WELLCARE Blog for Business

We all sleep. That’s one thing you can expect from every person on this planet - that we need to sleep, and all of us at some point eventually do it. That’s how the sleep industry began: helping people not only getting to sleep, but getting to sleep better.

It’s a strange thing to realise, but sleep is even more precious now that we have tools and technology that make work easier. We carry these gadgets wherever we go - so why not develop gadgets that make sleep easier?

For something we’ve done since birth and a necessity for us to function in our daily lives, it’s only recently that sleep has been looked at more closely as an area requiring attention. While most people are content to simply throw the covers over themselves and just sleep, more and more people are turning to sleep aid products.

Enter the rising boom in interest for the sleep industry. Suddenly, there was a surge of interest in understanding how we slept instead of why: studies, products, and innovations came pouring in to a market that needed these products. But not all sleep products are created equal - and it’s important to decide once you enter the industry as to what quality is.

Manufacturing electric blankets and heating pads is far from comfortable. As a product worth both technical and industry standards, making sure that a company that creates them is up to the task.

And it's even a trickier task to pick a partner for such a venture - it's important to establish good working relationships while still being able to satisfy your bottom line. So what are the standards for a good fit if you're looking for an electric blanket and heating pad manufacturer?

It’s no secret that China is one of the easiest places to buy products in bulk. The cost of manufacturing, labour and assembly costs make ordering goods from China relatively easy - and if done well, even quite profitable.

There’s a few rules to follow in doing this - as business partner from across the continent, there are some rules and etiquette that you should follow when buying goods. And that’s not even starting on the question of quality - not all of China’s wholesale manufacturers are the same. So how do you ensure quality while keeping a good business relationship?

Local and international trade shows are the main sources of business opportunities for buyers and manufacturers.

With so many different products around every corner, attending exhibitions can be overwhelming even for some experienced buyers. However, with enough knowledge and industry know-hows before, during, and after the exhibition, you should be able to get more results from your exhibition trips.

While there are many challenges to overcome when it comes to importing products from overseas, the benefit of importing products from a foreign country usually outweighs the hard work involved.

For starters, the low labor cost for countries in China or other Asian countries will usually make your product more competitive and give you a higher profit margin. However, you should not use low cost as the only deciding factor as it usually comes with a cost of lowered quality.

Finding and working with a foreign manufacturer from overseas such as China is very different from dealing with a local manufacturer. We’ve compiled a list of things you should keep in mind when importing goods from overseas.

First half of 2017 has already gone by and the "wellness bandwagon" has not shown any sign of slowing down. Globally, the amount of money consumers spend on health & personal care products has been continuously increasing for the past decade.

While it's possible to blame today's wellness popularity on social media such as Facebook and Instagram for motivating people on getting those killer abs in their selfies, we cannot deny the fact that people today are just much more aware of their health and wellness.

Are you importing “okay” quality personal-care products? At first glance, importing cheaper products may seem safer than importing items that are more expensive. However, you can actually cause far more risks than profit for your business when you import lower quality personal-care products.