Founder ghostwriting: MorphoMFG

If there’s even a 1% shot you’re doing sheet metal prototyping in China, or any other kind of prototyping for that matter, read this article.

You might have read about China’s amazing infrastructure, how it’s eating up 30% of the world's manufacturing, how its skilled workforce is in a golden age of cost and quality…

“Bulletproof manufacturing”... yeah right.

I founded MorphoMFG an odd 10 years ago, right here in Guangzhou. We’ve had hundreds of clients, we’ve helped design, prototype, mass manufacture, and ship thousands of products overseas…

And here’s the true story - from first-hand experience.

Just give me a second. This info can save you from losing your money, your reputation, and in the end - stop you from the embarrassment when you present your “prototype” to your coworkers, investors, or family members.

To show you where I’m going with this, let’s take my company as an example. We do millions in revenue per year and keep growing year-over-year.

But get this:

30% of our clients lose $50,000 on average in China before they hire us as their contract manufacturer who leads the way. And we’re just one contract manufacturer.

To tell you how this helps you with sheet metal prototyping, first I have to answer the following.

First: Yes, we’re pro-Chinese manufacturing. We’ve been based here for the past 10 years, and have had tremendous success with zero marketing.

And that should tell you something.

Think about it. Tremendous success, millions over millions, success story after success story. And zero marketing?

What’s more: We’ve had to hire a web dev agency this year to help organize our website, partly because we’ve no idea what to do with all the reviews & “thank you from the bottom of my heart” emails we’re getting.

So we’re geniuses & there’s no one else like us?

No. The simple truth is supply and demand.

The demand for high-end manufacturing in China is: HUGE!

The supply of high-quality manufacturing in China is: ALMOST ZERO.

And the result of this imbalance?

People stumble upon “yes men”, fake companies, false promises, language issues, and a dozen other barriers to entry far more often than they do upon legit companies.

That considered, the 30% number doesn’t seem very high… but still, I’d like to get that number as close to 0 as possible… Hence me taking the time out of my day-to-day to write about this.

That’s enough about Chinese manufacturing in general. But you had to know that. High-end manufacturing in China is not only possible, it’s wonderful! But yeah, you’ve got to find the right people.

Now that you know that, let me briefly guide you through sheet metal and its prototyping process in China.

PS: Want more first-hand info? Get on my email list. I help people back home by emailing them about what traps to look out for when going to China. Sign up for free at the bottom of our homepage.

Anyways…

When I got here some 10 years ago, I started visiting one factory per day. I did that for years. Why? So I can find out who’s specializing in what material, what type of product, who’s only after numbers, and who’s capable of high-end manufacturing.

And you bet all of this footwork resulted in some high-value relationships with factories I would’ve never found otherwise. So whether your sheet metal prototype needs to be big or small, requires stainless steel or copper, it’s necessary to find the perfect factory match here in China.

Nearly all sectors of the economy use some sort of metal components due to their exceptional strength, long-lasting durability, and rigidness.

They're used in:

making cars,
aircraft,
trains,
hardware enclosures,
and even everyday office tools.

Computers, household appliances… Sheet metal has a role to play there too. And let's not forget about the construction industry, whether it’s:

roofing,
ductwork,
gutters,
or other construction elements…

Sheet metal is all over the place. Heck, the furniture you're sitting on while reading this could have some sheet metal components in it.

Whether you give us a napkin sketch, detailed prints, or CAD models, we can work with it - if we believe in the idea as much as you do. And if we do, what was once a figment of your imagination and nothing but a “what if” - can become a high-end prototype.

Remember how I talked about visiting a factory every day for years? Well, today, that’s what makes MorphoMFG unique. We’ve built out a network of vetted Chinese factories that do high-end work only.

This allows us to help people like you by using our network to find the best factory in China for every part of your product. As a side benefit, this helps with protecting your IP too, because none of them make the actual product, but specific parts only, and we assemble the product in-house.

We call it the Component Control Method (CCM). Schedule a call with us and we’ll happily answer any questions you may have about the whole process. And if we think your idea is feasible and interesting, we’ll also invite you to consider working with us to make it a reality.

Ok, real quick, here’s what you need to know about looking for Chinese suppliers:

The US Powerball Jackpot estimates your chances of winning at 1:292,000,000. Yes, 1 in 292.2 million. To put that into perspective: Even if you bought one million tickets, your chances are still slim at 1:292.

But it’s very easy to buy the ticket, you just stop at your local 7-11 on your way home and grab one for $2.

Why am I talking about the US lottery?

Because that’s what you’re doing when you try to find a Chinese supplier to service your product overseas. It’s extremely easy to find one, but the chances of your product ever seeing the light of day in its market are slim to none.

I know that analogy isn’t exactly a perfect fit, but it isn’t supposed to be. I’m simply trying to push the point with an exaggerated example because I’ve had so many entrepreneurs and companies come to MorphoMFG after wasting $50,000 on average, by working with random Chinese suppliers and manufacturers.

Before you read on, it’s crucial you understand this:

What I am about to share is useless to you if you’re looking to resell existing products. So if you’re a trader… Then you might as well hit the ‘back’ button and try another website.

