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Before you find a wholesaler
Have you decided to purchase your goods from a wholesaler and would like to find a suitable distributor as a result? In the following article, we explain which points you should pay attention to beforehand to ensure a safe and successful transaction with the mostly Chinese suppliers.
Before you decide to look for a wholesaler, you should consider the following general aspects of your product and your search right from the start:
Always buy a sample for inspection before the actual main order to check the quality and delivery condition.
In the B2C sector, you can analyze your competitor products and easily find the right supplier for you through a clever supplier search on platforms such as Alibaba and co. Find out more about wholesale portals in our blog post on wholesale portals. You can also use the opportunity to identify defects and optimize your product accordingly. As many dropshipping companies focus on a wide range of products, it can be useful to find a wholesaler that covers the entire product segment.
In order to be able to import textiles, a few basic conditions must first be clarified. What are the characteristics of the goods and how should they be sourced? It is very important to draw up a requirements sheet for this. As a customer, you usually only get what you have specifically requested. Possible specification points here would be quality, design, seal and after sales. It is also important to consider whether you want to use existing designs or create your own. This is often not just a question of design, but also a question of budget. There are some wholesalers who can only take on smaller imprints and are less responsive to more complex print pieces. Make it clear from the outset how individual your requirements are in order to really find the right manufacturer who can fulfill your wishes in all respects.
Many entrepreneurs in the electronics sector can probably talk about the jungle of regulations in the EU and DE directives. This is because these laws are very important in this sector and must also be complied with by Chinese producers. In order to be protected from potential customer problems and competition, you need to obtain information on the necessary seals in advance. The classic example here would be the CE mark, but many smaller points such as the small electronics mark are also important. If you still need help to identify the possible requirements but are not yet able to hire an expert, contact the Chamber of Industry and Commerce.
If you are approaching a wholesaler outside the European Union, we would also advise you to initially only specify special customer requirements in percentages. Most wholesalers from China in the electronics industry are used to only printing a logo or simply customizing the packaging. Beyond that, however, only a few wholesalers can respond to individual customer wishes and manufacture the product exactly as requested.
Dropshipping is an up-and-coming business trend. Here it is particularly important to what extent fulfillment is operated. Does the wholesaler already take care of the entire picking and shipping of the goods, thereby facilitating the work process, but requires a payment contribution for this, or can the respective work be carried out by the founding team? In principle, we would always recommend independent shipping at the beginning of a business start-up if there is enough time. In most cases, this leads to a relatively large cost saving, even if it means more work.
