We have been receiving numerous questions about manufacturing our own product in China: whether it is possible or not, to what attention must be paid, and how to begin with the so-called China sourcing. We also have received a lot of questions about high-quality products from China, which are not ordered by big companies such as Nike or Apple but by small entrepreneurs who started their way to business with dreams and ambitious plans only.
GoPro
We would like to present the example of Nick Woodman, an American surfer, who was unable to find a product of his interest, so he decided to construct the prototype of his own device. He outsourced the production to a Shenzhen-based Chinese company. What is interesting, while ordering the first batch of shipments, he hasn’t even visited China – the entire communication was done through e-mail and phones.

If we are sure that we encountered a reliable business partner with rich exporting experience, we may also take such a risk, but it is always recommended to check how things are going on the spot.
Before outsourcing production to China, you should have a good idea: especially from the branch of trade that is familiar to you. If you want to be in the motor industry, you shouldn’t be manufacturing appliance electronics just because you have heard that it may be profitable. Nick Woodman had an idea of a small, cheap, shake-proof camera that will enable shooting first-person perspective pictures for extreme sports enthusiasts.
The idea seems trivial, but because of the reliable implementation, it attracted not only sports people but also surgeons or TV crews. GoPro’s peak net worth was over USD 10 billion.

Source your product from China
If you are considering the “China sourcing” of your own product, you should have a professional approach to the import procedures. You should also calculate the cost and make sure that the quality of the product fulfills your requirements. Of course, you may need to do market research beforehand; and you should certainly visit China to supervise the production process. If you don’t have any particular idea, you may visit trade fairs in China; maybe it will give you some inspiration. Every year some brand-new products are exhibited at the Guangzhou trade fair, and later on, those products gradually appear on shelves around the world.