Growing your business means never standing pat, especially in the consumer goods industry. Companies are constantly coming up with innovative products that disrupt the market. While your products and services might stand as mainstays today, if you don’t always keep an eye on the horizon, it’s easy to become yesterday’s news.
Heed the warning signs: you might need a new fiber supplier
Some warning signs are more obvious than others. If sales are lagging year-over-year, then that’s a more definitive signal that it might be time for a manufacturing shake-up. While production line hiccups or price shifts in raw goods can be time-sensitive anomalies, they can also serve as alarms that it’s time to find new partners.
Many times, decisions are made based on the most comfortable option. According to Albert Einstein, “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.” While the anomalies above can contribute to a shrinking bottom line, usually there are systemic issues affecting your success, and your manufacturing partner sits on the front lines. If you aren’t seeing sales results, getting a fresh start with a new fiber supplier might provide the jumpstart you need.
Choosing wisely means choosing innovators
Most successful manufacturers are wildly creative. Simply to survive, they’re forced to find new ways to utilize their valued resource. As an example, today we’re known for providing bleached cotton that’s used in consumer products for the baby care, medical, feminine care, and beauty industries. But that’s not how our business started.
Our company originally provided cotton batting that found its way into cushioning for furniture, horse collars, and buggy seats. In 1911, we sold the first cotton batting used inside an automobile to Packard Motor Car Company. Only later, after seeing the need for bleached cotton, did we become a provider of surgical dressings and cotton balls that were used during World War II. We’re proud that we’ve been able to evolve with our customers’ needs. But we also believe that’s simply what the best businesses do.
But how can a new fiber supplier help grow my business?
Once you’ve decided that you need a new fiber supplier, and once you’ve chosen one that’s an innovator, there are a variety of potential benefits:
New products: A new manufacturing partner can beef up your company’s product lines. Always keep in mind that collaboration breeds innovation, and never underestimate a manufacturer’s capabilities. For example, did you even know we offered nonabsorbent cotton?
New variations of existing products: Much like the previous benefit, a new fiber provider allows you to revisit your existing product line and make improvements. Sometimes your next innovative product—one that creates great customer demand—is only a tweak away.
Reduced costs: Whether it’s through processing raw materials or cutting-edge production practices, innovative fiber suppliers also know how to help you stretch your manufacturing buck. This expertise leads to higher quality control, ensuring proper quantities, and less wasting of resources.
A streamlined supply chain: A fiber supplier is only as good as its extended supply chain. Great product ideas and the best raw materials mean nothing when a supply chain isn’t fast enough, or synchronized effectively. The best manufacturers get you to market swiftly and efficiently—and ultimately help you steal market share.
Don’t forget what Einstein said
As in life, ruts serve as a place to spin our wheels, which in the end stifles any chance of growth. A business is no different; just as you review your personnel to make sure you have the proper teammates in place, taking a second look at your partners is critical when your bottom line starts getting bogged down. With change certainly comes risk. But is the potential creativity of a new fiber supplier scarier than sticking with the status quo? Only you can make that decision.
Are you in the market specifically for a cotton manufacturer? Download “Game Changers: 8 Cotton Products that Impacted the World” to learn how a simple fiber can offer complex consumer solutions.
