So whats a trailblazer ?

Many clients of the past few years have just needed to get over the proverbial hump with China sourcing. They know that they will have product manufactured in China, they may even know what supplier they want to use. Most have used trade websites like Alibaba.com , many have even stayed up nights talking on MSN to the potential factories. Most are overwhelmed with info and a little confused.

Thats when we start talking about TRAILBLAZER service. This is when we schedule 8-10 days on the ground in China. We visit factories, talk to suppliers , see samples and try to gather a true understanding of what is really going on. A typical week is about 7 factory visits. Spending time in the factories is essential to really understanding who is who. Doing business in China is a constant battle of trying to deal with the right people. The only way really to get to the source is to understand the players. Spending just 1 day in a factory will tell you more about the future of your relationship with that supplier than 1000 emails.

Just the logistics involved in seeing 7-10 are incredible. We spend nights on trains, hours on buses and what seems like lifetimes on airplanes.

Trading Trailblazer

As I work everyday I think about how to summarize what my specialty is. Simply put, I am a trailblazer. I even took time to look it up :

trail⋅blaz⋅er

  –noun

1.	a person who blazes a trail for others to follow through unsettled country or wilderness; pathfinder.