Verify and evaluate suppliers in China!

In an earlier video, we talked about how to narrow down a list of potential suppliers to a select group of highly qualified candidates.

Now go ahead and contact this short list. This starts the RFQ (request for quotation) phase. The feedback from this initial contact should allow you to further narrow down the list to the top 2 or 3 based on pricing and non-price attributes.

The next step is to validate if the suppliers are legit. In my opinion there are two essential types of verification.

Type One is the Factory Audit. This is to verify that the supplier has a quality control system in place and they have the production experience to supply you with the goods they say they can make for you.

Type Two is an Operational Audit or Due Diligence. This is to confirm that the supplier has a good reputation and is financially strong enough to stay in business long enough to complete your order. In other words, they are not likely to disappear with your initial payment.

There are professional service providers available who conduct these types of verification at very reasonable prices. I highly recommend you engage professional support if you don't have the skill set in-house to audit factories in China on your own. Contact me and I would be happy to recommend the 3rd parties I use for verification. But for your reference, here are some other tools you can use on your own or in conjunction with those 3rd parties.

    It doesn't cost you anything to ask for references. If a supplier can't give you a few happy clients to visit with…this is a big red flag.

    Confirm that you have the right to visit the production line and check on your order. If they come up with a bunch of excuses why you can't visit, it either means they don't have the ability to produce your product and are scared that you won't like what you see if you visit or it could be as simple as that they are a trading company and worried you will cut them out of the supply chain once you realize they provide little value. Speaking of trading companies, sometimes, especially if your order is small, it makes sense to use them, but I hate trading companies that say they are the factory when really they are just brokers.

    Ask to see the suppliers Quality Control Manual. If they don't have an ISO compliant, written quality management system…run away. If you want to see what a Product Quality Manual looks like, you can check out china company verification at the link below:http://www.cnbizsearch.com/search/cc/

Having verified that your suppliers are legit, the next step, and our next video, deals with negotiating the price and then moving into production.On that note, as always, I sign off-wishing you successful sourcing in China! And if you found the information in this video useful, consider returning the favor: subscribe to my YouTube channel, hit the "like it" button and post some comments. Or check out my blogs and monthly newsletter. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out via Linkedin, find me at the China Sourcing Academy or visit my company's website.

 

Why renting an electric mobility scooter could be great for you

Electric mobility scooters can enable people whose mobility impairment makes it hard for them to carry out activities in their daily lives that they can’t otherwise do—like getting from home to their mailbox, shopping at a grocery store or visiting their neighborhood shopping mall.

Electric scooters can be of great help to individuals living with asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), arthritis, severe osteoporosis, heart disease and angina pectoris among other conditions. As well, they can significantly aid in the mobility of elderly individuals. Severely obese people, whether young or elderly, can also find comfort and mobility by purchasing or renting an electric mobility scooter.

Scooters come in three-wheeled or four-wheeled configurations and are available for both outdoor and indoor use. Heavy duty scooters are ideal for heavier people and light weight, portable scooter models are easy to travel with and to fit in a car or van. Brand new scooter models usually run between $790 and $1000 in price, whereas deluxe models can be priced in the range of $3000-$5000. The costly nature of electric scooters means that some might difficult to afford them. For these individuals, renting electric scooters instead of choosing to purchase them, could be a convenient solution.

Scooters can be rented by the day or by the week and the cost per week is considerably lower than the cost of purchasing a scooter. In many cases, scooter rentals are partially or entirely covered by medical insurance. Some of the accessories that are available for use with electric scooters are cup holders, cane holders, scooter batteries and baskets to carry items like groceries or personal belongings.

Electric scooter manufacturers also offer add-ons like seat belts, flags and rear view mirrors to increase the safety of the user. Cover canopies can also be installed to protect he user from the rain or the sun. Individuals who want to transport their electric scooters on cars or vans might decide to adapt their vehicles to better fit them if necessary.

