During the global epidemic, many office workers and students were forced to work and study at home. And after the outbreak slowed down, most of them were unwilling to return to their physical offices. Besides, a 2014 global survey already showed that more than 50% of respondents wanted more flexibility in their working hours, preferring to work from home several days a week, even for lower wages.
For many, this isolation at home has helped build their self-esteem and ability to work alone.
With this growing self-confidence, more and more people, including women, are starting their own e-commerce and creating their own brand in the skincare industry. In this article we would like to help them by explaining what common difficulties they may face in this private label venture.
Logo and Trademark
It is essential to apply for the logo and trademark and obtain the relevant approvals before starting any marketing, design and/or production process. It is a legal requirement to avoid being sued by an existing protected trade mark. In addition, we must keep in mind that, in most countries, it takes several months to apply and obtain the necessary authorizations.
At the product level
To create any product, you must find a product supply factory, a packaging plant and a printing company. The same applies to the sheet mask with the supply of paper, aluminium bag and active products like essence, cream, lotion, mud etc.
A contract should be signed with each of the 3 suppliers (products, packaging & printing) or only one with the product factory that includes subcontracted packaging and printing services. This important document must detail the entire process and obtain approval and confirmation from the client. After the product factory receives all packaging materials, it will follow the ISO packing process.
At this point, quality issues with bottles, printing, packaging, etc. occur quite often, resulting in delays in the final delivery time.
That is why a reliable product supply factory should help the customer to perform a strict QC on these external supplies.
At the quotation level (including packaging and printing costs)
Customers frequently request a quote for a product without specific formulation, packaging and sampling. Serious professionals will logically decline to quote. However, some OEM & ODM plants will appeal to clients to take the case by making a bid. Such cooperation is liable to lead to litigation. This is because it requires a detailed formulation, specific packaging and printing design to seriously assess a price in the skincare industry.
In addition, a product factory will have to mobilise its own staff to deal with external packaging and printing companies on behalf of the customer who may at times be dissatisfied.
Conflict may arise because of the client's lack of understanding or because the factory underestimates the difficulty of dealing on behalf of the client with external suppliers.
This is why it is essential to cooperate with a reliable OEM & ODM factory, specialized in personalised service, able to clearly advise their customers and accompany them, step by step, throughout the process.
At marketing level
The communication with a factory that does not specialize in tailor-made service may even get worst when inexperienced customer doesn’t have a clear sales target. This is extremely dangerous because it is a matter of mass production and substantial inventory costs. Therefore, more than just a manufacturer, a customized service factory will act as a partner and a guide, by sharing experience and providing professional marketing advice.
