The following factors that anyone who dealing with Chinese suppliers,manufacturers or import export agents should know about.
- Introductions, Referrals and Word-of-Mouth Recommendations
People are doing business with those they know, specially for their international business. Same as you are seeking a job in job marketing, referral and network is the most successful way people get hired. You need to research as much as you can, find out anyone you know and ask them if they have reliable connections in China and doing well in China. This is the Number One way for paying less on your learning curve when started and geting less risk taken. - Go to internet and browse www.globalsources.com
If you do not have any such relationship or connections in China. It’s headquarter is based in Hong Kong and it has 44 branch offices located in mainland China, Taiwan, and Singapore. It has been running import export media business for over 36 years. You can start researching there, it would consume you a lot of time, but it’s relatively safe and less risky because the suppliers must pay expensive fee to be a Global Sources member. Another words, suppliers select to pay high fee because they are seriously about their business. - Go to
www.alibaba.com
and www.made-in-china.com
If you are not a volume importer. These B2B trade leading websites are getting better and better on their online services. Search the products being offered and send them emails, ask them anything you want to know, such process would let you get an idea of who you trust. Keep in mind, this web site based on free membership, everyone can post their items to sell or buy even without any products in their hands so the percentage of such type of people are higher. - Through correspondences and phone call to verify
Contact your supplier through correspondences or emails, or call them directly if you can speak Chinese. If not, it doesn’t matter, most of the suppliers have their staffs to deal with the language problem.Let’s say, you want them to offer you a price for ( xyz - your product) on a 20 feet’s container at FOB South China, a reliable supplier would ask you more detail about xyz’s product before offering the price including xyz’s description, specification, packing condition, payment method, delivery time, etc. Because all these factors would affect the price, the price offering is the most serious process and also the final transaction process. Go through this procedure you can feel and touch the suppliers and know how good they are. If the seller promise whatever you want, or the price they offered is too low than average, this is most likely fraudsters. Just ignore and go to next.
- Face to face meet with your suppliers and establish personal relationships with them
After you find some of satisfied suppliers, invest a few thousands to make a trip to China, visit China Suppliers factories, face to face to discuss further detail about your products including price, payment term, quality inspection, delivery time etc.People go to website, hoping to get a good guy and wishing to conclude a business there. Unfortunately many of them were lose money, lose time, this is a big risk taken. You are not shopping near your home, Keep in mind, no matter where you are, and what size of product you buy, what volume you import, Meeting your suppliers, Face to Face talk with them, this is the only effective way you can verify your China Suppliers.
www.for-your-dream-career.com/China-Suppliers to learn more about how to get U.S. Government Assistance in doing import export in China.
Qing L.Petras is the author and owner of for-your-dream-career.com Her career for over 20 years was import and export business in China. This website provide free comprehensive career resources for people who seek jobs, career change, and career development. Her web site traffic was 16,475 visitors and 37,983 page views on March 2011.