How to Find the Best Kitchen Knife Factory on Alibaba? A Step-by-Step Guide!

Best Kitchen Knife Factory on Alibaba

There are two initial things you need in order to start an online business:

A product idea

A supplier

If you want to sell kitchen knife, the next step is finding the perfect knife supplier.

Thanks to Alibaba, it’s easy as pie to find a wholesale supplier overseas. The problem, however, lies in finding a trustworthy supplier.

As you may know, Alibaba has tens of thousands of suppliers. But they’re not all real suppliers – there are lots of reports of scams.

Luckily, this guide will teach you how to find the best suppliers on Alibaba, while avoiding the frauds and helping you start (or expand) a successful online store.

Let’s get right into it!

Advantages of using Alibaba:

Here’s why you should use Alibaba:

• Lower manufacturing costs.
• High number of suppliers to choose from.
• Organized categories to find products fast.

But the fourth and most important advantage Alibaba has to offer is the networking benefits.

Alibaba has an ever-expanding network of users/suppliers catering to various products and services. Which means you’re always going to have new stuff to choose from and new suppliers to build relationships with.

Plus, Alibaba has an incredible relationship with the Chinese government (who, as you may already know, is the gatekeeper of the economy).

But things aren’t all sunshine and daisies. There are quite a few risks when using AliBaba to find a supplier.

Risks of using Alibaba:

Remember when I said there are lots of scams on Alibaba? Well, this is only one of the risks. There are more, including:

Language and communication barrier can be difficult to overcome.

• Longer shipping time.
• Poor customer service.

We’d also like to point out that Alibaba has a downright terrible rating on the BBB (Better Business Bureau).

You’d think that every supplier is made the same. Unfortunately, that’s not the case and there are many frauds on Alibaba that will claim to produce products they actually can’t. This is why you need to be extremely careful when finding your partner factory on Alibaba.

So, what separates a factory, trading company, and wholesaler from one another? For the most part, factories are the actual company that produces products whereas trading companies or wholesalers are considered middlemen.

ALIBABA KNIFE SUPPLIERS TYPE #1: TRADING COMPANIES

These are companies that deal with a wide array of products and often have close ties with factories. They make money by adding a margin to the actual product they supply to merchants.
Most ecommerce entrepreneurs want to avoid trading companies as they will decrease your margin and can cause complications in your production process. If you’re really looking for a small production run, however, you may have to go through a trading company as it won’t make sense to work with a large factory on a small scale.

ALIBABA KNIFE SUPPLIERS TYPE #2: WHOLESALERS

These companies are similar to trading companies in that they add a margin to the cost of the products they sell in order to earn money. Wholesalers are common in America as they enable companies to buy domestically, instead of having to deal with international imports.
Wholesalers often have a warehouse too, meaning you may not have to hold as much inventory while your lead times and shipping times may be reduced.

ALIBABA KNIFE SUPPLIERS TYPE #3: FACTORIES

When searching for Alibaba suppliers, this type of supplier should be your target. Factories are the companies that actually produce the product you’re looking to manufacture. They own the factory and know where the raw material to produce your product comes from.

ALIBABA KNIFE SUPPLIERS TYPE #4: FACTORIES & TRADING

This type of supplier have their own workshop and trading department. They have better service and the products are made in their own factory.

Most companies you’ll find on Alibaba won’t be factories, as their marketplace is swamped with trading companies and wholesalers.

How to verify a company’s background

One of the very best ways to check up on a company’s background is by performing an on-sight check.

Performing an onsite check is no easy task. You’ll need to check a potential suppliers website for their…

• Business license
• Company or factory location
• Ownership status
• Photos of the supplier’s operations
• Contact information
• Certifications from subsidiaries, partners, or contractors

This stuff can be mighty tricky to find (especially if the supplier is a really good fraud). Nearly everything will be perfect… but you won’t be able to find every detail listed above. Once you’ve done that, move on to…

Google company name + “scam”

What’s the first thing you (or I) do when we don’t know something?

We look it up on Google.

Why should vetting suppliers be any different? The answer: It shouldn’t be.

