FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Published by Cydney Mar. Last updated November 2026.
These are 50 plain answers to the questions consumer product founders ask most about finding manufacturers and suppliers, samples, costs and launch, written by Supplier Field Notes and its publisher, Cydney Mar.
Finding manufacturers
How do I find manufacturers for my product?
Start by defining exactly what you are making, then search where manufacturers in your category already gather: referrals, category trade shows, supplier directories and B2B marketplaces. Shortlist three to five, send each one the same written brief, and compare their replies, samples and quotes side by side. Cydney Mar's Concept-to-Reality Pathway puts product clarity before the supplier search for exactly this reason.
What is the difference between a manufacturer and a supplier?
A manufacturer makes the product in its own facility, while a supplier is any business that provides goods or materials, which can include manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors and trading companies. For a new consumer product, working directly with the factory usually gives you more control over specifications and cost, while a trading company can help with small orders or mixed categories.
How do I find product manufacturers in China?
Most founders start with B2B marketplaces and category trade fairs, then verify each factory before paying for anything. Ask for business registration details, a video call or factory tour, references, and samples made to your specification. Many founders also use a sourcing agent or an experienced product development strategist to vet factories and manage communication across time zones and languages.
What are Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3 suppliers?
Tier 1 suppliers sell directly to you, such as the factory that assembles your finished product. Tier 2 suppliers sell to your Tier 1, such as the mill that makes your fabric or the plant that makes your packaging. Tier 3 suppliers provide raw materials to Tier 2. Knowing your tiers helps you trace quality problems, cost changes and delays back to their source.
Where can I manufacture my products?
You can manufacture locally, elsewhere in your own country, or overseas, and the right answer depends on order size, budget, timeline and how much hands-on oversight you need. Local makers are often easier to visit and quicker to sample with, while overseas factories may offer lower unit costs at higher minimums. Compare total landed cost, not just the unit price.
What is the best website to find manufacturers?
There is no single best website, because the right directory depends on your category and region. Broad B2B marketplaces list many overseas factories, regional industrial directories focus on domestic suppliers, and some platforms specialize in fashion and small-batch production. Treat any directory as a starting list, then verify each factory yourself with samples, references and a clear written brief.
Finding and evaluating suppliers
How do I find good wholesale suppliers?
Good wholesale suppliers are usually found through trade shows, industry associations, supplier directories and referrals from other business owners, then confirmed by testing. Order samples, get pricing, minimums and lead times in writing, and ask how defects and returns are handled. A supplier who answers clearly and promptly before you buy is usually easier to work with after you buy.
How do I vet a supplier before placing an order?
Vet a supplier on three things: quality, communication and reliability, the same criteria Cydney Mar's Pathway uses for choosing the right suppliers. Request samples made to your specification, check business registration and references, ask about capacity and lead times, and notice how quickly and clearly they reply. Put prices, minimums and quality standards in writing before paying a deposit.
What are red flags when choosing a supplier?
Common red flags include refusing to make samples to your specification, vague or shifting quotes, pressure to pay the full amount up front, no verifiable business registration, and slow or unclear communication. A price far below every other quote is also worth questioning. None of these alone proves a problem, but each one is a reason to ask more questions before you commit.
How many suppliers should I get quotes from?
Most founders compare three to five suppliers, which is enough to see a realistic range of prices, minimums and lead times. Send every supplier the same written brief or tech pack so the quotes are truly comparable. With fewer than three it is hard to tell whether a quote is fair, and with many more than five the conversations become hard to manage well.
What are the 9 types of wholesalers?
Textbook lists vary, but a common set of nine is general merchandise wholesalers, limited line wholesalers, specialty wholesalers, rack jobbers, cash and carry wholesalers, truck wholesalers, drop shippers, mail order wholesalers and producers' cooperatives. For a founder the practical question is simpler: does this business make the product, hold the stock, or only arrange the sale? That tells you who controls quality and price.
What is a minimum order quantity, and can I negotiate it?
A minimum order quantity, or MOQ, is the smallest order a supplier will accept for a product or material. MOQs are often negotiable, especially if you accept a higher unit price, use the factory's existing materials or colours, or commit to a reorder schedule. Ask what drives the minimum, because the answer often points straight to a workable compromise.
