FAQs

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General

  • We assess projects holistically and don't adhere to a strict MOQ. Our approach prioritizes your requirement in balance with sustainability and manufacturing considerations, ensuring minimal overproduction and waste while meeting your quantity preferences.

  • While we don't specialize in specific industries, our past projects span various sectors such as home goods, hospitality, music, art, culture, design, beauty, merchandising, and packaging. We're adaptable and ready to tackle diverse challenges.

  • Custom manufacturing means designing a product from the ground up - choosing every component, material, and feature to create something truly unique. Unlike sourcing from catalogs or modifying stock items, we specialize in bringing fully custom designs to life, often developing new molds, tools, and production processes to make it happen. If you have a product idea or a finished design that requires a completely bespoke approach, we’re the team to help you navigate every step - from refining the design for production to sourcing the right factory. This approach gives you complete creative control, allowing you to craft products that stand out in the market, rather than relying on merch blanks or simply printing your logo on something that already exists.

  • As we specialize in bespoke products across various industries and materials, we don't maintain a standard product catalogue.

  • We have the capability to source and manufacture globally, taking into account product requirements, workmanship, and production location preferences. We also accommodate domestic manufacturing requests. Please specify your preference when making an inquiry.

    We are committed to fair trade practices, ensuring no exploitation of workers or natural resources, and we only work with ethical factories.

  • No, we maintain independence from factory affiliations, allowing us to prioritize your product quality, pricing, and location preferences while ensuring production continuity. We work on your behalf, not any factory’s.

  • When you choose Arvam over a traditional agent or production house, you’re opting for a partner that is fully dedicated to your needs. From the moment of your first inquiry, you’ll be working with a dedicated account manager who provides personalized guidance throughout the entire process—from concept development to final delivery. Unlike agents tied to specific factories or industries, we remain flexible, offering unbiased sourcing and production options tailored specifically to your project.

    Our diverse expertise spans various industries, products, and materials, giving us the ability to manage complex, multi-faceted projects rather than focusing on a narrow range of services or singular factory. Whether you’re looking for creative direction, sustainable manufacturing solutions, or end-to-end production management, we ensure every detail is taken care of, so you can concentrate on your core business goals.

    At Arvam, we prioritize adaptability and tailor our approach to each client’s unique requirements. We are committed to delivering high-quality, bespoke products that meet your exact specifications while offering the personal attention and flexibility that larger agents or traditional production houses simply can’t match.

  • With outposts in Hong Kong 🏮, Beijing 🐉, and the Northern Rivers 🌊, we are strategically positioned to efficiently oversee productions, provide dedicated account management, and stay close to our primary production hubs in Asia where our presence is needed most. These geographical locations give us the ability and contacts to work with smaller, lesser-known factories to secure better rates, offer product and material flexibility, and access a diverse range of skills. This close proximity to both emerging and established markets ensures we can provide responsive, high-quality support to meet the unique needs of our global clients.

    While Asia remains our primary production hub, we serve a global clientele and collaborate with suppliers worldwide. Our founder, a UK native with over 20 years of living-in-China experience under her belt, brings a unique combination of local expertise and deep insight into Western markets, consumer expectations, and cultural nuances. This blend of on-the-ground production oversight and international market understanding allows us to effectively cater to the diverse needs of our clients around the world.

  • No, we never do. We believe in providing the best value and quality to our customers, which is why we don't source from Alibaba. While Alibaba might seem convenient, most listings on Alibaba are not from actual factories but from sales teams of large companies and traders who can afford to invest in the platform requirements (e.g., platform fees, gold-tier status, analytics, fake reviews, etc.). Have you seen what those fees are?! They're crazy expensive.

    Instead, we work directly with production-only factories. These factories are not available on Alibaba and focus solely on production without sales departments or marketing teams. This approach eliminates unnecessary costs associated with business development teams, Alibaba fees, and sales commissions that are typically passed on to the buyer. It has taken us a long time to find, build, and develop our relationships with these factories on the ground, but we can then ensure you get fair pricing and high-quality production.

Projects & Process

  • Developing custom products from scratch is what we do best. We specialize in bringing unique ideas to life, often creating new molds, tools, and processes. While not every concept is feasible, we excel at problem-solving—finding the right materials, refining designs, and sourcing the best factory. In our initial consultation, we’ll assess your vision, budget, and timeline to determine the best path forward.

  • We understand that tariffs and trade restrictions can impact your costs and supply chain. If you're concerned about tariffs on goods from certain countries, we can help you explore alternative sourcing options. Our extensive supplier network allows us to identify manufacturers that align with your quality, budget, and logistical needs while mitigating tariff concerns. Let us know your priorities, and we’ll find the best solution for you.

  • Certainly! We can take over your existing supplier base and manage the manufacturing process on your behalf, such projects will be discussed as consulting gigs.

  • We have extensive experience working with a wide range of materials, including but not limited to paper, cardboard, woods, plastics, clays, ceramics, rubbers and silicones, metals, and textiles. Our versatility allows us to accommodate various project requirements and specifications.

