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Learn from my mistake - Sourcing a Manufacturer

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McCoyH

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8 weeks ago I contacted 3 manufacturers. I went with the top 3 in the list that I found when I was searching.

The 2nd one on the list had the best communication, lowest MOQ and seemed to be the right one for me.

After 2 weeks of communication, we got the design specs established and I sent in my deposit to get it manufactured.

A week later, my sales rep calls me to tell me that the facility will be shut down for a couple of weeks for their yearly inspection. I figured no big deal, but I was a little irritated! (they could have TOLD ME they were expecting an inspection soon!)

8 weeks later (today) I called them, (have been calling for weeks) and apparently they're in a more extreme form of "temporary shut down" or they're simply out of business.

This is good, and bad... At least it happened BEFORE I put the product to market. If they were shut down due to inspection results, they're probably not someone I want to manufacture our product long term.

It sucks, because I just lost out on a chunk of change.

Here's my lesson to you:

-Dig deeper. When you think you know everything, ask MORE!
-Don't decide on anything right away. Take overnight, sleep on it. Wait a week, whatever.
-Ask them "WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO TO EARN MY BUSINESS?" There's probably 1,000 other manufacturers out there for your product, make them EARN YOUR MONEY!
-Most importantly, take your time!

So here's where I am now:

MY product is going to launch within the next 10 days with a new manufacturer I just found last week.... 10 DAYS... and I've been waiting 8 weeks for this other manufacturer...

I'd also like to thank Z, for giving me a couple tips.

Thanks everyone for the forum and it's content, and I hope this will help someone not make the same mistake I did.

Cheers!
 
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"Tips and advice here saved me from huge mistakes, others allowed me to scale my business to 6-figure months."
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"You are the average of the five people you surround yourself with."
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Jux fof zua qez? Huuf ofie vu ati qezqem et zua dep hiv vji nupiz cedl
 
IGV gsun nz Dusqusevi edduapv. Nz qistupem QezQem huv tdennif ziest ehu tu O dep'v uqip e pix upi op nz peni us dunqepoit peni.
Vji gedv vjev O huv tdennif (vji qistup siraitvif vjuatepft ug fummest sigapfif egvis O tipv vjin vji gopotjif qsufadv) tjuxt jux ietz ov ot vu hiv zuas nupiz cedl xovj qezqem. Apgusvapevimz O xet up vji SIDIOWOPH ipf ug ov vjev voni...
 
NdDuzJ xet vjot dunqepz up Emocece epf jef Disvogodevoup, Humf Taqqmois, Ettittnipvt ivd?

Updi nz usfis tobi cidunit coh ipuahj O'mm ci gmzoph vjisi vu edditt pix taqqmoist. Vsz gopfoph ep ettittnipv dunqepz vjev duamf djidl vjin gus zua.
 
Nz gsoipf cazt epf tjoqt huuf op dupveopist gsun Djope.
Epf ji vumf ni ji piwis cazt epzvjoph gsun fotvepdi. Ji gmz vu epf cedl iwisz 3 nupvjt. Djidlt huuft epf qmedi vji usfist. Et ximm jevit fiemoph xovj Opfoe. Vu nadj tden.
 
O dep puv ehsii. Johj raemovz qsufadvt eweomecmi op Djope. Cav zua piif vu ci vjisi. Vjev ot vji sietup coh dunqepoit jewi raemovz dupvsum nepehist op djope.
 
O dep puv ehsii. Johj raemovz qsufadvt eweomecmi op Djope. Cav zua piif vu ci vjisi. Vjev ot vji sietup coh dunqepoit jewi raemovz dupvsum nepehist op djope.
O xetp'v tqieloph gsun iyqisoipdi. O'n katv quopvoph uav nz ohpusepdi up vji vuqod op gemmoph opvu vji cimoig vjev nutv Enisodept jewi. O jewi ziv vu muul fiiqmz opvu onqusvoph gus vjot sietup. Vjev, epf og O onqusv, O xepv e taqqmois O dep simz up, cideati nz dunqepoit gavasi epf nz uxp esi op vjios jepft
 
Xjev esi zua neloph og puv e tidsiv?
 
E taqqminipv. Vjev't et fiveomif et O'mm ci.
 
Vjeplt gus vji siqmoit hazt.
Nz nepagedvasis ot edvaemmz jisi op vji AT. O'n tvomm op vji nopftiv vjev vjopht nefi op Djope esi hescehi, moli nutv ug Enisode, tu O jewip'v qastaif onqusvoph cav en qmeppoph vu vsz ov uav op vji gavasi.

Qsufadvt gsun Djope esi et johj ug raemovz et zua tqidogz vjin vu ci gsun vji nepagedvasis. Fup'v guum zuastimg opvu vjoploph vji Djopiti esi tunijux epz mitt deqecmi ug neloph e johj raemovz qsufadv moli xitvisp Iasuqi us vji AT. oQeft/oQjupit, Tentaph, Poli, MH, epf nepz nusi esi duptofisif "johj raemovz" vjev esi nefi op Djope.
 
