Page 89 - 597 Business Ideas You can Start from Home - doing what you LOVE! (Beginner Internet Marketing Series)

80 Your I dea, I nc.

The BBB does not evaluate nor endorse member businesses, but a
clean record on their site is generally a good sign.

Though you are certainly not an OSHA inspector, use your com­
mon sense and gut instincts to gauge whether things appear to be
running smoothly. You , of course, do not want anyone working
on your product under unfair conditions, not to mention that it
can be a public relations nightmare to be involved with a factory
that abuses the rights of its workers (remember Kathie Lee Gifford's
clothing line disaster?).

Questions to Ask M anufacturers

Once you've narrowed your search to one or two factories, be ready
to ask the manager some questions, either in person or on a prear­
ranged phone call. You are looking for a manager who is organized
and willing to communicate with you about your needs and how
the plant operates. Be ready with as much information about your
product's materials as you have. Here are useful questions to ask:

• Can you produce some samples for me? (A small sample run,
maybe six pieces to use for selling purposes.)

• What is the cost of the samples? (Expect that the cost will be
much more than if you were having them produced in a large
quantity.)

• How long would it take you to produce an initial, smaller run of,
say, 500 pieces? 1 ,000 pieces?

• Would you be able to handle an order for 10,000 pieces? (You
want to be sure that they will be able to handle larger orders
with a qUick turnaround time as your business grows. Let them
know you are just starting and that your business won't be regu­
lar at the beginning, but once you get orders, you expect volume
to increase. How will they fit your production into their current
workload?)

• Inquire about their working conditions . Are the workers compen­
sated according to law in the form of payment and hours worked?