FAQ - Source from China

Everything you need to know about sourcing quality product from China, including all the finer details can be found in our FAQ.

  • Jingle Office works as your fully functional office in China.
  • Jingle Office help you source high quality products from China.
  • Jingle Office help you manufacture/assembly your product in China.
  • Jingle Office help you distribute your product/service to China market.
  • Jingle Office help you build your independent office/company in China.

Dealing with Chinese factories requires a lot of experience in terms of effective communications (in Chinese), quality control process, shipping and export management.There will be a few issues that need to be dealt with. Language barriers, cultural differences, and different time zones will make the process sluggish and time-consuming. JingleOffice will work in your best interests, manage issues during all stages of production, conduct quality control inspections, handle paperwork for shipping and so on,and help you source goods from China with much less hassle and even lower cost.

JingleOffice provide one-stop solutions to help you source from China efficiently, our office staff will act as your representatives and affilliated office members, working on the ground in China to assist you handle all the activities involved in sourcing from China, including strategic sourcing, procurement, quality control, negotiation with manufacturers, supply chain management and more. With our sourcing from China service, you will receive a dedicated team of individuals assigned to your project that you can easily contact with and have access to, throughout the life of the project and beyond. We will save you cost, time and remove all the hassles by taking care your supply chain in China from scratch till deliver to your door.

Every staff of our team actively works on strategic sourcing initiatives for our clients. Our staff is entirely dedicated to providing the best possible results for our clients. Our team consists of sourcing professionals from very diverse backgrounds. Our staff has rich experience in various fileds from the top-consulting firms to engineers and industrial specialists. Our unique backgrounds and entrepreneurial spirits allow us to develop creative solutions to complicated scenarios.

  • Frist sourcing project: Free
  • Second sourcing project: Free
  • Third+ sourcing project: 3% of contract value

JingleOffice help the client to manage and oversee all aspects of the sourcing, negotiation, production, inspection, and logistics. That being said, the general rule of thumb is, if additional costs present themselves, we will forward the costs to the client. Generally, the additional costs and potential costs the client need to expect will include but not limited to:

  • Product sample fees
  • Sample shipping fees
  • Product Shipping and logistics fees
  • Product labeling and preparation fees
  • Molding and tooling costs
  • Product certification and registration fees
  • Product testing fees
  • Additional packaging costs
  • Additional quality inspections, if requested
  • Product and packaging design cost

Once you have confirmed to work with JingleOffice to source from China, you will be redirected to product information page where you will be asked to provide detailed information about the product you would like to source from China. Once this form is filled out and received by our team, we will begin to walk you through every step of the way.

It is usually pretty quick if it is within our areas of expertise, we may already have a suitable manufacturer within our network already. If not, it can take 3-5 days to find and evaluate a new manufacturer for your sourcing requirement.

  • For samples or small quantity orders,we accept the payment through WESTERN UNION, MONEYGRAM, PAYPAL, VISA CARD, or T/T(TELEGRAPHIC TRANSFER).
  • For full containier orders, we recommend the payment to be made through bank by T/T(TELEGRAPHIC TRANSFER).

Once samples are shipped by air or by express, it usually takes 4-7 days, however it may take longer time by other shipping methods.

After the buyer feels satisfactory with a supplier, their product, pricing and terms, JingleOffice will issue the PO to the supplier for their acceptance, on the behalf of the buyer. If accepted by the supplier, JingleOffice will issue a Proforma Invoice on the behalf of the supplier to the buyer that acts as a de facto contract to initiate the production process.

This really depends on the product type you are shipping. Ocean shipping can often lead towards huge savings, however, does come at its disadvantages. The basic rule of the thumb is, air shipping is faster and more expensive (great for small-sized products) and sea shipping is less expensive and slow (ideal for larger shipments).

Always consult JingleOffice’s support team if you have a specific question regarding the shipping of your ordered product. Please also note that, our sourcing report will give you an estimated pricing comparsion of various shipping methods across various order quantities.

