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Necessary conditions for finding a clothing manufacturer
When we are looking for a clothing manufacturer, it is crucial to understand what type of clothing manufacturing partner you need for the subsequent production cooperation to proceed smoothly. When some clothing brands are looking for clothing manufacturers, they often have a misunderstanding that all factories can take care of all the work, including design, design and material determination, material procurement and production in full accordance with the design. However, not all factories are one-stop services. Another point is that if your design is too difficult, not all factories have the technology to make your product landed. If you want to create your own brand, you will almost certainly need to find the right design partner, material partner and manufacturing partner separately, and if necessary, a logistics partner. A design partner can help you turn sketches into samples, and then into technical drawings that can be landed. A procurement partner can help you find fabrics, hardware, and all other components needed to complete the product. The production partner is responsible for producing finished products according to your design technical drawings and putting them into use. Finally, a stable logistics partner can reduce your logistics costs. If you do not find a logistics supplier yourself, and the manufacturer helps you find one, they may raise the price twice and earn the difference.
In order to find a clothing manufacturer suitable for your business, you need to do the following preparations before work:
First, determine the clothing styles you want to sell, the fabrics you need to use, which category is knitted or woven, the target market, such as men or women, the age group of users, and the target is low, medium and high income people. Roughly estimate your budget.
Second, determine what functions you need the manufacturer to provide. For example, do you need a one-stop service for design, fabric procurement, and production, or do you just need to find a clothing factory to help with production, and design and purchase materials yourself?
Third, you have a time frame in mind, when to make the design, when to buy fabric, and when to start production. You need to reserve enough time for the manufacturer to produce. In addition, you need to reserve transportation time. Clothing sales are seasonal, and you need to start selling it before the season arrives.
Fourth, clarify how many quantities you want to produce. The quantity determines what specifications of manufacturers you can find.
Fifth, develop a technical package that includes product sketches, construction details, measurement specifications, and bill of materials.
Prepare a working model or sample drawing of your product, or discuss with the manufacturer how to make a sample of your product
Where to find a clothing manufacturer
Once you have a sound business plan and understand your company's needs, it's time to start looking for a manufacturing partner. If you are looking for a clothing manufacturer, it is crucial to understand some key terms that will help you in your production process, such as OEM, ODM, etc.
Once you have mastered all the professional terms, you can start searching on the Internet. Online directories are one of the best ways to find manufacturers. There are thousands of manufacturers, suppliers, and wholesalers listed in the directory. You can also look them up on social media platforms to find out what they are up to and contact them. You can do this by using hashtags and keywords related to your search.
Attending trade shows is another way to find manufacturers. The biggest benefit of attending trade shows is the opportunity to meet with factory representatives face to face. You can ask about their development fees, minimum yardage/pieces, logistics and payment terms, and whether they have enough technology to produce your design. This is also a great time to discuss your production needs and determine if their factory is the best fit for your brand.
Four Tips for Vetting Clothing Manufacturers
When contacting a factory, be sure to let them know about your company and brand. It is best to be concise and clear. Please state your company name, main products, and what you plan to produce. When you request a quote from a manufacturer, always provide technical data. If technical data is not available, provide a detailed description of the product you plan to produce, such as a picture.
Before contacting a manufacturer and starting to work with them, keep these 5 tips in mind:
1. Conduct thorough research on potential suppliers
Don't put yourself in an awkward position by overlooking important information before working with a manufacturer. When a potential supplier contacts you, dig deeper and cross the following off your list:
2. Thoroughly check their website.
Check if they sell similar products to yours.
If you find an address, check if it matches the supplier's information. For example, a real clothing factory would not have an address like "Room 334, XYZ Building".The first step is to confirm that their phone number is still valid and call to confirm its authenticity.
On the product page of their website, look at the reviews of their customers who have purchased from them, the latest review time, whether there are any negative reviews, and what the reasons for the negative reviews are.
Check if they are members of the B2B website and when they joined, sales volume, store level (usually the higher the store level, the larger the order volume and the more customers who place orders). This information is usually available on most B2B websites. We are not suggesting that you avoid suppliers with shorter membership periods. Suppliers have to pay a platform service fee every year to join the platform. The longer the membership period, the higher the probability of the store's authenticity.
3. Audit reports and certificates
Many buyers, especially large brands and retailers, will require on-site audits of new suppliers to ensure that they can meet the buyer's requirements. Audits usually check and verify company information, product information, employee information, production line workshops to ensure that they meet the buyer's requirements.
Ask your supplier about previous audits and ask if you can see the audit report. Reputable suppliers will provide these reports. However, if this report is paid for by other brands, the supplier may not be able to share the information for confidentiality reasons.
However, when it comes to audit reports, keep the following in mind:
• Not all suppliers have been audited by buyers. Therefore, the lack of a report is not always a red flag. These audits are usually only conducted by larger buyers.
• If the supplier sends you an audit report, double-check that the name on the report matches the supplier. This includes information such as address, phone number, website, etc. Some unethical suppliers will "borrow" reports from friends at other factories. We've come across this before.
• It's not always a red flag if the factory name on the audit doesn't match the name of the supplier you're working with. Suppliers often work with other businesses. However, be sure to ask the factory for a signed letter (on letterhead) confirming that they work with your supplier. Your supplier should be able to produce this letter easily.
• In some cases, the audit report may reveal inconsistencies, such as address information. Consider the date the report was issued. The supplier may have moved. Again, don't be afraid to question it if something doesn't match or you're unsure.
When considering suppliers, having some kind of industry/internationally recognized certification is also a good sign. Some of the most important certifications include: GOTS WRAP OEKO-TEX BCI. Ask your supplier if they are certified by these agencies. Be sure to confirm the certification with the relevant agencies.
４. Inspection
You can also confirm the legitimacy of the supplier through a third-party inspection agency such as Intertek or SGS. They will send an inspector to the supplier's location for a fee to ensure that everything is in good condition. Inspection plays an important role in quality assurance and garment quality control.
These inspection agencies provide the following services:
• They will check the business license, whether the supplier meets the requirements of the country/legal region, any social responsibility certificates, and other certifications.
• Then, they will present the findings in the form of photos. The report usually indicates which aspects of the supplier meet the above requirements and which aspects do not meet them.
• There will be no recommendations in the report. In the end, you must decide whether to work with the supplier.
In our experience, fraud is the exception, not the norm. The vast majority of suppliers want to conduct business in an honest and reciprocal manner. In addition, you need to be reminded that if you are a newly established clothing brand and the first order quantity is relatively low, you don’t have to insist that the supplier must have the above internationally recognized certificates. The reality is that many factories do not have the above certificates but still have the strength to produce the products you need. If the first order quantity is too low, large manufacturers with the above certificates will not undertake your business.
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