EP 92 - Answering All of Your Apparel Sourcing Questions with Expert, Cheryl Tzeng

In this episode, I'm sitting down with Cheryl Tzeng from Short Street Company to answer all of your questions about apparel sourcing! We explore the critical factors for selecting the right factory, including evaluating capabilities for your specific product type and ensuring alignment with your brand's production needs. Cheryl is an expert in sourcing and is sharing her wealth of knowledge on building strong factory partnerships through open communication and mutual respect. Cheryl also shares how strategic decisions about the country of origin to optimize costs and enhance product value are essential.

Sustainability and social responsibility come to the forefront as we discuss the importance of certifications like Blue Sign, fair wages, and community involvement when choosing your manufacturing partners. Cheryl offers advice on negotiating vendor contracts to foster mutually beneficial relationships, such as tailoring minimum order quantities (MOQ's) and lead times to fit your brand's unique needs. We get into production planning strategies like establishing clear Service Level Agreements (SLA's) and maintaining organized processes to mitigate risks and ensure quality standards. This episode is packed with so much valuable information to help you streamline your production process and cultivate lasting partnerships in the apparel industry.

In this episode, you'll hear:

-The top 3 things you need to consider when choosing a factory to work with.

-Don't sleep on Country of Origin! Hear why it's so important.

-How sustainability factors into your manufacturing starts with where YOU want to be.

-Lead times and MOQ's are essential when it comes to negotiating terms of a contract with your factory.

-You must set expectations with your factory...it helps everyone involved.

We can't wait to hear what you think of this episode!

Connect with Cheryl:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cheryltzeng/

Purchase the Business of Apparel Online Course: https://www.thebusinessofapparel.com/course

To connect with Rachel, you can join her LinkedIn community here: LinkedIn.

To visit her website, go to: www.unmarkedstreet.com.