Choosing a supplement contract manufacturer is critical to bringing your custom dietary supplements to market. There are a few things you should consider when making your decision.
Ask about their minimum order size and if they have stock recipes on hand to help reduce lead times. Also, ask about their experience with formulating and encapsulating.
Experience
Many supplement companies specialize in a specific type of product. This allows them to become very good at what they do. You can benefit from their expertise in formulation, sourcing innovative raw materials, and guiding your new supplement from formulation to shipping.
You can also benefit from their ability to perform additional testing, such as the eight major allergen tests (dairy, eggs, fish, shellfish, peanuts, tree nuts, and soy). Allergen testing is an essential part of the manufacturing process.
A supplement contract manufacturer can help you market your product and brand through packaging, labeling, and other services. They can even provide graphic design services to distinguish your products in the marketplace and reinforce successful brand identity. They can also offer expert pricing strategies to maximize your revenue and profitability.
Transparency
Whether you want to create a new supplement formula or bring a popular existing product into the market, ensure the manufacturer offers a transparent ingredient list. This is essential to ensuring the integrity of your products and building brand trust in the market.
You will also want to ensure the company is open about its processes and procedures, including quality control measures. A great manufacturer will be happy to discuss these issues with you anytime.
A great manufacturer will also be willing to adjust their formulas to stay current with regulatory changes. This will help to keep your products fresher and reduce the stress of managing shelf life.
Capacity
A custom contract manufacturer’s capacity to produce your supplements at the speed and scale you want is important. They should be able to accommodate the growth of your customer base over time.
You should also ensure the supplement manufacturer can produce different dosage formats and practical pick-pack packaging options like jars, bottles, and sticks. This will allow you to grow your product line and offer more convenient packaging options for your customers.
If you’re a new supplement brand, working with a private label manufacturing partner that offers low minimums can be a good way to test your products in the market and determine which ones will sell. This is an ideal option for those not ready to invest much capital in their business.
Technology
In a modern market, businesses must look at the technology available. Many supplement contract manufacturers offer advanced facilities, equipment, and capabilities that help businesses produce their products at a lower cost than they could do on their own.
Look for a manufacturer that can accommodate varying order quantities depending on the product you are selling and its popularity. They should also be able to provide you with different packaging options, including biodegradable and sustainable plastic alternatives for a growing segment of environmentally conscious consumers.
It would help if you also considered a manufacturer’s level of reactivity in their inventory control, as this will indicate how quickly they can respond to your requests. This can save you money and stress in the long run.
Pricing
The adage consumers judge a book by its cover certainly applies to supplement and botanical products. The look of your product is important for brand adoption, and a good contract manufacturer can help you design the best packaging for your product.
It is important to understand what the manufacturer’s pricing strategy is. Some manufacturers will charge you a lot more to use GMP-quality ingredients. This is a trade-off because non-GMP materials can be unsafe and may even land you in legal trouble with the FDA.
Find out if the company has low minimum orders. This will allow you to test your market before investing a lot of money in production runs of larger quantities. This will also make it easier to manage your cash flow.
