Avela Corporation has been sourcing manufacturing in China for our clients since 2002 and we have pretty much heard it all. Clients often come to us after having tried to “go it alone” by dealing with a trading company that they may have met at a trade show, through a website on Alibaba or elsewhere. If all goes well, things … Read More
As a sourcing agent for manufacturing in China since 2002, one thing stands out to me as most important in dealing with China: mindset. Mindset, attitude, frame of mind, outlook, manner, aptitude, disposition, inclination—there are a lot of words to capture what we are talking … Read More
My first visit to China was part of a trade mission trip in 2002, just a year after it entered the World Trade Organization. Back then the place pulsed with potential as the country embraced capitalism as the keystone of its economic reform. As a sourcing agent for manufacturing in China, the intervening years have been a whirlwind as I … Read More
I recently returned from the incredible Affordable Shopping Destination 2017 international business to business trade show in Las Vegas where I was a featured speaker. ASD connects some 45,000 buyers with thousands of vendors and exhibitors, including factory representatives from China and elsewhere. I was honored to share the stage with a number of experts as we discussed concerns related … Read More
The Value of a Sourcing Agent for Your Manufacturing In China As a business leader, your decision to source in China might not be an easy one. If there were a manufacturing option closer to home, you would probably take it. You know the simple truth, however: in today’s environment, Chinese manufacturing is key to the sustainability of many businesses.You … Read More
Having been in the China sourcing business for almost 13 years now, I am often asked what is the most difficult aspect of working in China. My short answer is “Communication”. China manufacturers want to create the product you are asking for. What I have come to appreciate is just how nuanced our thoughts are, and how good communication is taken for … Read More
There is so much advise on the internet on China Sourcing and how to interact with China: how to dress, how to greet, how to eat, what to say, and what to do. Everything you can imagine on your behavior, especially when having face-to-face meetings with Chinese manufacturers. Should I bring a gift or is that inappropriate? Should I wear a suite … Read More
Usually I am writing detailed blogs about China Sourcing. But not this time. It is time to take a break from China Sourcing and celebrate life. One of the perks of being in China for over 10 years now is having the privilege of participating, in a small way, in the lives of my staff and friends in China. As … Read More
China Sourcing: My personal experience. To sum up part one briefly, China has a conundrum when it comes to intellectual property. On the one hand, they are the world masters at copying or knocking off. There is a cultural argument, or some might call it an excuse, that it in the tradition of Confucianism, it is considered an honor for your idea … Read More
China Sourcing seems precarious. China has a reputation for knocking off or copying products. This reputation is well deserved. If you look at it from a neutral point of view, it is kind of amazing. I say amazing because, not only are the accuracy of knock-offs impressive, but the speed of copying a product is breathtaking. On one hand this … Read More
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