The Entrepreneur Forum | Financial Freedom | Starting a Business | Motivation | Money | Success

Welcome to the only entrepreneur forum dedicated to building life-changing wealth.

Build a Fastlane business. Earn real financial freedom. Join free.

Join over 80,000 entrepreneurs who have rejected the paradigm of mediocrity and said "NO!" to underpaid jobs, ascetic frugality, and suffocating savings rituals— learn how to build a Fastlane business that pays both freedom and lifestyle affluence.

Free registration at the forum removes this block.

Need to be in China in 3 weeks ...Where Do I start ?

JMBgroup

New Contributor
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
23%
Aug 23, 2016
13
3
40
I need to be on plane in China in 3 Weeks to produce 3 products for Dec 1 National TV Deal.

Need to produce a Robe, Towels, Gift Boxing and manufacture for new textile invention... Can anyone recommend a trusted sourcing agent to guide me and travel with me.
 
Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

Greg Black

Bronze Contributor
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
325%
Aug 24, 2016
32
104
Bournemouth, UK.
I need to be on plane in China in 3 Weeks to produce 3 products for Dec 1 National TV Deal.

Need to produce a Robe, Towels, Gift Boxing and manufacture for new textile invention... Can anyone recommend a trusted sourcing agent to guide me and travel with me.

I wish I could recommend an agent, but the only one I have used ended up just wasting me time so I deal direct with factories, which I've found works best for me.

I must say 1st Dec is a VERY tight timeline. This type of product would normally go by sea as they are pretty heavy and low value, but with the timeframe you're talking about you may have to factor in air freight costs which are going to be large.

I would also consider getting gift boxes made in your home country and just getting the main product shipped from China. Getting stuff printed in China is more likely to end up in printing issues, plus you'd be very lucky if gift boxes arrive totally unmarked and not squashed.
 

Dazed

Contributor
Read Fastlane!
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
111%
Jul 27, 2016
28
31
Sheffield, UK
Have you considered South Asia (Bangladesh/Pakistan/India) instead? Many big companies use these countries for textiles.
 

Walter Hay

Legendary Contributor
EPIC CONTRIBUTOR
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
401%
Sep 13, 2014
3,318
13,305
World citizen
I need to be on plane in China in 3 Weeks to produce 3 products for Dec 1 National TV Deal.

Need to produce a Robe, Towels, Gift Boxing and manufacture for new textile invention... Can anyone recommend a trusted sourcing agent to guide me and travel with me.
Sorry, but dealing through sourcing agents in China is fraught with risks. Once they detect your urgency the risk is increased.

The gift boxing can be done in China within your time frame without traveling to China, but for the textiles I would urge you to look closer to home. Maybe a US manufacturer won't work fast enough for you, but those in Latin American countries will. Manufacturers in Mexico would be so much easier and safer to deal with than trying to work with Chinese manufacturers whose psyche doesn't allow for quick product development or IP security for that matter.

Walter
 
Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

AgainstAllOdds

Legendary Contributor
EPIC CONTRIBUTOR
Read Fastlane!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
647%
Dec 26, 2014
2,274
14,724
32
Chicago, IL
  1. Make a list of factories to contact.
  2. Hire a Chinese translator.
  3. Have them call each factory, and tell them to get prices for what you need.
  4. Then have them call the factory back the next day. Offer 25% over the invoice price if they can manufacture in half the time.
  5. Get one factory of the countless to agree.
  6. Get an air freight broker.
  7. Schedule an air shipment for the minimum amount of inventory that you need in hand.
  8. Schedule the rest to ship via ship and arrive at a later date (or potentially on time if you're lucky).
 

Walter Hay

Legendary Contributor
EPIC CONTRIBUTOR
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
401%
Sep 13, 2014
3,318
13,305
World citizen
  1. Make a list of factories to contact.
  2. Hire a Chinese translator.
  3. Have them call each factory, and tell them to get prices for what you need.
  4. Then have them call the factory back the next day. Offer 25% over the invoice price if they can manufacture in half the time.
  5. Get one factory of the countless to agree.
  6. Get an air freight broker.
  7. Schedule an air shipment for the minimum amount of inventory that you need in hand.
  8. Schedule the rest to ship via ship and arrive at a later date (or potentially on time if you're lucky).
Great reply @AgainstAllOdds. If it can be done, this would be the way to do it. Point 4 is very important because money talks in most places, but even more so in China.

Because this project apparently involves development of a new patented product, that could be the big problem that could stymie the whole deal.

Walter
 

Alex H

New Contributor
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
243%
Sep 22, 2016
7
17
I need to be on plane in China in 3 Weeks to produce 3 products for Dec 1 National TV Deal.

Need to produce a Robe, Towels, Gift Boxing and manufacture for new textile invention... Can anyone recommend a trusted sourcing agent to guide me and travel with me.

Hi

I can tell you right now, during this time, a lot of factories are busy with orders and rushing them out for other customers who require holiday orders.

If you need the product to be in on Dec 1 you need to review the timeline backwards.

Nov 29th be in your warehouse (or a portion of goods)

30 days by Sea (if shipping a lot of quantity)
3 days QC inspection
30-35 days production
14 days Sampling approval

Your are looking around 77-82 days for your timeline.

Which means you are a little behind. You could shorten the cycle by paying a surcharge or eliminating sample approval timeframe. But even this may not be enough.

You essentially have 60 days of development/production.

You might be able to get away if you are buying stock goods, but custom manufacturing (especially a new idea) will be tough for that timeframe.

Good luck, let me know if you have any more questions about production.
 
Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

Vigilante

Legendary Contributor
Staff member
FASTLANE INSIDER
EPIC CONTRIBUTOR
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Summit Attendee
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
596%
Oct 31, 2011
11,116
66,265
Gulf Coast
I need to be on plane in China in 3 Weeks to produce 3 products for Dec 1 National TV Deal.

Need to produce a Robe, Towels, Gift Boxing and manufacture for new textile invention... Can anyone recommend a trusted sourcing agent to guide me and travel with me.


You are not going to get this done.

If you were looking for something off-the-shelf you could get it done but if you need something manufactured in the busiest time of the year with zero lead time I peg your chance at less than one percent.
 

OldFaithful

Gold Contributor
Read Fastlane!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
159%
Mar 11, 2016
648
1,031
54
Northwest Indiana
You are not going to get this done.
Ah, the voice of reason.

It's surprising just how long it takes to get through development, sampling, production & delivery. On any continent! No matter how many projects have been under the bridge, most fail to appreciate the process.

I'll add a note of optimism to show that I'm not an eternal pessimist: If you truly want to make this happen, don't pack any clothes in your suitcase, just stacks of cash! Then you CAN make it happen!
 

Post New Topic

Please SEARCH before posting.
Please select the BEST category.

Post new topic

Guest post submissions offered HERE.

Latest Posts

New Topics

Fastlane Insiders

View the forum AD FREE.
Private, unindexed content
Detailed process/execution threads
Ideas needing execution, more!

Join Fastlane Insiders.

Top