Over the last decade, a lot of companies have decided to take advantage of private labeling to help their business stand out. At first glance, this may seem like an easy enough thing to do; after all everyone from skincare brands to specialty fertilizer suppliers can get involved with private labeling. However, lots of businesses find it challenging; in particular because of how difficult it can be to find a private label manufacturer they can trust.
In this article, we’ll take a look at the benefits and risks involved with private labeling, and how to find a private label manufacturer that you can trust. For ease, we’ll keep the focus on the agricultural industry.
The Benefits of Private Labeling
Instead of trying to penetrate pre-established markets, many agrochemical suppliers find it beneficial to launch their own products. Not only is this cheaper than purchasing pre-established branded materials to sell on to customers, but it can also help a business to build up their own brand and establish themselves within a market. The lower cost of private labeling equates to higher profit margins, which is another benefit that entices many in the agricultural industry.
In addition to the above, there are plenty of other benefits of private labeling too, including the ability to access your products quickly, the ability to have full control over your distribution, sales, marketing, and pricing, and the ability to create your own brand. For example, if you take a look at the company AmegA Sciences you’ll see that they offer a number of benefits that helps make the process of private labeling really easy. This includes early order incentives, sales representative training and end user seminars. They can help supply everything from turf pigments to wetting agent chemicals, lake dyes and soil surfactants.
The Risks of Private Labeling
While there are certainly many benefits to private labeling, it’s important, as a business, to consider the risks involved as well. One thing that those in the agrochemical and agricultural industries need to consider, for example, is the risk of volatile changes in the price of labor and raw materials. If this isn’t something that you take into account, it could be an obstacle that could hurt your business further down the line. That said, if you choose a good private label manufacturer, you can negate a lot of these issues, especially if you forge a strong relationship with them.
What to Look for in a Good Private Label Manufacturer
When searching for a private label manufacturer, you need to consider a lot more factors than you do when searching for a retailer. The reason for this is that you don’t only need to source a company that is able to create your product from the raw materials you’ve requested, but you also need to work with someone who can finish the goods, and brand them in your company’s design.
The best thing to do here is to work with a private label manufacturer in your industry. As mentioned above, AmegA Sciences is a top choice for those looking for turf agent manufacturers, or agrochemical supplies in the USA, but businesses in the beauty industry, for example, will want to work with a company that has both manufacturing and branding experience with the specific beauty products they are creating.
Once you have narrowed down the manufacturers in your industry, you’ll also want to consider their prices and what you will receive for your money. Some of the things to consider here include:
- How reliable their delivery estimates are
- How high the product quality is
- Whether they can source the raw materials your products need at an adequate price
- The price of the overall product
- How many of the products are defective or damaged
Another thing you may want to consider here is whether to work with a domestic manufacturer or an overseas manufacturer. In the agrochemical industry, a domestic manufacturer will almost always be the better choice, purely due to the raw materials involved. Those in other industries may want to consider outsourcing offshore to countries like Taiwan, India, and China, but it’s only recommended if they have the manpower available to ensure the products created are up to scratch. Domestic manufacturers do tend to have higher quality labor and manufacturing standards, faster shipping, and of course no language barrier. Depending on the product you are selling to, the ‘American made’ advertising may also give your products the boost that they need.
Private Label is a Top Choice
Selling private label products is a fantastic way to free your business from the hassles of manufacturing, while also building up a brand that consumers can trust. Not only can you sell private label products personally, but you can also sell them on to other retailers, enabling you to generate an even larger profit. Finding the right private label manufacturer to work with, however, is a large and extremely important part of the process, and is not a process that should be rushed.
