Sourcing & business guides

A step-by-step look at what actually happens between your supplier's factory and your warehouse — Incoterms, freight options, paperwork, duties, and the mistakes that cost buyers the most.

A factory audit checks the supplier. A product inspection checks the goods. Buyers often book the wrong one, or book it too late. Here is how to decide, what each costs, and when to schedule them.

A practical sequence of checks that actually protects your deposit — the legal entity, the bank account name, public registries, factory audits, and payment terms that limit what you can lose.

Real numbers for small importers: commission rates, flat fees, audit and inspection prices, plus the first-order costs that surprise people. No vague ranges without context.

You don't need Mandarin to source from China safely, but you do need a paper trail. Here's how to verify suppliers, tell factories from trading companies, inspect goods, and structure payment before anything ships.