This is only for you if you have an idea for a unique product, and you demand the most efficient way possible for bringing it to market.

A decade ago I moved to China, became fluent in Mandarin, and started networking for my manufacturing business, MorphoMFG. I spent years going to different suppliers and factories in China every day. And I mean that literally, around 3+ years of visiting factories, every day.

I met a lot of people, plant managers, owners, product engineers, suppliers, and workers in those factories, how important quality is to them, how they handle different kinds of products, etc.

But the most important of all: I realized how they manage their Western clients (that’s you!).

Here are just some of the things you’d be going into:

Chinese suppliers are very careful about what they share when they work with you.

If any issues in manufacturing arise, it is very likely you will be the last person to find out.

They’re also very unlikely to inform you about production delays or ask questions if they aren’t sure about your product specifications.

Why does this happen?

Simple: Their priority is to just ‘make it anyway’ and be done with it. It’s the quantity game that’s been predominant in China for the past 20 years.

And that’s what the whole shtick about China really is. Yes, this is the best place you can go to get quality at better prices, and I doubt anywhere else in the world has as many experts as China does, but the catch is you’ve got to know your people.

The dominant norm in Chinese manufacturing is ‘take the money and make the thing’. And this is fine if you’re looking to outsource manufacturing for 10,000 knock-off watches and resell them in the West.

That’s what most of them will assume you want. And that’s why their priorities will be speed & money. They want an assembly line of clients just like you. Get the deposit. Deliver whatever, just get it done. Rinse and repeat.

This story is a lot longer, but here’s the summary:

Chinese suppliers are not all some shady, evil businesses looking to trick you. Most of them are simply not in the business of providing high-quality service and expertise necessary to get your unique product off the ground.

Even with those that have no ill intent towards you, you’ll have trouble explaining you want quality. And even if you did, good luck betting your investment & long-term plan on factories & suppliers with non-existent quality control or in-house engineers.

When entrepreneurs come to MorphoMFG and say “Ok, we want to try again, but for real this time,” they have already wasted $50,000 on average.

And of course we love the new business every time it comes in, but honestly, I’d much rather they came to us in the first place, instead of giving it a go on their own and wasting so much time, investment, and losing so much faith in China overall. It’s just easier to work with people when their original enthusiasm for their project is untouched.

So if you’re on the hunt for a Chinese manufacturer or supplier, I ask you to do yourself a favor and get in touch. Obviously there is no obligation of any kind, the call is complimentary and we do it because we’re always on the lookout for the next big product that’s going to go viral in the Western market.

Our bottom line is your bottom line. We help you get your product designed for manufacturing, then we can do a rapid prototyping phase to test out the market. If there’s big enough interest, we can move into mass production and this is where we both earn the real money and make the real moves.

And our key difference is of course our vetted supplier network that took years to build, and naturally our communication, quality control, tracking, testing, and manufacturing experts that have already done for other brands what you want done for yours. Here’s proof.

If you Google “Chinese Suppliers” right now, you’ll get offered advice to go visit the Canton Fair or the Yiwu Market. But this is outdated advice. These types of events are the early 2000s ‘toy’ market. This is quantity, not quality. These things are basically an offline Alibaba, you go there to pick a product that exists and order 1000 units to resell in the West.

The results and the advice you get are not based on developing a new product. They’re for brand knock-off trading and reselling, because that’s what China has been about for a long time.

Yiwu is basically a garage sale. Toys, gifts, outdoor furniture. It’s a big mixed bag. Everyone sells the same stuff and there is no idea developing or creative problem solving here. It’s the same experience you’d have if you went into your local cheap store in the early 2000s.

You go to Yiwu to negotiate prices for cheap stuff you want to resell in the West. You go into a store, you pick a model, negotiate, and have them ship 1000 units to your warehouse in the States. That’s it.

In the early 2000s, the Canton Fair was the main thing in town. The big party you have to go to, and it was huge. Thousands of companies would gather there and millions would visit. But it’s the same story as with Yiwu. You go there and someone says: “Here’s a TV we have, we’ll ship you 100 units for this price.”

But the Canton Fair became less of a thing once the Internet started becoming a bigger deal. And more recently, COVID made it near to impossible to travel to China, and that’s why the Canton Fair is doing an online thing now as well. Again, it’s almost the same as going on Alibaba and picking out what you want to resell.

Bottom line is:

If you’re making a custom product, an ODM, then you have no business going to these types of places. I’m not saying it’s impossible, but why would you put the future of your idea on the chance of finding a needle in a haystack?

We’ve done it plenty of times in the last dozen years having worked with 1,000+ Western clients. Here are their reviews and thoughts.

Manufacturing contractor that’s on the ground in China
With experience working with Western clients
And bringing unique product ideas from scratch to market
With in-house engineers that know what questions to ask
Vetted list of suppliers who’ve already been tested for the Western market

Basically a turn-key solution in China that can guide you in transforming your napkin sketch product idea into a long-term, sustainable, successful business.

Get in touch now, no obligation, if you’re the real deal, we want to work with you.

Thanks for your time, hope you’ve learned something today, and feel free to find more useful tips on Chinese manufacturing on our Blog, or through our YouTube channel where I post all kinds of tips on working with the Chinese.