StrategyDriven Starting Your Business Article |start a manufacturing business|3 Important Tips for How to Start a Manufacturing Business

3 Important Tips for How to Start a Manufacturing Business

StrategyDriven Starting Your Business Article |start a manufacturing business|3 Important Tips for How to Start a Manufacturing BusinessWith the growth of online side hustles and Digital Age focused businesses, most people don’t consider all the benefits that a manufacturing startup offers. Even though an online business provides you with the flexibility to deal with digital products, there are some drawbacks.

For example, several online businesses require physical products to ship to their customers. This means the rise of today’s online businesses heralds the need for fair suppliers and manufacturers. This is your chance to start a manufacturing business.

Now the question is – how?

Before jumping in, there are a few things to consider. Keep reading to learn what these things are.

1. Create a Quality Business Plan

A new manufacturing company can be extremely lucrative. However, before the profits begin rolling in, you have to create a business plan.

The business plan you create is where you are going to outline the methods for your company moving forward. This is where you can figure out things like material sources, product projections, ethical standpoint, and the marketing strategies you will use.

This is also when you will outline how you will conduct business with other companies, along with how you will treat your clients and employees through your business processes.

Remember, the manufacturing industry is changing, and democratizing knowledge is a must to achieve success.

2. Consider Location

As you are planning to begin your manufacturing company, location is an important factor. Figure out where you are going to set up your manufacturing operations. You also need to decide where you are going to sell your products.

In the beginning, you may be able to operate from home. However, as your business grows, you will need specialized equipment and a bigger commercial space.

Thinking about where you are going to sell your products can be found out by researching various marketing channels.

3. Take Baby Steps

Opening your own manufacturing unit is something that takes a lot of money and time. You can’t afford to make mistakes.

It’s best to avoid risks during the initial stages by renting or leasing space and equipment rather than buying it upfront. Depend more on low-investment tools and manual labor for the initial months because your product is likely going to go under several last-minute changes during that time.

A smart mantra to follow when opening a manufacturing company is to start at a crawl.

Are You Ready to Start a Manufacturing Business?

If you want to start a manufacturing business, there are more than a few factors to consider. If you want the best chance of success, be sure to keep the tips and information here in mind.

In the long run, when you have the right strategies and tips, you will be much more likely to find success. If you are searching for additional information about business practices and more, be sure to check out some of our other blogs. We post regularly to keep you informed.

StrategyDriven Starting Your Business Article | Key Areas To Focus On When Starting A Manufacturing Business

Key Areas To Focus On When Starting A Manufacturing Business

StrategyDriven Starting Your Business Article | Key Areas To Focus On When Starting A Manufacturing BusinessThe manufacturing industry is one which is always in demand, so it is easy to see why so many entrepreneurs look to start a business here. Manufacturing can also be a complex industry to work in and highly competitive, so success is not as straightforward as it may seem, especially when you consider how hard it is to compete with the much larger manufacturers.

This is why it is so important to focus on the right areas when you first start out so that you can hit the ground running and find some success early on.

Market Research

Much like with any new business venture, the first stage will involve thorough research. This will help you to determine if it is a viable business idea, which sector you should operate in, who your competitors are and who your target customer is.

Business Plan

With this information, you can then create a detailed business plan which will act as a blueprint to your success and guide you through the early stages of the startup. In addition to this, a business plan will also be important for securing funding which will be crucial for getting the operation up and running to a high standard.

Premises & Location

Manufacturing operations often require a lot of space so you need to find suitable premises that will allow your team to work safely each day. In addition to being a large enough space, this should also be somewhere that is easy to access with plenty of parking so that staff and suppliers can easily reach the site each day.

High Quality Equipment

High-quality equipment is essential for any manufacturing business so that you can create products of the highest standard. For those working with liquids, this is likely to include float switches designed by a specialist, so that you are able to increase productivity and allow staff to work to a high level each day.

Staff

Following on from this, you also need to make sure that you take the time with recruitment as it will be impossible to succeed without a skilled and hardworking workforce. A good way to keep costs down is to outsource certain areas of the business, but for the key parts of the operation you need to find the right people for the job and keep them happy in their role.

Marketing

It is important to start marketing your manufacturing company early so that as many people are aware of your business as possible from day one. As previously mentioned, it can be hard to compete in this industry, which is why marketing is so important and also why you should use the services of an experienced agency to raise awareness about your new business.

Focus on these areas when starting a manufacturing company and it should pave the way for future success, as well as help you to hit the ground running in what can be a challenging industry to succeed in.

 

StrategyDriven Starting Your Business Article |Starting a Business|Top Things To Think About When Starting A Business

Top Things To Think About When Starting A Business

StrategyDriven Starting Your Business Article |Starting a Business|Top Things To Think About When Starting A BusinessStarting a business can be exciting and daunting at the same time. However, if you get it right it can lead you to success and a completely different way of life. It can be difficult to know where to start and what you should be prioritising, especially when you are expected to wear many hats and complete several tasks all at once.

Let’s have a look at some of the things you need to think about when starting a business:

How To Fund

One of the first things you’re probably going to want to think about is the funding for your business. You need to take into consideration what you’re start-up costs will be. When thinking about this you need to think about things like:

  • The equipment you need
  • The marketing you will require
  • If you’re going to need to employee
  • Are you going to outsource any areas of the business?
  • Do you need working space or are you working from home
  • What do you expect your running costs to be each year?
  • And more.

Once you’ve collated an idea of all the costs that you may come across, specifically in your first year and then your next 4 years, you can start to think about how you’re going to fund your new business. Do you already have the start-up costs saved? Or do you need to look at startup business loan options? If you do look at business loans, make sure you include the repayments in your running costs until it is paid back.

