Imagine this: You are a budding entrepreneur with plans to open a store in 6 months from now. Your store would specialise in corporate gifts and stationery. In addition to standard corporate gifts and articles, you have a new range of attractive desk products to be introduced. The product design has been approved and now it is time to find a manufacturer.

What is your next step? Where should you begin your search for a supplier? The most obvious answer would be China. Do you know anyone in China who can make your search easy? It doesn’t matter. We’re here to help you understand how to order/import from China.

If you are a businessman, you have heard about the Alibaba group. Alibaba.com was launched by the group in 1999 as a platform for global wholesale trade. It connects buyers and sellers worldwide making it easy to do business anywhere.

Here are the steps to order/import from Alibaba

Check about authenticity of supplier

Alibaba has suppliers categorised basis the products they sell, the minimum order required, supplier location and past export countries. Further, Alibaba also grants supplier membership status which distinguishes the service offerings of free member suppliers and gold membership suppliers. Also, suppliers who have undertaken a Supplier Assessment enjoy higher credibility.
Does your supplier support Trade Assurance?

Trade Assurance is a free order protection service from Alibaba. It is aimed at protecting buyers in the event of payment, shipping and product quality-related disputes. Trade Assurance can be availed free of cost by buyers using the Alibaba platform for online purchase of goods.
Understanding the difference between Manufacturer and Trader.

If you are on the lookout for a long-term association with the supplier, it is better to select a manufacturer, who can offer you more competitive rates than traders. Further, you will enjoy more business benefits basis a long term association with a manufacturer. Once you have narrowed down the list of suppliers who meet your requirements, it is time to make a selection.
Reviews and ratings of suppliers on Alibaba.

Make sure you read reviews and ratings of suppliers that is available on a wide range of parameters such as product quality, on-time shipment and supplier services along with transaction volumes on the Alibaba platform.
Don’t forget to negotiate

After thorough evaluation, you can narrow your list of supplier to 3 or less. Through the Alibaba platform, you can now contact the suppliers to convey your requirements and invite a quote. Once you hear back from them, analyse if their pricing fits your costing model. Negotiate for lowering prices, given the order size you wish to place.
Ask them to send samples

Once the pricing has been discussed, you may ask the supplier to send you a sample of the product made to your design specifications. Getting samples shipped to you may be expensive, but is a worthy business investment. If you are satisfied with the sample you receive, you can now make a final selection of the supplier who will fit your requirements.
Once you finalize the vendor, contact oyexpress and get your estimation to your doorstep.

With the supplier identified and timelines for delivery agreed upon, you may now contact oyexpress to understand the cost estimate of shipping your goods from China to India.

What are the different modes of transporting your goods from China to India?

If you have a large shipment where budget and not timing is crucial, transportation by sea is recommended.
If you have time-sensitive shipments in small volume, transportation by air is recommended.

Oyexpress can help you with transportation of your goods by sea or air, at the most competitive rates. Further, it provides door-to-door delivery of your goods. Ie, not just from Chinese port to Indian port. They pick up goods from your supplier in China and deliver them to your warehouse in India. With all necessary paperwork taken care of by Oyexpress, you can look forward to enjoying an efficient, timely and safe delivery of your goods to India.

What is the shipping time to India?

While the actual shipping time is dependent on, alongside other factors, the capabilities of the steamship carriers, the port of origin and port of destination, a rough estimate may be made. You may take it as 20 days for your schedule.

Importing goods for the first time from China can be an overwhelming experience to most newcomers. However, having a reliable logistics partner like oyexpress helps free your mind from shipping related worries and help you concentrate on the core areas of running a successful business enterprise.