Private Label Versus Contract Manufacturing

Starting a polish line can be confusing. A common question is “what’s the difference between Private Label and Contract Manufacturing, and which one is right for me?” A Private Label company, such as ours, is one that can supply you with product and packaging as one complete, ready to market item. Contract Manufacturing, something we also provide, usually entails a few companies trying to create a product that you end up putting together, i.e. bottle manufacturers, cosmetics labs, etc., to create a new product unique to you. When starting your own line, one is not necessarily better overall. Depending on your budget, time frame, and company size, however, one will be a better choice for you.

Contract Manufacturing is sometimes preferred, as the creator feels that by having total control they will get a higher quality product in the end. The truth is Private Label Manufacturing is generally just as high of quality. However, there is something to be said for having total control of your product. By going with contract manufacturing you can choose any bottle and cap on the market, and create any shade your heart desires. While this does result in something totally and completely unique to your brand, there are some pretty serious cons to consider, especially if you are starting your line for the first time. The first is the time this takes. You will have to find and contact several different manufacturers, test their products, and go through a couple rounds of trial and error before they get your nail polish’s opacity and color exactly the way you want it. Now all this may be worth it if you have a large company, however, for small companies that are just starting out, this is generally a bad idea. It all basically comes down to your budget and the current demand for your product. Contract manufacturers require you to purchase large quantities of any given product as they are producing it solely for you. * You need to ask yourself if you company can handle 5 gallons of every single nail polish color you create.

Private Label manufacturing companies on the other hand generally require a much smaller budget as the order minimum is significantly lower. Our minimum starts at only 288 bottles, suggested 12 colors 24 bottles of each. This protects your business from unnecessary losses early on. As you are just starting out, there is the potential that some of your colors may not sell well. It hurts your business a lot less to throw out 24 bottles while throwing out 5 gallons might hurt very much. An added benefit of going with a Private Label manufacturer is that the research and hard work have been done for you. We have already found trusted companies to provide us with quality bottles, caps, polishes and treatments. We also research fashion trends constantly to see what is popular in colors and finishes at the time, and refer to this information when selecting our seasonal colors. You just have to select the options that are right for you. There are, however, downsides to Private Label manufacturing… mainly that you have limited flexibility with your product. While the chance of choosing the same bottle, cap, and 24+ colors as someone else is highly unlikely, especially with over 250 colors in our collection to choose from, it is comforting to have a product that you know is 100% unique to you.

We would encourage you to start your brand 100% Private Label, with the understanding that, as you grow, we can work with you as your Contract manufacturer. We can help you find the companies to create your own custom caps or packaging, and we can create custom nail shades just for your company, perhaps adding one new custom shade a season as you grow. Just because you start out Private Label does not mean that you can’t create a more customized product as your business grows. Feel free to comment below with any challenges or successes with starting your own polish line! We love to hear our customer’s experiences so that we can continue to provide quality customer service.

*Generally contract manufacturers still claim right to formula and will offer it to other customers if they think it will sell. If you choose to go with a contract manufacturer, be sure to discuss this with them beforehand.

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