Service
We find the factory and verify it before your first payment
You tell us what you need to buy. We find who actually makes it, check the paperwork and the plant, get samples into your hands and come back with a shortlist: prices, terms and who we would sign with.
01 — The brief
What people bring us
“I need this product. Find me someone who makes it.”
“I found a supplier on Alibaba. How do I know it is a factory and not a trader?”
“Three quotes for the same item, and the top one is double the bottom. I can’t see why.”
“I need a second source. Right now everything rests on one contact.”
“The samples were perfect. The shipment was not. Never again.”
02 — What is included
What the search covers
From your first description of the job through to a shortlist of manufacturers you could sign with.
- 01Turning the brief into a specificationWe convert “I need something like this” into terms a factory can quote against: material, dimensions, standard, packaging, batch size.
- 02Finding manufacturersIndustry registers, export customs records, trade fair catalogues and our own contacts in China and Europe.
- 03Separating factories from tradersWe establish who owns the production line and who resells: licences, export rights, the address of the plant, the machinery on site.
- 04Checking company documentsRegistration, export licence, product certification, tax standing and litigation history.
- 05SamplesWe write the sample request so that a showroom piece cannot be substituted, then record every deviation from the specification.
- 06Checking the plantShop floor, machinery, current line utilisation and quality control — an inspector on site, or a video audit against our checklist.
- 07Comparing commercial termsPrice, MOQ, production lead time, payment terms and Incoterms in one table, prepared on the same basis for everyone.
03 — What is not included
What we do not do
A clear boundary is worth more than a broad promise. These jobs are often expected from sourcing, but they belong to other specialists.
- We do not issue product certificatesCertificates come from an accredited body. We tell you which documents your goods will need, and we obtain them at the customs stage.
- We do not guarantee quality on the factory’s behalfWe show you what we found and the evidence behind it. Under the contract, quality is the manufacturer’s responsibility: the batch has to match the specification.
- We do not register trade marks or patentsThat is a job for a patent attorney in the country concerned. We flag the risk when we see it: another brand on the line, a copy of someone else’s design.
- We do not sell supplier databasesA ready-made list of “verified factories” means nothing: it dates fast, and it was never built around your specification. Every search starts from your brief.
- We do not design the productDrawings, formulations and industrial design come from you. We turn them into terms a factory can quote against, but we do not engineer the item for you.
- We do not litigate abroadOnce a dispute reaches court in the supplier’s country, you need a local lawyer. We hand over the correspondence, the documents and the negotiation record.
04 — The funnel
Nine stages of narrowing down
From a long list to the few names worth working with. Every stage ends in a document you can keep, not a phone call.
- 01BriefWe break the product down to a specification: material, standard, packaging, volume, target price and the market you sell into.A search brief, agreed with you
- 02Search across databases and trade fairsIndustry registers, export customs records, exhibitor catalogues and our contacts on the ground.A long list of manufacturers, each with the source it came from
- 03First cutWe drop anyone who does not make your product, cannot handle your volume or holds no export rights.A shorter list, and why each name was dropped
- 04Document checkCompany registration, export licence, product certificates, tax standing and litigation history.A company file with scans and validity dates
- 05Sample requestWe specify the sample so it cannot be swapped for a showroom piece, and order only once you confirm.The sample in your hands and a written comparison against the specification
- 06Factory auditShop floor, machinery, line utilisation and quality control — on site or by video.An audit report with photographs of the lines and a list of findings
- 07Comparing commercial termsWe put every offer on one basis: same volume, same Incoterms, same packaging.Comparison table: price, MOQ, lead time, payment, Incoterms
- 08NegotiationPrice, production schedule, warranties and who carries which risk — discussed in the supplier’s own language.Written terms from every finalist
- 09ShortlistWe keep the factories worth working with and explain what makes one stronger than another for your particular job.A shortlist with a recommendation and the reasoning behind it
05 — Responsibility
Who answers for what
We handle
- Turning your requirement into a specification a factory can quote against
- Searching for manufacturers and filtering out the trading companies
- Checking documents, the plant and the samples before any money moves
- Handling correspondence and negotiation in English, Russian and Chinese
- Putting every offer on the same basis, so the comparison means something
- Writing up each name on the shortlist with the evidence behind it
You handle
- The specification: what has to arrive, and to which standard
- The decision on which supplier to work with
- The cost of the samples and the courier charges to get them to you
- What your market requires: labelling, standards, certification
06 — Cost
How the cost of a search is worked out
We put a figure in our reply to your enquiry, once the brief is agreed and the specification is clear. Below is how it is put together: what the cost turns on, and what it does not.
- 01A fixed fee per stageThe search is split into stages: brief and long list, document checks, factory audit, shortlist. Each stage has its own price and ends in a document you can keep.
- 02Not tied to the price of the goodsA stage costs the same whether the goods are expensive or cheap. We have no reason to steer you towards a pricier factory: the gap between two prices is not where our money comes from.
- 03The audit can be booked separatelyIf you have already found the supplier, you can order the factory audit by itself. Come back for the full search later and what you paid for the audit comes off our fee.
- 04Billed separatelySamples and the cost of getting them to you, plus a visit to the factory where one is needed. These pass through at cost.
- 05The client pays our feeWe take no commission and no rebate from suppliers. Whichever name you pick off the shortlist, our fee is the same.
07 — Next
What buyers read alongside this
08 — Questions
What buyers ask before we start
Will you tell me which factory I am buying from?
Yes. The company name, its documents and what the checks turned up all go into the company file, and every factory on the shortlist is named. We handle the correspondence with the plant and we run the deal — that is the work you are paying for.
Do you take a commission from the supplier?
No. Our fee is paid by the client, and the contract sets that out in a separate clause. Any volume discount the factory gives is not ours to keep — it comes off your price.
What does the cost of a search depend on?
The number of stages and how demanding the specification is, not the price of the goods. After the brief you get the list of stages with a price against each one — before the first payment, not as the work goes on.
What if none of the suppliers fit?
It happens: nobody makes the product in that exact form, your volume sits below any factory’s minimum, or the price cannot survive in your market. We say so plainly and set out in writing why the search came up empty. You will not be handed a roughly similar factory instead of an answer.
Do you work with small volumes?
We will look at it. The threshold is set by the factory, not by us: every plant has a minimum order quantity. If your volume sits below the MOQ, we look for a smaller manufacturer, a factory’s trading arm, or a slot alongside an existing production run. If there is no way through, we say so at the start rather than after the search is paid for.
Who pays for samples?
The client pays for samples and for shipping them: factories rarely give samples away, and cross-border courier costs are real money. We agree the amount before ordering and never order samples without your confirmation.
How is this different from an agent on the ground?
An agent covers one link in the chain: they are in the supplier’s country, they talk to the factory and they pass you the contact. We carry the job past the search — purchasing, freight, customs, documents — under a single contract. If all you need is someone who can walk into the workshop, hiring an agent is the honest answer.
How do you handle confidentiality?
Until you say otherwise, suppliers never hear your company name: the enquiry goes out under ours. Your specification is not shown to other clients, and we do not use your search to sell the same product to your competitor. We sign an NDA before work begins.
Tell us what you need sourced
Describe the product, the volume and the market. We’ll come back with a search plan and a straight answer on what can be found and what can’t.