The shortlist
3–5 matched factories, delivered as a document you can comment on.
| Supplier | Region | EXW | MOQ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Supplier A | Guangdong | $ — | — |
| Supplier B | Zhejiang | $ — | — |
| Supplier C | Fujian | $ — | — |
Sourcing & Negotiation
The right factory, found and negotiated — as your representative.
We search all of China for the right factory, verify suppliers on paper and on site, and negotiate price, payment terms and specifications in Chinese as your representative. The commission is 8, 5 and 3.5 percent, marginal, on EX-Works product value only, with a $300 minimum; freight and duties are separate lines you see in full.
Commission 8 / 5 / 3.5% — on EX-Works product value only
ALL CHINA supplier search7 checks · one verdict100% credited within 90 days
Who this is for
Built for importers in these four situations
Different starting points, same need: a counterpart in China who works for you and for you alone. A first order and a supplier you cannot verify; volumes too large for a factory you have only met on video; quotes that move the moment you commit; or simply no time to chase factories. Each situation has a written answer below.
First order from China
“I found a supplier online, but I can't tell if the factory behind the listing is real.”
We check the company against the official registry and call it in Chinese before you commit any money.
Growing order volumes
“This order is too large to place with a supplier I've only met on video calls.”
We audit the factory on site — lines, machines, real capacity — with photo and video evidence.
Prices that keep moving
“Every quote I get changes the moment I'm ready to commit.”
We negotiate in writing and lock everything into one final Proforma. What you sign is what you pay.
No time to manage China
“I know exactly what I need — I just can't spend my weeks chasing factories.”
We run the search, the negotiation, and the follow-up, and report to you at every step.
What's included
Every sub-service, priced before you commit
Add only what your order needs; each price is visible before you order: an Import Strategy Session at $99, credited within 90 days; Supplier Verification from $199 with seven checks and one written verdict; a Factory Audit from $399 for a full day on site; a Sample Pack from up to three factories; or a Sourcing Mission on commission.
Import Strategy Session
60-minute video session + written recap. Credited 100% toward any mission within 90 days.
Supplier Verification
Six registry and background checks, a call in Chinese, and a clear written verdict — to a deadline confirmed on your Proforma.
Factory Audit
A full day on site: lines, machines, certifications shown on site, real capacity — with photo and video evidence.
Sample Pack
Samples from up to 3 factories, photographed, inspected, and consolidated into one shipment.
Sourcing Mission
End-to-end search, negotiation, and order follow-up — including OEM / private-label specs and custom packaging coordinated with the factory. Commission on EX-Works product value only.
The process
From brief to delivery in six steps
Six steps with typical durations for a standard consumer-goods brief: scope confirmed in writing on day 0, a shortlist of three to five matched factories by days 3 to 5, negotiation in Chinese by days 3 to 7, samples in weeks 1 to 2, one final Proforma at signature, then follow-up through delivery. Your timeline is confirmed at the brief.
- 01
Day 0
Brief
You describe the product, target price, and destination. We confirm the scope in writing.
- 02
Days 3–5
Shortlist
3–5 matched factories with EXW prices, MOQs, and our notes.
- 03
Days 3–7
Negotiation
Price, payment terms, and specifications negotiated in Chinese — as your representative.
- 04
Weeks 1–2
Samples
Samples from up to 3 factories, inspected and consolidated into one shipment.
- 05
At signature
Order & Proforma
One final Proforma Invoice. Only the Proforma is final.
- 06
Through delivery
Follow-up
Production tracking to handover — inspection and freight available on the same file.
What you receive
Your three working documents, in their exact shape
Three working documents, in the shape you receive them: a shortlist of three to five factories with EXW prices, MOQs and our notes; a verification report with seven sections and one verdict in your name; and a quote comparison with every cost on its own line before the final Proforma. The figures below are illustrative.
The verification report
Seven sections and one verdict, in your name.
- 01Identity & business licence vs the official registry
- 02Registered capital, status & company age
- 03Litigation & dishonest-debtor screening
- 04Export record
- 05Factory vs. trading company determination
- 06Product fit with your brief
- 07Call notes in Chinese + the verdict
ProceedProceed with conditionsWalk away
The quote comparison
Every cost on its own line, before the final Proforma.
- EX-Works product value
- $ —
- Sourcing commission (8 / 5 / 3.5%)
- $ —
- Freight — at cost
- $ —
- Export & documents
- $ —
- Final Proforma Invoice
- What you sign is what you pay.
Estimate — we confirm every cost with you before your final quote.
Service detail
Verification, audit, and commission — opened up
The full checklist, the verdict format and every number behind the fee: seven checks from the business licence to a direct call in Chinese, one of three written verdicts (proceed, proceed with conditions, walk away), a factory audit covering lines, machines, certifications and real capacity, and the commission tier by tier with worked examples and payment timing.
Supplier Verification
from $1997 checks · one verdict100% credited toward sourcing within 90 days
The seven checks
- Business licence checked against the official registry
- Registered capital, company status, and age
- Litigation and dishonest-debtor list screening
- Export record
- Factory or trading company — are you buying from the maker, or a middleman?
- Product fit — whether this factory actually makes your product
- A direct call, in Chinese
One of three verdicts, in writing
Proceed
The supplier holds up. We move to negotiation with the facts on the table.
Proceed with conditions
Workable, with named risks — and the safeguards to write into your order terms.
Walk away
The risks outweigh the order. You get the reasons, in writing, before any money moves.
Factory Audit
from $399One full day inside the factory, at an all-inclusive day rate:
- Production lines, seen running
- Machines and tooling
- Certifications shown on site
- Working conditions
- Real production capacity
- Photo and video evidence, delivered with the report
- Quality system & inspection flow — incoming, in-process and final checks (ISO 9001 where held)
- Owned vs. rented lines — is the work done here, or subcontracted out?
