and notes.
Use popular business directory of suppliers/ manufacturers. The directory websites are also excellent resource to obtain know your competition.
Short list the suppliers & initiate the correspondence. At this stage, you may already know what your real needs are and what is available. Initiate contact with the suppliers you want to work with, and further develop relationships with them. Eventually, you will find the one. The process can be fun and a friendly experience.
Find a local business consultant to help you. The local consultant know how to check the supplier, some special business manner is unknown by the foreign ones, once you have a local guide, all your business work will be easy.
Outsource n Save is a consulting firm which assists clients from all over the world who would like to find the right source for the products they are interested to procure from India & China. Our services include conducting extensive research, calling & verification; personal visits to suppliers/ manufacturers, translation & interpreting service, reference checks, personal assistant etc.
To know more about services and how we can help you in sourcing quality product/s from a genuine supplier in best possible price, write to us at: info@outsourcensave.com
Thank you,
Patrick Sang
I think making products in the usa is the right thing to do but making products cheaper overseas isn’t the answer either. The reason people cannot afford the products is because the american worker doesn’t have the money is because of cheap labor. Starting a business is challenging but outsourcing is the easy way out. If americans had a great paying job then cheap products wouldn’t even be needed. The basis for outsourcing is for the individual to make a big profit not an honest profit. Good day
HI Christine,
Glad to read all about. I am from China, and work on kitchenware export.I live in Dongguan where is named production city.Near Guangzhou and Shenzhen, If you need my help. Pls feel free to contact me.
As not to confuse readers, the markup is 2.5 / 2.6 in your example, or 250% / 260%. Not 2.6%. That would make for a nice retail price for me as a consumer 🙂 Thanks for your post. Interesting read.
Great and honest article and very similar position that many designers find themselves in. We are very interested in talking to you if you have a moment.
Hi Christine,
Very good read.
Please can you advise where/how you found your design team? are they based in China as well?
What Christine describes is simply capitalism at its best and is a staple of the world economy.
The main resource in developed countries is knowledge. Along with knowledge comes entrepreneurism, innovation and development through research.
The main resource of second and third world countries is manual labour which comes from fast population growth.
For example the Apple Ipod is designed and engineered in the U.S.A (knowledge intensive). It is manufactured and packaged in China though, which requires low skilled manual intensive labour. Most people would agree that the Ipod is a QUALITY product.
Dollar store merchandise that breaks after 2 or 3 uses is also made in China so quality is not a factor of where it is made. Chinese factories produce products based on specifications, both high and low quality.
Sometimes the problem with this capitalism model is politics, government intervention and unions. A main reason why Canada and the U.S have automobile factories is because of politics and government intervention.
Local governments offer the auto manufacturers tax breaks and cash grants (free money) to build their factories locally instead of some developing country where costs are lower (especially for labour).
Unions get involved a drive up labour costs, so a low skilled assembly line worker with minimum education can earn with overtime $100, 000 U.S dollars per year. That same worker in a developing country would earn about $6, 000 U.S per year.
Costs go up and companies fail like GM and Chrysler. Guess what, government intervenes again and bails out these inefficient companies with billions of dollars of free money, all in an effort to save U.S jobs.
So far Chrysler has declared bankruptcy twice and both times it has been rescued by the government. When will the lunacy end?
The good ole U.S.A can’t continue to rely on the government to save its economy. If you’re an American or a citizen of any country in the new world economy you need to invest in yourself through education. Education along with innovation will guarantee you a job.
@Bev, even if someone is outsourcing the materials or a portion of their business to outside of the USA, in the end it still helps out the USA because where their is profit… there will be taxes following along with it. It’s economics and capitalism at work, consumers are better off here in the USA thanks to innovators and entrepreneurs like Christine.
-Jean
I have to respectfully disagree that outsourcing gives Chinese jobs instead of American jobs. Outsourcing creates a lot more job in the US on the whole than keeping the manufacturing in the US. Please think a little deeper into it. Bringing a product to market and distribution, there are a lot more players involved than just manufacturing. The lower the cost can be the more other jobs can and will be created. There is, distribution, retailers, distributors, warehousing, order fulfillment, freight forwarders, customs workers, accounting, etc. The actual manufacturer is a very small part of the over all picture of bringing something to market. In Christine’s case below, at a $353 price point, she cuts her customer base drastically (Lower volume). Having to sell to retailers instead of to distributors who sell to retailers is incredibly expensive and shackles her to very limited growth as a company (Lower volume). If she can get that $68 down to a very realistic $25-$30 (I know, I am in the industry). She can cut in distributors and a much larger number of retailers. She can grow her business creating a lot more jobs then had she kept the manufacturing here.
