Despite the challenges of the present economic climate, it is an exciting moment for anybody interested in starting a business in the beauty and skincare industry.
As an entrepreneur, you’ve undoubtedly explored the areas where you feel you can bring the most value before deciding on a category where you believe your business has the most room for growth.
When it comes to choosing the ideal cosmetics manufacturer for their business, however, many entrepreneurs face unexpected hurdles that cost them time and money.
Finding the right OEM cosmetic manufacturer is difficult and can be challenging at times. As a result, we’ve put together this article to assist you in your search for a reliable manufacturer for your beauty and skincare business.
To begin, consider the type of manufacturer with whom you wish to work. This will set the research parameters for your requirements. There are several considerations to look at, including:
- A manufacturer who will create a product that is specifically tailored to your needs.
- A manufacturer who will create private label cosmetic products, allowing you to sell them under your brand name.
- A white-label manufacturer who will create their products, allowing you to rebrand and sell them under your brand.
- A manufacturer who also happens to be a drop shipper, ready to fill orders for existing brands and products from their warehouse, eliminating the need for you to keep inventory.
Domestic vs. Overseas Manufacturers
Whether you manufacture in Malaysia, Europe, or elsewhere will be a big factor. Many of the international cosmetic contract manufacturers, as you research, are headquartered in European or Asian nations such as France, Singapore, Japan, South Korea or China.
Pros and Cons: Domestic vs. Overseas Manufacturers
Advantages of Using Domestic Manufacturers
- Due to its closeness to the factory, it’s easy to monitor quality standards.
- If face-to-face meetings or site inspections are necessary, it is usually simpler to communicate and more accessible.
- Delivery times are shorter.
- International law is there to protect intellectual property rights.
- When it comes to payment, there is more security.
Disadvantages of Using Domestic Manufacturers
- Product selection can be limited for some manufacturers.
Advantages of Using Overseas Manufacturers
- Manufacturing a product elsewhere could be less expensive than doing it locally (depending on case to case basis; many other factors such as transportation expenses must be considered).
- There’s a wide variety of manufacturers to choose from.
- International manufacturers are generally geared to produce large batches of products in a single manufacturing cycle.
Disadvantages of Using Overseas Manufacturers
- It’s more probable that your concept will be stolen if it isn’t protected by strict intellectual property laws.
- Verifying a manufacturer and visiting it is difficult and expensive (especially when you need to go on multiple trips).
- When products intended for local sales are created elsewhere, the cost of transporting them back to the originating nation generally outweighs any production cost advantages.
- Payments are less protected, and there is less security.
- Cultural standards may be tough to manage, and language limitations can make communication more challenging.
- There’s no way to keep an eye on how the facilities are operated or see the manufacturing of your goods without engaging a third party or going to the facilities.
Where to Start Your Search for a Manufacturer
At this point, you should have a better idea of what you’re searching for, as well as an awareness of the benefits and drawbacks of local vs overseas production.
So, where do you start? The most natural place to begin is with an online search, and many resources might help you, such as:
- Directories
- Online Search
- Referrals
a. Directories
Online directories provide a lot of the finest free resources. Thousands of cosmetic manufacturers, suppliers, and distributors have profiles on these networks.
Here’s a list of some of the most well-known portals for finding local and overseas suppliers:
b. Online Search
Although the aforementioned directories are listed on Google, there are OEM cosmetic manufacturers on the market that have worked hard to establish their web presence.
Unfortunately, many manufacturers do poorly at building and maintaining their online presence, and their websites are frequently old, poorly designed, and include old information.
Some commercially adept cosmetic manufacturers, on the other hand, have kept up with the changes to create revenue outside of internet directories and B2B platforms.
Beyond the first-page search results, there is a wealth of information available to assist you in finding a good partnership in the second and third pages of the search engines.
You’ll need to utilize a variety of search phrases to find what you’re looking for or click through each page.
For example, using the terms ‘cosmetics manufacturer’ and ‘makeup manufacturer’ may give you different results, so you’ll have to experiment until you discover what you’re searching for.
3. Referrals
Referrals might be one of the most effective ways to find a trustworthy cosmetic contract manufacturer.
Requesting suggestions from professional connections in your network might put you on the right track straight away.
Asking for recommendations is not a bad idea; in fact, seek out individuals you know who have had success and are prepared to share their contacts.
In a Nutshell
Even if one manufacturer isn’t the ideal match for you, ask them if they can direct you on the correct path.
Because they work in the field, they’re likely to have a lot of connections and would be pleased to refer you to a better alternative.
For more information, please feel free to get in touch with our OEM cosmetic manufacturing specialists.