Getting Your Product to market
How will you get your products to market? Few manufacturers sell their products directly to the consumer. As a manufacturer, you usually have little contact with the final user—you are more likely to on-sell to a middle person who distributes or retails to the end user. So marketing your business is very different from normal retail operations. This means you need to spend time developing and nurturing your distribution channels. For example, will you distribute through:
- agents or distributors
- wholesalers
- online sales on your website
- your own factory shop
- opening a branch office (perhaps overseas)?
Consider how much control each method will give you, and also how effective the distribution channel will be. For example, you usually have more control over the activities of an agent, and less over a distributor (who may also sell other products and prefer to focus on the higher margin products). Consult your business advisors about the best options for your business.