As e-commerce sellers on Amazon, finding reliable and cooperative suppliers (no matter within your own country or from overseas) is crucial, especially if you are looking to start your own private label business. However, do you know what makes a good private label manufacturer? Today, I’ll go through with you some of the qualities to look out for when you are looking for a good private label manufacturer.

#1: Experience with the product

A good private label supplier will have experience in manufacturing your product. As you evaluate suppliers, do ask them if they have manufactured this product before and if they can provide samples of their past work. After all, if they have never made it before, how can you be sure if the quality of the products they make is what you want?

#2: The right level of quality

Speaking of quality, always be clear about the quality of the products you want. Take, for example, if you are sourcing for umbrellas, there will definitely be lots of suppliers out there offering this product. Though umbrellas look the same at first glance, there is your $2 store variety that breaks the first time they’re out in a large gust, and there are sturdy ones that can cope with even the strongest storms. So, you will want to find a supplier whose manufacturing matches your ideal product quality. Too low, and your customers will be dissatisfied. Too high, and the price will be unaffordable.

#3: Familiarity with your market

The third factor which you may want to consider when looking out for a good private manufacturer will be whether they are familiar with your market. Different countries have different quality standards, different styles, and color preferences, so do find out which countries your suppliers export their products to, and if they are familiar with providing a fit for your export markets’ product standards and preferences. Take, for example, if you are selling clothing to the U.S. markets, you may want to find suppliers who are familiar with manufacturing larger cuts and sizes for the American body types. Similarly, if you are targeting Japan markets, you will need to look out for suppliers who manufacture clothes which are targeting the Asian markets.

#4: Ability to brand products

Some manufacturers are only willing to make products under your own brand if you hit a high MOQ (minimum order quantity). Those would not make for a good private label manufacturer, especially if you’re just starting out. So, do ask yourself if your supplier is willing and able to private label your product within your order volumes. Other than that, as I mentioned in my last point, different marketplaces demand specific nuances. Is your supplier willing to make modifications for YOUR brand when manufacturing the products you want to sell to your customers? Good private label manufacturers will be willing to help you brand your products and adapt to your needs across the different export markets.

#5: Socially responsible manufacturing

It is the duty of every business owner to ensure that their business is run in a socially responsible way. So the next time you engage a supplier, do inquire about their factory conditions, and make sure that they are doing their work in a proper way. While those with more funds may request to have the manufacturers’ factories audited, smaller startup business may find this unfeasible. Fret not though, a less expensive option to check this is to see if the manufacturers have worked with large multinational companies, that will have already done the legwork to ensure good working conditions. Other than that, you can always ask the factory to show a certificate or report of being audited by credible factory auditors as evidence of their factory conditions. This is not a 100% guarantee, but it can at least help you gauge at one glance if a factory’s standards are kept up to date and whether they are paying attention to this aspect.

#6: Appropriate pricing

Due to increasing labor costs, material costs and stricter environmental policies worldwide, tens of thousands of factories have shut down. As such, the costs of manufacturing products are steadily rising. When you send the suppliers requests for quotations (RFQs), you may find a wide range of prices provided in response to your RFQs, but take note that those suppliers who produce quality products may be the ones having the higher quotes. If one manufacturer is quoting way below the average, they are either cutting back on something that really makes an impact, or it’s not a genuine quote. The idea here is to do more research and do not just jump at the lowest price to avoid disappointment and then resulting in a mismatch of quality. #7: Good communication skills Most of the private label sellers nowadays generally source suppliers from other countries who may speak a different language from them/ use the language of communication only as a second language, so having good clear, precise skills in getting your requests over to suppliers is of utmost importance. This may seem like a no-brainer, but it surprises me just how many private label sellers can break off relationships with their suppliers due to miscommunication problems.



The next time you engage a supplier who speaks a different language from you, do make sure that they really understand what you are talking about. Don’t assume that they know – some supposedly-common terms have an entirely different meaning/context in the different cultures. Hire outside help if you are really unsure, especially if you are asking product questions or communicating product modification. Trust me, that will really save you a lot of trouble and frustration to come later.

#8: Holding a valid export license

Another important factor to look out for in a good private manufacturer is to check if the manufacturer has a valid export license. In some countries like China, it is against the law to export products (ship them overseas) without a license. This may seem troublesome, but in actual fact, it helps to have such a practice. After all, if a manufacturer has an authority-recognized, valid export license, it will mean that they are experienced in handling the export process, and be able to help smooth things out for you should things get difficult during the shipping process.

In the case that your potential manufacturer does not have an export license, you will have to engage a third-party trading company to help them export the product. Needless to say, this will add a layer of bureaucracy and additional fees, but there is no right or wrong in this matter, so it’s up to you to choose whether you want to work with such private label manufacturers.

#9: Flexibility

A good private label manufacturer is one who is flexible and willing to accept your changes within your order volumes. Generally, most private label sellers will place a low quantity trial order of 500-1000 units – but not all suppliers are willing to invest in making modifications for such a small order.

If you find a manufacturer who is willing to accommodate to your requests to improve the products for a smaller order amount, and still help you create modified packaging with the required logos, artwork, and branding to increase the value of your products, congratulations – these are the manufacturers who are really good and will help you up the competition against the rest in the market. Do cherish this relationship, and try to build a long-lasting collaboration scheme with them. Trust me, doing this will make it a profitable business for both sides and ultimately achieve a win-win situation.

#10: Wanting your business



After your first interaction with them, do ask yourself this question: are they hungry for your business? Or are you small potatoes in their eyes? The rationale is very simple: you want your partner to be interested in you. If they are, most probably they’ll be more willing to make an effort when trouble arises, or when you need to make more changes to stay ahead of competitors.

A tell-tale sign of such manufacturers will be to see if they are punctual in replying to your questions and if they reply within a 24-hour window. Generally, I find that suppliers who are genuinely interested to strike a good working relationship will be prompt and enthusiastic in their communication with you right from the start of your interactions.

So, do you know what makes a good private label manufacturer now? Stay tuned for more tips like this, and see you real soon!

Interested? Stay tuned as I introduce the other factors/tell-tale signs of a good private label manufacturer!