With private label manufacturing becoming increasingly popular, the number of companies that offer this service has drastically risen. In some ways, this is great – more choice for you! However, all those options can also make it harder to know how to pick the right partner – a decision that could make or break the success of your business.
Fortunately, that’s something that FLPL can help with! As you embark on your search, ask yourself the following questions about each private label manufacturer that you encounter and you’ll have no problems picking the perfect match for your business.
Do They Specialize in Your Niche?
Private label manufacturing is utilized by so many different industries. From food to automobiles to cosmetics, private labeled products are more prevalent than ever. This means that most private label manufacturers now specialize in certain industries and niches, and you need one with plenty of knowledge about yours. After all, you wouldn’t really trust a manufacturer who specializes in producing footwear to take control of manufacturing your aromatherapy line.
At FLPL, our specialty is beauty and wellness. Sure, other private label manufacturers may also offer services in this niche but very few of them can compete with the wide product range that we can work with. Whether you’re looking to create high-end skincare products, budget-friendly hair styling tools, or cutting-edge male grooming products, we’ll have you covered!
How Much Experience Do They Have?
A focus on your niche isn’t enough – the private label manufacturer that you partner with should also have plenty of experience in that niche. It’s all too easy for a company to say that they’re able to do something, but where’s the proof?
One way to figure out just how much experience a private label manufacturer has is by taking a look at their track record. Explore the different brands that they’ve worked with in the past and check out the types of products that they’ve created together. At FLPL, you’ll notice that we’ve worked with a huge variety of brands over the years, producing some truly spectacular products. From luxury skincare to state-of-the-art hair care, we have a depth of experience in our field and your brand will undoubtedly benefit from this.
Do They Have a Dedicated R&D Team?
The beauty of working with a private label manufacturer is that they’ll be on hand to guide you through the entire manufacturing process. This should begin with research and development. Sure, you’ll have your own ideas on how this should go but your private label manufacturer should have strong skills when it comes to developing and formulating innovative products. If they don’t have a quality R&D team, then your products will likely end up very similar to others that they’ve produced in the past as they won’t have the ability to properly differentiate them.
It’s also crucial to ensure that the R&D team stays abreast of industry trends. They need to have access to the latest research, studies, and knowledge. This way, they’ll be able to help your brand stay one step ahead of the competition.
Is Quality a Priority?
It goes without saying that quality is everything. Unfortunately, not all private label manufacturers would agree. Many of them prefer to cut corners on quality in an attempt to save on costs, and many businesses are perfectly happy with this.
However, in this day and age, consumers want more. They’re not going to be satisfied with low-quality products that break or fail after just a few uses. Instead, they want products that will stand the test of time. This is what will earn your business the good reputation that you need.
How do you know if your private label manufacturer prioritizes quality? Check for a good manufacturing practices (GMP) certification. This means that they’ll adhere to industry standards and guidelines throughout their manufacturing process. They should be implementing quality control measures at every stage to ensure that quality is consistently high.
Will They Help With Packaging and Label Design Too?
While your primary focus may be on the products that you’re about to create, you also need to turn your attention to packaging and label design. After all, you won’t be able to do much with your products if you don’t have the packaging to put them in!
If this service isn’t offered by your private label manufacturer, you’ll need to work with a separate company on this. It’s much easier, as well as cheaper, to find a private label manufacturer that will help with packaging and label design too. This is exactly what FLPL does. You’ll be able to choose from a wide range of packaging components and materials so that the packaging that we produce will be perfectly cohesive with your brand and the products that you’ve created.
What Other Services Do They Offer?
Finding a private label manufacturer that will help you with packaging and label design is useful, but some take things even further by offering other services too. Take FLPL, for example. Our art and marketing team will be at your disposal to help you put together attention-grabbing branding and marketing materials. Whether you need a new logo, some clever advertising ideas, or an entire marketing campaign, we can help.
Once your products have been manufactured and shipped, we can assist you when it comes to sales too. If e-commerce isn’t your strong point, leave things to us. We can set up an online store for you and help you to run it. Alternatively, we can also guide you in setting up a physical brick-and-mortar store if this is the route that you’d prefer to take.
What are the Minimum Order Quantities?
A minimum order quantity refers to the minimum number of products that can be produced in a single batch. Every private label manufacturer will have a specified minimum order quantity. This means that they won’t be able to manufacture your products unless you’ve ordered at least that amount.
When working with a private label manufacturer, minimum order quantities tend to be lower than if you were working directly with a factory. With that said, they can still vary greatly and this could have a huge impact on your business. Say, for example, your budget will only allow for you to produce 5000 pieces of each product. You need a private label manufacturer that can work with this, such as FLPL, rather than one that requires you to place an order in the tens of thousands.
Where Will Your Products Be Manufactured?
At first, where your products are manufactured may not seem like a big deal. So long as they’re manufactured correctly, then why does it matter where this takes place?
Interestingly, this is something that more and more consumers care about. In the USA, for example, 70% of people believe that it’s important to buy American-made goods. Doesn’t this cost more than using factories based in other parts of the world? Yes, but this may not matter quite as much as you’d think. 83.2% of consumers claim that they would be happy to pay up to 20% more for a product that has been produced within the USA.
Don’t get us wrong – this doesn’t apply to every single product from every industry. However, at FLPL, we give you the option of having your products manufactured in either the USA or Asia. Therefore, if manufacturing location is something that your target audience cares about, you’ll be able to pick the most appropriate option.
What is Their Production Capacity?
If you’re a small business, you may be drawn to small private label manufacturers rather than larger companies. There’s nothing wrong with this but it’s also important that you keep your future plans in mind…
If all goes well, it hopefully won’t be long before your business starts to grow and expand. You may suddenly need to jump from producing 5000 pieces a month to 20,000 pieces a month. If your private label manufacturer isn’t able to accommodate this, you’ll be left with a huge headache to deal with. You’ll then need to make the move to a new private label manufacturer. This is the last thing you need when business suddenly starts booming.
To avoid this, make sure that the private label manufacturer you pick from the start has the capability to scale up with your business. If they don’t, yet rapid growth is something that you’re aiming for, look elsewhere.
Are They Good at Communicating?
It’s no secret that good communication is key in business. This not only applies to your communication with your customers but also to the communication between yourself and your private label manufacturer. There’s nothing worse than being kept in the dark throughout the manufacturing process because of poor communication.
Ideally, you want a private label manufacturer that’s highly responsive. The team should be easily accessible rather than difficult to get hold of, and any interactions that take place between you should be clear and concise. You want to be left feeling empowered and motivated rather than lost and confused!
Make sure that your private label manufacturer is also happy to keep you updated throughout the manufacturing process. This will allow you to seamlessly line up the other aspects of your business so that everything comes together perfectly.
Choosing the Perfect Private Label Manufacturer
As you can see, there’s plenty to consider when choosing a private label manufacturer. It’s all too easy to make the wrong decision but only realize this further down the line, once it’s too late and costly to change your mind. Taking the time at the beginning to thoroughly explore all of your options will help to prevent this, ensuring that you make the right choice the first time around!
Want to know more about the private label manufacturing services offered by FLPL? Click here to get in touch with us today!
