When sourcing agent, you are looking to find suitable suppliers because the agents have massive control of different factors on your products. They control the product raw material cost, packaging, quality, shipping, and communication. Thus, sourcing agents can make or break your business.
Hiring sourcing agents will help to save money for the products you need. They will do everything for you. At the same time, you will not need to do anything to save money on your products. Thus, for you to get reliable sourcing agents, you need to follow various steps.
Following the correct steps is a great move to finding trustworthy sourcing agents in your preferred location. Here are well-informed guidelines that will help you to make an educated decision about the right sourcing agent
Platforms that will give you the right sourcing agent
Upwork
Upwork is thought of as a premium-priced source, although you will be assured of getting trained sourcing agents to assist you as needed. The company has a well-established supply chain that will work for you regardless of your needs. It is more expensive to work with a cheap sourcing agent than a costly sourcing agent whose supply chain is well established.
To find a sourcing agent on Upwork, you need to create an account first. Afterward, you will log in and post a job indicating essential details about what you need. Different sourcing agents will apply, and your task will be to interview the most qualified applicants. You may test the eligible applicant if you wish before hiring them.
Alibaba
Alibaba has millions of suppliers listed to provide different products. Although, not all of the suppliers are direct manufacturers of the products they sell. Some middlemen and resellers are ready to find a share of your profits.
When finding the correct sourcing agents on Alibaba, it is essential to reduce any chances of working with fraudulent suppliers. You may reduce these chances by following simple steps.
- Check the identity of the supplier. You can check the identity through the supplier’s name, type of business, and number of years the business has been selling on Alibaba under company certification
- Check what the suppliers do. This step includes checking the product concentration, quality consistency, and product certifications. You can also check the same information from the suppliers’ product page.
- The location of the business. The address should be specific. For example, whether the company is located on the first, tenth, or seventh floor. The location can help you differentiate manufactures from intermediaries.
- Assess their English. If the sourcing agent’s English is too good, you may question whether they do intermediary business for a living. In this case, you may ask for a video call to have a glance at the company’s production section. Manufacturers will have no problem having the video call at the production unit. Though go-betweens would find it difficult, and that may raise credibility questions.
Essentially, differentiate go-betweens from manufacturers when looking for a good sourcing agent. On Alibaba, you can group out gold, assessed, and trade assured suppliers. Gold suppliers have a paid membership plan. Assessed suppliers comprise third-party companies or Alibaba team. In contrast, the assured trade suppliers give you the chance to dispute an inappropriate product. Upwork, on the other hand, has a strict vetting procedure that ensures they have credible sourcing agents on the platform.