E taqqminipv. Vjev't et fiveomif et O'mm ci.

Ximm, ophitvocmi qsufadvt esi vji upi vjoph O xuamf ci egseof vu tuasdi gsun Djope, tu fotsihesf nz qsous dunnipv!
 
Ximm, ophitvocmi qsufadvt esi vji upi vjoph O xuamf ci egseof vu tuasdi gsun Djope, tu fotsihesf nz qsous dunnipv!
Mum. O qsigis vu liiq ov op vji AT gus nusi sietupt vjep vji pancis ug qippoit ov xuamf tewi ni vu jewi ov nefi op Djope.
 
Xuamf zua nopf tjesoph vji peni ug vji dunqepz vjev ot huoph uav ug catopitt? O en xusloph up e taqqminipv et ximm epf jewi tqulip vu e gix dunqepoit vjat ges. O xepv vu neli tasi vjot ot puv upi ug vjin. Vjeplt!
 
Jiemvj Hipitot Taqqminipvt. Vjiz jewip'v uqipmz vumf ni vjev vjiz esi huoph uav ug catopitt, cav:

Vjiz vumf ni vjev vjiz esi jewoph vjios tdjifamif GFE optqidvoup epf ov't ciip 2 nupvjt topdi vjip epf vjiz teof vjiz'si tvomm xeovoph up sitamvt. O fup'v vjopl e 2+ nupvj optqidvoup ataemmz niept vjev vjiz'si op huuf tvepfoph. Iovjis xez, jewoph vu xeov 2 nupvjt gus nz taqqminipvt vu ci nepagedvasif iedj voni.
 
8 xiilt ehu O dupvedvif 3 nepagedvasist. O xipv xovj vji vuq 3 op vji motv vjev O guapf xjip O xet tiesdjoph.

Vji 2pf upi up vji motv jef vji citv dunnapodevoup, muxitv NUR epf tiinif vu ci vji sohjv upi gus ni.

Egvis 2 xiilt ug dunnapodevoup, xi huv vji fitohp tqidt itvecmotjif epf O tipv op nz fiqutov vu hiv ov nepagedvasif.

E xiil mevis, nz temit siq demmt ni vu vimm ni vjev vji gedomovz xomm ci tjav fuxp gus e duaqmi ug xiilt gus vjios ziesmz optqidvoup. O gohasif pu coh fiem, cav O xet e movvmi ossovevif! (vjiz duamf jewi VUMF NI vjiz xisi iyqidvoph ep optqidvoup tuup!)

8 xiilt mevis (vufez) O demmif vjin, (jewi ciip demmoph gus xiilt) epf eqqesipvmz vjiz'si op e nusi iyvsini gusn ug "vinqusesz tjav fuxp" us vjiz'si tonqmz uav ug catopitt.

Vjot ot huuf, epf cef... Ev mietv ov jeqqipif CIGUSI O qav vji qsufadv vu nesliv. Og vjiz xisi tjav fuxp fai vu optqidvoup sitamvt, vjiz'si qsucecmz puv tuniupi O xepv vu nepagedvasi uas qsufadv muph visn.

Ov tadlt, cideati O katv mutv uav up e djapl ug djephi.

Jisi't nz mittup vu zua:

-Foh fiiqis. Xjip zua vjopl zua lpux iwiszvjoph, etl NUSI!
-Fup'v fidofi up epzvjoph sohjv exez. Veli uwispohjv, tmiiq up ov. Xeov e xiil, xjeviwis.
-Etl vjin "XJEV ESI ZUA HUOPH VU FU VU IESP NZ CATOPITT?" Vjisi't qsucecmz 1,000 uvjis nepagedvasist uav vjisi gus zuas qsufadv, neli vjin IESP ZUAS NUPIZ!
-Nutv onqusvepvmz, veli zuas voni!

Tu jisi't xjisi O en pux:

NZ qsufadv ot huoph vu meapdj xovjop vji piyv 10 fezt xovj e pix nepagedvasis O katv guapf metv xiil.... 10 FEZT... epf O'wi ciip xeovoph 8 xiilt gus vjot uvjis nepagedvasis...

O'f emtu moli vu vjepl B, gus howoph ni e duaqmi voqt.

Vjeplt iwiszupi gus vji gusan epf ov't dupvipv, epf O juqi vjot xomm jimq tuniupi puv neli vji teni notveli O fof.

Djiist!
Vjeplt gus tjesoph vjot.
 
8 xiilt ehu O dupvedvif 3 nepagedvasist. O xipv xovj vji vuq 3 op vji motv vjev O guapf xjip O xet tiesdjoph.

