Key takeaways
- The starting point: a small, family-run cleaning products business overwhelmed by orders.
- The fact is: packaging is the most time-consuming step, involving a lot of handling and waste.
- The choice: an ISO 9001-certified subcontractor that accepts small and medium-sized production runs.
- How it works: Products are delivered in drums and repackaged into the selected containers; Etraves can also supply bottles, cartridges, pouches, and tubes.
The beginning of a fairy tale
When I started my own home cleaning business, I was thrilled. I had been dreaming about it for years, but never had the courage to take the plunge. Then one day, I dared. I now offer a wide range of handmade products, without harmful chemical additives. As you can imagine, at a time when people feel more and more involved in the protection of nature and the respect of the environment, my success has been dazzling. I started with a display in my city's market, then following the request of my customers, I sent my products to their friends, then their families. Now, I have a loyal clientele, which grows every month. I am living my dream! However, it almost turned into a nightmare...
Highly variable orders
The word of mouth worked wonderfully well, I was flooded with orders. Overflowing is the right word. I even found myself quickly overwhelmed. I didn't know where to turn, and in the euphoria of success I couldn't understand what was going on. I couldn't handle production, packaging, shipping, billing, customer relations...
That’s why I wanted to hire someone to help me. But between payroll costs and, above all, the fluctuation in orders, it really wasn’t reasonable or wise. So I looked for a reliable and efficient service company to outsource a few tasks. That meant I had to figure out what was taking me the most time. And what I liked doing the least, too! Among all the steps in my production process, the one that immediately stood out as the biggest problem was packaging. It took me an absurd amount of time to prepare the components needed for production. Plus, filling my products involved a lot of handling, and I had quite a bit of waste—dexterity has never been my strong suit.
The need for a subcontractor
I absolutely had to improve this step. So I decided to use a subcontractor. But finding a reliable one is far from being obvious. So I focused on subcontractors specialized in reconditioning but also certified ISO 9001 and willing to pack small and medium series. Etraves immediately stood out. This company offers various packaging services, and even a secondary packaging service! Ideal for me. An unimaginable saving of time: I give my products in drums, and I get them back in the packaging I chose to supply.
However, this isn’t a requirement—Etraves can also supply a wide range of bottles, cartridges, pouches, and tubes. I must admit that, as I look to grow my business, I’m already considering some of these options. Right now, I’m able to fulfill all my orders because I can easily manage fluctuations in business volume. I’m truly satisfied with the services Etraves provides. My orders have always been delivered on time, and the prices are very competitive. I can devote myself fully to growing my business. For me and my company, Etraves has become indispensable.
