If you’re new at sourcing products from abroad, you must be wondering if sourcing from china is a viable option for you. You also may be wondering if it’s worth the risks. Meanwhile, when sourcing from China is done right, the benefits far outweigh the risks. To achieve these benefits, you should institute a well-thought-out strategy to ensure you get the best quality products with minimal risks. Continue reading to unveil 7 important tips to get China sourcing right.

Hire a Professional Sourcing Agent

To transact with Chinese suppliers successfully, one has to be skilled and experienced. It might be challenging to secure a favorable agreement if you’re new to the industry. This is where a professional sourcing agent comes into play. These experts can liaise with a retailer. They most times possess a range of supplier contacts that their customers may use to avail the best deals. You can make this happen with the help of experienced sourcing agents.

Verify your Agent Credentials

As important as it is to hire the right agent for your ecommerce or dropshipping business, it’s equally important to verify their credentials. Take time to research the agent and verify their credentials and track record. Research about where they’re located, how long they’ve been in operation, and so on. This is a crucial step to successfully getting China's sourcing right. Asking the right questions to ensure that you partner with the right agent will help you grow your business.

Be Clear About What You Want

Failing to provide detailed specifications may lead to confusion and make you end up with something different from what you ordered. To avoid this, and for your sourcing process to be successful, be clear about what you want. You must provide your agent or manufacturers with a detailed specification of the materials or items that you want, ranging from size, color, etc. If possible, send photographs.

Request Product Samples From the Factory

Requesting product samples is a simple, no-commitment option for narrowing down your list of potential suppliers. An important step when sourcing from China is asking for product samples. It helps you gauge whether or not the supplier can provide what you’re looking for. Most reputable suppliers are willing to send product samples to interested parties for a relatively small fee. Obtaining a sample lets you analyze every aspect of the product, from the parts and materials used, to product dimensions and the supplier’s attention to fine details.

Do Quality Control Checks

The safest way to get China sourcing right is to do quality control checks. Once you've changed, you may visit the factory personally to check the products’ quality. And if that’s not possible, hiring an independent quality inspector is also a good idea. The inspector must give an independent report on the quality of the products. What you need is just to establish a well-structured quality control plan.

Communicate In A Mutual And Understandable Manner

Keep in mind the language and cultural gap when sourcing products from China. Many of the issues between buyers and suppliers can be traced back to a lack of proper communication. It creates misunderstandings and ultimately affects their relationship. Note this down to protect yourself from expensive mistakes and delays. Convey all your business requirements in a clear and detailed way. Ensure that you don’t leave any space for the vendor to make any assumptions. Also, encourage them to ask you questions and clear whatever doubts they have.

Be Reasonable About Pricing

Affordability is one major charm of sourcing from China. Indeed, low rates that you can get in China can’t be found domestically. However, remember that you’ll get what you pay for. When it comes to the cheapest goods, it is best to avoid them. Manufacturers may cut corners to give you cheap products. The quality of such products may be far from desirable. If you want your business to grow and the number of loyal customers to increase, you have to deliver high-quality products. You must partner only with those suppliers that provide competitive products without compromising on quality. Yes, they may cost extra cash, but it’s worth it.

Conclusion

Advantageous as sourcing from China may be, it requires a great deal of care. If done wrong, it can prove very costly for your business. But, if done right, it’ll do wonders for your business. Luckily for you to have read it down here. 7 important tips to get China sourcing right has been discussed above. Utilizing these tips will increase the cost-effectiveness of your business by a great deal.Contact us today at Fulfillman to know more about our services. We provide a wide range of services including Global Fulfillment, China Sourcing, Drop Shipping, Third Party Logistics, and lots more. Our trusted experts will be happy to speak with you and provide suitable answers to your questions and concerns. A fantastic experience awaits you.