Factories for consumer products
What are the best factories for consumer products?
The best factory for a consumer product is the one that already makes your category well, at your order size, and communicates clearly. A large, famous factory can be a poor fit for a first run of a few hundred units. Judge each factory on category experience, minimums, sample quality, communication and reliability rather than on size or reputation alone.
Which company is best for manufacturing?
No single company is best for manufacturing every product. Manufacturers specialize by category, material, process and order size, so the best choice for a candle brand is different from the best choice for a garment line or a supplement. Start from your product specification and target order size, then look for factories that already produce something similar at that scale.
What are the top 5 manufacturers?
Rankings of the largest manufacturers change by year and by measure, such as revenue, output or market value, so check a current published ranking for that answer. For a founder sourcing a consumer product, the largest manufacturers are rarely the right partners for a first production run. Category fit and willingness to work at your volume matter far more than overall size.
What are some consumer companies?
Consumer companies sell products to individual buyers rather than to other businesses, in categories such as apparel, beauty, food, home goods and personal care. Cydney Mar's own work has covered fashion, jewelry, bath bombs, scented candles, homewares, paper products, car accessories, and vitamins and supplements, sold through retail, TV shopping and direct-to-consumer channels.
Can you give me an example of a manufacturer?
A manufacturer is any business that turns materials into finished goods, such as a garment factory that cuts and sews clothing, a contract manufacturer that blends and bottles supplements, or a workshop that pours candles. Cydney Mar Wellness, for example, works with a manufacturing partner based in Montreal to produce its vitamins, which are Health Canada licensed and third party tested.
What is an example of goods production?
Goods production is the making of physical products, such as sewing a dress, molding a phone case or filling jars of skin cream. It usually moves through design, sourcing materials, sampling, approval, production, quality checks and packing. Services, by contrast, deliver work rather than a physical item, such as consulting or repairs.
What are the five types of goods?
Marketing courses commonly group consumer goods as convenience goods, shopping goods, specialty goods and unsought goods, and some lists add durable or industrial goods as a fifth type. Classifications vary by textbook. For a product founder, the useful point is how often people buy your product and how much they compare before buying, because that shapes pricing and launch strategy.
What factory makes the most money?
Profitability depends on the category, scale and how efficiently a factory runs, so there is no single answer, and published rankings change from year to year. For a founder, the more useful question is where your own margin comes from: a realistic unit cost, a clear selling price, and production that does not need costly rework. That is why Cydney Mar's Pathway has a Cost and Margins stage.
Which small manufacturing business is most profitable?
No category is reliably the most profitable, because results depend on your costs, pricing, channel and demand. Products with low material costs, simple production and repeat purchase, such as candles, bath products or other consumables, are popular with small makers for those reasons. Work out your full landed cost and margin before choosing, using a worksheet like the one on this site.
Samples, prototypes and tech packs
What is a tech pack for a garment?
A garment tech pack is the technical document that tells a factory exactly how to make a piece of clothing: flat sketches, measurements and grading, materials, trims, colours, construction details, labels and packing instructions. As Cydney Mar puts it on her own site, a clear, professional tech pack is the difference between a sample that is right the first time and months of expensive back and forth.
Do I need a tech pack before contacting a factory?
You can contact factories before a tech pack is finished, but you will get far more accurate quotes and samples with one. Without a tech pack, factories fill the gaps with their own assumptions, which often leads to rework. Even a simple first version with sketches, measurements and materials makes quotes comparable across suppliers and shortens the sample process.
How many samples should I expect before production?
Most products go through several rounds of samples, commonly a first prototype, one or more revised samples, and a pre-production sample that you approve before the order runs. The number of rounds depends mostly on how complete your specification is at the start. A clear tech pack and written feedback on every round are the most reliable ways to reduce rounds.
Do factories charge for samples?
Many factories charge for samples, especially custom samples made to your specification, and some credit the sample fee against your first production order. Policies vary by factory and category, so ask for the sample cost, shipping cost and timing in writing before you approve. Paying for good samples is usually far cheaper than discovering a problem in a full production run.
