Guide
Briefing a private label manufacturer so you get quotes back
Updated
Manufacturers do not ignore small brands. They ignore enquiries they cannot price, and the difference between the two is a paragraph of specification.
Six things to state
Category, because it decides the regulatory regime and therefore the shortlist. Whether you want white label, private label or your own formulation made. Format and pack.
First run volume, honestly. Route to market, because a retail buyer's requirements are set by the retailer and not by you. And any certification that route requires.
Volume is where enquiries die
Minimum order quantity exists because setup and changeover cost the same whatever the run length, so a manufacturer with a high MOQ is not being difficult about a small brand.
State the real first run. Inflating it to clear an MOQ produces a quote you cannot meet, and a first order you cannot pay for is a worse outcome than a polite no.
Ask your buyer about certification first
A manufacturer holds a certification or it does not, and it is not something added for one customer.
This is the hardest filter after category, and brands apply it last, which means rebuilding a shortlist after it has already been built.
Say what you need included
Manufacture only, manufacture plus compliance documentation, development as well, or a full service including artwork and fulfilment. These are four different quotes.
Three quotes on three different assumptions are not comparable, and the cheapest of them is usually the one that assumed least about what you need.