How do I inquire about making small batch orders with a garment factory？（Clothing Manufacturers# Small-batch Clothing Factory# Small-batch Garment Production# Clothing Manufacturers Near Me# Boutique Clothing Manufacturers# USA Garment Factories#）

🍀1 What is the general process of cooperation?
The cooperation method with factories usually includes subcontracting both labor and materials; factories generally only undertake orders that include both. (For example, pattern studios/home workshops are about processing supplied materials.)
The general process is:
Without a physical sample, only a picture: Send design pictures - factory sources fabric - customer selects fabric - prototype making - customer confirms prototype - place order upon satisfactory sample.
With a physical sample: Source fabric - prototype making - customer confirms prototype - place order upon satisfactory sample.

🍀2 How much does it cost for pattern making and prototyping for one piece of clothing?
The cost depends on the design. This includes the cost of cutting the pattern, making the pattern, and sewing the prototype. These are the initial costs of sampling, as it takes time to produce. Making a single prototype takes considerable time. Prices vary by factory. (For example, our factory starts from 10 pieces)

🍀3 How to cooperate from a different location?
Remote cooperation is very common nowadays! Several of my small order clients cooperate online. As long as you understand the basic situation of the factory and the categories it can produce, sending a design to make a sample and check the quality is more straightforward. So don’t worry about “having to see the factory in person before making products.”

🍀4 Does the factory provide the fabric swatch book, or do I need to find it myself?
Under the premise of subcontracting both labor and materials, the factory will be responsible for sourcing fabrics for customers. From my experience, if you have a specific fabric in mind during the first cooperation with a factory, you should communicate clearly with them. Otherwise, you can send sample garments of the desired fabric, or send pictures for the factory to reference, such as prints (checks, polka dots, small florals, large florals, etc.).

🍀5 What is the minimum order quantity?
This is a question that must be clarified. For most factories, even a small order starts from one roll of fabric. If you want to place a small order of a few dozen pieces, ask the factory about their minimum order quantity before sampling! A colleague shared with me that after finalizing the sample and deciding to proceed with production, the factory mentioned that small orders start from 10 pieces or one roll of fabric. But she had already made pre-sales and was forced to place the order, resulting in overstock due to the high quantity.

🍀6 How many working days does it take to ship after placing an order?
This depends on the complexity of the design and the current order schedule of the factory, but they will give an approximate date. For example, our factory takes about 5-7 working days.

🍀7 It’s important to ask what categories the factory can produce.
The main categories include knits, wovens, woolens, and denim. A factory capable of producing wovens and knits might not be able to produce denim, which would require finding a specialized denim factory.

That’s a lot of information compiled for you, wishing everyone prosperity soon! 🌹

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