Six steps, every time, in the same order
Nothing here gets skipped. The trial order in particular is where most sourcing goes wrong, and where most people are tempted to save a few weeks.
You send the brief
A photo, a link, a forwarded email from your customer. Whatever you have is enough to start.
Market research
Quality levels and price points mapped against what your customers actually buy, then narrowed to two or three verified manufacturers.
Sample coordination
Samples run and put in front of your customer. Their feedback decides whether we proceed or go back and re-spec.
Trial order
Around a tenth of your normal volume. This is what tests the vendor's service, the packaging, the labels, the print quality and the damage rate, before real money moves.
First full order
Vendors bid against each other on the confirmed spec. Production is tracked and delays are flagged to you before you have to ask.
Fees: 10% of the factory order on your first order with a new vendor, 5% on reorders and line extensions. Paid when the order is placed. No shipping markups and no factory kickbacks.
Reorder by text
Send the product and the quantity. Pricing, freight, labelling and timing are confirmed back to you, identical to last time unless you want it changed.
This works well for some businesses and badly for others
Worth reading before you get in touch.
✓ A good fit if
- You're growing and your customers are asking for products you don't currently carry
- You order at pallet volume or more
- You can pay for product up front, without complications
- You're too small to justify a full-time purchasing manager
- You want the best quality-to-price combination, not the lowest price
- You're looking for a long relationship, not a one-off transaction
✕ Probably not if
- You're buying at retail quantities rather than by the pallet
- You want samples with no intention of ordering in the near term
- You need terms rather than paying up front
- Cheapest available is the requirement
- You'd rather direct each step yourself than hand the process over
Tell me what you're trying to source
A photo or a link is enough to start. I'll come back with whether it's something I can help with, and what the first step would look like.
- What the product is, or a photo of something close to it
- Where you're located and where you'll sell it
- How you want it packaged and labelled
- Rough quantities at sample, trial and normal order