Choosing from the range of active clothing factories across the globe can sometimes make it feel like an impossible task especially if you are a new fashion activewear start-up with limited funds and a small run to produce. At this time, a reliable activewear wholesale manufacturer will help you go through the early difficulties, including lower purchase prices, satisfying clothes quality and fast response delivery. In the last article, we have talked about various channels to find sportswear manufacturers or suppliers, and in our tutorial today we will tell you how to communicate with these suppliers, starting from the first step quote inquiry to filter a supplier that suits your business.
Do you really know how to communicate with sportswear suppliers correctly?
Whether you are starting a fashion activewear brand from scratch or are an established business looking to expand into new areas, selecting the right garment factory for your new collections is critical to ensuring a smooth and stress-free production process. For most companies, the price isn’t just the deciding factor anymore, and there is a concise decision-making process that considers a host of factors from a quality, ethical standards, locality and reputation. These key elements help to build your brand identity and will become a statement of your clothing line, so creating a strong relationship with an active clothing manufacturer can help you grow your fashion activewear business in the long term.
Unfortunately, many people do not know how to establish a solid and sustainable cooperative relationship with his activewear manufacturers. Even in the first step of seeking a quotation, the performance was extremely unprofessional, so the manufacturer did not pay attention to it. As a result, the price was falsely high and the delivery time was delayed.
If you have such worries, then continue reading our tutorial. Hope you can get some unexpected inspiration.
Determining your fashion activewear business goals
Before you approach activewear manufacturers, it is essential to have all the relevant information collated before you start making inquiries. If you know exactly what you hope to achieve, then you will be able to communicate your vision effectively to the garment factory. Knowing your numbers is one of the most important aspects, as many inquiries will be based on the quantities that you are hoping to produce. This vital information also is a crucial decider for costing purposes so having it to hand at the inquiry point will help lead discussions.
Of course, at this stage, you’re not going to know every little detail but focusing on the bigger picture and establishing solid foundations with a brand plan will ensure you and your potential active clothing manufacturer start on the right page from day one.
After you’ve prepared your brand plan and have a list of requirements for your new collection, researching clothing manufacturers is the next step.
How Do You Request A Quote?
Once you’ve picked a supplier you need to find out if they can, in fact, deliver on their promises. In order to vet them, you will need to request a quote and start to build a relationship with different wholesale activewear vendors to choose which one to do business with.
#1 RFQ
Your first communication with the supplier is likely going to be a request for a quotation. Request for quotation, RFQ, is the name of the game with wholesale vendors of any kind. It’s the only way to find out the prices from a supplier; you’ll get the hang of it very quickly because you will be doing it often. Basically, you’re sending an email asking how much something is based on the quantity you want to buy. However, nothing is this simple. You should treat it as a serious business inquiry instead of an IM between you and the provider. You should plan your email to get the best possible response. Don’t waste your time by going back and forth on missing pieces of information.
#2 MOQ
You want to be informed on a few things starting with the vendor’s minimum order quantity, MOQ. This differs from supplier to supplier. You need to know if you can afford and handle the minimum quantity they are selling. The other most important question you need to ask: how much their products will cost you. Most suppliers do high discount pricing for higher quantity orders. Ask for the price of various quantities to get a feel for their product pricing.
#3 Shipping Times
Next, you need to find out the turnaround time and shipping terms. Timing is everything in a dropshipping business. How long does it take them to ship the item to your customer is an important question also. You need to know if an item will take a long time to ship, or not. Additionally, you’ll also need to ask about their payment terms to make sure you’re okay with how they charge for their products. As with everything, it varies depending on the supplier. You don’t want to be surprised about how they expect you to pay for the inventory.
#4 Sample Orders
The very last thing you want to ask is about their samples. Some suppliers provide discounted rates for them, some don’t. It’s important to ask and to order some if you can afford it. This way, you’ll get a feel for the products you will be selling to your own customer. This last step of contacting the supplier for an RFQ will ultimately let you judge them to be a good fit for you. If they are not, move on to the next one, there are plenty to choose from.
The main sample areas to check:
- Stitching – check the quality of the stitching and whether any areas look uneven
- Embroidery or embellishment – check any detailing is securely stitched
- Sleeves – check sleeves are even and the same length
- Collar – check collar is even and the same length
- Inside seams – check the quality is just as good as the outside stitching
- Gently pull sections of the garment – this is a general inspection to see if the stitching holds firm and no areas pull or snag with gentle force.
Remember to ask your targeted activewear manufacturer these questions
We have learned in our past posts how to find activewear wholesale suppliers, after you’ve short-listed a host of suppliers, there is a range of questions that you can ask to get the best information and quotes for your next project. Take a look at some of the most important aspects to clarify with a clothing manufacturer:
- Have they worked on similar projects before?
- Do they specialize in your product?
- What are the minimum order quantities (MOQs)
- What production processes can they provide?
- Can the garment factory scale up production for future growth?
- Does the clothing manufacturer mirror your brand ethics?
Wish you find your perfect activewear suppliers!
Getting started with a wholesale activewear supplier will need to happen sooner than later. It’s a matter of doing all of your due diligence and researching the suppliers on various platforms. After all, you would like to seek out the right one. The one which will supply you with the products you would like for the proper price. It’s tons of screening and communicating, but it’s all worthwhile in the end when you’ll have happy paying customers.