Manufacturing Blog

Articles on Outsourcing & Manufacturing Custom Products

Electronics Series

Shenzhen Electronics Manufacturing: A Guide to Shenzhen and Dongguan

Shenzhen electronics manufacturing is for design and testing. Dongguan is for mass production. This guide explains what each city does, what the Huaqiangbei market is for, what it costs, and how to split your project between them.

Manufacturing

China Manufacturing by City: Where Each Product Category Actually Comes From

China manufacturing cities by product: which cities make electronics, apparel, plastics, furniture and more, and how to use that when choosing a factory.

Apparel Series

The Tech Pack: What a Factory Actually Needs?

A tech pack template only works if it covers what the factory needs: sketches, BOM, measurements, construction, labelling and packing. Here is the list.

Plastics Series

Tooling Costs: 5 Proven Ways to Avoid Losing Ownership of Your Mold

Tooling costs cover the mold, jigs and fixtures built for your product, but paying the invoice does not make the tooling yours. How to secure ownership.

Doing Business

Do You Need an NNN Agreement to Manufacture in China?

What an NNN agreement covers, how it differs from a standard NDA, and when it is worth the cost to protect a product made in China.

Doing Business

Minimum Order Quantity: Why Chasing the Lowest MOQ Can Cost You More

Chasing the lowest MOQ can raise your per-unit cost elsewhere. How minimum order quantity actually interacts with tooling, freight, and margin.

Doing Business

7 Reasons Manufacturers Want to Work With Some Brands (And Not Others): What Manufacturers Look for Before Quoting Your Product

What manufacturers look for before quoting: seven reasons factories take on some brands and turn others away, and what to have ready before you ask.

Apparel Series

Apparel Production Readiness Checklist: 8 Essential Things to Prepare Before Requesting Quotes

Apparel Production Readiness Checklist: a checklist for what a factory needs before it can quote your garment: tech pack, fit sample, fabric selection.

Doing Business

What Is ESG and When Should Manufacturers Start Caring?

What Is ESG and When Should Manufacturers Start Caring? In January 2025, Shein’s General Counsel was questioned by UK lawmakers about whether the company sourced cotton from Xinjiang, a region linked to forced labor concerns. Around the same time, Temu was reported to be under investigation by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security for potential […]

Economics

5 Ways to Reduce US Import Tariffs with Smarter Manufacturing Strategy

Five legitimate ways to reduce US import tariffs: classification, country of origin, duty drawback, bonded warehousing, and sourcing adjustments.