Your Name

This is one of the most important areas that you need to think about, it’s the way that your customers and clients are going to identify you. Are you planning on using your name or are you thinking about using something unique? Once you know your name, it’s advisable to check that this trading name is available on places like companies house. If you move away from being a sole trader, you don’t want to trade as one name and be forced to change it because someone is already using it later down the line.

Your Marketing

This is something that you will need to think about as a priority. It’s the way that you are going to be able to get your services and products out there and spoken about. Think about who your products and services are aimed at and do some research about how these people like to see their products. A lot of people now make use of social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook and Twitter as viable ways to market their business. If marketing isn’t your strong point, it might be worth either employing a marketing expert or using outsourcing. If you outsource you have access to skilled freelancers or marketing services that are experts in the field. Many new businesses use this as an option because it saves a lot of time and often money.

These three areas are three important areas to consider when starting a business. Of course, there are others to factor in. Do you have any important areas that you could share in the comments below?

StrategyDriven Entrepreneurship Article | Why Is Manufacturing So Hard to Master?

Why Is Manufacturing So Hard to Master?

StrategyDriven Entrepreneurship Article | Why Is Manufacturing So Hard to Master?Manufacturing is something that trips up a lot of smaller and medium sized businesses. Many feel that they’d prefer to keep their production in house rather than outsource to another company due to costs and control issues- but are put off due to it being such a mammoth task. What exactly do you need to know when it comes to manufacturing, and is it really out of reach for smaller and medium sized companies?

Getting set up

Whether manufacturing your own products will be a possibility will mainly depend on what you want to make and what your budget is. If your business makes complex items  such as electronics which require a lot of technology and specialist manpower then you might struggle. For other companies, it might not be too difficult to source and run the machines you need, even if you have to buy second hand. Some of the practicalities you will need to consider is where your plant will be based, and whether you can source skilled workers to run things. If you’re able to do this, then manufacturing might well be in reach for you.

The costs

One of the major roadblocks for SMBs looking to manufacture their own products is the costs of getting set up can be incredibly high. You’ll need factory and warehousing space, equipment, materials and staff. However, if you’re able to make this work, once you’re up and running it’s worth knowing that you will save more in the long run compared with outsourcing. So if you’re in it for the long haul when it comes to your business, and you have a product which is selling well, taking out loans to cover the startup costs could well be worth doing as it will pay off for you long term. Just be sure to get your finances right, you need to ensure you’re able to cover the costs of borrowing money as if things spiral out of control it could easily lead to bankruptcy. Spend some time sitting down and crunching the numbers, find out if it’s worth it for you.

Health and safety

Any workplace comes with risks, even in a shop or office employees can suffer slips and trips which can be disastrous if it was a result of your neglect. However, when you’re running a manufacturing plant, there are many more risks of accidents and injuries due to the nature of the workplace- from heavy machinery being in operation, vehicles like forklifts going back and forth and powerful equipment such as drills and saws being used, it makes things much more risky. For this reason, you need to take health and safety incredibly seriously and make sure that you’re insured correctly. Everyone should be properly trained and qualified and wearing the right equipment. If not and someone is hurt, you’ll end up with a personal injury law firm on your case, seeking the compensation your employee will be entitled to.

Have you ever considered manufacturing in your SMB?

StrategyDriven Entrepreneurship Article | Deftly Walking Through the Minefield of Business Error

Deftly Walking Through the Minefield of Business Error

pasted image 0 29

The pursuits of business can sometimes feel a little like pot luck, as it’s not always completely predictable just what will define our success and what may delay it. Of course, that’s the gamble we all take when launching a business, but there are measures we can partake in to reduce that gambling potential. For instance, staying on good terms with our customers and clients, using honest promotional tactics, acting with integrity in honoring our business arrangements, and treating our staff well will almost always be a set of positive influences on our brand, and if not, you’ve unfortunately experienced some terrible luck.

That being said, deftly walking through the minefield of business error is not always so easy. For that we need to continually refine ourselves, learn from the goings-on around us and staying abreast of all developments in our industry. To that end, we’re sure to approximate the best forward solution.

But how do we get started as far as this is concerned? Might it be worth considering our vital role in this going forward? With that in mind, let us consider the following advice:

Your Staff Are Ambassadors

Your staff are ambassadors of your firm, regardless of if they willingly fill that role or not. Their activities on social media, how they drive in your company car, how they speak to clients on the phone, all of it is included in the overall perception of your company. It’s important to make them aware of this, and to train them in the best social media or public facing policies and practices you hold. Additionally, reserving the right to discipline or terminate employment based on if these requirements have been ignored can also be a worthwhile means of distancing yourself from bad behavior.

Your Legal Standing

It’s essential to ensure your legal standing is perfect, from hiring the best accountant to establish your tax contributions, to using legal services to help in setting up a corporation, especially knowing the difference between S-Cop and C-Corp options can be vital. Protecting yourself through the hiring policy that allows candidates to submit to best practice, and ensuring your safety protocols and policies are watertight before permitting staff to exercise dangerous tasks, perhaps in your manufacturing line, is crucial to covering your back, and ultimately protecting everyone involved in your business approach.

Promotional Blunders

It’s also important to consider protecting yourself against promotional blunders. Revise your marketing strategy to ensure it will not offend, or will not promise over the mark. Additionally, ensure that with any business marketing strategy that you’re completely clear about what it is consumers can expect, what your privacy policy will be, and what you require from them for using your services. Do not hide charges, or market towards one group of people, as you can never tell just who might be interested in your brand. When you focus on that, you’ll ensure most of your promotional blunders are cared for.

With this advice, we hope you can deftly walk through the minefield of business error.