Frequently Asked Questions

Start with business registration verification, production capacity checks, and an in-person or third-party factory audit before placing a deposit. We verify business licenses, export history, and actual production capability on-site. Many “factories” that appear online are trading companies subcontracting the work, which changes your quality control and pricing leverage significantly.

A factory manufactures the product directly; a trading company sources it from one or more factories and adds a margin. Trading companies aren’t inherently bad (some add real value through consolidation and English-language support), but you should know which one you’re dealing with, since it affects pricing, minimum order quantities, and your ability to make direct quality-control changes.

A standard factory audit typically takes half a day to a full day on-site, depending on facility size and scope. Pre-shipment inspections usually take a few hours to a full day depending on order size and sampling method (AQL-based sampling is standard). We provide a written, photo-documented report within 24–48 hours of the visit.

No. We work exclusively for our clients and don’t accept referral fees, commissions, or kickbacks from factories, agents, or trading companies. That’s the core of our independence: our recommendation reflects what’s actually best for your business, not who pays us.

Yes. Market entry and business development support covers services and distribution businesses as well as manufacturing-linked sourcing: partner identification, market feasibility research, and local business-development support apply regardless of whether your business is product-based.

At minimum: a product description or spec sheet, target volume/MOQ, target price range, and your timeline. The more detail you provide upfront (materials, certifications required, target markets), the faster and more accurate the initial shortlist will be.

Yes, a meaningful share of our work is comparative: helping companies evaluate whether Vietnam is the right fit for a specific product category against alternatives, based on landed cost, lead time, and capability, not just headline labor-cost comparisons.

Pricing depends on scope: a single factory audit is priced differently than an ongoing sourcing retainer or a custom market research report. Tell us what you’re trying to accomplish through the contact form and we’ll quote a clear, upfront price before any work starts.