I get asked all the time; how do I get started in China? Well you can go about it multiple ways. Some are good and some are not so good.

You can look up suppliers on multiple trade websites that are geared to connect buyers to suppliers. You can go to trade fairs yourself in China and find suppliers. You can hire an agent in China and tell them what you are looking for. No matter what you do make sure that you go the manufacturer and see the factory for yourself.

So let’s analyze each one of these now:

Trade Websites- These are wonderful resources and make it very easy to find suppliers with the click of a few buttons on the old computer. However, most of these websites do not verify the supplier’s information. Therefore, there are lots of fraudulent companies on these sites. It is almost impossible to tell which suppliers are good ones and which are not. They all have Gold or Platinum status on the site…right???

I wish it was that easy. The unfortunate truth is that they are not all good. There are many postings on these sites that are just there to solicit orders and have them made in another factory for you and mark the cost up 5-100%.

Then there are the ones that are just on there for the sheer reason of taking your money and running, only to setup a new company tomorrow under a different name. This is the worst of them all. You have no right of recourse against them. You are a foreigner in a foreign land and now have to get the police involved in a country where you do not speak the native language.

Going to Trade fairs in China- While this is definitely a better solution than using the trade websites it is still not a fail proof plan. Just because you see them at a trade show both does not mean that they are a real factory. The same problems that exist in this solution as there are in using trade websites, many companies will pose as factories when they are nothing more than middle men marking up the products.

As well there are several companies that are just there to take your money and run. They used fake ID’s and fake company information to get into the trade show and the trade show hosts have no record of how to contact them other than a mobile phone that does not work now. In many ways this is even worse than trade websites, at least trade websites record IP addresses.

Using and Agent- Taking into consideration of the other two options, this is the safest way to go. However you must still be careful. Many agents are known for getting kick backs from the factory as a show of good faith to have them keep you doing business with the factory. Providing that you can educate your agent to do the job exactly the way that you want them to do it, your arrangement should work out.

One of the most critical roles that your agent will play for you is Quality Control. You should take the time to go to China the first time that a Quality Control inspection is needed and train your agent on what is important to look at. Remember no one knows your products like you do, so take the extra time that is needed to ensure the products that arrive to you are made to the exact specifications you outlined.

While this may not be a 100% fail proof way to get your feet into the Chinese market it sure is better than going into thinking that you can do it yourself. Most of all my best advice to anyone is trust no one and question everything and be 100% confident before you give anyone any money at all in China. China is the land of opportunity. However, it can also lead to a crisis if you are not careful.