What founders say
Finding someone to make your product, what a first run should actually cost you, and the label details that quietly cost founders their distribution.
“I didn't add one very specific section, distributed by OSIA… that really held us up in a lot of different ways. We couldn't get it into distributors. And so we had to self-distribute for a long time.”
A missing line of legally required label copy cost them distribution entirely. Get your label reviewed against your target channel's requirements before the first run, not after.
“my biggest suggestion is just doing the minimum quantities… I'm glad we didn't do a crazy order.”
The purpose of a first production run is to discover what is wrong with the product. Ordering volume before you know that converts a cheap lesson into expensive inventory.
“if you don't like the people, then you shouldn't work with them… don't sign a five year contract in your first production.”
Co-packer relationships are long and hard to exit. She screens on whether they answer questions willingly, and keeps the first contract short enough to leave.
Keep reading
“I would go into my local grocery stores or liquor stores and pretty much just pitch my product… we had so many places say yes, we had some places say no.”
Isabella Hoag
Read the answers →1 founder · 2 answers“in the beginning we were selling our a single can wholesale for six dollars, and now we're selling retail for four ninety nine. So you can just imagine the trial and error it took.”
Isabella Hoag
Read the answers →1 founder · 1 answer“In the beginning we were selling to a lot of liquor stores, and obviously liquor stores are trying to sell liquor. And so then it's kind of showcasing why they need to improve their NA set.”
Isabella Hoag
Read the answers →