How to Prepare Your First Import Order from China

A useful sourcing enquiry starts with a clear buying brief. When a supplier understands the product, quantity and intended use, its quotation becomes easier to assess. When those details are missing, similar-looking offers can describe very different goods.

At Start of Smart, we help turn your product list into a sourcing and purchasing plan. Here is what to prepare before the search begins.

1. Describe the product beyond its photograph

Photos and links are a good starting point, but they rarely explain everything. Add dimensions, materials, colour, finish, functions and any accessories that must be included. For repeat orders, share an approved sample or the specification of the product you already sell.

For machinery, explain the intended application and required output. For automotive parts, include part numbers and the vehicle application. For furniture, specify dimensions, upholstery, finishes and assembly requirements.

2. Separate essentials from preferences

Tell us which details cannot change and where alternatives are acceptable. You may need a precise size but be flexible on colour, or require a particular material while being open to different packaging. This helps us compare suitable suppliers without wasting time on products that will never work for your market.

3. Share a realistic quantity and destination

State the quantity for each item and, where useful, the expected repeat-order volume. Ask suppliers to explain their minimum order quantities and whether different colours or models can be combined.

Include the destination country and city. An order needs to make sense as a complete shipment, so package dimensions, weight and handling requirements matter alongside the unit price.

4. Make quotations comparable

A lower price may exclude something another supplier has included. Check the same details across every offer:

• Product specification and included accessories.
• Quantity, price basis and currency.
• Packaging, labelling and customisation.
• Sample arrangements and production lead time.
• Payment stages and what triggers each stage.
• Collection, delivery or freight services included in the quotation.

5. Agree the checks before placing the order

Decide how samples will be approved, which production updates you need and what the inspection should cover. Written requirements give the supplier a clearer target and provide a reference when the goods are checked.

A sample should also be identified clearly. Record its version and any changes agreed after review, so the factory does not produce an earlier specification.

How Start of Smart helps

We clarify your brief, source relevant suppliers, coordinate quotations and samples, and help you define the purchasing process. Once the order is placed, we can follow production, arrange agreed quality checks and coordinate shipping preparation.

You do not need to arrive with a perfect specification. Send the information you have, tell us what matters most and we will work through the gaps together.

Start with four things: your product list, estimated quantities, destination and target timing.