EC4U Limited

If you purchase customized or made-to-order products, you need to look for the right source. Switching suppliers down the road can be difficult—getting the development and the production right can take more than six months for a new factory—so it’s important to find a good supplier to begin with. Basic Criteria for a New Supplier Do not look for: The biggest factory The lowest price ISO9001 certification (necessarily, as this accreditation is easy to apply for and not necessarily meaningful) Instead, when looking for your first supplier, ask: “is my business attractive to this supplier, and is he capable of delivering as needed?” The most important aspect of your first supplier is their size. Do not choose a huge manufacturer who won’t be flexible and will never give you priority. Conversely, avoid small workshops (less than 80 workers) that are highly unreliable. Ideally, you should represent 10% to 50% of their volume. What Does a Good Factory Look Like? Befo...

Global trade is on a growth trajectory that will see it shape the way both large enterprises and small startups do business in the next few decades. Aligning your business model and strategy to embrace and accommodate future global trends will help ensure you remain globally sustainable for years to come. Meteoric growth of e-commerce According to consulting giant McKinsey & Company, today’s  digital form of globalization  has made eCommerce more accessible for people in developing countries and for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), enabling them to directly compete with larger multinational companies. E-commerce is responsible for approximately 12 per cent of the global goods trade. Many e-commerce transactions are made between small local manufacturers and suppliers. As technology develops, it enables more people to conduct business online. According to  a recent PwC report  [PDF], Europe’s creative sector has experienced 1.2 per cent in ann...

When importing cargo from China to the UK there are a wide variety of ports your goods may be shipped from. A majority of the time, you won’t have a choice in where your goods are shipped from due to the location. This will probably be dependent on where your goods are manufactured but your supplier may give a choice. If your supplier is between major ports (often Shanghai and Ningbo or Guangzhou and Shenzhen) then you may be able to choose the cheapest or most convenient option. Ningbo or Shanghai? If you are buying your goods on FOB shipping terms, and your supplier has given you the option, it will be best to use the Port of Shanghai. This is because of the cost difference provided by the huge volume of cargo being shipped via Shanghai makes it one of the cheapest ports to import part load container load shipments from. If you are buying on Ex Work’s terms, it is best to check the location of your supplier’s factory as the port nearer them might be the best way to keep ...

Perhaps you want to launch an commerce site or start selling on Amazon. Regardless, you have to get your products made in Asia (or elsewhere) , importing products from Asia. So how should you avoid scams, quality issues or worse? Here are 5 tips to help you get started  sourcing from Asia : Tip 1: Find out which regulations apply to your product Look for product-specific regulations such as (but not limited to) compliance marks, warning labels, banned/controlled chemicals and lab testing. You’ll have a hard time importing anything you source if your product doesn’t comply with relevant standards and regulations. Tip 2: Only work with suppliers that can make compliant items Only roughly 5-10% of Chinese suppliers can make products that are compliant with regulations in places like the United States, European Union and Australia. To avoid losing your cargo at customs, make sure you only deal with suppliers who can offer you proof of their certifications. Tip 3: Sign ...