Suppose you come
up with a product idea and/or think you want to sell it online or to other markets.
You want to find a supplier in China
or whatever country has a firm that can supply what you want. The low product
development cost and low production cost there, of many of these countries,
lends itself to great importing prices for you.
If you do a Google search for a product name
or concept, you will find a lot of China suppliers/manufacturers. Not
to mention several other countries. However, you still think you have a
supplier, because you want to find a capable and reliable one that can satisfy
your specific needs. They need to have a strong desire to do business with you.
Many people get frustrated because they have been communicating with suppliers
in China
for months, but are no closed to an agreement, than they were on the first day
of talks. To be successful you need to know the parameters, of your operation,
and those of your source. To find a suitable China supplier, you need a strategy.
The strategy will consist of having done a good amount of homework. Here is a link that is able to put you on
course for importing success http://www.importingforauctions.com
Do some research to
develop your category of your specific needs? Keep track of who you contact to
help you record the search result, so the job can be done more efficiently and
effectively. Fancy can come after the sales start to roll in. Use internet search
engines to search information related to your product name. Google Alibaba, etc can all give you a large
list of firms that carry the item your researching.. You can check out your
competitors' information and develop a better sense of market segment and
marketing channels. 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. Evaluate what you need. You
need to first know what is available and have a way to categorize the
information. Here are some categories to help you think about Chinese
suppliers: manufacturer vs. 3rd-party supplier; Big corporation vs. small
family-owned; 3rd-party supplier with in-house product development capability
vs. 3rd-party supplier that just buys-in and sells-out; vertically integrated
manufacturer vs. assembly-based manufacturer; etc. Properly categorizing the
suppliers will help you understand what you need. For example, if you need to
import products in a narrow range, you may choose a manufacturer other than a
3rd-party supplier. If you are a small business and need dedicated attention,
you may want to develop a good relationship with a small family-owned business.
Analyzing the types of suppliers has
strategic importance. It will help you to understand where you are, what kind
of results to expect, and what are the things you need to take care of in the
mutual cooperation. You may want to have an experienced person help you to
analyze the information. In your strategy, you will also need to include the
consideration of the future contracting and operation. You may seek advice from
Chinese professionals who understand the Chinese mentality, culture and
business practices. You may get the incorrect interpretation if you visit the
supplier's English website, or you could omit data that contains key
information.
Do your homework; check out the companies,
who want to do business with you. Just because they are ranked higher in Google
search listing, this does not necessarily mean it is a more serious business. Do
your homework
When you send out inquiries you may get a
lot of replies from suppliers of all kinds. Some guys may continuously send you
product info for years, and are able to pass through all sorts spam protection.
You may want to set up an email account, just to handle these replies, until
you settle on the one your going to use.
Email is good for exchanging product
specifications, catalogue and price list. To establish a deeper relationship, a
phone call is much better than email. A person to person meeting is even better
than a phone call. With internet technology as it is today, you can do a
web-cam chat and that is far cheaper, than flying to China. Most of your contact persons
speak and/or writs English. Work with suppliers that have already exported
their products to Europe or the US.
Pay attention to the agent relationship. Many manufacturers may have their
products exported to the US
in good quantity through a third party supplier without an exclusive supply
agreement. They may want to have direct channels to the US, and that might mean more
business for you.