The commission, tier by tier
Computed on the EX-Works product value only. Freight and duties are separate lines, never part of the commission.
| Order value (EXW) | Rate | Note |
|---|---|---|
| First $10,000 | 8% | minimum $300 |
| The $10,000–$50,000 portion | 5% | — |
| The portion above $50,000 | 3.5% | — |
Each rate applies only to the portion of the order value inside its bracket — like income tax. A bigger order always pays a bigger total commission, never less.
Worked examples
| EXW value | Effective rate | Commission |
|---|---|---|
| $3,000 | 10% | $300(minimum applied) |
| $8,640 | 8% | $691.20 |
| $60,000 | 5.3% | $3,150 |
Estimate — we confirm every cost with you before your final quote.
When it's due
- On a sourcing mission, a 30% deposit at Proforma signature starts production, and the 70% balance follows before shipment.
- Missions under $700 are paid upfront via a secure payment link after the invoice.
- When quality control is part of the mission, the 70% balance is due after the report — the report is in your hands before the balance is due.
- Final payment instructions are always confirmed on your Proforma Invoice or approved payment link.
Payment safety
Every NovaLink payment instruction must match the company invoice or approved payment link. If anything differs, verify it with NovaLink on WhatsApp before paying.
Guarantees
What we put in writing
A verdict to a set deadline
Your verification runs to a deadline confirmed on your Proforma, and the fee is credited 100% toward a sourcing mission within 90 days.
Everything in writing
Shortlists, reports, recaps, and quotes arrive as documents you can file, share, and act on.
Credited within 90 days
The $99 Strategy Session and the Supplier Verification are credited toward your mission within 90 days.
Only the Proforma is final
One signed document closes every quote: what you sign is what you pay.
Claims pressed on your behalf
If goods arrive defective or short, we press the factory in Chinese for rework, replacement or compensation — in writing, on your behalf. (Coordination, not a self-funded refund.)
Good to know
Four working principles that protect your order
Your representative, on every factory floor
We are paid by you and report to you — our brief is your interest, from the first call to the last carton.
A commission base you can check
The fee applies to the EX-Works product value written on your Proforma. Freight and duties stay on their own lines, never part of the commission.
A fresh search for every brief
Each shortlist is built for your product, your target price, and your destination market.
Based in Guangdong, sourcing all of China
Your factory can be anywhere in China. Goods depart from the best-fit hub — Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Ningbo, Shanghai, Qingdao, Xiamen, the CAN / HKG / PVG air hubs, or China–Europe rail.
FAQ
Real questions, straight answers
Yes. Tell us one product and one destination, and we come back with a written cost read and the right path. The $99 Import Strategy Session and the Supplier Verification (from $199) are both credited toward a mission within 90 days.
Yes. Your shortlist and verification report carry the supplier's full legal identity, licence details, and our call notes. You stay in control of the relationship — we negotiate as your representative.
On the EX-Works product value written on your Proforma — and the schedule is marginal: 8% on the first $10,000 (minimum $300), 5% on the portion between $10,000 and $50,000, and 3.5% on anything above $50,000. Each rate applies only to its own slice, so a larger order never pays a smaller total fee. Freight and duties are separate lines, never part of the commission.
Missions under $700 are paid upfront via a secure payment link after the invoice. Larger missions follow your Proforma — typically a 30% deposit and a 70% balance, and when inspection is part of the mission, the balance is due after the report. Every NovaLink payment instruction must match the company invoice or approved payment link. If anything differs, verify it with NovaLink on WhatsApp before paying.
You walked away from a bad order for a fraction of its cost, with the reasons in writing. The fee is credited toward a sourcing mission within 90 days, so it carries full value into your next, stronger candidate.
No. We are based in Guangdong and source across all of China. Your goods depart from the best-fit hub: Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Ningbo, Shanghai, Qingdao, or Xiamen by sea, CAN, HKG, or PVG by air, or China–Europe rail.
Yes. The Full Package covers sourcing, quality control, and logistics on one file, with one accountable partner and one final Proforma. It is quoted per project, because every product, volume, and destination is different.
Yes. We negotiate your OEM / private-label specs — logo, colours, materials and custom packaging — directly with the factory, and coordinate packaging and branding with local studios. It's handled inside the sourcing mission, not a separate fee. We coordinate it; the factory and studios produce it.
A factory owns the production lines and makes the product; a trading company buys from factories and resells, adding a margin and sometimes hiding which factory made the goods. Neither is wrong in itself, but the price, the lead time and the accountability differ, so check number five of our supplier verification establishes which one you are dealing with.
The right factory, found and negotiated.
One product and one destination are enough to start: you get a written answer within 24 hours on business days, with no commitment, and every next step is priced before you take it. Supplier verification from $199, factory audit from $399, sourcing on a marginal commission of 8, 5 and 3.5 percent with a $300 minimum.
Need the whole chain handled?
The Full Package covers sourcing, quality control, and logistics with one accountable partner and one final Proforma — quoted per project, because every product, volume, and destination is different.
Talk to a human
Prefer to talk before you decide?
Two ways to reach NovaLink in China. Times are offered in your own timezone — no time-zone arithmetic, no back-and-forth.
Free introduction call
free · 15 minutes · video call
Bring your questions: your first import, finding or checking a supplier, shipping and landed cost. Nothing to prepare.
Book a free callImport Strategy Session
$99 · 60 minutes · credited within 90 days
One hour on your whole import plan, plus a written recap. Credited 100% toward any mission you sign within 90 days.
Book a Strategy SessionNovaLink takes calls 09:00–19:00 China time, Monday to Saturday. The booking page shows those hours converted to yours.