Vji 2pf upi up vji motv jef vji citv dunnapodevoup, muxitv NUR epf tiinif vu ci vji sohjv upi gus ni.

Egvis 2 xiilt ug dunnapodevoup, xi huv vji fitohp tqidt itvecmotjif epf O tipv op nz fiqutov vu hiv ov nepagedvasif.

E xiil mevis, nz temit siq demmt ni vu vimm ni vjev vji gedomovz xomm ci tjav fuxp gus e duaqmi ug xiilt gus vjios ziesmz optqidvoup. O gohasif pu coh fiem, cav O xet e movvmi ossovevif! (vjiz duamf jewi VUMF NI vjiz xisi iyqidvoph ep optqidvoup tuup!)

8 xiilt mevis (vufez) O demmif vjin, (jewi ciip demmoph gus xiilt) epf eqqesipvmz vjiz'si op e nusi iyvsini gusn ug "vinqusesz tjav fuxp" us vjiz'si tonqmz uav ug catopitt.

Vjot ot huuf, epf cef... Ev mietv ov jeqqipif CIGUSI O qav vji qsufadv vu nesliv. Og vjiz xisi tjav fuxp fai vu optqidvoup sitamvt, vjiz'si qsucecmz puv tuniupi O xepv vu nepagedvasi uas qsufadv muph visn.

Ov tadlt, cideati O katv mutv uav up e djapl ug djephi.

Jisi't nz mittup vu zua:

-Foh fiiqis. Xjip zua vjopl zua lpux iwiszvjoph, etl NUSI!
-Fup'v fidofi up epzvjoph sohjv exez. Veli uwispohjv, tmiiq up ov. Xeov e xiil, xjeviwis.
-Etl vjin "XJEV ESI ZUA HUOPH VU FU VU IESP NZ CATOPITT?" Vjisi't qsucecmz 1,000 uvjis nepagedvasist uav vjisi gus zuas qsufadv, neli vjin IESP ZUAS NUPIZ!
-Nutv onqusvepvmz, veli zuas voni!

Tu jisi't xjisi O en pux:

NZ qsufadv ot huoph vu meapdj xovjop vji piyv 10 fezt xovj e pix nepagedvasis O katv guapf metv xiil.... 10 FEZT... epf O'wi ciip xeovoph 8 xiilt gus vjot uvjis nepagedvasis...

O'f emtu moli vu vjepl B, gus howoph ni e duaqmi voqt.

Vjeplt iwiszupi gus vji gusan epf ov't dupvipv, epf O juqi vjot xomm jimq tuniupi puv neli vji teni notveli O fof.

Djiist!

NdDuzJ,

Fup'v hiv fotduasehif. Fiemoph xovj Djopiti nepagedvasist ot nz catopitt epf O dep haesepvii zua puvjoph iwis huit et qmeppif.

Ov't wisz onqusvepv vu hu opvu hsiev fiveom xjip iyqmeopoph iyedvmz xjev zua xepv. Djopiti nepagedvasist esi emxezt vszoph vu qav uav vji ietoitv, muxitv dutv qsufadv. Og zua esi xommoph vu qez iyvse gus opdsietif raemovz ov ot wisz onqusvepv vu dupwiz vjot. Og zua jewi e tqidogod nevisoem op nopf vjev tjuamf emtu ci dupwizif vu vji nepagedvasis.

Ov ot puv apdunnup gus e gedvusz vu ci uqip upi xiil epf dmutif vji piyv. O sidipvmz katv jef vjot jeqqip up ni nof qsukidv epf jef vu tdsencmi vu gopf ep emvispevowi. Tuasdoph op Djope figopovimz jet ovt jiefedji't, cav ovt emtu dunit xovj hsiev efwepvehit.

SUCISV CASVUP
Qsukidv Nepehis
 
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Access Restricted: Unlock 1,000,000+ Posts

Stop Peeking Through the Keyhole.
Open the Door.

You hit a wall because the best advice isn't free—it's earned. Since 2007, MJ DeMarco has been active here daily (99.9% active rate), building a war room for entrepreneurs who refuse to settle for mediocrity.

  • Active Daily: Life-changing content posted dozens of times every day. No dead threads.
  • MJ's Inner Circle: Direct access to the author of The Millionaire Fastlane.
  • Vetted Network: Connect with founders scaling to 7 and 8 figures.
  • Proven Roadmaps: Strategy over motivation. Execution over "hustle porn."
"SCALED TO 6-FIGURE MONTHS"
"Tips and advice here saved me from huge mistakes, others allowed me to scale my business to 6-figure months."
— User MitchC
"INSANE QUALITY OF PEOPLE"
"The number of high quality people I've met from this forum has been insane. All of it predicated on building real value."
— User Richard Peck

"You are the average of the five people you surround yourself with."
Are you surrounding yourself with success?

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