Making Your Product Presentable

While you're waiting on those nasty forms to come in so you can operate legally, you can start thinking about how you're going to market your product. We did our research at the grocery store and looked at the packaging on other products to get ideas. It might be difficult, but you have to put yourself in the shoes of your customer and imagine what would appeal to them. Come up with an idea of how you want your product to be perceived and then start looking at packaging ideas that give that impression. Just remember, whatever you decide in the beginning doesn't have to be your packaging forever. For now, your goal is to get it in people's hands so that you can get feedback.

You'll have to:

• Find a friend who can design and print some basic labels for your product or do it yourself. We do all of the design and writing on our labels and we get them printed at a local printer (Priority Copy. Because we only print in small quantities, it ends up costing us $.10 a label doing it this way. Eventually, we'll reach a point where we will have to outsource them and you probably will too. For now, we design them so that we can fit 10 labels per 8.5x11 sheet of paper and we have the printer laser-print them onto full-size sticker sheets and cut them for us.
• Look online for potential packaging. Some of the sites we use are SKS Bottle, Container and Packaging. Often, these large companies will send you a sample to look at before you buy anything. There is a local Austin resource (Couronne Co. you can check out too.
• Check out the local farmers market and see if they have space available for you to rent a booth. You'll have to buy a tent and some tables, but it will definitely pay for itself once you start getting feedback on your product.
• If you've got the resources, create a brochure for your product. Nothing complicated. Just something that people can take home with them to remind them about your product when they get home from the market. Another thing to do is to create a website about your product or at least reserve the domain name for your product before someone else gets it. That typically costs about $10/yr at places like Go Daddy.com, but there are many sites that specialize in selling website domains. Your internet provider can help you set up a storefront website. Of course, we are always available if you have any questions. Just send us an email.
• Once you get your product on the market, always evaluate whether your packaging is working. In other words, make sure it gives your product shelf appeal. There are so many products available to the consumer now that its harder than ever to make yours stand out enough to make someone buy it over all others.

Once you've got something that is semi-presentable (doesn't have to be perfect), you're ready to start thinking about how to Get Your Product In Front of People.