Beyond making electric scooters available to individuals, most mobility scooter dealers also offer additional equipment to facilitate the lives of the patient and caregiver. Patients can rent or buy lift chairs, manual wheelchairs, rollators and hospital beds among other products. While many mobility device suppliers can be found in the state of Florida, the staff at Mediplus Mobility hopes you will choose our company as a reputable medical equipment retailer.

Our mission is to improve the daily life of patients who need home health care. Comfort and increased mobility are within reach for anyone who needs it with our option to rent instead of purchasing equipment. To learn more about electric mobility scooters, please visit: http://www.escooterchina.com/about-us.html

Practical guide on how to verify chinese company

Thanks to ecommerce, companies in US are able to sell products/service to China, a country you have not yet visited, you don't speak the language, you are not aware if the legal systems are similar, you don't know and don't have the resource to know if the counterpart Chinese companies are real.

So we face a question: How can I check Chinese company? How to check the legitimacy of your Chinese buyers/partners? Are they a real company.

Some facts:

China don't have a organization like BBB(Better Business Bureau) in US, where you could check the legitimacy and background of a Chinese company.

Chinese administration of industry and commerce is the governing body that in charge of company registration. However, they don't have a nationwide website or database system that open to public to inquiry the authentication of Chinese companies.

Sourcing China blog recently published an excellent article, sharing how to make china company verification without visiting their premise. Here are some tips on their blog:

1) Do they have company bank account

Only legally incorporated companies can have business bank account. If the Chinese company insist you to pay their personal account only, be cautious.

2) Visit local AIC websites

Even though the national AIC don't have a nationwide system allow you to check the legitimacy of Chinese company. However, some(not a lot) local AIC do allow you to use their websites to check the legitimacy of Chinese company.

3) Websites and Email

If they don't have websites, use public email account like 163, sohu, sina, it is negative.

4) Hongkong offshore company

Be cautions doing business with Hongkong company, but operates only in mainland China. They are shell company. Read this article to learn the risk.

China Checkup offers a wide range of convenient and affordable company verification and certificate verification services that greatly simplifies the process of verifying a Chinese company.Do you have other tips for verifying a Chinese company's legitimacy?

 

A Two Wheel Stand Up Electric Scooter Won't Run As Well Without the Correct Power Source

In the past, an individual would have to use their foot to push themselves in order to get around on a traditional two wheel stand up scooter. Back in the old days, a person could only dream of what it would be like to own a two wheel stand up electric scooter, in which one could ride around free and relaxed with both feet planted at ease. Thankfully, technology has increasingly changed just about everything and this includes the performance power of this well loved type of scooter. Unlike seated scooters, a stand up scooter can provided a greater view to the surroundings, as everything is seen at eye level or higher. An added bonus of an electric stand up scooter is that it generally runs a lot faster than a traditional one.

Most electric powered scooters use batteries as the main source of power. Typically, the range and speed of the scooter will be determined by the type of battery it has. However, fuel cell technology has since been developed and is sometimes used as a power source as well. An individual seeking to purchase a 2 wheel stand up electric scooter should take time before making the purchase. One of the most important factors to consider before buying is deciding on what the scooter will be used for. This will greatly affect the type of battery one should look for, as the battery will greatly affect the functional abilities of the scooter and should be considered carefully.

An alternative to a 2 wheel stand up electric scooter is a motorized stand up scooter. Generally, a motorized scooter is powered by gas. Owners of a motorized scooter will often seek to travel longer distances than can be handled by a scooter that is electric. Some of the larger and more expensive motorized scooters may use a small utility engine. The spindle drive can be one of the most simplistic drive mechanisms in a motorized scooter.

Although, a two wheel stand up electric scooter may be more comfortable than the traditional self powered stand up model, it still is not intended to travel far with. Even with an electric 2 wheel scooter, the legs of the rider will eventually become tired and need rest. For this reason, it is safe and smart to remain local on any stand up scooter.

 

Verification of a Chinese company

How the verification of a Chinese company should look like? What kind of information can be obtained through this process? Is it really an essential step, or can the whole process be skipped? We will answer these and similar questions below.

