How it works

Seven steps from "we are thinking about this product" to pallets on your loading bay. Nothing here is clever. It is just the sequence that stops orders going wrong.

Starting a sourcing project

  1. 01

    You brief us

    The product, the quantity, your target landed price and the date you need stock. Photographs, a competitor's item, a drawing or a sample all help. If you only have a rough idea, that is a normal starting point.

  2. 02

    We shortlist suppliers

    We identify manufacturers who can make it at your quantity — and confirm they are producers, not agents reselling someone else's output. We check registration, export history and capability before they reach your shortlist.

  3. 03

    You get a landed-cost quote

    Not just the unit price. A quote that includes freight, duty where it applies, and our fee, so you can compare it against what you currently pay a wholesaler. Ex-works prices look wonderful and tell you almost nothing.

  4. 04

    You approve a sample

    We arrange samples and ship them to you. You approve the physical item, and that approved sample becomes the written reference standard for production and for the inspection in step six.

  5. 05

    Production runs

    The order is placed and we monitor it. If your order is part of a pool, this is where the combined volumes go in as one purchase order. You get progress updates rather than silence.

  6. 06

    We inspect before shipment

    Goods are checked against the approved sample while they are still in the factory and the supplier still has a reason to care. Quantity, workmanship, labelling and packing. Problems found here get fixed; problems found in Copenhagen become your problem.

  7. 07

    Freight, customs, delivery

    We consolidate where we can, prepare the documents, and coordinate customs clearance to your address. From Türkiye this is usually road freight measured in days; from China it is normally sea freight, with air available when the maths justifies it.

Money

How payment normally works

Deliberately plain, because vagueness about payment terms is where importers get hurt.

Deposit, then balance

Most factories work on a deposit to start production and the balance before or on shipment. The exact split is negotiated per order and stated in writing before you pay anything.

Everything in writing first

Specification, quantity, price, Incoterm, lead time and inspection standard are agreed in a written order before funds move. If a supplier resists putting it in writing, that is information.

Balance after inspection

Wherever we can negotiate it, the final payment falls due after a satisfactory pre-shipment inspection. That single term does more to protect a small importer than any amount of goodwill.

Start at step one

Send us the product and the quantity. The shortlist and quote cost you nothing but the time it takes to write the brief.

Send a brief