Beata Leyland
Business Owner & Author of this article
Based on our calendar we are at approximately 1 year now from start to finish. I bet you didn’t expect that, right? Spoiler alert: many people don’t.
Intrigued ?
Project Timeline is one of the trickiest and most complex calculations.
No matter which method you use, if you plan based on Project Management tools or simple spreadsheets you will be off.
This can be frustrating for inexperienced people, but even people who work years in business can be easily agitated about it.
In this article I would like to describe you based on a real-life example what can go wrong and when is the time to step in, and when time to step out.
It’s in fact a guidance on how to not panic for no reason.
Mental health matters in business way more than deadlines.
Let’s imagine that you launch a new product on the market.
Based on basic research of your competition you know that you can do better than them and the time is right to do so.
Your first step will be to hire someone who could help you with the materialisation of your vision (of course we will recommend ourselves).
A good partner would ask you for your timeline first to see if this is possible in the first place but also bear in mind that from the idea to a ready-to-go product it might take you a year at least (unless the project is rather simple).
Your Contractor will help you to connect with companies who can bring your vision into life.
This usually takes 3-7 weeks depending on complexity of the project.
It’s not a matter of contacting potential manufacturers but also collecting offers and this requires time for a 3rd party.
If company is experienced, you can expect results a bit faster, but it also depends on who you are searching for. Well organised companies usually take time to formulate their offers.
When offers are collected, now is the time for a client to review them and some clients take few weeks to do so, especially if product is brand new.
Not sure if you keep a track of the time but here, we have already 12 weeks, so 3 months!
Once the best offers are chosen, a round of calls with potential manufacturers will take at least 2-3 weeks.
When decisions are made faster and conditions clear the whole process is getting faster.
The goal of this first phase is to make sure the baseline of the project is as clear as possible.
All questions are answered clearly, and you can see a road map to your goal.
This part of course, sounds very exciting but a part which takes the most time is coming: samples. There is no better way to see with whom you might work than ordering samples.
Many times, requesting samples means a lot of work on your side, i.e. formulation in case of supplements, or spec sheets for apparel.
Going back and forth can be very frustrating and time consuming but it’s a necessity to make sure a final product will be as close as possible to your vision.
If you can afford to visit your future manufacturing plant, please do so as it can only help you to understand how the company works.
Sales team is trained to do an excellent job with impression about company but samples, and vising plants can assure you if you truly want to sign a contract with your chosen company.
Sample phase can take somewhere between 10 -30 weeks depending on the complexity of product.
Usually, the first sample round is not correct (98% of the time) as new ideas pop up, and feedback from manufacturer adds on, so the 2nd round once both parties are well prepared might take somewhere between 4 to 12 weeks. 3rd or 4th rounds of samples are not unheard of!
If you calculate with me, we are on the 6th-8th month from the moment when you decided to make your dream come true.
Now that you have chosen a manufacturer and approved samples it is time to sign a contract which takes 1-2 weeks of back and forth between sides.
The next step is manufacturing.
First run always takes longer because know-how for this particular product has to be gained.
First production run can take somewhere between 8 weeks to 16 weeks (depending on the product).
In the meantime, you need to add time for a packaging production, and distribution build up.
No worries though, if you are smart you can work on it already during the waiting time for samples or production.
If you are still with me and calculating, we are now at the 10–11-month mark.
The last step is transporting your inventory to a distribution centre which can take from a few days to few weeks depending on the place of manufacturing.
Based on our calendar we are at approximately 1 year now from start to finish.
I bet you didn’t expect that, right?
Spoiler alert: many people don’t.
They are actually very surprised and the fact that so many decisions have to be made by them every step of the way.
If you treat your brand as a project and learning opportunity I promise you it will be a fun time, with many ups and downs but at the same time very enlightening experience which will help you to own your brand.
Knowledge out of this process is absolutely crucial for a further business development, planning and growing.
You probably ask yourself if some shortcuts are known and possible to apply.
Yes, of course, there are but if you want to manufacture something truly yours and personalised without compromising much quality that’s a very typical pathway.
If you want to have a brand based on a ready-to-go formula of copackers and put your logo on it and finish within 6-7 months… your product will be like any other similar ones on the market so you will need to budget much more for marketing than a few months longer process would cost you.
Be careful with shortcuts and be careful with picking people with whom you work as they can help you grow but also can help you to drown your money.
If you are searching for someone who values transparency and ethical way of work, just schedule a consultation with us.
Pricing is always customised to the project.
Don’t wait for a better moment as it might not come.
Call us,
Text us,
Book a Consultation
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