Searching Clothing Manufacturer?

Finding a clothing manufacturer to make your clothing product is a crucial aspect because it is the initial step for coordinating all the following tasks. Your product idea will remain an idea until a manufacturer works with you to make things happen. Finding potential clothing manufacturers is not a problem since you can simply Google for them on the internet. However, finding the right one with the clothing manufacturing services you need is the challenging part.

Fig: Clothing manufacturer guide

Analyzing the Most Common Problem When Finding a Clothing Manufacturer:

If you are a major clothing company of a certain size, there are fewer issues for you dealing with suppliers. Suppliers commonly treat big clients preferably and they do their best to keep them under their wing or else some other manufacturer would lure this client away from them. Top clothing manufacturers make most of their money with a few large clients. Manufacturers are the ones who will go after big clients asking them to avail of their services instead of the other way around. The most difficult aspect as a client here is simply to find someone that can deliver reliable and a good price that is being promised. The service level should be all right.

When it comes to small or mid-sized clothing companies, things are very different. There are a lot of potential problems these smaller customers need to be aware of when dealing with manufacturers. Let us simply face it. Startup clothing companies and clothing lines that haven’t established their brands yet do not have the same VIP privilege as big companies do. As they are still trying to gain a foothold and carve their niche, finding a manufacturer is a much harder task they must face.

Order Size Matters After All:

One of the most common problems is the inferior customer support service clothing lines get from their manufacturers. Even when you formally fulfill the minimum order (MOQ) requirements, you are just an easily replaceable client. Since these small brands are working on a budget, they rarely get the full services out of a clothing manufacturer. They are only allowed to expect what their budget allows. The worst part is manufacturers tend to lowball small clients because of the little money they can get out of them. They will promise small clients a lot, but there is little incentive for them to follow through with any extra effort. It will be the bare minimum.

Fortunately, not all manufacturers out there treat small to mid-sized clients the same as most clothing manufacturers do. There are companies out there that are specifically designed to cater to the needs of startup companies and small-time entrepreneurs. Even though they may also have big companies and established brands as clients, they have specific processes in place to treat small-sized companies without bias and offer them the same service as their bigger clients.

Look for Actual Small Quantity Support:

The support that small to mid-sized clothing brands get is an important factor to consider when looking for a manufacturer for your clothing product. When you are new, you should start with small quantities in any case. There are manufacturers whose work is limited to the actual printing or manufacturing of clothes and nothing more. Make sure to pick a manufacturer who can provide other services such as assistance in design, packaging, and other aspects of clothing manufacturing instead of a production-only manufacturer. This tip will make it more convenient as you end up working with an all-in-one manufacturer instead of several third-party services that all won’t give you the service level you need.

Focus on Offshore Options when Starting:

If you rely on the internet when looking for potential clothing manufacturers, you will probably also find manufacturers in Western countries such as the US, Australia, and Europe. However, the main problem that you are treated badly with small orders is likely worse here. They need larger margins than their overseas counterparts, have commonly higher minimum requirements, are less flexible since they want to avoid (expensive) manual labor, and have fewer sales or service staff to help you out. This all comes on top of them being more expensive in the first place. They may be equipped with the latest technology and advanced equipment but automation limits your design options. Full flexibility and better service can usually be better found in China, the Philippines, and other Asian countries.

Fig: Clothing manufacturer tips

The best route when looking for clothing manufacturers regardless of production size has to be in Asia, particularly China. Most of the garment products we see in the market today are mostly made or processed in China (especially raw materials). They are responsible for the manufacturing of major brands and companies in clothing & garments.