Finding and buying custom goods from manufacturers can be a lot of work. Oftentimes, it can take months to even get your hands on a sample. What’s worse is you’ll likely be forced to buy hundreds (if not thousands) of units of each product, each design, or sometimes even each color of your desired goods.
There are many barriers to entry for budget strapped small businesses looking to source goods from China. High MOQs (minimum order quantities) and lengthy lead times are only two of the most significant hurdles startups must jump through. This is why many businesses skip manufacturers and go to China wholesale distributors instead—saving them the cost and downtime of having to wait for a factory order.
One of the best advantages of going to China wholesale distributors for your custom product needs is there’s no MOQ. You can pick and mix products you want and you don’t have to wait several months to see them.
Just the same, seeking out wholesalers requires thorough consideration and proper due diligence so you won’t end up with the wrong partners. Here are two things to keep in mind when deciding on China wholesale distributors to work with:
1. Try Yiwu
Because China is the world’s leading manufacturing country, wholesalers can be found all over the land. However, old trading cities like Yiwu are your best options, especially when working the export markets. Yiwu City hosts thousands of wholesalers and trading companies—big and small. Because Yiwu is a long-established cluster for the export market, infrastructures and systems here are more developed. This makes it easier to find local agents, export agencies, quality control firms, and other entities you need to get in touch with in order to inspect, buy, and ship products from the wholesaler’s warehouse to yours.
2. Look for low minimum order requirements
Look for China wholesale distributors with low MOQs. One of the biggest hurdles small businesses face when trying to import goods is high MOQ. Another is the lengthy process of procurement. When you work with wholesalers and distributors, you get lower minimum order quantities and a virtually easier procurement process compared to that of manufacturer factories.