MOQ stands for minimum order quantity, this is a term used to explain the lowest possible order quantity accepted by a supplier. The 3 basic rules for understanding MOQ are:

  1. The more features a product need to be customized, the higher the MOQ.
  2. A lower the MOQ means limited options.
  3. The higher the MOQ, the lower the price.

We are mainly working for wholesale business.
Small quantity sourcing requirement for personal use is not in our business range.

Our goal is to assist you in finding the most qualified supplier for your product. Depending on the product, going factory direct is not always the most ideal option. For some smaller order quantities, most qualified factories would be unable to fulfill such request. If sticking to the factory only mantra, you’d be left with small sized factories that could be considered unqualified for producing your product. The reasons for this could range from improper quality control standards to missing key company registration documents and more. Because of this, we continuously search for a broad range of suppliers in an effort to determine the best source to procure your requested products. Sometimes the results turn out to be factory direct is the most ideal option, other times it can be a mixture of all types of suppliers.

A trading company can have exclusive deals with certain factories where they are able to promise a certain amount of annual orders, in exchange for lower prices. They can then pass these savings off to their customers. In the best case scenario they have better english skills and can make it easier to communication if you don’t speak Chinese. Also they may have access to better suppliers which you may not easily find on your own. Also they may be able to negotiate lower minimum order quantities from the supplier because they have bulk purchasing power. However there are some downsides which include higher prices due to their margins, lack of transparency as they may not reveal the actual factory, and the risk of getting scammed since they can disappear overnight.

JingleOffice works with many experienced importers and there are many reasons why they choose to work with JingleOffice.

Firstly, sourcing from China can be a time-consuming process. Many people would prefer to work with someone trusted to take care of all these works for them by some professionals. This frees up their time to focus on running their business.

Secondly, they know working with JingleOffice is an extension of their own business. There is no substitute for having someone, on the ground, in China looking after their needs and interests.

Factories sometimes make mistakes. They will try to cover them up or get away with sending sub-standard products. With JingleOffice managing your quality control needs you’ll not only save time – but as we’ve seen time and again – will save thousands of dollars by ensuring our client get exactly what they ordered!

There are two main factors that need to be taken into consideration:

Payment.
After confirming the order, we will send you a Proforma Invoice with all the transaction details and our bank account. You can go to your local bank and ask them to send us the 30% deposit(down payment) by Telegraphic Transfer with the bank account provided in the Proforma Invoice.

when the production is finished, you can go to the bank and ask them to send the other 70% payment to our account, then we will load the container and send it to your port. Of course, you can make all the transfer on Internet if you have Online banking system.

Import procedures.
When the container is delivered, we will send you the contact information of the local agent, you can contact your local agent to pick up the goods.

What you need to clear the custom will include: Commercial Invoice, Packing List, Bill Of Lading, and Certificate Of Origin, all these documents will be sent to you by us.

Many of our client begin to work with JingleOffice when they get to this point. It’s one thing to find a supplier from internet. It’s another thing to wire thousands of dollars to an unknown entity in China. And this is when many people come unstuck in the process of sourcing from China alone. If you’ve already found a potential supplier JingleOffice can take over and look after your needs from there.

We can verify the if the supplier is legitimate, take over the following negotiations, process the order, or find an alternative suppliers for you to make comparisons with. JingleOffice will do everything needed to ensure your needs and requirement fulfilled efficiently and safely.

Geographic location.
China is a big country. Does it matter where the supplier is located in China? Does it have to be in or near a big city? Would it matter if it is located in a smaller city or even in a rural area?

Production capacity.
You need to figure out what your company’s needs are at present and in the near future. Then, you can choose the right size of a supplier. If the supplier is too small, it may not be able to ship your products on time. If the supplier is too big, there is a risk of not getting enough attention.

