SERVICE 01 · SOURCING
Find the factory that already makes your product
We search beyond the first page of Alibaba. Within three to five working days you get a shortlist of factories that actually manufacture your item, with licences checked, capability tested and quotes compared like for like.
DELIVERABLEShortlist + quote comparison
LEAD TIME3–5 working days
COSTFree until you place an order
Beyond the first page of Alibaba
Around 70% of the factories we place orders with are not the ones that appear first in a marketplace search. The best factory for your order is usually the one that already runs the same process every day — it simply does not advertise in English.
We search where the manufacturing actually is: 1688 supplier pages, industry clusters, trade-fair exhibitor lists, our own vetted database, and the factories our other clients already buy from. Then we call them, ask the uncomfortable questions and compare.
- Licence, scope of business and export record checked
- Capacity and equipment matched to your order size
- Quotes normalised to the same spec, incoterm and packaging
- Red flags surfaced, not hidden: tooling ownership, subcontracting, capacity gaps
WHAT IS INCLUDED
What the sourcing brief produces
One document you can take to a board, a bank or an investor: what each factory costs, what they can and cannot do, and which one we would place the order with.
Factory shortlist
Company name, location, founding year, staff, lines, main export markets and the products they already run.
Normalised quote sheet
Unit price at your quantity, MOQ, tooling, sample lead time, production lead time and payment terms — side by side.
Verification notes
Licence scan, export licence, third-party certifications and any history of quality claims we are aware of.
Cost breakdown
Material, labour, packaging and margin, so you can see where the price actually comes from.
Recommendation
A written recommendation with the trade-offs named: cheapest, fastest, best for compliance, best for reorders.
Sample coordination
We collect samples, photograph them to the same standard and ship them to you in one parcel.
PROCESS
From brief to a factory you trust
Most sourcing briefs close in two to three weeks. Complex or regulated products take longer because the verification takes longer.
01
Brief
A 20-minute call or a written brief with product, quantity and price target.
02
Search
1688, cluster directories, trade fair lists and our own database.
03
Vet
Licence check, capability call, reference check, sometimes a visit.
04
Quote
Normalised quote sheet and a written recommendation.
05
Sample
Samples produced, measured, photographed and shipped to you.
WHAT BUYERS GET WRONG
The cheapest quote is rarely the cheapest order
A quote 12% below the others usually means a thinner wall, a cheaper resin, a subcontractor, or a factory that will renegotiate after your deposit. We test the assumptions before you commit.
Thin margins, thick promises
Factories that win on price alone often recover the difference through material substitution or by moving your order to a subcontractor.
Tooling ownership
If the mould is not in your name, your next order belongs to whoever holds it. We insist on written tooling ownership and keep the receipt.
Certificates that do not exist
A PDF is not a certificate. We verify the issuing lab, the scope and the expiry date before a compliance claim reaches your customer.
QUESTIONS
Common questions, answered plainly
If your question is not here, ask us directly — a sourcing specialist, not a chatbot, will reply within one business day.
Do you sign an NDA?
Yes. We sign a mutual NDA before you share drawings, artwork or supplier lists, and we do not approach your existing suppliers without your written instruction.
Can you source from 1688 or Taobao?
Yes. We buy from domestic Chinese platforms, verify the underlying factory rather than the storefront, and handle domestic payment, consolidation and export ourselves.
What if I already have a factory?
We will still benchmark it. A second quote from a comparable factory tells you whether your current price is fair, and costs you nothing.
NEXT STEP
Tell us what you need. We will tell you what it costs.
Send one product link or a photo. Within five working days you get factory options, unit prices, tooling, lead time and a landed cost to your door.
Request a quote