Key Questions to Ask When Ordering Shoe Manufacturers For Small Businesses

Congratulations!

You have developed a new shoe design, or your brand is growing, and you are ready to source a new shoe factory to manufacture your brand in China .

If you want to learn more, please visit our website.

So, how do you find and vet a shoe factory across the ocean from your home office? Here&#;s how to get started.

How to find a shoe factory?

Whether your initial introduction came from a friend, Alibaba, or various search methods (all valid places to start), there are some telling questions to start with when vetting a factory. I recommend getting off WeChat and onto , where it&#;s easier to search and organize your conversations and start with the following:

Top 10 questions to ask a prospective shoe factory

1. What is your Minimum Order Quantity per style and color?
2. What is your current lead time for production?
3. Do you own the factory, or are you a trading company?
4. Do you work with any outside inspection companies? Which ones?
5. Can we send a local developer for a factory visit? When can they come? 
6. Do you have experience manufacturing the type of shoe we are developing?
7. How long have you been in operation?
8. Please provide a reference from a current customer.
9. How many assembly lines are in your factory?
10. What other shoe brands do you produce?

Is this a good shoe factory?

From their reply, you can glean lots of information. For example, how fast did they reply? What is the quality of their English communications? Do you have the money and product demand to reach their order minimums? How long is the lead time? Is it much faster/slower than other factories you have interviewed, and does it seem realistic? Remember, if something seems too good to be true, be wary; there&#;s a good chance it&#;s not true.

Are you looking for a factory to work with or a Trading Company? (Not sure what the difference is? Check out this article on What is a Trading Company.) If you work directly with the factory, you will have more control over your product, and that&#;s important if you have a unique design. Question 4, regarding outside inspection, will give you an idea of how open they are to having outside inspectors come to their factory. An outside inspector will perform a professional inspection on all goods and give you the report before you pay the factory for the goods. I always send in an inspection company of my choice and will not work with a factory that doesn&#;t allow this. Lastly, today&#;s pandemic climate does not allow foreigners to travel in and out of China. However, if you have someone you know on the ground in China, it is optimal for them to go and check out the operation.

1). The first thing you should look for when identifying a &#;good&#; manufacturer is a clear understanding of what makes them unique. Do they offer a superior product or service? If so, great! But even if they don&#;t, it&#;s important to understand how they define themselves. To me, a clear understanding of who/what the manufacturer allows me to better understand the value of doing business with them.

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2). What makes your product or service different?

This is the second most important question you should ask. After all, if they can&#;t explain what makes their product or service different, how can you? And don&#;t fall into the trap of assuming you already know the answer. If they can&#;t articulate it, you need to find out how they define it. You should also press the manufacturer for specifics. Don&#;t be afraid to ask questions like, &#;How does your insole differ from the ones made by other manufacturers?&#; Or, &#;How do you make sure the insole is properly aligned with your shoe?&#;

3). What are your greatest strengths?

What sets a good manufacturer apart from a great one is the ability to focus on and highlight their greatest strength. You do this by asking them questions like, &#;What do you do best?&#; Or, &#;What aspect of your business is most important to you?&#; The goal here is to understand what the manufacturer cares about most. If you can identify that, you&#;ll be able to craft a sales pitch that speaks directly to that concern.

4). How much do you charge for your products?

Most manufacturers won&#;t tell you what they charge for their products upfront. They will, however, let you know if you ask. The way to ask is, &#;What is your selling price for an average unit of your product?&#; Don&#;t expect a clear answer. It&#;s not their job to make it easy for you. Instead, you should press the manufacturer for specifics. You should also ask why they can&#;t or won&#;t tell you. Are they hiding something? Did they get a better offer from another company? You might be surprised at the answer. 

For more information, please visit Shoe Manufacturers For Small Businesses.