“I think in the beginning, people don't realize how few and far between good factories are. So when you do find someone, go all out, make them feel appreciated.” - Liz Long
Welcome to Brave and Boss with Kristi Soomer. Are you an entrepreneur with a genius idea for a new product? A business owner who wants to extend their product line? Or do you just want to get into eCommerce but have no place to start? On this week's episode, product manufacturing guru, Liz Long, talks about how to get your product made.
Liz Long is the founder of Learn To Make A Product™, an accelerator for physical product entrepreneurs. She’s taught hundreds of people how to design, source, and launch a product idea successfully! Over the past 15 years Liz Long has been helping makers, inventors, and aspiring entrepreneurs share their product ideas with the world.
Manufacturing used to be something only big companies did. But things have changed! Thanks to the rise of small-batch factories, easy-to-use e-commerce solutions, and a host of other tools and apps, it's easier than ever to bring a physical product to life.
[00:01] Getting to know Liz Long
- What Liz does
- How she got into the product manufacturing space
[07:11] Getting Started with Manufacturing a Product
- Make sure you have a product that people want to buy
- Are other brands selling this type of product successfully?
- Talk to 100 people about your product
- Know what you’re getting into: What is required of you to make this a sellable item?
[14:12] Key Challenges When Trying to Manufacture a Product
- Suppliers aren’t getting back to you
- Learn how to communicate with suppliers through the Product Launch Roadmap https://www.learntomakeaproduct.com
- Suppliers aren’t getting your message in the first place
- You’re contacting the WRONG suppliers
- How to negate with a supplier
[24:36] Final Tips, Tools and Tricks
- Tips in keeping good relationships with suppliers
- Send short, clear emails
- Don’t lean on the factory to teach you
- Pay your bills on time
- Software and Apps for managing product manufacturing
[29:57] Closing Up!
What Liz is working on
- What’s one non-negotiable step in your morning routine?
- Managing her finances
- What is your favorite business book?
- If you had an extra $1,000 in your business what would you spend it on?
- Getting the team together
- Favorite Podcast?
- Coffee or Tea?
- Coffee
Key Quotes:
“Your first initial order is not about your margins. It's about getting traction out in the world.” - Liz Long
Connect with Liz
website: www.learntomakeaproduct.com
instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lizrlong https://www.instagram.com/learntomakeaproduct
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