What to ask when contacting a manufacturer for the first time?
Start by finding a manufacturer before you start selling your collection find a manufacturer first. This is necessary to ensure that your quality standards are met and that the sales samples will resemble the products you will sell. Additionally, you need to obtain cost estimations from your intended manufacturer to be on top of your price calculations and business model before starting.
Finding a good manufacturer is a significant and crucial challenge for an apparel company. You can find factories through various means such as trade shows, online, contacts, branch organizations, etc. However, it can be challenging to find a factory that fits your needs in terms of communication, quality, and delivery. Recommendations are extremely valuable, and if you already have found a good manufacturer, make sure to nurture that relationship.
Don’t treat them poorly and push them around, thinking that you can easily replace them with another factory. You can’t. To improve your chances of successful cooperation with a factory, ask a range of questions. Once you have created a shortlist of manufacturers, pick up the phone and start calling to see if there could be a fit between your brand and their manufacturing.
1. What are your capabilities? Are you able to make my design?
Inquire about the products the manufacturer creates and ask if they can meet your specific needs. For example, if you’re making a jacket with taped seams, confirm they have a seam-sealing machine. Inform the manufacturer about the products you want to produce.
Keep in mind that a factory that specializes in producing sports t-shirts may not have the machines necessary for producing sports socks, as the machinery for these items are typically different.
2. What products do you have experience with and can I see some pictures?
Pictures and videos don’t lie as words can. You can make a rough estimate of the factory’s production and partnerships by looking at their pictures. If they can’t provide pictures that are similar to your styles, it’s likely they have no experience producing that type of product.
In Lezhou, you can check the pictures of our previous work on this page: CLICK TO SEE.
3. What value-added services can you provide?
Make sure the cooperating factory you choose can meet your needs beyond just providing blank clothing, such as adding printing and embroidery to the clothing. Some factories may only offer their own designs, so it’s important to confirm that they can fulfill your specific requests. Additionally, consider if they have the capability to perform other services like patterns, grading, prototypes, fabric sourcing, and design. While it may seem like an easy solution to have the factory handle more than just production work, it may result in less control and uncertainty. It can feel like a black box where you put something in, are unaware of what happens inside, and then receive a final product that doesn’t match your expectations.
4. Do you offer samples?
The manufacturer’s ability to produce the product to your requirements is justified by the samples, which also eliminate expensive reworks on the actual product. Developing samples is time-consuming and costly, which is why most factories charge a premium for it.
Clothing factories may charge 2-3 times the production price for samples, while others may include a one-off development fee. Some may do both, so it’s important to clarify the cost. Additionally, you may have multiple sample revisions and iterations before the production work begins.
5. Do you take care of shipping and custom clearance?
Overseas purchasing can be overwhelming if you lack experience in shipping and customs clearance. To alleviate this, it’s important to find a factory that provides full-service support from production to shipping, including customs clearance.
6. MOQ & turnaround time
Most factories set a minimum quantity for a single order. Although you might only need 50 pieces to test the market, some factories won’t accept an order for less than 200 pieces. It’s important to determine if the minimum threshold applies to a specific style, size, or color.
In Lezhou, the minimum order quantity for most designs is 200 pieces per design, which is relatively small. However, some factories have a general minimum order quantity (MOQ) that applies to all designs regardless of their specifications.
7. Payment term and method
When discussing the price with a factory, it is important to ask about the payment terms. Typically, factories will require an advance payment before starting production, usually 50% of the total cost, with the final payment due before shipping. However, payment terms can vary between manufacturers, so it’s best to clarify upfront.
In terms of payment methods, many Chinese factories accept Paypal and wire transfers, but some only accept bank transfers. If you’re concerned about financial security, it’s important to ask whether a factory accepts Paypal before deciding to work with them.
8. Do they offer you Quality Assurance?
Defective items are common in bulk purchases. It is important to clarify how the supplier will compensate for defective products and make sure these terms are clearly outlined in the sales contract.
9. Do they have any certifications?
Ask the factory about their certifications and ethical practices, based on your values and sustainability requirements. Make sure that the factory aligns with global standards that meet your certification requirements. Additionally, ask about the methods they use to ensure their practices are ethical.
10. Can I visit your factory?
To assess the production and equipment and learn about their operations, visit the factory in person. You can observe how they treat their workers, handle raw materials, and manage defect inspections during production. If the manufacturer does not allow visits, it could be a red flag. They may be subcontracting the work or not complying with your requirements. If you cannot visit in person, you can always send a representative on Fiverr.com.
11. Can you offer an estimated quote?
Obtaining an accurate production estimate is crucial to determine the cost of your product. The manufacturer’s services will either fit into your budget or you’ll need to find other options. To provide a more detailed estimate, a clothing factory would require a tech pack or a spec sheet that you can share with them.
You can consider the tech pack or spec sheet as a production manual, as it contains all the necessary design specifications. This way, you avoid the trouble of communicating them to the manufacturer.
12. What’s your production process?
The clothing factory must describe its production stages to you, so you can learn about its capabilities and verify its lead times. Ask if they provide extras like cutting and grading or tech pack development. Understanding the factory’s production processes will put you in a perfect negotiating position.
13. Do you accept third-party quality inspection at any time?
Take responsibility for quality control and ask the factory for permission to visit and check the production process during the manufacturing stage. Ensure that you are satisfied with the production run before allowing the shipment to proceed.
In closing
You can probably shorten your list of manufacturers by getting answers to all these questions. Trust your gut feeling about how easy they are to interact with. If from the start they are difficult to reach, it is a warning sign that they will continue to be difficult to reach. Tell them to know about your business, brand, and goals, as they need to be on board with your values and vision. You will both be investing in each other’s businesses, both time and money. Once you find a good match, it is finally time to start.
If you are looking for a trustworthy clothing factory to handle all your needs, we can help. At Lezhougarment, we have helped more than 1000+ brands succeed over the past 19 years. Send us your designs, and our sales team will get back to you within 1 working day.