Sourcing services
From supplier shortlist to container loading
Eight stages, in the order they happen. Start at stage one with nothing but a product list, or bring me in later if you already have suppliers.
The shape of a project
Four phases
Every stage produces a written record: supplier comparisons, visit notes, inspection photographs and loading evidence.
Brief and supplier shortlist
Your purchase list, renders or BOQ become a factory-ready brief, and the search produces a written shortlist of suppliers matched to it.
Visits, quotations and negotiation
Factory and showroom visits are arranged and attended, quotes are collected into one comparison, and negotiation runs in Mandarin or Cantonese.
Inspection and consolidation
Goods are checked against the order before release, then collected and combined into one shipment — warehousing in China is free for up to three months.
Freight and loading documentation
Shipping is booked with a forwarder, and the loading is supervised, counted and photographed before the container is sealed.
In detail
The eight stages, and what you get from each
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Find factories that match your brief
I work from your list — product, size, finish, quantity, target price — and go looking. Factories for anything made to order, wholesale markets for stock you can buy today.
You get: A shortlist of suppliers, with what each one actually makes.
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Get quotes and set them side by side
I ask every supplier the same questions, in Chinese, and put the answers in one sheet: unit price, MOQ, lead time, what is included in the price and what is not.
You get: A comparison sheet you can read without translating anything.
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Arrange the factory, showroom and market visits
I book the appointments, plan the route around the days you have and get you between Guangzhou and Foshan without losing half a day to traffic.
You get: A day-by-day plan with addresses, contacts and appointment times.
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Translate the meetings and take the notes
I interpret between English and Mandarin or Cantonese, ask the follow-up questions that get skipped, and write down what was agreed while everyone is still in the room.
You get: Visit notes: who quoted what, on what terms, with photos of the samples.
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Check the goods before they leave
I go to the factory or warehouse and check the goods against what you ordered — quantity, colour, size, finish, obvious damage — and send you photographs the same day. This is my own check, not a certificated third-party inspection.
You get: Inspection photographs and a written list of anything wrong.
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Bring separate orders into one shipment
Orders from different suppliers arrive at different times. I collect them, check the cartons against each packing list and hold everything until the shipment is complete — warehousing in China is free for up to three months.
You get: A packing check per supplier, and one consolidated cargo list.
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Book the freight with a forwarder
I am not a freight company. I arrange the shipping with forwarders I work with, pass them the cargo details and chase them until the goods are moving.
You get: Forwarder booking, cargo details and the documents they send back.
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Watch the container being loaded
I stand at the loading, count what goes in, check how it is stacked and photograph the container before it is sealed.
You get: Loading photographs and a record of the final count.
Two guides walk through this in more depth: how product sourcing from China works, step by step and how supplier checks and quality control reduce the risks.
Alongside the sourcing
While you are in China
Booked on their own, or added to a sourcing project.
Interpreting
English to Mandarin or Cantonese in supplier meetings, factory visits, exhibitions and market days. I am a working interpreter for buyers, not a certified translator.
Wholesale market days
A planned route through the Guangzhou markets that sell your product category, with me translating at each stall.
Trip planning
A day-by-day plan built around your products, your meetings and how long you are here.
Guangzhou for the rest of the day
Supplier meetings in the morning, and the parts of the city worth seeing after — including where to eat.
Fees
What this costs
I agree the fee with you in writing before I start, so you know the basis before you commit to anything. Send me your list and I will quote against it.
What I source
Furniture and fit-out are my main work: furniture, cabinetry, windows and doors, ceramic tiles, lighting, interior decor — mostly from Guangzhou and Foshan. I also work regularly with clothing, textiles and fashion products; artificial flowers and decorative products; jewellery.
Other categories I have sourced on request: cosmetics and beauty products, beauty equipment, wigs and nail products, cosmetic packaging, auto parts and accessories, tea, toys, gifts and seasonal decorations, stationery and office supplies. If your product is not listed, ask — I will tell you honestly whether it is something I can do well.
Start a sourcing conversation
Send your purchase list, rough quantities and dates. Shirley replies with what is realistic and a quote against your actual list.