How do you know when you are ready to make product?
Ahhhhh, the golden question, lol… let's dive in!
You have artwork that you love, are you ready to make product overseas? Before you dive into the research that comes with overseas manufacturing, here are a some things to consider when making product.
Inventory: Do you have the space to hold your product? Ordering products overseas might mean you have a little higher quantities to order up front. Each order of washi tape is a minimum of 50 rolls per design… Multiply that by 70 designs, I store a ton of washi tape, lol.
Budget: Products cost money. Ordering products from overseas will lower your cost per product for some items, however, you need to factor in shipping from overseas. Adding in this cost still gives me more room for profit compared to staying domestic on SOME products.
Time: If you need product quick, overseas manufacturing is not for you. The fastest I have ever gotten an order from a factory I already had an established relationship with was 1 ½ months. This meant all files were ready to go, proofs were good first round and shipping was in my favor, ha! I always give myself 2-3 months for a product to be produced and shipped.
Risk: Are you a risk taker? There is always an element of risk involved with ordering overseas and communicating with someone who's native language might not be English. There are also risks if you don't get a sample. See a post on that here.
Audience: Who are you going to sell your items to? Maybe it is possible to start with a small run of product domestically, test your audience, and if it sells, then go overseas. If you already have an established audience of buyers, this could be a great way to add more profit to your bottom line.