An agent or sourcing office: when is it worth it?

A local agent saves time and risk on things like searching, inspecting and following up, but is not necessary for every brand or every stage.

When it helps

• When you cannot follow up yourself because of language or time zone.
• When you need regular on site inspection.
• When you deal with several factories for different products.

What to ask

• How do they charge: a percentage commission or a fixed fee? Are there hidden fees?
• Do they work for you, or also take money from the factory?
• Do they accept that you talk to factories directly?
• References from past clients and examples of their work.

Transparency

Ask for a clear contract setting the scope, fees and confidentiality. A good agent welcomes questions. If you have questions about the services of Ramez Basmaji’s offices in China, you will find them on the services page.

Exercise

Write four tasks in your project worth handing to an agent and four you prefer to keep, with the reason for each.