Doing Business
How to Spot a Bad Sourcing Agent: Red Flags to Check Before You Pay
The sourcing agent red flags to check before you pay anyone. Use them to judge whether an agent is accountable to you or to the factory it works with.
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Articles on Outsourcing & Manufacturing Custom Products
Electronics Series
UN38.3 Battery Certification for Shipping
UN38.3 certification explained: battery transport tests, test reports and summaries, supplier responsibilities, and how to plan the testing budget.
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Apparel Series
Chinese New Year Shipping Delays: When to Order for Q1 2027
Chinese New Year 2027 falls on 6 February. See when to start production and ship to avoid Chinese New Year shipping delays in Q1.
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Electronics Series
CE Marking vs FCC Certification
CE marking vs FCC: what each covers, who tests, and what selling an electronic product in the US, the EU and the UK actually requires before launch.
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Doing Business
Which Certifications Does Your Product Need? By Product Type and Market
What certifications does my product need? A matrix by product type for the US, UK and EU, covering FCC, CE, UKCA, CPSIA, UN38.3, REACH and RoHS.
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Doing Business
Factory, Trading Company or Sourcing Agent: Which Should You Use?
Sourcing agent vs factory direct, or a trading company? Who pays whom sets the incentive. Use our decision tree by experience level and order size.
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Electronics Series
What PCB Files Are Needed Before Production
PCB files for manufacturing explained: Gerbers, drill files, BOM, pick-and-place and assembly drawings. What a factory needs before it can quote and build.
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Apparel Series
Chinese New Year Shutdown: Planning Production Around It
The Chinese New Year factory shutdown lasts weeks, not days. When to place orders, how to protect quality after the restart, and how to plan around it.
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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.
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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.
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