Every company that wants to manufacture its own product must ask itself the question of raw material procurement at an early stage. There are two options here:
produce the materials yourself or
purchase the raw materials from external producers.
In order to produce the materials economically worthwhile oneself, usually very large quantities or an exceptional quality must be ensured. However, this is not feasible for most young companies, either financially or in terms of personnel.
This has also prompted us to purchase the materials from external suppliers. Quality control and the origin of the materials are of particular importance. But what is the best way to find a suitable manufacturer?
The easiest way is to procure the goods through dealers on the Internet. However, this is an incredibly expensive and also non-transparent option. In the beginning, we also made the mistake of purchasing our materials via online retailers. However, we quickly noticed that the price was almost twice as high as from the manufacturers themselves and the quality also did not meet our expectations of the materials.
So it quickly became clear to us that we needed at least one direct, reliable and transparent manufacturer for each material.
But finding this in the huge flood of information on the Internet was like a mammoth task. But little by little, our search gave us a sense of which companies could produce the right materials for us and which ones we should rather avoid.
Another important tip from us is that trade shows are an outstanding opportunity to get to know interesting companies and manufacturers. For example, we were at the TechTextil fair in Frankfurt and at a sustainability fair in Munich. We felt a bit clueless and lost in the huge exhibition halls at the beginning, but as time went by, pitching our own idea became easier and easier. Through the numerous discussions with experts, many new ideas, fields of activity and opportunities emerged.
When following up on the trade fair visits, it is important to create a directory with all contacts in order to be able to assign the offers that arrive one by one. In a short time, 70, 80 or even 100 business cards can easily come together and you can imagine that the overview is quickly lost. Fortunately, there were two of us on the road, so one of us was always able to make a small note of each conversation.
Depending on the industry, sample requests are an important part of the buying process. In textiles, for example, it is unthinkable to place an order without first reviewing various samples. It has been our experience that companies who are happy to provide samples free of charge are good and professional business partners in the long term. Of course, this is very industry and product dependent and not generally valid.
So, in summary, it is cheaper and easier to purchase the raw materials than to produce them yourself. To purchase these raw materials then, online trading places should not be used. Purchasing directly from producers is much more efficient and transparent. To find these companies, a visit to a trade fair is of great advantage.
There are an incredible number of ways to procure materials, but the most important thing is that the cooperation between the companies and the interpersonal communication is right. Then almost any way can be the right way.
You have questions about our manufacturing process or want to collect some valuable tips? Write us under info@bagsolate.eu
Did you know that the BAGSOLATE is partly made of plastic bottles?
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