Most new or expanding entrepreneurs with products that need manufacturing do not have the connections, confidence, knowledge, or time to source products in China. Savvy product developers spend their time developing their products and business, not shooting in the dark for manufacturing. Our fees are extremely reasonable when you consider the amount of time and effort that goes into representing someone for this endeavor. Most often, our clients say they save more money by working with us simply by avoiding costly mistakes when doing it themselves.

Yes, you will get the benefit of real savings by manufacturing your products in volume overseas in most cases. If your orders are not at least a 20ft container full, you will experience slightly higher pricing. Not all items are good for sourcing overseas; please see the end of this Q&A for further details.

Yes, with the right manufacturer to produce your products you will get the best quality at the most competitive pricing available. No, if you do not secure the correct factory, or go with one that you have no experience or history with. Today, it is said that 5,000 + factories a day are closing their doors in China. As an agent, we choose only the best, most trustworthy factories to secure manufacturing.

Your goods are coming from a long distance. It is a good idea to plan well in advance before you actually need the product. Because each production will be different, we will advise on a case-by-case basis of your lead times. In general, it takes 30-45 days, counting from the day your order production is completed. It could be shorter, or longer, depending on the product and its technicality, shipping point and final destination. We will do our very best to secure the best schedule for the product delivery based on your needs. We will keep you abreast of the timing and changes and/or updates related to your production to help you plan your schedule.

Tooling is when a factory/manufacturer makes the molds/cavities to produce a product. It typically is associated with plastics, injection molding, and casting products. General completion is 2-6 + weeks.

It depends on how easy or how complex your product is. It can go from 2 weeks to 2+ months. In our quoting process, we will identify the time frame and discuss the findings with you. It would be wise to plan extra time for prototype modifications and/or improvements. It usually takes more than one run to attend to all the details and “debug” the product. Also, factor in the courier time needed between China and the US to receive updated samples.

We can source many products including those made of plastic, paper, cardboard, wood, and fabric (textiles) For product categories, we source jewelry, baby products, toys, clothing, consumer electronics, housewares, sporting goods, handbags/luggage, fashion accessories, small furniture items, and so much more. We do not work with chemicals, automotive, lotions, solar and liquid goods.

NOTE: We do not choose to take on every product and project. We will review your needs and requirements and then discuss them with you to decide if we are the best fit to assist with your manufacturing needs.

For a manufacturer to provide an accurate quote they need to know every dimension of every part, all tolerances, material specs, and surface finish requirements. Mechanical drawings (CAD), or specs, contain all this information. If your parts need to be made to a specific size and/or if multiple parts are involved that require close-fit assembly, we need the engineer’s drawings to get a quote. We emphasize that hand sketches, patent drawings, or the like do not show all dimensions or material callouts and are not acceptable.


We can have our team create the drawings for you; however, this fee is separate and paid upfront after receiving a quote from us. Today, most engineering firms use sophisticated CAD software that can create an electronic file that can be emailed. Most prints we receive by email are in .dwg (Autocad), .dxf, .pdf, .jpg, or .tif file formats.

An agent should have many years of experience working in the manufacturing and exportation field. Understanding manufacturing in China from the inside out, we have factory representatives on the ground to ensure the factory’s pricing stays competitive. Not having them will cause communication problems and production issues.

It is best to know and take into account the regional and local manufacturing environment – the supply and demand of all factors involved, the competition and quality, and to know at which level the prices are reasonable. You need to also know at which level the prices become attractive without sacrificing quality. If you are looking into manufacturing on your own, make sure you get at least 3-4 quotes from factories and be as knowledgeable as possible on the items mentioned above. We always recommend that you get a good map of China and know the locations and regions where you are looking for factories if you choose to go it alone. For example, the closer you go to Hong Kong for manufacturing, the more you will pay.

Some Chinese factories do have the problem of not respecting other countries’ intellectual property rights. However, working with manufacturers who have been in business for many years and who would not jeopardize their reputation, and business, with American companies by not being honest and trustworthy, is very important. We believe big changes will come in the following area; China’s economic growth will inevitably lead to more and more innovation and invention by Chinese entrepreneurs. Their own need for the protection of their intellectual property rights will be the real force to drive the “internal integrity” change needed in China.

There are also safeguards the US Government affords patent holders when a knock-off enters the port which may infringe on an existing US patent. You can check with U.S. Customs for more information. We only deal with and give our business to trustworthy factories.

Make sure you have the appropriate disclosures when working with anyone in this business. We believe in abundance, that there is plenty for everybody, and that one’s success is not achieved at the expense or exclusion of others. We are more than willing to sign an NDA or other documents you suggest. We are in the business of finding manufacturing for our clients – not undermining them.

Our program costs just $1000! While we realize we are offering an extremely valuable and critical service, we do earn money when your product is produced by a factory. Most factories pay commissions to salespeople or brokers to help them obtain new business. This commission is generally very low… just pennies per piece for each piece of your product that is produced.

We understand that our responsibility is to choose the best factory for your product and that is what we do. We do not work with factories based on commission rates…but rather the ones we deem best suited for your product. Due to the significant amount of time we spend as well as our decades of experience and knowledge, we do not offer refunds once we have embarked on your project.