How to Find a Manufacturer for Your Product
Directories are where you find the product, not the supplier. Three ways to build a list of factories worth writing to, what Alibaba is actually for, and why a first-time buyer should start with the bigger factory.
1 October 2026 · 11 min read
How to Write a Supplier RFQ That Gets Serious Replies
What marks a first message to a factory as a beginner’s isn’t the writing — it’s the questions that are missing. The three-word subject line, the four terms to ask about, when to name a target price, and how to read the reply.
1 October 2026 · 10 min read
PPWR: What Actually Has to Be on Your Packaging
Three of Google’s top ten guides tell you to print an EU recycling label this year. Article 12(1) says 2028 at the earliest. What actually has to be on your carton today is four lines of text and a document you write yourself — plus the reason you, not your factory, are the manufacturer.
19 August 2026 · 22 min read
OEM vs ODM: Which One Do You Actually Need?
Most guides make you pick a side. The real decision is three decisions — how much of the factory's tooling you replace, who does the development, and where you sit between a red ocean and a blue one. Including the level that costs half of bespoke and almost nobody explains.
13 August 2026 · 24 min read
What Is MOQ — and How to Negotiate One Down
The MOQ you were quoted is almost never one number — it's four minimums owned by different people, and most beginners spend weeks negotiating the wrong one. The stack, six ways to lower it, and the one that solves a material minimum nobody else can move.
13 August 2026 · 16 min read
Do I Need CE Marking to Sell My Product in the EU?
Most imported products don't need CE marking at all — but every consumer product needs GPSR compliance, and almost nobody talks about it. What the mark actually proves, what it costs (less than you think), and how to prove your product is safe when no certification scheme covers your category.
25 July 2026 · 26 min read
REACH Compliance for Small Importers — What Actually Applies to You
The chemical regulation that surprises everyone, explained for people ordering their first 500 units. Three parts of REACH are yours — and none need a lab on retainer.
29 July 2026 · 9 min read
GPSR for Small Sellers: What the EU Rules Actually Require
GPSR applies to every consumer product sold in the EU — no CE mark needed, no exemption for being small. The four obligations, and what they actually cost.
29 July 2026 · 8 min read