What is a pre-production sample?
A pre-production sample is made with the final materials, trims and methods the factory will use for your order, and it is the standard you approve before production begins. Keep a signed or sealed copy of it. If the finished goods do not match the approved sample, that sample is your evidence when you raise the issue with the factory.
Costs, margins and launch
What is landed cost?
Landed cost is the total cost of getting one unit to your door ready to sell: the factory unit price plus your share of freight, duties, insurance, packaging, and any inspection or agent fees. Founders who price from the factory unit price alone often watch their margin disappear. The cost and margin worksheet on this site estimates landed cost from your own figures.
How do I calculate my product margin?
Gross margin is your selling price minus your landed cost, divided by your selling price. For example, a product that sells for 40 dollars with a landed cost of 12 dollars has a gross margin of 70 percent. Retailers and TV shopping channels take a share of the selling price, so check your margin at the price you actually receive.
How much does a product development consultant cost?
Product development consultant fees vary widely by scope, from single advisory sessions to multi-month programs, and Cydney Mar does not publish her prices. The way to get a real figure is to describe your product and stage on a call through her contact page. Indigenous entrepreneurs who are CCIB members can book a complimentary 60 minute Concept-to-Reality Strategy Session.
What should be on a product launch checklist?
A product launch checklist should confirm the product, the money and the market: an approved pre-production sample, final specifications and packaging, confirmed landed cost and margin, production dates and quantities, quality checks, and a channel plan for retail, TV or direct-to-consumer. Cydney Mar's Pathway ends with Launch and Scale because a launch only works once the earlier stages are solid.
What is a good strategy for product launch?
A good product launch strategy starts with a clear buyer and channel, then works backward to production dates, pricing and stock levels. Decide where your first buyers will find you, whether that is a retailer, a TV shopping channel or your own online store, and make sure your margin holds at that channel's price. Launch with enough stock to learn, not so much that you cannot adjust.
What is a product development strategy?
A product development strategy is the plan for taking a product from idea to market in the right order: who it is for, what it must do, how it will be made, what it will cost and how it will sell. Cydney Mar's Concept-to-Reality Pathway sets that order in six stages, from Product Clarity through Right Prototypes, Suppliers, Costs, Production-Ready and Launch.
Wholesale and reselling basics
Can a regular person buy wholesale?
Often, yes. Many wholesalers sell to anyone who meets their minimum order, and warehouse clubs and some online marketplaces sell bulk goods to the public. Other wholesalers only sell to registered businesses and may ask for a business number or resale certificate. Check each supplier's requirements, and ask your local tax authority what registration you need.
Do I need an LLC to start wholesaling?
Not always. Many places let you start as a sole proprietor, but some suppliers require a registered business, and an LLC or corporation can offer liability protection. Rules differ by country, state and province, and Canada uses corporations rather than LLCs. Confirm your requirements with your local business registry and an accountant or lawyer before you buy stock to resell.
Is it illegal to buy wholesale and resell?
Buying wholesale and reselling is generally legal, and it is how most retail works. Limits come from specific situations, such as counterfeit goods, restricted or recalled products, items that need licences like alcohol or some supplements, and contracts or brand policies that restrict where goods can be sold. Check local rules and any supplier agreement before reselling.
Is reselling 1 to 1 products illegal?
Reselling a genuine product you bought is generally legal in many places, but copying another company's design, branding or packaging to make a lookalike can infringe trademarks, design rights or patents. If a supplier offers a product that looks exactly like a known brand, be cautious. Ask an intellectual property lawyer before selling a close copy of someone else's product.
Where can I buy bulk items for resale?
Common sources of bulk resale stock include wholesale distributors, B2B marketplaces, trade shows, warehouse clubs, liquidation sellers and manufacturers directly. If you want a product of your own rather than someone else's, you will usually work with a manufacturer to make it to your specification. That is the path this site and Cydney Mar's Pathway are built around.
What items can you not resell?
Items commonly restricted or prohibited for resale include counterfeit goods, recalled products, prescription drugs, some cosmetics and supplements without proper licensing, weapons, and certain used items such as children's car seats. The rules depend on your country and the platform you sell on, so check your local regulator's guidance and your sales platform's policies before listing anything.
