Do you import from China, or are you considering it? I find reliable factories, check them on site and negotiate in Mandarin. You decide the product, I handle the rest in China, so you source without costly mistakes or a language barrier.
Join me in China or hand it all over: both routes lead to the same certainty.
OR
AOption A
I travel for you
You stay home, I represent you in China. Ideal if you want to save time without giving up certainty.
Factory visits and inspections on your behalf
Negotiation in Mandarin
Photos, videos and a clear advisory report
BOption B
We travel together
You come along and see everything with your own eyes. I prepare the trip, translate at the table and guide you through business China.
Fully prepared travel programme
Live translation at factories and trade fairs
Cultural guidance, from first handshake to dinner
Where the work happens
Trade fairs, factories and negotiation tables. A selection from recent trips.
Guangzhou, second home baseCanton Fair Complex, PazhouOn the trade fair floorHuaqiangbei, ShenzhenShanghai, third home base
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Everything around the deal, sorted too
China works differently. Travel along and you hit practical walls. I clear them out of the way, so you can focus on the deal.
Internet & VPN
Almost every European app is blocked in China: WhatsApp, Google, Gmail, Instagram. I set up a working VPN and keep you online.
Phone & reachable
A local connection and data that actually work. You stay reachable at home and we keep in touch during the trip.
Transport & Didi
Taxis can't understand you and sometimes refuse foreigners. I arrange Didi (the Chinese Uber), the metro and the route from fair to factory.
WeChat & payments
Without WeChat, Alipay or Didi you're stuck in China. I help you set them up, so paying, chatting and planning just work.
Language & culture
From the menu to the negotiation table: I translate and guide you through the etiquette, so nothing catches you off guard.
Finding factories
I know my way around 1688, Made-in-China and Alibaba (the latter stopped being the cheapest long ago) and which supplier actually manufactures itself.
HSK 4Mandarin
Not a middleman. Your man in China.
I'm Bram van der Wielen, a sinologist trained at Leiden University. During my degree in Chinese Studies I immersed myself in the Chinese language, culture and economy, and brought my Mandarin to HSK 4 level. Since 2022 I have been doing business in China, mainly in Guangzhou, Shanghai and Shenzhen, and I attend every edition of the Canton Fair.
China fascinates me: the technology, the rich history, the culture, and of course its position as the manufacturing centre of the world. I turn that fascination into results for my clients. I also hold a degree in business administration and am qualified in Global Procurement and Strategic Sourcing: I approach your purchasing strategically and methodically, and where useful I can advise on other aspects of your business too, such as marketing or sales. Besides Dutch and Mandarin I speak fluent English and Spanish, so international projects are no problem at all.
"My philosophy is simple: it doesn't have to be complicated. Practical, efficient and honest about what I see."
Three cities, one network: Guangzhou, Shanghai and Shenzhen.
Five steps to your supplier
Introduction
Free call about your product, volumes and goals.
Define targets
Clear requirements for price, quality, certification and lead time.
Select suppliers
Shortlist of factories, compared side by side on facts.
Visit & negotiate
On-site inspections and negotiation in Mandarin.
Advisory report
Concrete advice you can order with right away, no strings attached.
案
Recent projects
Client case · Loxea Hair · Rotterdam
Hair extensions
Visited four factories in Guangzhou for salon chain Loxea Hair, compared quality per gram and had samples tested.
Result: better quality, 28% lower purchase price
See the process
Client case · Bauner · Lima, Peru
Concrete vehicles
Spanish-language project for construction company Bauner. Bought directly from the factory instead of through local intermediaries.
Result: 50% saved versus intermediaries
See the process
Client case · Fitness chain
Fitness equipment
For a fitness chain with multiple locations, compared offers at the Canton Fair: strength stations, cardio and flooring, with sharp specs per supplier.
Result: one fixed partner for all product lines
See the process
Honest work, honest words
Client cases from recent years. Two are published with name and permission, the rest are anonymised at the client's request.
★★★★★
"At the Canton Fair Bram spoke to three hair suppliers, then we travelled on to the factories in Guangzhou together. Because we could truly compare them side by side, we knew exactly what we were choosing. The quality is better than our old importer's."
LH
Loxea HairSalon chain, hair extensions, Rotterdam
See the process
★★★★★
"Bram negoció directamente con la fábrica en mandarín. Ahorramos más del 50% frente a los intermediarios locales y los mixers llegaron exactamente según especificación. Profesional y muy directo."
