Buying Direct from a Supplier vs Using a Sourcing Partner
A practical comparison of direct supplier buying and local sourcing support, focused on the work you can manage yourself and the work that may need help in China.
8 min readOpen ↗
The journal
Field notes, sourcing lessons, and useful context.
A growing editorial resource for buyers who want to understand what happens between a product idea and a shipment from China.
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The China Sourcing Process: From Product Idea to Shipment
A decision-by-decision map of the sourcing process, explaining what each stage is for and what evidence to collect before moving forward.
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Keep a useful question open.
Each article should leave you with a better brief, a sharper supplier question, or a clearer next decision.
A Factory Visit Checklist for China: What to Record, Not Just What to See
Use a factory visit to collect decision-ready evidence about a supplier, production process, sample, and next steps.
10 min readOpen ↗
How to Choose a China Sourcing Agent: Questions, Scope, and Evidence
A practical way to evaluate whether a sourcing partner is suitable for your project without relying on broad website claims or a single low fee.
9 min readOpen ↗
How to Compare Chinese Suppliers Beyond the Lowest Quote
A practical framework for comparing supplier responses, clarifying quote assumptions, and deciding what to verify before an order.
9 min readOpen ↗
How to Find Suppliers in China: A Practical Research Process
A structured way to find, shortlist, and compare Chinese suppliers without treating a platform profile or low quotation as proof of suitability.
11 min readOpen ↗
How to Import from China: A Practical First-Order Framework
A clear, step-by-step way to prepare a first China sourcing project before you compare suppliers, approve samples, or plan a shipment.
12 min readOpen ↗
How to Plan Shipping from China: Questions to Answer Before Goods Move
A practical shipping-preparation framework covering handover, packaging, documents, freight questions, and the limits of general importing guidance.
10 min readOpen ↗
How to Write a Product Brief for China Sourcing
A practical product-brief template that helps buyers explain the product, compare supplier responses, and prepare a more useful first conversation.
10 min readOpen ↗
Incoterms for First-Time China Buyers: What They Change—and What They Do Not
Understand the role of Incoterms in a China purchase: tasks, costs, risk, named places, and the contract questions they do not answer.
8 min readOpen ↗
Quality Control in China Sourcing: Plan the Check Before Production
A practical guide to defining a product-specific quality plan, choosing useful checkpoints, documenting evidence, and understanding the limits of inspection.
10 min readOpen ↗
Supplier Verification in China: A Practical Checklist and Its Limits
A layered supplier-verification framework covering business information, product capability, samples, factory checks, communication, and the limits of each evidence point.
10 min readOpen ↗
What MOQ Means in China Sourcing—and Why It Changes
A practical explanation of minimum order quantity, why it can change with product choices, and how to ask suppliers better MOQ questions.
7 min readOpen ↗
What to Check in a Product Sample Before You Approve It
A practical sample-review checklist for product function, materials, dimensions, finish, packaging, customer use, and revision control.
8 min readOpen ↗
Why Product Samples Matter Before Mass Production
How to use product samples as evidence, test them against a written brief, record revisions, and avoid treating a photograph as approval.
9 min readOpen ↗
What to Prepare Before You Start Sourcing from China
A practical starting checklist for international buyers preparing a sourcing project.
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For the future editor
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