Sourcing from Yiwu

You can find a good Yiwu agent, even before you reach the city. Simply search for the term “Yiwu market agent” on Google, and you will see some reputable Yiwu agents in the search results. But not all the results of the agents are worth to deal with. If you are already in Yiwu, then you will spot numerous advertisements for market agents in various places like the train station, airport, and hotel entrance. You can pick one of those too.

The right market agent will help the buyer to make a good business decision from the start to the end of their time at the Yiwu market. Thus, a trustworthy and experienced agent is essential. The following tips can help hire the right agent:

You’ll find that every agent has a website. Some might have more than one. Going through the website can help understand the agents behind the website. A website is also a good way to get information on that agent before contacting them. When going through the website, there are some things you should take care of.

As mentioned earlier, many agents claim to have around 1% commission along with free services and cars. In most cases, this is just a scam, and you don’t need to waste time on them. Even small but successful agents charge 3% at least, but they still have their terms and conditions.

You also need to check the kind of content on the website. If the agent respects the visitors, he or she must have useful information present on the website. If the website only contains a copy of other people’s work with only minor changes, then you can get an idea of how the person behind the website is.

You can also figure out if the agent is right for you by looking at how he or she responds. Check to see if they are doing what they claim to. See if they can communicate professionally and informatively through emails. Similarly, also check if they are honest about what they can do. For instance, if their website says one thing and they say something else in their emails, then you know they are not right.

Some agents post references on their website publicly. This way, you can see what others are saying about them, but you also need to check if all the reviews are genuine and real. One way to do this is to ask the agent for the contact information of the customers that wrote the review. Then, contact them and find out if it is real or not.

It is best to select at least 3 potential agents. Meet all three and have a conversation with them. The best you can do is take a walk with them in the market for a day. After spending a day with them in the market, you can know if what they mentioned in their emails and on their website is true or not. Similarly, you can also know which one seems to put in the most effort and which one cares for your business the most.

You should not only know the agent’s English name, but you must also know the Chinese one. You’ll find millions of similar English names, but these are not real and in case of fraud or theft, not knowing the real name can be a problem. Have a look at their company ID, tax registration, and a business license and get copies made to ensure that they are registered legally in Yiwu, Zhejiang, or China.

While many agents claim to source a variety of different products, the real question is if they can do a good job. For instance, an agent exporting plastic containers might not know much about quality check when it comes to jewelry. Similarly, an agent that mainly handles the shipping to the US might not be too familiar with the custom requirements of other places like Fiji or Croatia.

It would be better to hire an agent that has specialized in the products you are looking for or is at least familiar with the products. Such people also handle quality control in a much better manner.

Moreover, with more experience in a particular kind of product, agents become well-familiar with suppliers and know the suppliers that can successfully deliver on their promise on time.

A Yiwu agent must primarily have two facilities; a warehouse and an office. The office should be close to the market as an agent needs to go the market almost daily. Thus, an office nearby can cut transportation cost and time. Similarly, the warehouse should be spacious. Sometimes, the products need to be checked or repacked thoroughly, and that is impossible with insufficient space. An ideal warehouse must have facilities for easy container loading while ensuring nothing is broken or damaged. You can easily find all this by checking out their warehouse and office when you land in Yiwu.