Before moving onto a manufacturer, make sure you check out Step 1: Techpack to have your techpack ready. By doing so you will be saving everyone time. That is not to say you need to have everything 100% done, but come with a solid foundation of what you are doing

Finding the right manufacturer is essential for the success of your clothing brand. In this guide we will teach step by step on how to screen a manufacture and determine if they are the right fit for you.

Additionally, the UGFC server is launching ManuFind later this year. This will completely revolutionize the clothing brand manufacturing process by putting the power in the hands of the brand owner by having manufacturers come to you. UGC Manufind Guide

Alibaba (Alibaba.com)

Alibaba is a great place to find a manufacturer for your small-medium sized clothing brand because:

  1. MOQ is extremely low (50-100)
  2. Most factories are full-service for embellishments and cut/sewn garments aka everything is done under one roof
  3. You are protected through the use of Trade Assurance and [Verified Supplier](https://seller.alibaba.com/businessblogs/px001z0dr-what-is-a-verified-supplier-on-alibabacom#:~:text=Verified Supplier is the membership,an independent%2C professional certification institution.)
  4. Competitive pricing that allows your brand to create high quality garment for an affordable price

Thomasnet (thomasnet.com)

Thomasnet is a convenient place to find manufactures local to you for your clothing brand. Pros and cons of using a local manufacturer:

  1. Using a manufacturer close to you allows you to pick up your garments, eliminating high shipping costs
  2. Local Manufacturers are able to give you a faster turnaround rate
  3. Local US manufacturers have higher quality standards than those abroad
  4. High Prices( a local manufacturer may charge you 2-3x times more than overseas)
  5. Low Variety ( There may be very limited number of local manufactures near you)

Having a full-service manufacturer is a huge plus when starting out. This way, you do not have to manage finding 3-4 different companies to create, print, and package your goods and then find a production manager to oversee everything. Overseas, It is done under one roof for an affordable cost with low barrier to entry.