Private labeling is loved for how it streamlines the manufacturing process. It makes it much easier, not to mention faster, to go from idea to finished product. It’s particularly beneficial for those who have little to no experience in manufacturing.
With that said, there are still several different steps involved in the private label production process. If you’re looking to speed up the journey from concept to shelf even further, keep reading as FLPL shares some expert tips.
Always Start With Market Research
If you want your private label production process to run as smoothly as possible, market research needs to be the first step that you take. Take your time with this. The information that you gather at this stage will significantly influence every step of your private label journey.
You probably already have some idea as to the type of product you want to create. Delve into that idea further, identifying any gaps in the market that haven’t yet been fully explored by other brands. Speaking to your target audience will give you great insight into which of their needs aren’t being met by other products. Take note of the various trends in your chosen niche too. Although your products shouldn’t be completely reliant on these, they’re a great way to decipher the direction in which the industry is going.
Competitor research is crucial at this point as well. You may think that you have a unique idea, but if that product already exists, you’re going to need to find an additional way for yours to stand out.
Know What You Want to Create
Once you’ve done plenty of market research, you should be able to hone in on your original idea even further to better identify the types of private label products you want to create. While any precise details can only be confirmed once you’ve chosen your private label manufacturer, knowing more about what you actually want to manufacture will make it much easier to pick the right manufacturer.
Now that you’ve done your market research, this shouldn’t be too difficult. Say, for example, you already knew that you wanted to produce a range of skincare products. If your market research has taught you that there’s a gap in the market for products designed for dry skin, chances are that you’ll be focusing on creams and other rich products that can help to counter dryness. Once you know this, you’ll be able to find a private label manufacturer that specializes in creating those types of products.
Find the Right Private Label Manufacturer
With private label manufacturing now more popular than ever, there’s definitely not a shortage of private label manufacturers out there! However, it’s important to remember that each one will have its own specialty. If you want your products to succeed, it’s crucial that you pick a private label manufacturer who has plenty of experience in your chosen niche.
Usually, a private label manufacturer will make it clear what they do and don’t specialize in. At FLPL, for example, we focus on beauty and wellness. We can create a variety of products related to this sector, from skincare to hair care to aromatherapy.
Once you’ve found some private label manufacturers that know your niche well, look into each one in more detail. Scour those websites, read plenty of reviews, and check out the brands that they’ve worked with in the past. This is the best way to ensure that the private label manufacturer you choose is a credible company. After all, your products deserve the very best!
Think of Branding at Every Step
Every successful brand out there has its own distinct identity. This is created through branding. It encompasses a variety of different elements, each one playing a role in differentiating your brand from the many others out there.
Some of the more tangible aspects of branding, like your logo, don’t need to be finalized just yet. However, branding is still something that you should be thinking about at every step of your private label journey. Decide on the type of brand you want to be and the values you want to uphold. This will influence so many of your business decisions, from the ingredients that you use in the products you create to how you plan on packaging your products.
Leaving branding as an afterthought is a surprisingly common mistake. If you want your branding to be fully cohesive, it needs to be intertwined in everything that you do.
Decide How You Want to Approach Packaging
Of course, creating showstopping products isn’t going to be enough. You’ll also need to create the packaging that they’re going to be sold in.
This is something that a good private label manufacturer will help you with. At FLPL, we have a variety of packaging options that our clients can choose from. Whether you want to go high-end with sleek glass or keep it low-key and sustainable with cardboard, we’ll ensure that the packaging you pick is perfectly suited to the products that you create. After all, not only does your packaging need to align with your brand’s values, but it also needs to keep your products safe! Sure, a sleek, transparent glass bottle for your vitamin C serum may look the part. However, if it means that your serum will deteriorate faster because it’s exposed to light, then this isn’t going to see your brand to success.
While your private label manufacturer should advise you on these details, having some packaging knowledge beforehand will help you to streamline this part of the private label production process.
Establish a Launch Timeline
One of the benefits of private label manufacturing is that you’re able to hand over the manufacturing aspect of your products to a company with plenty of experience in this area. While this may take a big weight off your shoulders, there is still so much that you’ll need to think about before your products can be taken to market. This is where a launch timeline can be really useful. It’s essentially a visual roadmap that will help you and your team to stay on track throughout the entire process.
To create this timeline, you’ll need to identify all of the various steps that have to be carried out before you launch your products. From product development to marketing campaigns, each major task should be broken down into smaller segments. These can then be assigned to different individuals, along with deadlines that ensure that everything will be completed by the proposed launch date.
Plan Your Supply Chain
A solid supply chain is a must if you want your products, as well as your business, to succeed. Your supply chain encompasses the entire network of people and resources that are involved in creating your products.
Your private label manufacturer will form a large component of this supply chain. From sourcing raw materials to the actual manufacturing process, these segments of the chain will all be managed by your private label manufacturer.
In many cases, your private label manufacturer will also help with logistics once your products have been manufactured. This can make life much easier, especially if your goods have been produced overseas. It’s so easy for a small disruption to interfere with the rest of a supply chain.
However, once you have your products in your hands, the rest of your supply chain will be down to you. This includes getting those products to your customers. Planning as much of this in advance as possible will help to speed up the whole process.
Ask for Help When Needed
Nobody knows everything. If you’re entering into a market that’s new to you, then there’s a good chance that there will be some gaps in your knowledge. There’s nothing wrong with this, so long as you’re willing to learn. However, learning can take precious time, which your business may not have. When this is the case, being comfortable asking for help is crucial.
Reaching out for help is something that many don’t like to do. However, this is something that could really make or break your business. Learn to lean on others who have the knowledge and experience that you’re lacking. Further down the line, once you have more experience of your own, you can then pass this on by helping another new business get started.
Be Ready to Start Selling
Once you have your finished products, it’s important to start selling as soon as possible. The last thing that you want is for your stock to be stuck in a warehouse for several months because you haven’t yet established your sales channels. Do this from before, so that you can start moving your products as soon as they’re ready.
When it comes to picking the best sales channels, this is something that your market research will help with. If you’ve spoken to your target audience, you’ll know exactly how they prefer to purchase products.
With that said, in this day and age, selling online is important. It’s usually expected of most brands. While there are plenty of third-party marketplaces you could join, there’s nothing quite like selling directly to customers via your own e-commerce website. Yes, it can take a while to set this up and efficiently manage it, but it usually pays off. Some private label manufacturers, like FLPL, will even help you to establish and run an e-commerce store. This will take yet another hassle off your shoulders!
Summary
Compared to traditional manufacturing, the private label production process is already pretty streamlined. However, follow the tips that we’ve shared above, and you’ll be able to enhance that even further. This will ensure that your private label journey is as efficient as possible.
Click here to get in contact with FLPL to find out more about the private label services we offer.
