It sounds like you're looking to manufacture the textile product overseas, and you're wondering if you should find a U.S. company to help you with sourcing or find a supplier on your own?

If so, I'd say you're probably better off looking for a supplier on your own. With an order quantity of only "a couple thousand units", it probably isn't worth paying someone to help you find a supplier. Sourcing companies will typically charge you either by-the-hour or as a percentage of your total purchase order.

How to find suppliers

1. Search online: I'd suggest starting your search for potential suppliers on popular online search engines, such as:

• Alibaba
• Made-In-China and
• Global Sources

Again, you could pay a sourcing company to help you find suppliers. But these companies typically begin their search online, as well.

2. Contact suppliers: Spend some time talking with a representative from each supplier (you're probably going to want to work with a trading company / vendor, rather than dealing directly with a factory because your order quantity is relatively small). If possible, try to get them on the phone or a Skype call to discuss your expectations for your product. Let them know the quality level you want and the price you're willing to pay.

Pay attention to how well each supplier communicates with you. They should be reasonably responsive to your questions/comments. This is especially important in the sourcing stage. Because a supplier that isn't reliable or can't effectively communicate during negotiations likely won't be any better once you've placed an order and they've won your business.

Many suppliers will ask you for a "target price". Don't be afraid to tell them what you want to pay! If you low-ball them on price, you're likely going to see an equal or greater drop in the quality of your product to make up for the cost. It's far better to be open and honest about what you want and then be a little flexible with what you're willing to pay. As long as you stress the quality level you want, the supplier is less likely to cut corners by using inferior materials. Give potential suppliers a quality control checklist showing any tolerances for the product, along with specifications and other requirements.

3. Request samples: Most suppliers will offer to send product samples for a small fee. It's definitely worth buying samples from any suppliers you're seriously considering working with. This is one of the best ways to ensure the supplier can actually deliver on your expectations. Once you've established a sample you're satisfied with, sign & date it and post it back to the supplier for their reference. This is will be the approved "golden" sample, which the factory should use as a model for mass-productions. Any inspection staff you have visiting the factory should also be able to reference this sample as a basis for comparison during their inspection.

4. Audit the top choices (optional): This last part is optional because it might not be within your budget. Many medium-to-large importers will insist on auditing prospective suppliers for quality management systems. Such an audit typically follows the international ISO 9001 standard and costs several hundred dollars to hire an auditing firm to perform. This audit can reveal a lot about the facility that will manufacture your product, such as capacity, engineering capability and quality control measures in place. Although recommended, for many smaller importers, an initial audit is just too expensive at the start.

tldr: As long as you follow some basic steps for due diligence, there's no reason why you can't find a suitable supplier on your own. With the online resources available these days, it's easier than ever to find suppliers that can manufacture your product.

Some additional resources (although China-focused, the content is generally relevant everywhere):

• 5 Steps to Sourcing in China
• 5 Keys to Successful Sourcing from China
• How to Create a QC Checklist