Page 91 - 597 Business Ideas You can Start from Home - doing what you LOVE! (Beginner Internet Marketing Series)

82 Your Idea, I nc.

This dialog will offer a lot of information about whether you can
work with this company. You may not get every answer during that
first conversation, which is fine-their follow-up response time will
also be telling. Did it take them a few days to get you an answer or a
few weeks? Was the answer ready when they told you it would be?

The representative you are talking with will likely be your con­
tact person, so you need to be comfortable with her and feel she is
responsible and reliable. Your reputation depends on theirs: If they
miss production deadlines, you have no product to sell or ship, and
a retailer will not want to work with you. You may only get one
chance to work with a retailer, and you don't want that opportunity
wasted because of an inefficient factory.

Domestic vs. Overseas Production

If you were able to find a local or domestic factory to get you started
with your samples or a small run, that's great! But, it's no secret that
with today's economic globalization, much of today's manufacturing
is done overseas. Turn over any object and you will likely see "Made
in China." The cost of labor abroad is usually much lower than in
the United States, but there are other issues to think about too.

Resources for Overseas Manufacturing

Here is a starting point for finding overseas manufacturing:

• www.made-in-china.com:

Online trade platform for Chinese manufacturers.

• www.china-strategies.com:

U.S./Chinese strategy and operations consulting firm.

• www.madeinmexicoinc.com:

A full-service company based in San Diego, California, that
specializes in Mexican manufacturing.

• www. hktdc.com:

Connects buyers and suppliers throughout Asia.