Usually, the whole process begins when we’ve finally find a suitable Chinese company. Many depend on when we made the first successful contact: if we simply received an e-mail offer, risk factor is higher than in the case in which we met our supplier during trade shows.

The most important thing that we will find out through verification process, is the type of a company and its scope of activities. Chinese companies, which are dealing in international trade, usually fall into two categories: these are either trade companies or manufacturing companies. Sometimes the former impersonates the latter, but a proper verification process will help to reveal the real identity of the company.

In many cases, the person who claims to represent the Chinese company has no legal title to do so. Therefore it is always necessary to find out, who is the legal representative of the company. As we say:chinese company credit.

Verification is helpful in revealing the physical address of the factory. It is important, if we want to proceed further and send someone to check our shipment. On the other hand, ISO 9001 certificate is awarded to a particular facility, not to the company as a whole. Companies which possess factories cannot be simply shut down overnight – it may happen though to some of the trading companies, especially after receiving our payment.

Through verification process, the authenticity of provided documents and certificates will be also checked. The rule is simple: the Chinese are able to forge everything, but the truth can usually be easily revealed.

If you want to know more about the most popular methods of fraud, documents necessary in the import process and during the custom clearance, please refer to our other guides.

 

At home with the grim reaper

The biggest and most unusual work of art on display last month at the Agricultural Fair was "The Grim Reaper." Scaring little kids and adults alike with its hollow eye sockets and beckoning bony fingers, this towering wood statue won first prize for sculpture, as well as a Special Award. It's back home now in the Lambert's Cove studio of its creator, carpenter and wood sculptor Simon Hickman.

The Reaper originated as the trunk of a Music Street Elm tree in West Tisbury and evolved over the past year. "You have to hollow out the wood soon after you get it, or it will check, or crack," Mr. Hickman says. Checking occurs when a large piece of wood dries faster on the outside.

The Reaper's skull, skeletal parts, and the blade of the scythe he carries are made of rosewood. The limb of a tulip tree outside Mr. Hickman's workshop proved just the right fit for the Reaper's giant scythe handle. A garment made of hammered copper mail, topped by a short cape, covers the figure's torso. A light bulb gives the creature an eerie glow. To accommodate Mr. Reaper, who reaches 10 feet from his feet to his cowl, Mr. Hickman had to reconfigure his workshop. He installed a carrying beam for a chain hoist so that he could maneuver the tree trunk and "make sure he didn't run out on me."

The Reaper joins many other sculptures in Mr. Hickman's collection, some of which fairgoers may remember from past years. They are the products of a wonderfully perfervid imagination and include Vlad the Impaler, the Tower of Babel, and the Titanic. In addition to the sculptor's stores of wood, objects salvaged from the backyard of his 16-acre former farm make their way into his art. One of his Agricultural Fair entries, a full-sized maple shark, now hangs suspended from airplane wire in the family's pool house.

"If you touch his tail, he'll swim for 45 minutes," Mr. Hickman says, pointing to the surface spalting, patterns caused by a fungus feeding on the sap in the wood."I average about one piece a year," he says. "I only do it when I have a big chunk of time." These products of long, painstaking hours of work have sensuously smooth, highly polished surfaces and all – with the exception, perhaps, of Mr. Reaper – invite touching.

Born in England and raised in Kenya, Mr. Hickman is an inveterate saver and a collector. Arriving on the Vineyard in 1978 to work on an Edgartown restoration project, he never left. He had spent part of his youth hitchhiking in Australia and Indonesia and pursued his artistic bent then by creating oil paintings."I'm kind of saving oil painting for my retirement," he says.

Each of the artist's creations has a story behind it. He bought the rosewood log used in the Reaper 30 years ago. It came from a stack of the tropical wood stored behind the site of the long-gone Nobnocket Garage and former home of the Artworker's Guild, a 70s landmark in Vineyard Haven. A chair in Mr. Hickman's studio is made of native honey locust, and this very hard wood allowed him to incorporate lots of detail while keeping the piece structurally sound. A grimacing head he calls "How Do You Feel" started as an oak burl and has teeth cut from the ivory keys the sculptor rescued off a piano about to be bulldozed at the town dump.