Just think a little deeper into what lower costs actually mean.
We can surely grow Orange trees here in Minnesota if we wanted to not outsource Minnesota Jobs to Florida sure. But it would be cost prohibitive to build the giant climate controlled buildings. There is no way we would grow as a company and create jobs. By outsourcing those growing jobs to Florida, we can surely create a lot more jobs here in Minnesota.
I have to say I envy you for going all the way to China vs having the package sent via FedEx, the flight alone would have been enough for me. Again, I really don’t care for flying, but that’s a long long trip for someone that doesn’t care for flying.
I can’t even imagine the feeling when you saw the first sample and the product was horrible, I’ve been there on a much smaller scale in my private labeling ventures and that’s been enough to drive me insane.
This was a great read, I’m shopping for a potential supplier for a product idea I thought of a few months back, this at least points me in that direction.
Here is the 2011 Sourcing Map for all of China, by product
http://www.supplychains.com/sourcingmap/
Hi Christine! thank you very much for your article! this is really inspired article!
Hi Ann thank you for your link!
I’m sure it was an exciting experience for you to travel to the other side of the planet to scout places to manufacture your products. Do you have any tips for selecting manufacturers if you are not able to travel that far? Any things to watch out for?
Thanks for sharing such a cool experience!
Thanks Dave! I am finishing up another post right now, but in 3 more weeks I have a blog post tentatively entitled ‘Thoughts on Manufacturing in Asia/Abroad.’ Send me a PM if you want any other specific information. 🙂
Hi Christine,
What kind of agreement/contract did you have in place with the manufacturer? Would you be willing to provide a link to the boilerplate you used?
Hi Christine,
I am torn between manufacturing a in China VS obtaining an already available one in the market. I would like to manufacture my itm for the reason i would have sole ownership of the product but the risks seem too high. While i can obtain it from a supplier, it would not some specifications i need. Please advise me as you have been through the same situation.
Hey Christine, awesome article. I have been in China for 5 years and have met many people that have come to develop their dream and have ended up with 1 dollar store product. The company that I joined last year have perfected the entire manufacturing process in China. We are the one-stop manufacturing solution in China; providing assistance in every step of the way. We have hundreds of the best factories in our supply chain. Kickstarter and Indiegogo mention us as a partner. So if you need any information about manufacturing in China, shoot me a message. Will also like to have a link for your next article.
All the best,
Keep getting it done, Cheers
Bryant
Dear Dave,
Forwarding the same response which I had written to one of the member regarding similar question, hopefully it helps.
I understand you are look for a genuine supplier/ manufacturer in China & India because of the low product development cost and low production cost there. I’m sure if you If you Google the product name or concept, you will find tons of suppliers/manufacturers. However, you still think you have not got one, because you want to find a capable and reliable one that would satisfy your specific needs and have a strong desire to do business with you. I understand your frustration because I have been your shoe many a times but slowly but surely having visited China and have traveled most of India looking for a right supplier I have become some what expert in this field.
To find a suitable supplier in China or India, you need a strategy in place. This strategy will consist of awareness, knowledge and a good amount of homework. Below are some practical steps to find a suitable supplier for your need.
Extensive Research. You need conduct thorough research, which can be a combination of both online & offline to first know what is available and have a way to categorize the information. I mean find out if the item, which you are planning to get made, is available in the market because the changes are it’s already there- then finding a supplier becomes easy.
Get Organised. Create a data table to help you record the search result, so the job can be done more efficiently and effectively. The table should include columns like company name, contact information, business scale and scope, category check boxes (important), and notes.
Use popular business directory of suppliers/ manufacturers. The directory websites are also excellent resource to obtain know your competition.
Short list the suppliers & initiate the correspondence. At this stage, you may already know what your real needs are and what is available. Initiate contact with the suppliers you want to work with, and further develop relationships with them. Eventually, you will find the one. The process can be fun and a friendly experience.
