When you first start out in business, you’re likely to outsource a whole lot of your work. After all, you’re just one person and can’t do absolutely everything alone. Especially not during the startup process which involves numerous tasks such as website design, graphic design, SEO, market research, product development, and product photography. While these chores tend to be one-off projects, there tends to be one area that the majority of small business areas continue outsourcing for a much longer period of time: manufacturing. Now, there are various reasons that small businesses outsource and most of the time it’s the most logical option for startups. Perhaps the most compelling reason for outsourcing is that it means you can test out your products in small batches before investing in large-scale machinery and robotics. This way, you can see whether there’s a reliable demand for your products before you outlay large sums of cash. It also means that you don’t have to take on the trained staff of your own to operate the machinery. However, once you’ve established your products and know that there’s demand, it’s time to consider bringing your manufacturing back in-house. Here are a few reasons why and how to go about it.
The Benefits of In-House Manufacturing
If you’re selling products, you’re going to be selling something that is the result of a manufacturing process somewhere, whether you currently have control over it or not. If you’re selling clothing, the items are stitched together; if you’re selling fresh seafood, the fish has been put through a Pin-boning machine; if you’re selling lipsticks, the ingredients have been melded together and shaped into a stick. But if you don’t know where your products are originally made or do not directly oversee their production, you lose a certain aspect of control over the items you’re going to be selling. By bringing manufacturing in-house, you can keep an eye on proceedings. This improves quality, as you can alter the process to ensure that everything is exactly what you want. Then there’s immediacy: when you own your own business, you decide your own operating hours, and you can take on more staff to cover different shifts. If you have a sudden bulk order, you can work overtime to ensure that everything is produced by a deadline, rather than working around the hours of operation of another company.
How to Bring Manufacturing In-House
Now, how you go about bringing your manufacturing in-house will depend entirely on what you’re producing. Do your research. Find out what equipment the company you currently outsource to use. Then find the suppliers and inquire as to prices and models. You will then have to ensure that you know how it works and how to operate the machinery. Even if you bring in a specialised member of staff to operate it, it’s always a good idea to have a general gist of goings-on yourself too.
As you can see, there are plenty of benefits to bringing manufacturing in-house. While you may be comfortable with how your business operates at the moment, you need to push forward to see your company flourish!