When you use SaleHoo, you’re able to find a multitude of wholesale suppliers that have been vetted and, in turn, are 100% legitimate.

In other words, we don’t deal with fraudulent companies.

While we’re not trying to toot our own horn (much, anyway), we do take pride in providing this information for you. When using sites like Alibaba, however?

You never really know what kind of supplier you’re going to get.

Supplier outreach to your shortlist

After you’ve thoroughly weeded through various suppliers, you may be thinking…

“Phew! The hard part is finally over. I finally have someone I can trust!”

While trust is key, you’re not done.

There are still questions you should ask, samples you should get, negotiations you should consider, and of course customer testimonials to take into consideration.

Not to worry, though! We’ve provided you with key information you’ll need during these next crucial steps.

First up…

Questions to ask your Alibaba suppliers

Once you’ve evaluated your supplier(s) and you’re ready to make your choice, there are a few final things you need to know, such as…

• What are the payment details? You need to know exactly how much you’re paying per unit. You’ll also want to know of any bulk discounts you might be able to get. Get this in writing, in case your supplier decides to change things up behind your back.
• Is there a refund policy? You need to know exactly what their refund policy is. There shouldn’t be any debate when the time comes to refund a customer!
• What to do about disputes? You’ll want to have a clear plan of action when a dispute arises. If a consumer is unhappy with a product (or with delayed shipping times) and threatens your business, will your supplier work hard to help you solve the problem?
• Are there any seller guarantees? It’s vital to both your company and consumers to know if there are any guarantees that come with the supplier. Will they offer a 30-day money back guarantee if the consumer doesn’t like the product they ordered? Or can they only return it if it’s defective?

After you get this information from your soon-to-be supplier, be sure to keep it handy (you never know when you might need it)!

Next, you’ll need to…

Request samples

By ordering products and having them shipped to you, you accomplish three things:

1. You see how long shipping times are (compared to the estimated time listed on their website).
2. You’re able to get an idea of their packaging quality. Will you feel comfortable with your customers receiving the package?
3. You see the product quality. How well does it hold up? Product quality is very important for long-term success.

As a general rule of thumb, you should order samples from at least 3-4 companies to give yourself options (and, of course, compare shipping times, product quality, communication, and price).

After you’ve done this (or even before), you should…

Ask for customer references

Good chef knife wholesale suppliers will have no problem giving you testimonials from previous customers.

In fact, they’ll most likely display them directly on their website! (Although, if it’s a fraud site, there could be fake testimonials on there as well.)

If the supplier you’re looking at does not offer customer references for you, don’t feel like you need to continue talking with them. Keep looking!

And finally, when the time comes, don’t be afraid to…

Negotiate

As with anything, there’s definitely an ‘art’ to negotiating with suppliers (and anyone, for that matter).

Your ultimate goal when looking for suppliers should be to find one that will not only manufacture your product to the desired quality specifications, but one that you can build a long-lasting relationship.

You want to find a supplier who will go the extra mile for you once you’ve proven yourself to be a good client, but also someone you deem worthy of friendship.

Remember that price negotiations must be done at the right time.

When your business is flourishing, and you need to order more products in order to keep customers happy, it may be a good time to negotiate.

If you’re just looking to get the best price out there (and forget that your supplier needs to make money, too), I don’t recommend negotiating too much.

Keep in mind that manufacturers overseas are dealing with incredibly low margins as is. If you try to bargain with them for rock-bottom prices, chances are high they’ll cut corners and send you low-quality products when they ship your orders.

That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t negotiate, though! Just keep in mind that quality has a price.

Conclusion

Finding kitchen knife suppliers on Alibaba isn’t exactly easy. At least not without the right tools and know-how.

But it IS insanely lucrative when you find a great chef’s knife supplier and get high-quality products at dirt cheap prices. Your profit margins are insane!

In this article, we taught you everything you need to know to find the best suppliers on Alibaba. From finding them, to vetting them and communicating with them.

If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to us! And one last thing…

If you’ve found this article helpful, be sure to share it with your friends! As always, thanks for counting on SaleHoo to provide you with the tips and tricks needed to create your dream store.