January 16, 2018

[133] Outsourcing Production with Britta Boeckmann

45 minutes

Have you ever thought about outsourcing the production of your handmade goods?

Maybe you want to grow beyond what one person can achieve. Perhaps you want to outsource the making so you can spend more time dreaming and designing.

Whatever the reason, figuring out exactly HOW to do this is a big challenge.

My guest on the show today – Britta Boeckmann – has done exactly that.

She has worked out how to outsource the making of her beautiful resin-based jewellery overseas in a way that is affordable and ethical. And in this episode, she shares her experiences of the process.

BONUS: Britta is going to be joining me and the Thriver Circle community for a live chat this Friday the 19th of January at 12 Noon, AEST (the time in Brisbane, Australia). If you’d like to join us for that, make sure you’re a member of the Circle, and look for the event in the Circle FB group.

Download or listen to this episode.

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You can also subscribe to the podcast and listen to this episode on Apple Podcasts + Stitcher or any other Android App.)

Heads up! I’m going to be giving a 10% discount off the cost of my Shop Scrutiny service to Thriver Circle members in February.

So if you want me to critique your online handmade shop, make sure that you’re a member of the Circle in February to get access to this special offer!

Quotes and Highlights from this Episode:

As demand for her product outstripped her manufacturing capacity, Britta changed the direction of her business by bringing on a business partner, Michael, and exploring outsourced production.

It took eight months to find the right production partner including research, liaison and site visits in the Philippines.

Have clear guidelines as to what you need from a production partner including working conditions, wages, sustainability of resources and technical expertise.

To kick start the partnership, Britta designed and made a collection and sent these pieces and the technical drawings to the production partner. They, in turn, created a sample set and returned it for approval.

“When you start something like this you have to be aware that its never going to go completely smoothly” {Britta}

There are significant investments of time and money when pursuing outsourced production but there are significant benefits.

“Outsourced production frees you up for more design work” {Jess}

Take a long view with your business and plan accordingly for growth.

“You need to have a vision otherwise it is very hard to invest the time” {Britta}

After having her work profile grew, Britta saw lot of replication of her designs. This spurred outsourcing production to free up creative time to develop new ideas.

“There is no reason to be sad about it – when you do something good there will always be copiers” {Britta}

BoldB’s designs do not work to fashion house seasons – if the design is selling it is continued for sale.

“If you want to be successful you need to put all your energy in the one idea” {Britta}

See Britta’s work on Etsy and her website.

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By Jess Van Den

4.9

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