BA
BaunerConstruction company, Lima (Peru)
See the process
★★★★★
"We were stuck with traders adding margin on top. In a single fair day Bram filtered twelve booths down to the few real manufacturers, and negotiated the MOQ down from 1,000 to 300 units. We finally have our own line."
LW
Lighting wholesalerOwn line of track lights & panels
See the process
★★★★★
"The supplier with the best-looking website turned out to be a trading office with no production of its own. Bram spotted it within five minutes on the factory floor and switched us to a real ODM. NDA, firmware escrow and a DOA arrangement are now simply on paper."
SH
Smart-home importerVideo doorbells, first production run
See the process
★★★★★
"Anyone can promise food-grade, proving it is another matter. Bram had the valve supplier checked separately and the migration test run through SGS before we ordered a single tin. Zero delay at customs."
CR
Coffee roasteryTin packaging with aroma valve
See the process
★★★★★
"Our existing supplier's tooling quote felt high, but we had nothing to compare it to. With a benchmark from Bram we negotiated 35% off the tooling cost in Mandarin, and his pre-production inspection still caught a material swap before mass production."
Honest answer first: not every import is large enough to bring in an adviser. Below you can read when it is worth it, and when it is not.
€15,000 to €20,000Purchase value from which a project starts to pay for itself
from $50,000Order size that makes the Premium package comfortably worthwhile
Below that, I will say so
Under that purchase value, time and travel costs often do not outweigh the savings. You are usually better off with a wholesaler. I will tell you that plainly, even when it costs me the assignment.
Worth it the first time above all
A first introduction to doing business in China, choosing the right products and reliable factories together, and the certainty that you are not walking into an expensive mistake. If you want to build your own brand, this is the logical first step.
Fixed price, no commission
A traditional sourcing agent charges 3 to 10% commission on your entire order, so they have an interest in you buying more. I work for a fixed price agreed upfront, so my advice always serves your interest.
I actually travel with you
I stand on the factory floor with you or on your behalf and negotiate in Mandarin. Everything around it is covered too: internet, WeChat and payments, transport, language and culture. You focus on the deal.
Not sure whether your import is large enough? Book a free intro call without obligation and I will tell you honestly whether it is worth it.
No, you don't. With Option A I travel alone and represent you fully, including photos, videos and an advisory report. If you want to come along, Option B covers the whole programme and I translate on site.
Which products can you help me with?+
From hair extensions to concrete vehicles, and from electronics to fitness equipment. The approach is always the same: sharpen the requirements, compare factories, verify on site and negotiate hard.
Can I have products made under my own brand?+
Yes, and it is often easier to arrange than people expect. Many Chinese factories work as OEM as a matter of course (your logo, your packaging, your specifications) or as ODM, where they adapt an existing design for you. It stands or falls with the selection of the manufacturer, because far from everyone offers it and the MOQ varies widely. I negotiate the MOQ, the packaging and any mould or tooling costs, and put it in writing before anything goes into production.
How do I know a supplier is really a factory?+
That is exactly why an on-site visit is worth so much. Many "factories" online are trading offices with a margin on top. On the factory floor I can tell within minutes whether a company actually manufactures, and in Mandarin I get answers you won't get in English.
Do you work on commission for factories?+
No, never. I receive no commissions from suppliers and have no stake in which factory you choose. You pay me, so I advise exclusively in your interest.
How does payment work?+
You receive a fixed-price quote upfront: 70% on assignment, 30% on delivery of the advisory report. Payment in three instalments is also possible: 40% at the start, 40% at the shortlist & samples stage, 20% on completion. Travel costs are budgeted in advance and passed on at actual cost, without markup.
What if no suitable factory is found?+
Then that's exactly what the report will say: why not, and what the alternative is. Another region, adjusted specifications, or sometimes honest advice not to proceed. Unwelcome news, but always cheaper than a wrong container.
Can you also help after the first order?+
Absolutely. Many clients bring me back for repeat inspections, new product lines or renegotiating prices. Since I attend every Canton Fair, I can simply keep visiting your supplier there.
In which languages can we work together?+
Dutch, English and Spanish, and with the factories I switch to Mandarin (HSK 4). International clients, like those from Peru and Ireland, are very welcome.
Ready to import with certainty?
Book a free introduction call. Within half an hour you'll know whether your product is suitable for direct sourcing in China and what a project would bring you.