Find a local business consultant to help you. The local consultant know how to check the supplier, some special business manner is unknown by the foreign ones, once you have a local guide, all your business work will be easy.
Outsource n Save is a consulting firm which assists clients from all over the world who would like to find the right source for the products they are interested to procure from India & China. Our services include conducting extensive research, calling & verification; personal visits to suppliers/ manufacturers, translation & interpreting service, reference checks, personal assistant etc.
To know more about services and how we can help you in sourcing quality product/s from a genuine supplier in best possible price, write to us at: info@outsourcensave.com
Thank you,
Patrick Sang
I need a credible source to back that up. What percentage of US goods are manufactured in China?Thank you! :)Greatly appreciated!
Thanks real eye opener. We have a guy who does what you’ve just done for magazine covermounts. The main problem we find is time – ie from choosing its then manufac tured (time) then shipped (more time) then cover mounted – so the lead time can be massive – needs good planning
China might not feel safe to you on your first visit because you don’t understand the culture. Their way of living and doing is business is different to what it is in US. You might need to have some contacts before you trust anyone.
I would really love to hear rest of the story.
Hi Uzi,
My father is Asian and my mother is American. I grew up in the US and have traveled extensively throughout Asia. Out of all the Asian nations, I struggle the most with China because of the communication factor. I feel that with other Asian countries I can rely on hand motions or I have a couple phrases down, but no such luck in China. I believe that the solution is for me just to take some classes in Mandarin!! Luckily, I do have a trusted guide and sourcing agent that I travel with exclusively throughout China. She not only translates for me, but she works in the accessory industry and knows all the special places I need to go to find unique components for my clients. The plus side is that over the years we have worked together she has become a very dear friend. Thanks for your comment.
Hi Christine,
I wanted to know if you could give me insightful information on finding a great reliable Asian Accessory factory since your friend works in the accessory industry? Thank you.
Hi Christine,
I really love your articles, I even told my wife about your story. I think there are two main things for a successful entrepreneur based on what you’re saying:
1. Knowing what you want
2. Getting out there to do it
Knowing what you want is like having pieces of a puzzle with pictures in them. You can’t put together a puzzle that doesn’t have a picture in them!
Getting out there is like knowing these pieces together, and knowing how they will look like once all the pieces have been put together and “actually solving the puzzle”.
Thank you very much from an inspiring articles and yes, there is only so much you can do in front of the computer so you have to go out there and do it.
Keep posting stuff like this i really like it
It’s so amazing how you can go and find a manufacturer in china with the internet, and create your own products at a profitable price point.
I’m a musician and i’ve seen companies who offer cd printing in china for extremely cheap prices. I have to wonder how I would go about verifying that i’m not being scammed though.
I’m trying to start my own record label and it would be quite a boon to be able to print out a large amount of cds at a price that would make it affordable to give away. I just want to give my music away to as many people as possible and create a huge regional buzz that way.
why not put some of your music on youtube.
that will cost you zero and if you get popular you will even get money from that source 🙂
What style are you into John?
I discovered your blog site on google and checked out a few of your earlier posts. Continue to keep up the work. I just added your RSS feed to my MSN News Reader. looking forward to reading more from you later on!
Excellent Story Christine. You have done a great work in manufacture in china. I have checked your other posts as well. They are Excellent. I will follow you always now onwards.
Hi there!
Thanks for your info. How did you manage to travel so much, and did you have another job you did every day ?
Silva
Hi Christine,
thank you for this insightful story. Having always used English craftsmen for our products, we are now talking to manufacturers in China for a cheaper line which is to run parallel to our current offer. It is incredible to receive quotes of near-similar products which are literally one tenth of what we are currently paying.
Please can you advise me on the following — I am about to start sampling products and am concerned that these manufacturers may start offering my products to other customers. Would you advise me to submit and NDA agreement? Is there any other way in which I should protect my business when dealing with manufacturers in the far East?
Many thanks,
Nathalie
I need to manufacture and produce my bags and shoes in china. Which is the best company I should contact.
Hi Calvin,
I may be able to help if you can tell me what kind of bags you are looking get manufactured?
Patrick
Hi Patrick,
I am also in search of a manufacturer in Asia to help width design and manyfacturing of a luggage line that I only have as a concept on paper at this point. Can you help?
