How do I get the best cost price from a UK manufacturer?

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Got a cost price you're not happy with - this might be why!

It's the £64 million question!
Is social media enough these days?
Or should you be paying for ads?
Having a fantastic product and sticking them on a website hoping someone will find them is the dream!
But the reality is, you’re up against some stiff competition, and unless you’ve got a marketing plan and a way of getting traffic to your website, you’ve got a hobby and not a business.
So what do you do if you don’t want to launch to crickets?

If you want to know the best way of getting a realistic cost price from a manufacturer watch this quick video explaining how!

The question asked here was: “A manufacturer has quoted me more than double what I'd expect to pay. From further discussion, they can bring that figure down by using a different shape to that in my spec. I think they've priced according to a competitor's product, but that is different from mine. I hope that by meeting them in person, it will help better convey what I want as I will take samples. I hope that by meeting them in person, it will help better convey what I want as I will take samples. I really don't want to resort to China for production. Do you have any tips on respectfully negotiating?”

Note: it turns out that the person asking the question had not visited the factory or had them make a sample but had asked for a cost price via email with links to competitor products to show what they wanted. In my answer to her question I gave her tips for negotiating with manufacturers and getting the best price from them. Whether it would be better to go to overseas manufacturers and how many units she should buy when placing her first production order.

Timestamps

Understanding manufacturer pricing [00:40]
Calculating your target cost price [03:00 ]
How to know if you’re in the right ballpark [05:10 ]
When to look overseas instead [06:11 ]
How many units to order [07:47 ]

Let me help YOU to manufacture in the UK

The decision to manufacture in the UK involves weighing numerous factors, from cost and capacity to ethical considerations and brand image. The benefits of local production—such as superior quality, faster turnaround times, and ethical transparency—present compelling reasons for brands to reconsider their manufacturing strategies.

At Make it British, we're committed to supporting brands in navigating these challenges and seizing the opportunities that UK manufacturing offers.