A conversation started with some friends about how to go about making their own product and I realized that there are a few aspects which are usually overlooked.

Products here meaning food, cosmetics, supplements or traditional balms/creams.

In this post we will emphases more on manufacturing.

Planning.

Establishing realistic timelines, ground work has to be done with suppliers and manufacturers. Some areas/suppliers to consider.

  • Packaging suppliers
    • Carton Box (Used to ship the product e.g. 5 outer boxes into 1 carton)
    • Outer Box (The nice box we see on the shelf)
    • Packaging material suppliers (Foil, Pouch, Canister, Bottle)
  • Manufacturers
    • What is the form of your product?
      • Powder Liquid Semi-Solid Cream?
  • What license of manufacturing you need for your product?
    • Food, Cosmetic, Supplement, Traditional
  • Certifications (Directly affects Export)
    • ISO22000 – Food
    • HACCP
    • GMP cGMP
    • Halal
    • Kosher

Country of Sale.

This is especially important as regulatory requirements vary between each country. Some are self policed whilst others require prior approvals before being able to sell.
Export documents such as free sales certificate or health certificate are extremely important for your manufacturer to produce for you when you intend to export.

Most food classified products can be sold freely but ensure you refer to the guidelines of the respective health authority such as for the USA – FDA, Australia – TGA, Malaysia BPFK.

More developed countries can investigate the implications of the product on their environment and ecosystem, especially with new extracts or compounds.

To claim or not?

This depends on the market of sale. Refer to the guidelines set by the country intended to sell.
Note that usually claims which involves cures to major diseases are very hard to get approval to sell.
A good strategy at times is to go for the low hanging fruit get product to market and work towards bigger claims if you desire.

The more regulated the product the more evidence needed to substantiate the claim.

Distribution

Online sales allow most brands to reach to their target market with a few clicks and is a channel which is not to be overlooked. Warehousing of products can be done onsite or at a fulfillment centers. Major challenges with online marketing and distribution include customer service, logistic vendors, social media team and online infrastructure to support this endeavor.

Offline distribution / traditional sales channels include supermarkets and pharmacies. In most cases listing fees have to be paid along with advertising costs which are required by new vendors by most retail outlets. A major disadvantage of this method of challenge is payment terms can be 90 days if not more.
Beware of supply contracts which may penalize brand owners for not supplying goods on time to retail outlets, these penalties could be at wholesale or worse at retail priceTermanologies MOQ – Minimum order quantities

FOB – Free On Board (A point at which a seller is no longer responsible for shipping cost)

exFactory – Price at the factory, and does not include any other charges, such as delivery or subsequent taxes. Trust manufacturer with export licenses and experience selling worldwide!