Factory questions
and expectations

Slow replies are the single most common complaint, and almost always a mismatch of expectation rather than neglect. Shops are on the floor, not in the inbox.

A shared inbox means nobody owns your project. On your side, the factory needs one decision-maker — approvals by committee is how sampling stretches by months.

Anything under two weeks usually means they already have a similar block. Over six weeks usually means it’s queued behind production.

Almost every first-timer needs more rounds than they budgeted. Knowing what’s billable stops the surprise invoice and stops you rushing an approval you’re not happy with.

Sampling is priced as skilled one-off labour, not as a fraction of a production unit. A sample costing more than a production unit is normal, not a markup.

This is a one-time cost that belongs spread across the run, and it’s the line most first budgets leave out entirely.

Full package means they buy and you pay a margin on it. CMT means you buy, ship it in, and carry the risk if it’s short. Neither is wrong. Both being assumed is.

Fabric is usually the longest pole and the one nobody schedules around. A knit-to-order program can be longer than the entire production run.

The clock starts when fabric lands, not when you place the order. Confirm which one they mean or your dates will be weeks out.

You will not receive exactly the number you ordered. That’s normal in cut and sew. Knowing the tolerance protects your unit costing and your size run.

Some percentage of any run is unsellable. Price it in rather than discovering it at receiving, and agree now what happens to seconds.

The most important line in the whole conversation. Milestone splits are common and fine. Full payment up front, especially to a personal account, is where money disappears.