Joy
With*
Manufacturing*
Hi I’m looking for a manufacturer for shoes and I need some production assistance. I’m not sure how to find manufacturers that are reputable
Christine,
I’m an interior designer and artist in SoCal. I’ve been working on a product idea for a while now and want to produce a home accessory line. I’ve done some legwork myself and put together my own prototypes, which look awesome. Of course when you want to mass produce the price will go down. I know what I need but, trying to find a trusted company to help me get it produced etc. has been my struggle. I want to share but, also don’t want to get ripped off by a company that can just do it after they see my prototypes. I guess my questions would be where to start to find a honest company and should I get an attorney involved first to establish my work in a letter or some kind of agreement for production companies to sign and stating not to share or take my ideas ?
Thank you for your time,
B.
Hi Christine,
Thanks for the info, great read!
Just a couple of questions:
1, What happened when you were presented with a terrible sample, am I right in assuming that this is where the factory visits started, to find another supplier?
2, I have a textile product in mind that i’m thinking of manufacturing in China.
However, what are your thoughts on traveling to China with an open mind and picking up existing products to then sell back at home?
All the best,
Mark.
If it’s made in China, I’m not buying it!
I’m not alone either – this is a growing trend. You should consider more American
friendly countries to have your products produced.
I know about the difficulties in the relationship myself with Chinese suppliers. I am British myself, married with a Chinese girl here in Ningbo China. I’m part of an international trading company which helps people interested in this article in helping them find suppliers. I have made several connections with manufacturers, especially with stationery and cleaning products etc. If you are interested in importing such products from China, don’t hesitate to contact me kevin.w@hotmail.co.uk.
very informative.. Thanks for sharing your experience. Would be nice to know if you had an interpreter with you while discussing details of your project.
Hi I read your blog about manufacturing in china I don’t want to fly there how,do I contact an electrical maufacture do you YVes a lost of companies,you can forward me??Thanks for your time!!
Lynda
Loved the insight and thanks a lot for taking the hard road and coming back to help us out, kudos to you Christine!
I enjoyed this post very much. I’m currently in the design process for my skin and haircare line. Thinking that may be China would be a great option, because of the cost. Just need to gain contacts in labs and product testing.
Yes you can get many resources online which will connect you to your potential customers. You can also make use of directories, as they are considered as the trusted resources for finding manufacturers and suppliers by the customers.
Christine, out of curiosity, what trade shows in Hong Kong would you recommend and how did you find out about them? Thanks for the article! It was an encouraging read.
Hi Christine,
Thank you for sharing your story. I am on a quest to lower my product cost by heading overseas. My patriotic heart by having my product “Made in the USA”isn’t paying the bills or allowing me to access other markets as the price point is too high. I commend your bravery going it alone to Asia, bravo! I live in the Santa Monica area and would love to have coffee with you and if you’d allow, pick your brain a bit, I could use a little guidance.
Regards,
Debra
hello your story was very motivating and iam ready to take that step. would it be possible for you to mentor me.
I previously read “Manufactured in China” a while back and returned again to review your article. For anyone in business, it is never wrong to learn from the experience of others. In fact, as a business woman in today’s world, it is inspiring to learn from others who have persevered and overcome adversities along their trek to success! It is their sheer determination that not only makes them a winner in business but also a winner in life! Most definitely, the “key” to any winning business is “never give up!”
I really enjoyed your article Christine. We manufactured in China for the first time two years ago. We found our factory on Alibaba. We were fortunate enough to have a company oversee our production that time but as we prepare to do it again, he has told us our quantities are too low for him. Do you know of anyone that handles small quantities (500 units total)? We don’t want to proceed without having someone to oversee the project.
Hi- Im starting to develop a product, one of my pieces is made in china – how would I find out where its made
Hi there 🙂
Just wondering if there is a way I might be able to contact you direct? email etc? I am looking at the possibility of getting bags manufactured overseas and would love some advice?
Oh WOW. I want to get some shoes and possibly a bag made. I don’t know where to start but this article was an eye opener. Time to do research.
You might find that not all of them have the same level of output. I mean some of the manufactures could be better then the others. You should have just search by yourself. It is harder I know. What you need to do is find the right link. Go to the meetings, made contact to meet the owner directly would not be such a bad idea. You have money, do not be afraid. What you did is amazing by the way Christine. That is a great passion you showed. I hope you find your success with your business.
