By basing your business on resale, you know the struggle of finding great items in wholesale. With too many things to choose from, we usually get overwhelmed and we cannot make a decision. On the contrary, when we are looking for a certain item, we usually get an obstacle and cannot find one.
For that reason, people go to a China sourcing agent and let them handle that part of the business. With enough experience, a proper warehouse, fluent Chinese and other qualities will ensure they deliver you the best possible service.
However, with too many sourcing agents, it might be difficult to find the right one. That is why we made this article, where we included a couple of points to consider when selecting your agent. Keep reading, and find out the characteristics you have to look for in your representative for China.
Knowledge about products
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With a wide variety of possible products you can find, the agent must know about them. For example, if you are looking for electronics, you have to recognize whether they are real or counterfeit. This is essential to prevent financial losses and stressful periods.
To see how well they operate, you can either ask for documentation or see what their previous customers have to say about them. Depending on the field you have based your business on, look for companies in the same field and ask for their experience.
If the company knows the products and is constantly upgrading on current trends, you should consider hiring them. If not, it might be better to look for another agent to ensure prosperity.
Be in China
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Besides their qualities/knowledge, they have to be present in China so they can represent you properly. Most of the time, the items have to be inspected and stored in a proper warehouse before they are shipped to prevent unwanted situations. That is why it is important to have a sourcing agent with a China warehouse.
In addition, their presence will be able to quickly find an article you need, and can better negotiate with the factories there. This will also reduce your costs in constant flying when arranging deals, which is always beneficial.
Not only help by navigating fake and unreliable brands off of you, but they will also help in maintaining your business relationship. All the necessary documentation will be prepared by them, so you will have nothing to worry about.
Has a branch near you
Another important factor to consider is having a local branch near you. This shows that the agency invests in themselves, and has offices and warehouses both in your area and in China. In addition, you will easily reach out to them if they decide to disappear.
With many agencies that offer similar services, many of them are unreliable. However, statistically, the ones who have offices both near you and in China have shown as the most reliable sourcing agencies.
The local office improves the communication since you can easily explain what you need, and they can transfer this information to their subsidiary in China. That way, you don’t have to worry about time zones or language problems. Everything is handled by one company and you have your peace.
Lastly, you have to understand that the standards are different in every country. For that reason, having an agency with offices in both places will ensure you get quality up to the standard of your country. This ensures profitability and satisfied customers in the future.
Be a great communicator
Establishing good communication with your sourcing agent is essential in this business. Without it, the problems will only stack leaving a stain on your firm. For that reason, ensure you look for an agency that is a great communicator.
Most of the time, if you do not describe everything thoroughly, the factories are afraid to ask again because of thoughts of unprofessionalism. That is where mistakes are being made that can cause misunderstandings.
By having your agent by yourself, they can stay in communication with the factory and ensure acquiring items up to your specifications. In addition, there are no language problems since the agents speak both large Chinese languages.
Great previous sourcing experience
With a wide variety of products, it can be hard to be an expert in every field. For that reason, you have to look for an agent who has previous sourcing experience with products from your field. You can ask them for examples of companies they have worked within the past, and look at the results.
In addition, you can ask the named companies about the whole sourcing process, and see whether that is the right agency for you.
By having previous experience in the same field, they already know the manufacturers and the best possible warehouses. That way, they can manage in finding the right products. They know the good and the bad things about each supplier so they can present them to you. This will help you in coming up with better decisions related to your business, and ensure progress and future expansion.
Covers a great territory in China
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The presence in China has a great benefit because they can cover a large territory that will help you find products better. Most of the offices are located in grouped industrial places. There are factories of every kind and can produce everything you had an idea of.
This will help every process of the sourcing since they can personally speak with the managers, and arrange the shipping as well. Being present lowers the costs of both production and transportation, so you can find further economic benefits.
Being transparent about their work
Lastly, the agency that you will select has to be transparent about their work. With that, you will have to know every metric for future analysis and look for points where you can improve.
Providing all certification and documentation about the products they have found, proper warehouse storage etiquette, as well as acquiring samples are just some of the points you should be looking out for. In addition, being great negotiators, ensuring quality, and observing the whole process are highly important factors.
When you get notified about the whole process, and you receive a document for everything that you do, you know you have selected a great company. If you have found a China sourcing agent that has every point we provided on the lists, consider yourself lucky, and stick to them forever.
