Four Options For Sourcing From China & Sourcing Best Practices

In this episode...

Renaud and Adrian discuss the 4 options open to you when you're sourcing from China, including their pros and cons. Renaud also provides some insight into what exactly it takes to source directly from Chinese manufacturers yourself and shares some best practices for you to consider.

Loosely based on this graphic, they talk about commissioned agents, trading companies, third-party service providers (like us) who provide sourcing as a paid service, and doing it yourself by going direct to manufacturers:

Show Notes

00:00 - Introduction. 

01:23 -  Is sourcing from China as simple as finding a supplier on Alibaba, Global Sources, etc? 

04:28 - The dangers of going for 'the lowest price' 

07:57 - What YOU need to be able to commit to if you're sourcing from China yourself 

09:24 - If you're planning to source from China, what options do you have? - There are 4 sourcing options: DIY, commissioned agent, trading company, and third-party sourcing company: 

12:28 - (1) Commissioned agents

19:46 - (2) Trading companies

27:14 - (3) Third-Party service provider

33:33 - (4) Doing it yourself

34:55 - How to grab a free copy of Sofeast's 80+ page eBook that can help importers start out with sourcing from China

35:20 - Some closing tips from Renaud for better sourcing from China 

38:19 - Tackling quality management  

39:10 - Wrapping up

 

Related content...

• Read Sofeast's free eBook: The Ultimate Guide To Sourcing From China And Developing Your Suppliers
• How To Find Trustworthy Suppliers In China In 2021
• Do You Really Need A Sourcing Agent in China Or Can You Do It Yourself?
• How to start buying direct in China
• The terms you need to negotiate with a new supplier
• Sourcing new suppliers (get help from Sofeast)
• Supplier background check (get help from Sofeast)

 

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