Six Reasons Why My Trip to China Was Amazing!

I’ve just come back from a jam-packed trip to China. During the trip, I visited our current manufacturers, explored other manufacturing options and attended a trade fair to sniff out the latest technology. 

Joseph asked me yesterday why I felt my trip to China was “amazing”. I love his Germanic bluntness and exquisite mind; it makes you step back and dive deeper into the meaning of the words you use. So, to back up my statement, I thought about it and came up with some reasons why it was amazing.

Reason number one: I gained an increased sense of confidence in our manufacturers

During my visits to various manufacturing plants, I saw the machinery, the assembly lines, the testing stations and the research and development departments. Before this trip, I had to trust the information via online communication. Witnessing the level of professionalism and quality control first-hand has brought me a newfound sense of confidence in our products. 

After purchasing the business, I received calls from customers who had issues with the product. "Oh no, what have I sold them?", was my initial response. However, on every occasion, the problem ended up being in the installation process. Through experience, I eventually became more confident in the products, but this visit has catapulted me into a place of deeper understanding, having experienced the manufacturing process first-hand. 

Reason number two: I got a feel for all the global products available

I visited a gigantic trade fair and got to play with and explore so many filtration and hydrogen-focused systems. I had been researching some of these systems online but was surprised by the scale and weight of them in reality. 

I now have a better understanding of common moulds used for various filters, which offer a better user experience and gained a sense of which products and systems sell best in different countries.

Reason number three: manufacturer's bias

My biggest takeaway from the trip was that each manufacturer is biased about the products they produce and that Ionza's role is to be the gatekeeper of quality, authenticity and assurance. 

I visited some manufacturers that produce both old and new technology. When I asked them why they still made the older, less superior products, they responded with a general statement about how they will continue to produce things while people continue to buy them. I understand this from a business perspective. If you make a product line that sells, why change? Morally, I’m confused. It's good to keep the old housing people have already invested in, but on the other hand, why continue to sell the old housing when better, more effective solutions are available at the same price?  It seems like a lazy business model that is money-led rather than mission-led. It's not for me to judge, however. From Ionza's perspective, we can commit to selling only the latest technology because we haven't invested in machinery. I'm sure this is a trap for many industries.

I now better understand manufacturing and why several companies claim to make the same product. Many agents resell from manufacturers and claim to be the manufacturer without hesitation. After reading China in Ten Words, I better appreciate why these twisted truths are not a big deal in China. This takeout is a bit off-topic for the Ionza brand and would be a separate blog on its own; nonetheless, it was pivotal in my newfound appreciation of how they do business in China.  

Reason number four: the people 

I didn’t realise I had an assumption of what Chinese people would be like, but I must have because the people were the most surprising element of the trip for me. The Chinese are the most hospitable, authentic people I have ever experienced. Many spoke good English and made us feel like relatives off the bat. You may wonder how I can talk about manufacturer bias and then call the people the most authentic I have met. I think the reason for this contradiction comes from the translation process. It's difficult to translate English to Chinese and vice versa. But you'll find the people are unreservedly authentic in what they share if you can ask your questions using the appropriate words.

Reason number five: our new products

Another exciting part of the trip was checking out the new product lines we'll be releasing soon. One is our new Hydrogen Bottle (The most attractive bottle on the market — if I say so myself!) When exploring the manufacturing facilities, I noticed one of the most famous brands, backed by Gary Brecka. Like ours, it's the highest spec, top quality bottle. Discovering that Gary Brecka’s standards align with Ionza's filled me with confidence that we were on the right track. 

Reason number six: luck or vibrational resonance

Ionza isn't comparable to other filtration companies like plumbing or general appliances. We're more aligned with natural health supplements, in my opinion. Because of this, I'm forever working through communication and education ideas so we can better serve the people who need us. 

When searching for inspiration for our website and marketing online, I couldn't find another filtration brand or company that matched us completely. I did, however, discover a couple whose ethos I found inspiring. One of these companies was also at the trade fair, and I just happened to strike up a conversation with them, only to learn that we were incredibly aligned; this dissolved any impostor syndrome I had left in my system and gave me a newfound perspective of the industry and how well-suited I am with the people within it.