Once a brand feels like they have outgrown their own means of production (whether thatās in-home or via a commercial kitchen), they begin to explore the idea of working with a co-man. Their thought process is often that they need to have a co-man lined up before they can even consider selling their product, because how are they supposed to sell a product they donāt have?
The issue with this next step is twofold:
Manufacturers have minimums, also known as MOQs, for their productions that need to be hit
Manufacturers arenāt interested in working with brands who donāt have a clear idea of where and how they will sell their products, as it means the brand will require extra flexibility that the co-man often cannot offer.
So, how to combat this?
A Go-To-Market Strategy
Before beginning the co-man search in earnest, brands need to create a solid go-to-market strategy. If this sounds unfamiliar at all, you likely arenāt ready, so head over to our resources page to read about a Go-To-Market Strategy.
Here is the checklist of what youāll need before you should begin to search for a contract manufacturer
Product Information
Product Specifications Sheet (Spec sheet): Detailed specifications outlining the desired characteristics, ingredients, composition, and quality parameters of the food product.
Commercial Formulation: The formulation of the food product, including the specific ingredients, quantities, and processing instructions.
Note - while smaller manufacturers will help you scale up a formulation, we suggest you do the work ahead of time to create a formulation based on weight, rather than approach them with a recipe.
Packaging Specifications: Information about the packaging materials, dimensions, labeling requirements, and any special packaging instructions.
Manufacturing Process Flowchart: A visual representation of the step-by-step process involved in manufacturing the food product, including the handling of ingredients, processing, and packaging.
Marketing & Sales Information
Minimum Volumes & volume projections: Contract manufacturers have minimum production volumes, so if youāre looking to work with a co-man, you need to make sure you can hit their minimums. Additionally, volume projections are very important. While you might not have concrete numbers, you need to have a general sense of range - a company looking to manufacture 5,000 units every two months will look for a very different manufacturer than a company looking to manufacture 50,000 units monthly.
Marketing strategy: a clearly defined strategy for how you will approach selling and scaling up your brand. Contract manufacturers want to work with brands long term, so having an idea of a marketing strategy going in will give them that reassurance.
Retailers: a list of retailers you are currently selling at or in conversation with, including a rough estimate of your product velocity.
Additional Nice-To-Haves
Here are some additional documents and pieces of information that would be helpful to have when approaching a co-man, but are not as necessary, especially if you are a startup brand.
Quality Control Plan: A document outlining the quality control measures and procedures to be implemented during the production process, including sampling, testing, and inspection protocols.
Allergen Information: Information on the presence of any allergens in the food product and appropriate labeling requirements.