As the holidays draw to a close, it is time to reflect on the past year and look ahead to the future.
So, what happened this year?
2018 was an interesting year in global politics. The US-China trade war has caused importers to take a careful look at their supply chains.
Considering alternative low-cost countries or even the possibility of reshoring production was a common theme this past year. Uncertain times demand that companies maintain a flexible approach and have contingency plans ready for different scenarios.
This was also a year in which our own company, Insight Quality Services, reached some new milestones.
- Our founder, Andy Church, was elected to the board of directors of the International Consumer Product Health and Safety Organization (ICPHSO).
- We surpassed 20 full-time staff in China and hired our first full-time salesperson in the country.
- We attended, presented, and exhibited at a number of events where we got to speak with importers of all stripes, including:
- ICPHSO’s Annual Symposium in Orlando, Regional Summit at Amazon HQ in Seattle, and International Conference in Brussels
- Global From Asia’s China Business Workshop in Miami, Cross Border Summit in Shenzhen, and Product Sourcing Summit in Yiwu
- The National LGBT Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC) International Business & Leadership Conference in Philadelphia
- Supplier Community’s Amazon Sellers Conference in Branson, MO
- The American Home Furnishing Association (AHFA) Regulatory Summit in Colfax, NC
In addition, we received great feedback from importers and aspiring importers on our blog content this year. With the aim of helping them accomplish their business goals, we wrote a number of posts discussing the latest trends and providing our best tips for sourcing and quality control.
Here were our top 5 most-viewed posts in 2018:
- Quality Inspection Checklists: How to Create Them (Feb 23)
- How do You Find the Best Suppliers for Amazon FBA? (May 25)
- How to Manage Quality Control for Amazon FBA (May 7)
- How to Develop Good Product Quality Standards and Identify Defects (Jan 22)
- This is Why You Need to Clearly Define Your Product Specifications (Feb 3)
In 2019 we’ll aim to keep you in the loop on any major changes happening in the industry and to keep providing useful content that will help you stay on top of the matters that affect your business the most.
In closing, we would like to thank you for following us this year, whether you’re a current customer, a manufacturer, or just someone with an interest in what we have to say.
Thank you for your support and friendship, and here’s to a successful 2019!
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