Wondering whether or not private label manufacturing would be the right move for your business?
Read on as FLPL shares some insider information that may help to make that decision easier.
Not All Private Label Manufacturers Are Credible and Trustworthy
Let’s start with one of the most important aspects of jumping onto the private label bandwagon – choosing a private label manufacturer to work with. This is where many businesses stumble. There are now so many private label manufacturers to choose from, which may seem like a good thing. However, in reality, this only means that you have more sub-par companies to sift through.
There are a few things to look out for when choosing a private label manufacturer to team up with. The first is their experience. You want a manufacturer that has plenty of expertise in your chosen market. Take a look at the brands that they’ve worked with in the past and see how well those products are doing today. If, for example, you want to launch a private label skincare line and have found a manufacturer that has worked with a wide range of both premium and budget skincare brands in the past (just like FLPL!), then this shows that their expertise is likely to be strong.
Trust is also vital. Private labeling encompasses creating your own formulas and products. You don’t want to see those same formulas for sale from another brand in six months time. However, some unscrupulous private label manufacturers will use those formulas repeatedly, with the only difference being the branding on the packaging. If you’re in doubt about how trustworthy your private label manufacturer is, either find someone else to work with or ask them if they would be willing to sign an NDA. If the answer is no, this may be a big red flag.
Falling Into the White Label Trap
As we mentioned above, sometimes, the same products are sold under different brand names. This is referred to as white labeling. Rather than creating your own formula, you would simply purchase a ready-made formula from your white label manufacturer and slap some branding stickers on it to make it your own.
While this may seem like an easy route to take, it comes with some distinct disadvantages. For starters, your products won’t be unique. It often doesn’t take long for customers to realize that they’re purchasing a generic product, which is when your reputation will start to take a dive.
Unfortunately, even businesses with the best of intentions sometimes end up falling into the white labeling trap. They hand over the product design reins to their private label manufacturer, who then cuts corners by reusing a product/formula that’s already on the market.
To avoid this, make sure that you’re fully immersed in the product development stage. Any reputable private label manufacturer will be happy to have you on board and open to your ideas. Make sure that your products are unique to you and this will have a huge impact on how well they do.
Sustainability Should Be Prioritized
Sustainability is no longer just a trend. It has grown into a huge movement that’s now paving the way forward for just about every industry. It’s a concept that you need to familiarize yourself with if you want your brand to remain relevant in today’s marketplace. With more and more consumers trying to minimize their impact on the environment, your products need to help with, rather than hinder, this.
Unfortunately, not all private label manufacturers are on board with this. As you can imagine, it requires a huge shift to make manufacturing processes more sustainable. Not all companies are there yet, making it important for you to find one that is.
If you’re planning on producing cosmetics, sustainability should play a big role in ingredient sourcing too. Your private label manufacturer should offer a range of sustainable and sustainably harvested ingredients for you to choose from.
Of course, your packaging needs to align with your sustainability aspirations too. Materials like bamboo and cardboard have a much lower environmental footprint than plastic, so these should be favored whenever possible. Keep everything as recyclable and biodegradable as you can and your future customers will appreciate your efforts.
Innovation and Adaptability Are Key
Private label manufacturing has been around for a while. Sadly, many manufacturers are still stuck in the past. They’re producing the same line of products that they did decades ago, meaning that the brands that they team up with end up suffering.
Ideally, for your brand to see success, you need a private label manufacturer that’s innovative and adaptable. Look for one that embraces industry trends. You’ll be able to see how well they do this by checking out the other brands that they work with. Are they still producing exciting new products or do they seem quite stagnant? If it’s the latter, be wary, as you don’t want your own brand to go the same way.
At FLPL, innovation is everything. The brands that we work with are constantly pushing industry boundaries, helping to cement their success. Partner up with us and you’ll be able to experience the same!
A Unique Brand Voice Will Push You Forward
Sadly, creating a stellar product isn’t going to be enough. This needs to be accompanied by a top-tier branding strategy. After all, your branding is what sets your company apart from the competition. It’s what will persuade customers to choose your product over the next one on the shelf, making it important to get this right.
To do so, you’ll need to set aside a healthy branding/marketing budget. There’s a good chance that this will be more than what you’ve spent on the products themselves, so be prepared for this.
If you don’t have much branding and marketing expertise, you’ll need a private label manufacturer that can make up for this shortfall. While some offer manufacturing services and not much else, others go the whole hog and provide a full breadth of services. At FLPL, we have an incredible art and marketing department that our clients can work with. We can help with all aspects of branding, from creating your logo and brand color palette to designing your packaging. We can take things even further by putting together a marketing strategy for you while also assisting when it comes to actually implementing this.
Learn More About What Quality Control Entails
You’re probably aware of how important quality is when it comes to manufacturing. Private label manufacturers will be aware of this too, yet many of them still cut corners and produce products that don’t meet general quality standards. Why? Because of cost. Simply put, high-quality products cost more to manufacture.
When you’re on the hunt for a private label manufacturer to work with, make sure that their quality standards align with yours. Before you get started with anything, request to see samples of products that they’ve created in the past. Your own product development process will also include the approval of samples. Pay close attention to quality at this time so that you can make any necessary changes. Once your products move on to bulk manufacturing, it’s too late.
At FLPL, we ensure that the factories that we work with adhere to strict quality control standards. Quality inspections are carried out throughout the manufacturing process. These will make sure that the products being produced hold up to specific criteria.
With that said, going the extra mile in terms of quality control can be done too. For example, a third-party inspection can be arranged. They’ll produce objective reports that will give you an extra level of assurance, which will then pass down to your customers.
Staying on the Right Side of the Law
Every industry will have its own legal requirements that need to be followed. This is one of the big appeals of working with a private label manufacturer. Rather than having to learn the ins and outs of the legalities yourself, you’ll have a knowledgeable team that’s able to guide you through, making sure that your brand and your products remain on the right side of the law.
Keep in mind that this is an area where other brands may try to take you down. This is particularly the case in the cosmetics industry. Even the smallest violation can be pursued. As you can imagine, this could be disastrous for the future of your brand.
Work with FLPL and we’ll make sure that your products and brand fall in line with all of the necessary regulations. From labeling requirements to ingredient restrictions to safety standards, you won’t need to worry about any of that if you team up with us. Not only can we ensure that your products are above board in the USA but, if you’d like to sell internationally too, we can produce products that adhere to global standards. This will open up a whole new market for your brand rather than restricting you to one part of the world.
There Will Be Setbacks
Nobody likes dealing with setbacks but, when it comes to any form of manufacturing, there will likely be some. Many new brands start off with overly high expectations and are then discouraged when the reality falls short.
A good private label manufacturer will help to keep you on track. They’ll ensure that progress remains steady so that you don’t end up waiting for several months in between stages. If you do experience a setback, your private label manufacturer should be willing to work with you to overcome this. Remember – they’ll have so much experience in your chosen industry, so rely on this as much as possible.
Summary
There’s so much to consider before diving into the world of private label manufacturing. Although going with a private label company may help to simplify the entire process, it’s still important to be aware of the different challenges that you may face so that you’re better equipped to deal with any issues that arise.
Interested in finding out more about the private label manufacturing services offered by FLPL? Click here to get in touch with us today!
