Every great business venture starts with a great product idea. Then comes the issue of working out how you’ll manufacture it.
If you’re investigating the various manufacturing options to bring your product ideas to life, you’ve no doubt come across the concept of using a contract manufacturer—but what is a contract manufacturer and how do you know if it’s the right solution for your business?
Let’s discuss exactly what a contract manufacturer does so you can decide if it’s an option that’s worth further investigation.
What is a Contract Manufacturer?
A contract manufacturer is a third-party company that is engaged by another business to produce its products on its behalf. A form of outsourcing specific to manufacturing, contract manufacturers are utilised in a variety of industries and may be responsible for manufacturing either a single component of a product or for producing an entire finished product.
Typically, a business will approach a contract manufacturer with a product idea or concept to request a quote to manufacture the product based on the materials, labour and processing involved.
For the purposes of this article, we will focus on contract manufacturers specialising in the production of skincare, cosmetic and sunscreen products.
What Services Does a Contract Manufacturer Provide?
Contract manufacturers often provide additional services beyond manufacturing alone. Some other services a contract manufacturer may provide include:
- product formulation/development
- ingredient procurement
- artwork development
- packaging design and procurement
- product testing
- regulatory compliance.
Most contract manufacturers will tailor their services to suit a client’s requirements.
What’s the Difference Between Private Labelling and End-to-End Manufacturing?
Most contract manufacturers within the skincare, cosmetics and sunscreen industries offer their customers the option between private labelling or end-to-end manufacturing services.
Private labelling
With private labelling, the client selects a product that meets their requirements from a catalogue of pre-developed product formulations which are ready for them to add their brand and packaging to. Private labelling can be a great option for businesses that want to bypass much of the product development phase and get their products to market in the shortest possible time frame.
End-to-end manufacturing
With end-to-end manufacturing, both the client and the manufacturer will have a greater level of involvement in the product development process. The client and manufacturer will work closely together to develop the product in line with the client’s ideas to create a formulation entirely from scratch. This method may be the preferred option for clients who want to create something very specific or innovative.
What Are the Benefits of Using a Contract Manufacturer?
There are numerous benefits to using a contract manufacturer.
Free up time and resources
Using a contract manufacturer can free up time and resources, allowing the client to focus on other aspects of their business, such as marketing, product development and customer service. Some businesses may simply lack the knowledge, expertise, equipment, resources or capability to manufacture their products in-house, making outsourcing the only viable option.
When using a contract manufacturer, you’ll have control to choose your desired level of involvement depending on whether you need a turnkey or reduced service.
Get your products to market sooner
The product development phase can take time. However, if you use a contract manufacturer that offers a private labelling service, you can dramatically shorten the amount of time it takes to get your product to market.
Contract manufacturers also have the necessary skills and knowledge to streamline the production process and can handle large-scale production at speed. This can also be very beneficial if you need to scale the business rapidly.
Less investment, less risk
Using a contract manufacturer is a lower-risk option. There’s no need to invest in costly equipment and training to establish a manufacturing facility, and you can benefit from their already-established systems and processes.
Requiring less upfront investment, this manufacturing model allows businesses to keep overheads low and maximise their return on investment (ROI).
Specialist knowledge and expertise
Contract manufacturers also have a wealth of specialist knowledge and expertise to share with you. Not only will they be able to provide assurance that your products have been produced in line with current Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP), but they also have an in-depth understanding of issues related to regulatory compliance, stability testing and labelling.
Need a Contract Manufacturer? Contact Wild Child
Wild Child is the ideal partner for businesses looking to outsource their skincare, cosmetic or sunscreen production.
With an experienced team of resident chemists and state-of-the-art facilities, we can provide you with high-quality products that are both safe and compliant with all relevant regulations. Providing a full suite of services which can be tailored to your needs, our rapid production capabilities and in-depth understanding of regulatory compliance issues enable us to get your products to market at impressive speed.
Get in touch with us to find out more about how we can revolutionise your manufacturing capabilities.