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The Canton Fair is taking place this October, so I was really happy to run into my old friend Matt Kowolak from HighCappin.com. Matt has been living as an entrepreneur in China for ten years, and he is the person I go to whenever I have a question about the country. We chat it up about the history of the fair, what it feels like to attend such a historic trade show and what kind of opportunities exist there. He also shares a broad overview of what living in China as an expatriate is like and how to take advantage of their entrepreneurial culture.
Listen to this week’s show and learn:
- The history of the Canton fair and how it became the world’s biggest trade show.
- Why some entrepreneurs treat the Canton fair like an annual pilgrimage.
- Trips for beginners who are traveling to the fair.
- Why having a successful show might mean that you have to stay for a month.
- What to look out for when starting a relationship with a Chinese factory supplier.
- How to build legitimate trusted relationships with suppliers.
People on this episode:
Mentioned in the episode:
- Call us at 888-554-8428
- TropicalMBA Listeners
- The Canton Fair
- HighCappin.com
- eCommerceFuel #47: Exploring the Largest Trade Show in Asia
- Running With China
- AliBaba.com
- shenzhenparty.com (for seeking help at the trade show).
- shenzhenstuff.com (for seeking help at the trade show).
Matt’s 12 Point Supplier Checklist (questions to ask):
- Factory address and website
- Trading Company vs Mfg
- Number of years in business
- Main products lines
- Main export markets
- Top 3 clients
- Factory audit experience
- Product Safety testing experience
- Number of workers per department
- Type and number of machines
- Production capacity and current utilization
- Order MOQs and Production leadtimes
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Thanks for listening to our show! We’ll be back next Thursday morning 8AM EST.
Cheers,
Dan & Ian