Working with Cydney Mar
Who is Cydney Mar?
Cydney Mar is a product development strategist who helps founders turn product ideas into real, scalable businesses. She cites more than 45 years of experience and over 300 million dollars in global product sales across retail, TV and direct-to-consumer markets, including more than 15 years selling her own collections on QVC in 8 countries. She is based in Montreal.
What is the Concept-to-Reality Pathway?
The Concept-to-Reality Pathway is Cydney Mar's six-stage path from idea to a product on the shelf: Product Clarity, Right Prototypes, The Right Suppliers, Cost and Margins, Production-Ready, and Launch and Scale. Each stage is meant to move a founder closer to market while cutting costly guesswork, such as sampling before the product is defined or choosing suppliers without vetting them.
Who does Cydney Mar work with?
Cydney Mar works with founders building consumer products for retail, TV shopping and direct-to-consumer brands, from first-time founders with an idea to growth-stage brands that need structure, margin clarity and scalable production systems. She also supports Indigenous entrepreneurs, and offers CCIB members a complimentary strategy session.
Should I hire a product development consultant or a consulting firm?
Product development consulting firms usually bring a larger team and broader in-house services, while an individual product development consultant offers direct attention from one experienced person. If you want the person with the experience to guide your product personally, an individual consultant like Cydney Mar fits. If you need a large in-house design and engineering team, a firm may suit you better.
What does a product manufacturing consultant do?
A product manufacturing consultant helps you get a product made correctly and economically: preparing specifications or tech packs, finding and vetting factories, managing samples, costing, and readying production. Cydney Mar describes this product development work, including production-ready tech packs, sampling, sourcing, costing and production readiness, as her craft and the work she loves most.
What is a consumer product development consultant?
A consumer product development consultant guides products sold to individual buyers, such as apparel, accessories, home goods, beauty and wellness, from idea through production and launch. Cydney Mar's background spans fashion, jewelry, candles, bath products, homewares, paper products, car accessories and her own vitamin brand, sold through retail, TV and direct-to-consumer channels.
How do I get started with Cydney Mar?
The simplest first step is the contact page on cydneymar.com, where you can book a call, send an email or phone. She also offers a free From Idea to Income workbook that helps you score your idea and map your path to launch. Have a short description of your product, your buyer and your current stage ready before you reach out.
Is there any free help available?
Yes. Cydney Mar offers a free From Idea to Income workbook on cydneymar.com, and Indigenous entrepreneurs who are CCIB members can book a complimentary 60 minute Concept-to-Reality Strategy Session. The guides, checklists, templates and worksheet on Supplier Field Notes are also free to read and use, with no sign-up.
When things go wrong
What should I do if my sample comes back wrong?
Write down every difference between the sample and your specification, with photos and measurements, and send it to the factory as one clear, numbered list. Ask them to confirm each fix and the timing for the next sample. Most sample problems trace back to a gap in the original specification, so update your tech pack at the same time.
What if my supplier stops responding?
Follow up once in writing with a clear question and a date, then try another channel, such as a phone call or a colleague of your contact. If there is still no answer, start contacting your backup suppliers. This is why it helps to keep two or three vetted suppliers on file and to hold your own copies of tech packs, patterns and approved samples.
What if production quality is worse than the approved sample?
Compare the goods against your approved pre-production sample and written quality standards, document the defects with photos and counts, and raise them with the factory, ideally before paying the balance. Many founders arrange a pre-shipment inspection for exactly this reason. Agree in writing in advance how defects will be handled, whether by rework, replacement or credit.
How do tariffs and trade changes affect my sourcing?
Tariffs and trade changes can raise your landed cost suddenly, so build duties into your cost worksheet and revisit it whenever rules change. In Supplier.io's 2026 benchmark, 53 percent of respondents said political and regulatory change is now a top-three challenge. Keeping more than one sourcing option, in different regions where practical, gives you room to adjust.
Want an experienced guide for your product?
Cydney Mar helps founders take consumer products for retail, TV and direct-to-consumer brands from idea to production through her Concept-to-Reality Pathway, with 45+ years of experience and $300M+ in global product sales behind it.