Quality standards.
What is the quality standard you expect from a supplier? What is your expectation of the quality control and verification process from a supplier?

Price range.
What is your price range for the products you are sourcing? Create a list of suppliers to compare, then cross out the ones whose prices are too high.

Technology and communication capabilities.
What is your tolerance level for a supplier’s lack of technology and communication capabilities? The reality is that many good Chinese suppliers may not be equipped with the most advanced technology to assist with logistics and communication. You have to run a risk-benefit analysis, balancing a supplier’s track record and reputation against its technology and communication capabilities.

All of the suppliers we provide as options are put through vigorous and everlasting testing and qualifying. This means, we investigate their business background and their current standing, we look into their licenses and certifications. Our team of experienced sourcing agents vets each supplier through multiple channels, including in depth questioning, government databases, and publicly available information.

Our sourcing team starts every sourcing project by looking into up to a hundred potential suppliers. The suppliers we provide in our sourcing reports are only a selected few that showed the most qualifications and are the most ideal for your individual importing needs.

Check online reviews.
If you located a supplier on an Internet sourcing platform, you may be able to read reviews from past customers to see if there are any complaints. Review supplier websites and follow up by telephone. You should review the information on the supplier’s website, but do not forget to pick up the phone to call the number listed on the website and ask for additional information. Some suppliers do not have websites, but that is not necessarily a deal breaker. There can be many reasons that a supplier may not have what we think of as a necessary component of a business. So keep an open mind — but keep your eyes open, too.

Verify its registration and certification.
If you obtained a list of potential suppliers that were verified by a big B2B platform (like a gold member at Alibaba), you may not need to verify the actual existence of the suppliers. Otherwise, you need to do further due diligence on the supplier in addition to your online background check.

Ask the supplier for a copy of its business license.
A Chinese business license will show the company’s name, address, legal representative, registered capital, and other official company information. Suppliers that refuse or are unable to provide their business licenses are probably not worth your time. Dump them if they refuse. Note that a Chinese business license is only written in Chinese, so you may need a Chinese speaker to assist you.

Verify the supplier’s local registration.
Local level Chinese governments have an agency called the Administration for Industry and Commerce (AIC). The local AIC has official registration records of all companies in their local jurisdiction that can be accessed online. The official registration records include the company’s registration number, registered name, registered address, registered capital, business status, business scope, and other basic information on the company. Note that, most local AIC websites are in Chinese only, so you will need a Chinese speaker to assist you with this step as well. Be aware that the information on the local AICs may not be always up-to-date.

Visit a local AIC office.
To get the most accurate and updated registered information on your suppliers, you could hire a Chinese agency to visit a local AIC office in person to review the hard copy of a company’s official registration records.

Visit suppliers yourself.
You could go the extra mile to visit a few selected suppliers yourself. While it may seem like a lot of work at the beginning, it could pay off handsomely in the long run. When you talk to your potential suppliers face to face, you can often get a better sense of who they are as a person as well as assess whether they would be a good fit, even if you need a third party to facilitate the communications. During the meeting, you can inspect their facilities, ask questions about their production capacity, product quality-inspection process, R&D capacity, and other important business aspects.

We understand it is very important for our customers to be assured that their product information remain confidential.

We do not share any of your product information with anyone outside of our team, with the exception of the information required to get your products manufactured and shipped, or when requested by a government health or law enforcement agency in the course of an investigation.

FAQ - Distribute to China

Everything you need to know about distributing your product or service to China market, including all the finer details can be found in our FAQ.

1. You will need to be actively involved in monitoring your relationships with both your distributor or customers, enforcing and protecting your IP, and being explicit about the conduct expected of your local employees.

2. A carefully written contract or agreement will be critical by providing you with a framework to discuss your relationship with various business partner, and act as a last resort in the event that a dispute should arise.

