March 22, 2020 4 min read
Creating a new private label product from the ground up can seem like a daunting task to anyone just getting started. However, we’ve broken down the process into several easy steps to help get you up and running as quickly as possible.
1. Research Your Market
You may think your idea is the next great thing, but are people actually looking to buy it? This may sounds like a silly question, but you want to make sure there is actually a market for your product before investing too much time into the concept. In the old days you might send out a questionnaire or asked friends. This is a good place to start, but thankfully there are even better methods out there to verify the viability of your concept.
Free tool #1 - Google Adwords
If you’ve ever put together an advertising campaign with Google you may have noticed they have several very powerful tools which will allow you to research which keywords people are looking for. In addition, you can see how often people search on a monthly or yearly basis. So, let’s say for example you want to sell a new “BBQ Grill Cleaner”, but want to see how often people are looking for this item. Simply head over the Google Adwords Keyword Planner type in the keyword. You’ll see your exactly how many times people have looked for this term. In addition you may find variations of the same keyword with search volume - for example “BBQ Grate Cleaner” or “Barbecue Cleaner”.
Free tool #2 - Amazon Sales Ranking
Amazon is the largest online marketplace in the world. What’s even better is that they actually will give you the ‘sales rank’ of each item they sell! You can quickly gauge demand for your product by heading to Amazon and typing in your prospective product. Next, click on the product details and see the product ranking. Now, please be aware that each category within Amazon has its own ‘best-sellers rank’ so if your item is ranked #5,000 in household cleaning supplies it may actually be selling much more than #2,000 in another category. While there are no ‘hard-fast’ rules here, look for items that rank under 10,000. Anything above that and you may not be moving too many items per day or month. Please note there are numerous other blogs out there which focus exclusively on Amazon selling and can dive into much greater detail on this topic - we just want to make you aware of the resource.
2. Select Your Product
Now that you’ve determined the viability of your concept it’s time to put together your product! Here at Filling Factory we have a wide range of formulations available in many different segments including: automotive, household, and speciality markets. In addition, many of our clients customize their formulations with different fragrances and colors to give their product a truly distinctive look.
3. Select Your Packaging
With so many choices for consumers to choose from, packaging has become a core differentiator when launching a new brand. Here at Filling Factory we stock a variety of bottles, caps, and sprayers for you to choose from. In addition we have established relationships with numerous distributors who can find exactly what you are looking for if we don’t currently stock it.
Another important factor when selecting your packaging is to determine how the product will be dispensed. For example, if you are making a very thick product, than you should package your product with flip top cap for easy dispensing. However, if you were to make a water-thin glass cleaner, than you should use a trigger sprayer. Don’t worry, we can help you make the right selection based on the product you choose.
4. Design Your Label
After you’ve narrowed down your packaging, now it’s time to create your label. We will send you a dieline of the label shape along with starter text (warnings, suggested directions, ingredients, etc). However, we leave it up to our clients to choose colors, fonts, logos, etc for their brand. Don’t have a designer? No worries, there are many cost-effective ways to get a professionally-designed label with minimal investment. Here are a few of our favorites:
5. Send Your Label To Us
Once you’ve finished your label design now it’s time to put us to work! Please email your artwork to Filling Factory and we will get you a proof for review. We can either send you a digital (PDF) or physical proof depending on your preference.
6. Production Time!
Artwork look good to go? Great! Now we go into production with your product. Bottles are filled, labels are applied, and cases are filled. At the end of production your product will be ready-to-ship wherever you desire. Please note that lead times do vary by project, but we can give you an estimate in advance.
Have any other questions on how to create your first private label product? Just drop us an email and we’d be glad to help.