Hi
I absolutely love the information you have shared with us , I have purchased online although I wish to manufacture and label baby shoes from china with my own brand..
Please Assist in a way forward
All the way from South Africa
Very insightful story Christine, thanks for sharing it with us!
I’m sure there are may (startup) companies who are struggling with exactly similar problems. In Alibaba and sometimes even at Trade Shows, all the ‘factories’ may look the same (some of them have exactly the same pictures too) and at the end you end up doing business with a trading company without actually realizing it. Since you don’t work directly with the factory, there is no way knowing where your goods finally come. It may even vary shipment to shipment.
You had the right approach taking the time to visit the factory and figuring out yourself. Many companies cannot do that and that’s where the local help can be useful. My company is helping others doing business in China. Please visit soludon.com (or send email sales@soludon.com) to learn more. Let us be your trusted partner in China so that you can focus on growing your business.
Hi christina, i just want to congratulate you on the success of your business, breaking into any industry is a very hard game. Ive just read your blog about all the obstacles and stressful events you had to go through to get to where you are now.
Im a 23 year old male from the united kingdom and i always been fascinated with the fashion industry, although never studying textiles or anything to do with creating wearable products a fashion line for males is what i would hopefully like to produce for the future. In this day and age i believe theirs just not enough choice out their for me as men can be only select to very few forms of designs of clothing so its in my best interested to put my creative nature forward and my love for fashion.
My uncle currently has a home based business creating t-shirts and other apparel for men, and although his designs may work well for him, i feel the male clothing line needs a fresh, younger approach to it.
Starting my own business for mens fashion has always been a dream for me since i can rmemeber. it firts started when i would be out shopping having in mind the type of clothing i would wish to buy but never being able to across it.
I understand creatiing and releasing a fashion line is costly and needs a lot of hard work and perserverance. i believe iin myself that i have what it takes to get the ball rolling.
I already have a pile of sketch books showing imagery of products i would like to see on the market also including materials, coulours, fits and styles. the design process is one thing but i struggle with where to look to put my designs forward and hopefully one day make it all a reality.
if you have any pointers on which direction to take i would love to hear back from you
great story and thankyou again for your time
Great story Chrstine. Please tell me were you ever in need of a translator or a lawyer, and if so did the manufacturing company provide them ? When you negotiated was it done in english ? Although i have settled on two manufacturers, applied for trademarks,CAD drawing almost done,and have had logistic companies reach out to me. I want to make sure I don’t miss anything. What advice can you offer
I’ve gone on the site you mention above, alibaba.com, but I can’t seem to find how you search for someone to actually Manufacture a product I’ve created on my own. Can someone help?
Thank you for you honest blog. I have being doing research and getting samples (3 so far) but itshe hard to get the exact products I want. I have thought of going to either China or Malaysia for some time now and I am glad I stumbled on your post when I Google manufacturing products in china. Thank you for sharing.
Thanks for sharing your story. I have been thinking for a while about getting my product made in China but I have only researched for the right manufacturing company online without any success and only thought of travelling there. I am motivated to do so, travel to China.
Christine, Thank you for writing this article and sharing this info. Im not sure why everyone thinks this is a forum to protest about trade policies. What people need to understand is that if they continue to do this, no one will want to share their info. You didn’t have to share, and you did, and for that, i am thankful.
What trade shows would you recommend to meet the broadest/best group of potential manufacturers?
Really cool insight into the process coming from someone who didn’t necessarily have connections heading into things – I’m sure many people feel this way when first entering into the manufacturing sphere. Great read.
I have an idea for a product but no idea how or where to actually have it made. Being a novelty item that would need to be sewn and having no skill in sewing, I am at a loss as to how I would have a prototype made and the idea would consist of a variety of styles that would not be limited to only one design.
How do I even get started to create my idea?
Thank you for any path you can lead me to!
Hi
Very interesting reading. I have a line of golf clothing, mostly fun tee shirts and want to expand into a nice polo line. checking Alibaba and obtaining information on the internet can get very confusing. do you have nay recommendations or contacts to get the ball rolling.
Thank you for any advice you may have.
Ian