3. You cannot assume that employees, business partners or government officials share the same values as you, or value your presence and investment as much as you think they should. The active involvement of a professional local manager, or a team of local support, in your China operations can dramatically increase your chances for success. You should not expect simply to set up a China operation, hire local employees, set them a target and wait for the returns. China can be a lucrative market, but only for those who are willing to commit the necessary time and resources to understand and contend with the complexities of running a business here.

China is an emerging market that has experienced unprecedented growth. Although it appears to be a modern and sophisticated country in the Tier 1 cities – Shanghai, Beijing and Shenzhen – it still suffers from many of the problems as other emerging markets:

1. A lack of independent institutions – non-governmental organisations (NGOs), consumer protection or judicial bodies – can lead to an absence of transparency in both state and local government operations;

2. A low trust-based society – Clear legislation that is enforced equitably encourages adherence to written, verbal and implied agreements.

3. In China, foreign-invested enterprises (FIEs) are in many cases held to a higher standard than their locally-invested counterparts, which often have local connections to officials who have a vested interest in their success;

4. The government’s – ultimately the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) – paramount concerns are to maintain stability and the legitimacy of its power.

Before entering China, foreign companies should honestly assess how well they understand the opportunities by considering what they know about the following areas within their potential market in China:

1. The market size, growth potential and possible opportunities for products or services;
2. The potential barriers or challenges to business entry, including market competition, protection of intellectual property (IP) or regulatory constraints;
3. The ability to identify target customers, pricing of products or services, key sales and distribution channels, and effective marketing activities;
4. Market segmentation and regional differences in China;
5. The most advantageous legal entity for your business needs;
6. The best location for your business in China.

Although it is possible to just dive right into the market, this approach can waste time and resources and has led many foreign companies, both large and small, into untimely exits. Undertaking methodical market research before you enter China can provide an objective understanding about your market opportunities that could take years to discover by trial and error.

This is of course purely dependent on the type of product/service you are selling. Sometimes the nature of the market, or the purpose of the product, will be different in China when compared to other markets. Therefore some slight adjustment may be needed.

The same principles can be applied to different regions within China. Usually, the only adjustment choice that needs to be made is some simplification or watering down of your product. Jingle Office can help you adapt your products to fit with local market requirements.

The ability to enforce contracts is increasing as China’s business environment matures, particularly in those regions and cities that are popular destinations for foreign companies. However, that is not to say that enforcement will be as straightforward as you could expect in your home country. In other words, while there is a possibility of having an agreement enforced in China under a contract, there is almost no possibility of having an agreement enforced without one.

Attending trade fairs can be very useful. Not only can it allow you to gain a better understanding of the local commercial environment, but also allows an opportunity to get in touch with potential partners in China. There is now an extensive selection of trade fairs for most industries in China, so be sure to choose the one best for your company. However, before you attend a trade fair, ensure to protect your IPR first and have on-site translator.

In most industries, consumers that can afford to will buy the foreign option if available. The reason for this is a low level of consumer trust in China and the many scandals local companies have been involved in. As a result foreign companies enjoy a strong advantage over local brands and tend to be the go-to choice in the upper-medium and high-segment markets. Chinese consumers are thus willing to pay significant price premiums for foreign brands. At this time, foreign brands are almost without exception perceived to be of higher quality and better reliability, therefore differentiating your product as far as possible from Chinese brands is crucially important.

One of the most challenging aspects of doing business in China is finding and retaining staff. Although China offers a large workforce, the majority of companies struggle to find talent and as a result many companies are competing for a small pool of talented candidates. It is therefore crucial to market your company well (employer branding) and offer competitive packages with sufficient growth opportunities that not only attract but also retain employees.

Exporting of goods to China always involves engagement of a company which has a licence for import/ export according to Chinese laws. Such a company has to be registered in China. Therefore, the term “importer” in Chinese trade terminology usually refers to the registered company in China possessing an “import/export licence”. Such a company can be a buyer and thus importer in the general sense, but most often it is only a service provider/intermediary assisting with import (bringing the goods across the border and facilitating international payment). Jingle Office is registered in China with licence of Import & Export, we will help you Import your goods in China, stock it in our warehous and be fully prepared for the upcoming order fulfillment.

