Is this a good way to bootstrap my company?

[phicks]

Hey guys!

So I have my hands in a couple of different projects right now, but both are ecommerce related.

The first is a supplement company (seems generic, I know) but it's in an up and coming market that I think I can capitalize on with excellent marketing. The second is in the beard care niche.

The question is about the supplement company, though.

Basically, it looks like I'll have to get a manufacturer to make the formula, since I can't find any that have the formula in a private label program.

I did, however, find one bulk supplement manufacturer that makes the product already. It's cheap enough that I could test the market and still profit a little from it, but I'm wondering - what are the risks involved with this?

I'd be getting these capsules in bulk, and then putting them into my own bottles with my own logo and selling them to begin. Does this sound like a bad idea to you guys? Should I just bite the bullet and pay more to get it made at a manufacturer without testing first?

Thanks so much for your help! Can't wait to see what you guys have to say.

 

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[The Racing Driver]

I did, however, find one bulk supplement manufacturer that makes the product already. It's cheap enough that I could test the market and still profit a little from it, but I'm wondering - what are the risks involved with this?

I'd be getting these capsules in bulk, and then putting them into my own bottles with my own logo and selling them to begin. Does this sound like a bad idea to you guys? Should I just bite the bullet and pay more to get it made at a manufacturer without testing first?

I don't think buying buying supplements in bulk would be a bad idea at all. Testing the market is a great idea. Don't jump in and spend a heap load of money creating something. Which nobody may end up buying.

The only risk I see... that's if your terms & conditions are all sorted out. Is you end up with a whole load of supplements no one wants to buy.

I've bought supplements before, and I would be extremely hesitant to buy supplements which aren't tested.

What difference would it make to the end user doing that ?

 

[phicks]

Thanks for the reply!

So basically I can buy ~ 900 capsules for $100. This doesn't include the bottles I'd have to buy and the label, but I can't imagine they would be that much more.

I'd sell them all in around $15 per bottle. Branding is going to have to be a huge part of this if I'm going to be able to justify the markup, but other players in the space are doing similar things.

The formula in question has been tested many times and shown positive results, so I'm going to include that info on my site and product description.

Thanks again for the help!