Factory-direct sourcing, taught by someone who actually does it

Stop paying showroom prices. Buy from the factory.

I source company swag, business supplies, and the windows, doors and flooring for whole-house remodels directly from China. These guides show you exactly how — step by step, no agent, no middleman.

Get the Starter Guide — $37 How it works

Instant PDF download · Written for first-timers · Built from real orders, not theory · Construction Guide coming soon

2guides, one method — from tote bags to a 40-foot container
$150k+the kind of savings a full remodel or build can reach when you source right
12chapters each, with checklists and copy-paste message templates
0sourcing agents, brokers' markups or "insider" fees required
How it works

The same three moves, whether it's 200 tumblers or a house.

Buying direct isn't complicated. It's a sequence, and the mistakes people make all come from skipping a step or being vague. The guide makes every step explicit.

STEP 1 — FIND & VET

Pick a real factory, not a storefront.

How to read a listing, what the badges actually mean, the 10-point vetting check, and the red flags that mean walk away.

STEP 2 — SPEC & SAMPLE

Write it so it can't come back wrong.

Specs in numbers, not adjectives. Samples every time. Approved shop drawings for anything with a dimension. Message templates included.

STEP 3 — PAY, SHIP & LAND

Protect your money and get it to your door.

Trade Assurance, inspections before the balance, freight and customs demystified — with a landed-cost worksheet so there are no surprises.

What you can source

Almost everything in a house — priced the right way.

Some categories are a clean win. Others carry extra duties you price in before you order. The Construction Guide (coming soon) shows you how to run the numbers on every one of them; the Starter Guide teaches the process that makes all of it possible.

For your business

  • Branded apparel
  • Hats & beanies
  • Tumblers & bottles
  • Tote bags
  • Custom packaging
  • Signage
  • Shelving & fixtures
  • Private-label products

Starter Guide territory. Low risk, big savings vs. domestic promo vendors.

For your remodel or build

  • Windows
  • Pivot & sliding doors
  • SPC / LVP flooring
  • Lighting
  • Faucets & showers
  • Tubs & sinks
  • Natural stone slabs
  • Glass railings
  • Hardware

Where the five- and six-figure savings live. Codes, ratings and container freight covered.

Price these first

  • Cabinets & vanities
  • Quartz countertops
  • Tile
  • Engineered hardwood
  • Interior doors
  • Plywood

These carry extra antidumping duties from China, and the rate depends on the factory you pick. The guide shows you how to find the low-rate exporters and run the landed math so they still pencil.

The guide

Start here. Thirty-seven dollars.

A PDF you download instantly and read in an evening — the exact process I use for every order, from company swag to a first real product. The Construction Guide for remodels and builds is on its way; grab the Starter Guide now and you'll hear first.

Available now

Buy Direct From China Without Getting Burned

For anyone ordering company swag, business supplies or a first product — and who wants to do it safely.

  • Alibaba vs. AliExpress vs. 1688, and who's actually a factory
  • The 10-point supplier vetting check and red flags
  • Samples, negotiation scripts and MOQ tactics
  • Trade Assurance and the payment rules I never break
  • Express vs. air vs. sea, duties, and what DDP means for you
  • The swag playbook: what I've sourced, what worked, with real photos
  • My first-message template and a glossary of every term you'll hit
$37one-time · 29-page PDF
Get the Starter Guide

Instant download after checkout.

Coming soon

Source Your Remodel or Build Direct From China

For owner-builders, remodelers, flippers and small builders ready to bring in a container of windows, doors, flooring and fixtures.

  • Category-by-category guide — what's a clean win, and how to price the extra-duty categories so they still work
  • What your building inspector will ask for: NFRC, UL, cUPC, safety glazing, egress
  • Spec packs, window & door schedules, shop-drawing approval
  • Factory audits, inspections and payment milestones at scale
  • Freight forwarders, LCL vs. FCL, crating and delivery day
  • Customs brokers, the tariff stack and a full landed-cost worksheet
  • A 9-month project timeline, budget worksheet and every template
SoonStarter Guide buyers get first access and a launch discount
Tell me when it's out

Follow along on Instagram and TikTok — I'm posting the whole process while I finish it.

Chloe Zollinger
About

Hi, I'm Chloe.

I co-own a screen printing and embroidery shop and help run a rural internet provider in Idaho — which means I've spent years buying equipment, blanks and promotional products from factories in China because it was the only way the numbers worked.

When it came time to remodel, I priced windows and flooring locally, did the math, and ordered a container instead. That project is why these guides exist. I'm not a sourcing agent and I'm not selling you a course with a community and a monthly fee. I wrote down exactly what I do, so you can do it too.

— Chloe

Questions

Things people ask before they buy.

Is it actually safe to buy from Alibaba?

Yes, if you follow the rules: verified suppliers, samples, full specs in the order, and payment only through Alibaba's Trade Assurance. Nearly every "I got scammed" story involves someone paying outside the platform. The guide makes those rules impossible to miss.

Will imported windows and fixtures pass inspection?

They will if they carry the right ratings and labels — NFRC for windows, UL or ETL for lighting, cUPC for plumbing, tempered-glass marks, and so on. The Construction Guide, coming soon, has a chapter on exactly what to require from the factory and how to verify it before you pay.

Don't the tariffs kill the savings?

No — they shrink them on some categories, and you plan for it. Windows, doors, flooring, lighting and fixtures are so far below retail at the factory that the full tariff stack barely dents the savings. Cabinets, quartz and tile carry extra antidumping duties whose rate depends on the factory, so the guide shows you how to find the low-rate exporters and get the exact number from a customs broker before you order.

Do I need a sourcing agent or a freight forwarder?

No agent. Yes, a freight forwarder and a customs broker for a container — they're inexpensive, and the guide tells you how to hire and brief them. For small orders by express courier, the courier handles customs for you.

How long does it take?

A small swag order: about six weeks from first message to delivery. A whole-house window and door package by ocean: plan six to nine months ahead. Both guides include timelines.

What format is the guide?

A PDF e-book, delivered instantly after checkout. Read it on any device.

When is the Construction Guide coming?

It's written and being finished now — windows, doors, flooring, container freight, customs, codes. Starter Guide buyers get first access and a launch discount, and I'm posting the process on Instagram and TikTok in the meantime.

Can I get a refund?

Because they're digital downloads, all sales are final — but if something in a guide is wrong or out of date, email me and I'll make it right.

Ready?

The factory will sell to you. Let me show you how to ask.

Thirty-seven dollars, one evening of reading, and your next swag order costs a third of what it did.

Get the Starter Guide — $37