  • We provide a range of flexible service arrangements and packages to meet your specific needs. Our core offering is end-to-end manufacturing, where we manage every aspect of the production process. In addition, we offer consulting services to support your projects with strategic insights and guidance.

    While we typically work on a per-project basis, we also offer customizable options to suit different levels of engagement:

    • In-residence services for deeper, hands-on collaboration.

    • Monthly or yearly retainers for ongoing support and long-term partnerships.

    • Hourly services for more targeted, short-term needs.

    This flexibility allows us to tailor our approach to your business, ensuring you get the right level of support for any project, big or small.

  • Our end to end service entails:

    • Consultation

    • Sourcing

    • Factory identification & validation

    • Quoting and price negotiation with factories

    • Product Development

    • Prototyping/Sampling and Tooling

    • Pre-production preparation and pre-press management

    • Production management

    • Risk management

    • Project management

    • Factory liaison & comms

    • Local language translation of all documents & requirements

    • Quality Control (and Testing if needed)

    • Co-packing organization (if needed)

    • Logistics

  • Our process starts with a brief consultation to understand your needs. If we have enough information, we provide a free initial project estimate. If not, we can support you in your development and enter the development phase to refine your concept and provide pricing. Next, there is usually some further product development and consultations required before we move to sample the goods. Once final samples are approved, our operations team handles production and delivery to ensure a smooth process.

    • Discovery: We start by understanding your goals, challenges, and project needs.

    • Analysis & Strategy: We analyze your project and create a customized plan based on your objectives.

    • Tailored Solutions: We offer specific recommendations that align with your vision and goals.

    • Implementation: We help guide the process, ensuring everything runs smoothly from start to finish.

    • Ongoing Support: After implementation, we stay available for evaluation and any necessary adjustments.

  • To get started, contact us at hello@arvam.studio or through our contact page. Please include details such as the product(s) you wish to create, your target launch date, desired pricing/budget, production quantity goals, and specific requirements like materials, dimensions, thickness, and any drawings or sample photos. The more information you provide, the more accurate our quote can be.

    For a more streamlined process, please use our detailed project form available here , which helps avoid initial back-and-forth emails and identifies necessary preparations for pricing.

  • Lead times vary depending on the product(s) and project, ranging from 20 to 80 days. For example, packaging production typically involves the following steps:

    • Sampling: 15-20 days per round

    • Production: 20-35 days

    • Air freight: 7-10 days

    • Sea freight: 4-8 weeks

    Production and sampling only begin after the relevant payments are made AND once all details are finalized and approved by you.

    For production, the lead time starts once the pre-production samples are approved and the deposit payment is received.

  • Absolutely! The majority of our productions are recurring but we are also happy to help on limited edition/one-off productions as well.

  • Lead time for reorders are very similar to the initial production time. Packaging projects, for example, will take about 25-40 days for production.

  • For general products, you can choose recyclable, biodegradable, or long-lasting materials. Design to minimize waste, and reduce unnecessary features. For packaging products, opt for FSC-certified paper stocks and avoid finishes involving plastic to ensure recyclability (e.g. laminates, foils).

  • We are committed to sustainability and offer a variety of eco-friendly options, including recycled materials, FSC-certified papers, traceable textiles, and biodegradable alternatives. Let us know your sustainability goals, and we'll work together to find the best solution for your project.

  • We do not sell or share your custom designs or artwork with our other clients. To ensure confidentiality, we can sign a non-disclosure agreement, guaranteeing that we will not share your designs with our other clients. We do of course, need to share designs with third-party factories to get the products made. We can facilitate non-disclosure agreements with suppliers for bespoke products. Additionally, we can assist with IP registration to safeguard your unique products. Please ask us about this if you would like support in this area.  

Shipping

  • We offer global shipping and can even split your shipment across air and sea, delivering to various locations on different dates if needed.

  • Absolutely. We can ship your order to multiple destinations using various shipping methods and schedules.

Payments

  • All our initial quotes are free of charge.

    If you require our standard end-to-end production services, our rates are typically embedded into the production unit price. However, we can discuss alternative payment structure options at the outset of the project if required (i.e. not having our rates embedded into the unit price).

    Consulting projects are charged separately on a per-project basis, with any unit costs based on factory cost price (if this is your preference).

    Across all projects of any type, all samples, mould fees, testing, additional quality control requests, and freight charges are billed at cost price.

    Alternative payment structures, such as retainers, can also be discussed.

  • We understand the significance of adhering to budget constraints. Whether it's a small or large-scale endeavour, we aim to align with your financial targets. For manufacturing projects, we aim to achieve target unit pricing whenever feasible. By sharing your budget, we'll customize our approach and offer material, product, and design suggestions to ensure we meet your financial parameters as effectively.

  • The cost of sampling depends on your product and specifications. We will provide the sampling fee during the quoting stage. All samples are billed at cost price.