Manufacturing startups are very popular in this day and age. It’s a fairly easy business idea to go through with, which is why people like it. However, there are some big worries you should know about before you proceed with this idea.
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Market Trends
Most manufacturers will worry about changes in market trends. What I mean by this is that some things are popular now might be unpopular in a year or two. The trouble is, some people start a manufacturing business when they see a trend. It’s natural, you notice a particular thing is selling well, so, you want to jump on the bandwagon. You’re making products and selling them like crazy, bringing in loads of profits. Then, a new trend comes around, and you’re left with a surplus of products to sell that aren’t popular anymore. It’s a huge worry, as you can lose a lot of money when market trends shift. This is why you have to pay close attention to the products you create. Ensure they can stand the test of time, and aren’t just a sudden trend. Also, make a plan just in case things happen, and your product becomes unpopular. You don’t want to be stuck in a situation with no contingency plan and no idea what to do.
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Job Costing
By far the biggest worry is how much each job will cost. When you manufacture products, each one will cost a certain amount. This takes into account the cost of supplies, equipment, manual labor, etc. It’s a worry because you want to try and keep these costs as low as possible. Some companies take advantage of electronic contract manufacturing services so they won’t have to invest in more machineries and workers for electronic components that can be created by other business entities. The cheaper it is to manufacture something, the more money you can make when you sell it. A lot of companies use things like Epicor Job Costing systems to help manage all the costs. For me, technology is always a good way of trying to make sense of things. The biggest issue I see is that companies only look at the supply costs. They forget about how much it costs to make the product and put it together. As a result, they sell their product for a certain price and wonder why they aren’t making any money. Pay attention to job costing, take all things into account, and you can save money.
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Overseas Competition
If anyone has done any research into manufacturing, you’ll know there’s a big problem for small, local, companies. There is so much competition from overseas manufacturers nowadays. A lot of companies are looking to find a manufacturer in China or other Asian countries. Typically, this is because they offer a cheaper service, even when you factor in the import costs. So, the worry for manufacturing startups is how they compete with these foreign companies. In general, businesses do prefer to work alongside local companies. The problem is that it’s far cheaper to go overseas. So, you have to find ways to make your business more affordable for local companies.
These are the three biggest worries for small manufacturing startups. Try and address each issue, and you’ll soon have very little to worry about.
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