Farm parts from hay wagons, horse buggies, and tools have gone into a throne-like chair, complete with hoofed arms and a tail. Made of chokecherry, a finely hatched lizard has humanoid hands. Pieces of metal Mr. Hickman found in the woods on his property help provide the necessary support for a table fashioned from Linden trees. Serving as a dumping ground for the caretaker of the old Makonikey Hotel, the wetlands at the back of the Hickman property has produced silver forks and spoons, along with many other discards.

Other examples of his skill at rescuing abandoned materials include the concrete balustrade from a French villa on-Island that now rims the family's swimming pool. A massive mantelpiece from the Corbin-Norton mansion in Oak Bluffs graces his living room, and he has fashioned chandeliers from deer antlers. The giant Linden that once shaded Main Street near the Capawock Theatre in Vineyard Haven is now a bar in his pool house. Mr. Hickman volunteered to remove the rotten tree, after the Town advertised to find a home for it. The sculptor discovered the tree was almost entirely hollow, so he made a trapdoor in the oil painting reproduction, lowered himself inside with a chainsaw, and cut it in half to save what had not rotted. When necessary, he makes his own tools, in one case attaching a chisel to a copper pipe so he could work in a narrow cavity.

"As I get older, my sculptures are getting bigger and heavier," Mr. Hickman says. He hasn't exhibited much outside of the Agricultural Fair, although for several years he and his wife Marion, a calligrapher, ran Chickamoo Gallery with the late Richard Lee, in the barn that now houses his Lambert's Cove studio. He suggests the subjects of his often surrealist imagination are no cup of tea for people buying art on the Island.

As “The Da Vinci Code” proved a few years back, people love to uncover the secrets locked away in the masterworks of art history, and though “Tim’s Vermeer” does nothing to interpret Vermeer’s work, it sheds new light on the way he might have gone about it. Technically, the notion that Vermeer might have used a camera obscura as an optical aid has been around for years, backed up by mathematical calculations in Philip Steadman’s book “Vermeer’s Camera.” Jenison proposes an even simpler solution involving a simple hand mirror, enlisting both Steadman and “Secret Knowledge” author — and artist — David Hockney to test his theories as he goes.

But Teller’s inventor/subject goes one step further than the scholars did, attempting to reproduce Vermeer’s “The Music Lesson” himself — and this is where the film crosses over into a fascinating tale of obsession, as Jenison uses his primary expertise (as founder of NewTek, he revolutionized the fields of computer graphics and digital video) to re-create the artist’s studio in a San Antonio warehouse. Using rendering tools to calculate the exact dimensions of every object seen in the original painting, from stained-glass windows to the models’ costumes, Jenison then constructs everything by hand and positions it just right in the room — a 213-day job, short by comparison with the actual task of painting.

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Baltimore Woods exhibit features

Skaneateles Lake and the surrounding region have inspired both artists in their creative process, and the show reflects each artist’s interpretation. The exhibit includes drawings and paintings in oil, acrylic, pastel and watercolor and is open to the public with no admission or parking fee.Harms describes her work as becoming more organic in nature since moving away from cities to a rural area, and her artwork leans toward the abstract.

“The mood and nature of Skaneateles Lake, whether driving by, walking by or swimming in, is reflected in my recent drawings and paintings,” Harms said. “I am influenced by place, by color, by light.  Not in a direct landscape sense but as memory and sense.” Delmonico’s work has a realistic quality, often depicting local landscapes. Much of her work has an impressionistic feel.

“Painting, for me, is an honor, a privilege, a struggle, and most often, pure joy," Delmonico said. "To attempt to capture a scene or the essence of nature and create something interesting and exciting with light, texture and color is what motivates and defines this ongoing journey for me."Harms earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in painting from the Parsons School of Design in New York City and a Master of Fine Arts in painting from the Chelsea School of Art in London.

