When you’re launching a new brand, choosing the right manufacturers can feel like playing whack-a-mole. You might have an exceptional look for your packaging that a supplier can’t match. But if they don’t have the in-house expertise or resources to run it through their production process consistently and at a competitive price, they won’t be able to deliver on your specifications. With so many considerations before selecting a private label partner, you might be questioning whether it’s worth investing time and money into sourcing your production partners. Fortunately, once you know how to select the right manufacturer for your brand, the rewards will outweigh the expense. A quality partner will drive efficiency within your supply chain while maintaining competitive pricing from day one. The following tips can help you identify which cosmetic private label manufacturers are right for your brand and supply chain:
Talk to your Brand’s Stakeholders
Launching a brand can be exciting, but it also comes with a lot of planning and work. This is especially true for new brands. As you begin to plan for your launch and market, you’ll want to keep your stakeholders in mind. Starting the process by speaking with your team, partners, and customers can reveal gaps in your plan that you might miss. If you’re missing key stakeholders in your planning and plan to launch a new brand, you’ll be able to identify their concerns and address them before they become issues.
Evaluate the Manufacturing Capabilities of Prospective Partners
Choosing the right private label manufacturer for your brand is to evaluate their capabilities. It’s important to ensure that the manufacturer has the resources and expertise to produce your product to your specifications and within your desired timeframe. Here are some specific factors to consider when evaluating a manufacturer’s capabilities:
Production capacity: Make sure the manufacturer can produce the number of products you need within your desired timeframe. Ask about their current production levels, their ability to scale up production, and any potential bottlenecks that may affect production.
Lead time: Ask the manufacturer about their lead times for producing and delivering products. Make sure their lead times align with your needs, and that they can provide clear timelines for production and delivery.
Look for Partners Experienced with Your Target Audience
One of the best ways to determine which best private label makeup manufacturers are right for your brand is to look for partners that have experience designing and creating packaging for your target audience. If you’re launching a gym-oriented brand, you don’t want to partner with a wine company that produces private-label packaging for all demographics. Similarly, you don’t want to partner with a coffee company that also produces private-label products for all demographics. It’s important to partner with private label manufacturers that have experience designing and creating private label products for the demographics of your brand. This will allow you to design products that are consistent with your brand attributes, while also providing the best price for your customers.
Check their certifications
Choosing the right private label manufacturer for your brand is to check their certifications. Certifications are important because they demonstrate that the manufacturer has met certain standards for quality, safety, and environmental responsibility.
Here are some common certifications that private label manufacturers may have:
ISO certification: This is a set of international standards that cover quality management, environmental management, and occupational health and safety. ISO certification indicates that the manufacturer has established a system to ensure consistent quality and a commitment to continuous improvement.
GMP certification: Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) is a set of guidelines for ensuring that products are consistently produced and controlled according to quality standards. GMP certification is particularly important for manufacturers of food, dietary supplements, and pharmaceuticals.
FDA registration: If you’re working with a manufacturer that produces food, drugs, medical devices, or cosmetics that are sold in the US, they must be registered with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). FDA registration ensures that the manufacturer complies with FDA regulations for safety and labeling.
Ask for in-Depth Samples
Custom product label printing manufacturers might send samples of their packaging to evaluate production capabilities, but you’ll want to request samples with your brand’s logo and design on them. Depending on the manufacturer, you may also be able to request samples with a similar color scheme and style. Samples will allow you to test the production capabilities of your potential partners. You can use samples to make sure that the paper, ink, and finish used on your packaging will work for the printer you’ll be using. You can also test the fit and finish of the box to make sure that it’s consistently created on each run.
Negotiate a Contract Before finalizing your partnership
While you’ll want to negotiate a contract before finalizing your partnership with a private label manufacturer, you can negotiate terms that don’t change the terms of your contract. As you’re negotiating terms, you can negotiate terms that are specific to your contract. For example, you can negotiate an initial order minimum or other terms that don’t apply to the deal but will help you with your supply chain. Negotiating terms that don’t affect your contract or terms that are specific to your contract won’t reduce the amount of time it takes for your partnership to close and will still help you identify potential private-label partners.
Wrapping up
When you partner with a private label manufacturer, you’ll have more flexibility in design. This means that you’ll be able to create a range of private-label products that match the design, price, and branding of your brand. Remember, private label partners are more likely to have the capacity to produce your brand, so it’s important to partner with a private label manufacturer that can meet demand, maintain competitive pricing, and deliver on your timeline. Private label partners offer flexibility and choice to your customers. By partnering with a private label manufacturer, your customers can receive the products that best meet their needs, while also receiving competitive pricing. These are some tips that can help you select the right private-label manufacturers for your brand.
