How to finalise the right manufacturer and exporter for your furniture business

As an importer, finding a manufacturer and exporter for your furniture business can be a difficult challenge, particularly when you're just getting started. Importing from China has great advantages like cost-saving, latest designs and quality control. Once you have developed the right partner company for your furniture imports then there is no looking back.

Sourcing from another country is not easy. You might need to adapt to general trading norms, language, and travel barriers. But new technology makes the world smaller and makes finding the right manufacturer and exporter overseas much easier than it was in the past.

1. Research furniture Manufacturers as per your need- There are many online platforms to find furniture manufacturers in China for the product you are looking for. As you shortlist some companies, research about them. It is always a good idea to be working with the manufacturer directly for your imports. Check their experience in the industry, scale, manufacturing capabilities, existing clients and the kind of products they manufacture.

2. Ease to do business- When you establish contact with the manufacturer it is really important that there should be no communication gaps. A lot of Chinese manufacturers are not good with English or other languages, which can hamper understanding and can create confusion at times. Make sure that the communication with the manufacturer is spontaneous, only then you can establish a good and long term relationship.

3. Manufacturing Capabilities- Discuss with the manufacturer the scale of their workshop, technical and operational capabilities. Discuss your requirements and timelines so there are no discrepancies later.

4. Quality Testing- This is the most important part when you are importing. Make sure to run the products through Quality tests, which can be done by either the manufacturer or a 3rd party inspection before order dispatch to be 100% sure about the products you are importing.

5. Warranty- Depending on the product you are importing, check for a warranty. It is always better to go for a product that has a warranty.

6. Certifications- It is difficult to establish trust just on the basis of research. To make this easy, you can always look for company certifications. Check if they are following international quality standards. Look for certificates like ISO, BIFMA, ANSI, EN etc.

7. Payment Terms- Discuss and finalise payment terms with the manufacturer before closing the deal. Step by step payment structure should be in place for smooth order processing.

8. Export and Import documentation- Check with the manufacturer if they will help you with documentation, container booking & loading, and shipping to the destination port. A manufacturing company with experience in exports can make things a lot easier.

9. After-sale support- You are always going to need after-sale support for components and other issues. The manufacturer should be able to help you with these issues.

Stellar Global is an Office and Hospital Furniture Manufacturer from China, exporting to 80+ countries since 1988. Stellar team of experts have the knowledge and skill to understand your specific requirements and help you with selecting the right product, export and give you after-sale support.