Protecting IP is a serious concern for most companies in China – both foreign and domestic. The key is to pursue a combined strategy of both seeking legal protection through trademarks and patents while also engaging in proactive, rather than reactive, enforcement. This entails educating your employees and business partners in China, maintaining internal controls over access to your IP and identifying the means to limit its external availability. Of course, continuous innovation is often the best way to maintain an advantage over potential competitors and to avoid IP infringements impacting your business.

More importantly,we recommend you working with a local law firm with specialization in your industry. Ensure to manage your IPR fully before coming to China in any capacity, even if merely to visit a trade fair. As often applies, a localized approach is crucial for succeeding in China, and IPR is no exception. If your IPR is managed from abroad, you may lack a legal standing in the event of any misfortune.

1. Jingle Office will help you handle all of the import procedures (licences, standards, certification, labelling, shipping, customs related requirements etc).
2. Jingle Office will help you handle relations with local government, freight forwarders, banks and all customs procedures.
3. Jingle Office will help you cultivate a customer base with our expert team.
4. Jingle Office will take all the social responsibility, all the necessary administrative requirements and legal obligation for your business here in China.
5. Our local customer service team will help you respond to customer request as quickly as a local business can.
6. If you have a technological product, our professional technical team will be prepared to respond to any technical questions from your customers, and to provide on-site start-up training.
7. Jingle Office will help you conduct market research to ensure that your goods, services or technology can enter the market, meet relevant standards and certification requirements and meet necessary labelling and licensing requirements.

Having a local partner/office in China is crucial in order to fully realise the potential of your product or service in China market. The ultimate goal of putting feet on the ground here is to generate more sales, control your brand better and manage your IPR effectively. All this will be done with the effective and professional support of your China partner.

Specifically, using a professional local support platform like that which we offer at Jingle Office means you can shorten your learning curve considerably by leveraging our ready infrastructure, experience and expertises of doing business in China.

1. You will have greater degree of control over all aspects of the business in China.
2. You will have greater potential profit after cutting out the middlemen (dealers, distributors, agents etc).
3. You will know who your customers are and get in touch with them directly.
4. Faster and more direct feedback on your product and its performance in the marketplace.
5. Your customers feel more secure in doing business directly with the direct supplier.
6. You will have a deeper understanding of your customers, the business procedures and the local market itself.
7. Better protection for your trademarks, patents and copyrights.
8. As your business develops in China market, you will have greater flexibility to improve or redirect your marketing efforts.

Common problems of doing business in China that spring to most people’s minds are the language barrier, potential intellectual property infringement, and cultural differences.

However, from our experience, the most common problem foreign companies run into is being confined to mediocre sales in China. Many overseas companies come to China using distributors, but subsequently fail to manage and support their distributors effectively. Having a presence in China with a manager that understands the particulars of the local market, gives your company the opportunity to reach its full potential.

Firstly analysing the strategic importance of China to your business and then assessing if you have the resources to execute your plan. Remember, a “Best China strategy” is not limited to setting up a company. You could begin by working with a China agency/distributors in the market to ascertain if sufficient demand exists for your product or service before committing to a direct presence in the market, or you could hire a business partner in China to assist you with every step of your market entry implementation.

We will work on a detailed service plan after knowing your expected goals of your China business stragegy. Contact us directly to get a free market research report and a detailed service plan.

This depends entirely on the industry you are operating in. Many products require special registration in China before getting approval for selling, and this varies in degrees of difficulty. It is common for foreign companies to utilise a contractor to assist in these processes, and these parties can significantly speed up the process and help to avoid common difficulties encountered.

Send us an email to learn more about how to register your specific products in China.

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