An English-born artist, Harms has exhibited throughout the United Kingdom and the United States, including London and New York City and recently in Syracuse, Aurora and Skaneateles. Delmonico received her Bachelor of Arts from Boston College, majoring in studio art and elementary education, and a Master of Science in elementary education from Syracuse University.

Delmonico has exhibited widely in central New York and nationally, in venues such as the Everson Museum, Cazenovia College Art Gallery, the Schweinfurth Memorial Art Museum and the Pastel Society of America’s Annual Exhibition.

But the erased workers seem stereotyped and taken advantage of as their identities are elided. Labor can be depersonalizing and demoralizing, but it isn't by default so. These images deny the workers any chance to take pride in their labor or to own it as a personal accomplishment. Like a few other pieces in the show, these worker images need some subsequent thought.

“Worker Skins” is comparable to the white-out works, but it’s the best piece in the show. Hakanson-Stacy cut coveralls into hand-sized human outlines and dragged them through cement. Then she pinned them to the wall in a tight cluster. The more heavily caked ones clump and curl, oil painting reproduction, expressing the physical toll of manual labor. The others give the feeling of staring back at you with a posture of exhausted witness. The overall shape of their cluster is ambiguous—it could be the continental United States or it could be nothing intentional at all.

For the piece “One Minute,” Hakanson-Stacy cites Bureau of Labor statistics to compare a minute’s earnings, represented in pennies, for the average CEO ($116.66) to those of a minimum-wage worker (12 cents). The CEO’s pennies overflow a large glass bowl to scatter on the floor around its pedestal. The minimum-wage worker’s pennies are barely visible at the bottom of the kind of glass ramekin that servers bring your ranch dressing in.

“One Minute” could have been put to better use in WRK, Inc. Rather than locating the pedestals against a wall in the last corner of the gallery that you visit, they could have been placed in the middle of the gallery so that walking the show would redistribute the fallen pennies throughout the whole space, unifying its message.

Instead, a poorly executed video work entitled "Success" dominates the show, taking the front half of the gallery and suffering almost total illegibility from sunlight during the daylight hours. You can’t escape the audio drone of William Penn Patrick—a John Birch Californian who ran for Governor against Ronald Reagan (and lost for being further to the right of the Gipper)—reading his essay "Happiness and Success through Principle." The monologue is perforated occasionally by the pop of a balloon, which is shown onscreen. Hakanson-Stacy very effectively conveys the boom-and-bust economic reality beneath Patrick’s theocratic rhetoric with “Success” but, at almost 30 minutes, the audio loop is too long and a television would have been a better choice than a large video projection screen. One could easily assume that the video was turned off, it’s so washed out by the sun.

More disappointing was "Dreams," an audio piece that you listen to with headphones while staring at red threads pinned to a wall that a fan blows upon. The recording sounds as if it was made in the same bar all on the same night. A succession of young, white-sounding twenty-something voices basically state that, if they could do anything, it would be to travel, drink, and eat, in that order. Unselfish aspirations rarely appear. These narrators fall heavily on the lazy, “I don’t wanna work” end of the labor struggle, and the recording is embarrassing for the unnamed people who lent it their voices.

Frankly, “Dreams” pissed me off. It’s tantamount to middle-class whining, turning an overeducated, underemployed and disenfranchised generation into slackers complaining that their entitlements aren’t being recognized. Meanwhile you can hear the bartenders and dishwashers clinking craft beer glasses in the background, earning their wages. This piece takes a tipsy swing at class struggle.

If this critique is harsh then it’s because Hakanson-Stacy is obviously sincere and passionate about the issues she’s concerned with in this show, namely that a corporate ideology has been so driven into us—governmentally, societally and personally—that we can hardly get outside of it enough to think and talk about it. Her expression embodies that position at the expense of her sincerity and passion at times.

Read the full products at http://artsunlight.com/!