Life as an entrepreneur can often feel rife with challenges. Not only do you need to carve out the time and space to work when you’re already overwhelmed, but you also need to think hard about the more practical elements of your business.
Manufacturing, in particular, can become tricky when you’re juggling multiple working plates. Unfortunately, whether you’re selling homemade items or mass-produced products, it’s something that’s going to need your attention at some stage.
After all, if you don’t manufacture your goods, you can’t sell them. That could kill your business faster than any other setback, which is why we’ve put together this vital guide on how to master manufacturing as a parentpreneur.
Step 1: Outsource Whatever You Can
While you might like to think you can reasonably juggle all of the plates, the simple reality is that you can’t do it all. By outsourcing manufacturing processes, you can significantly lessen your load, as well as eliminate technicalities like a lack of at-home resources.
Luckily, there are now plenty of outsourcing warehouses that can produce a wide range of products for you. Admittedly, this might not be your preferred option if you’re aiming for that homemade vibe, but it can be a great choice for many other products.
Technical benefits aside, outsourcing production also has the benefit of making it easier to produce your products at scale. This service does, of course, come at a pretty steep cost, but if you’re selling enough units to justify the expense, you could undeniably benefit from the speed of production possible this way. You could even invest in outsourced couriers, who can ship your products straight from that out-of-home factory to customers with no need for you as an in-between.
Step 2: Create in an Out-of-Home Space
If your budget or product vision doesn’t stretch to outsourced mass manufacturing, then it’s always worth creating in an out-of-home space where possible. This is because, while it’s great to have a home office in the warm, you’re going to need clearer boundaries with manufacturing. You certainly can’t risk the kids barging in at a moment’s notice and messing up your work or, worse, risking injuries.
Luckily, you don’t need an entire outdoor factory to make this option work for your small business. Instead, you can start small with a much lower budget by simply making use of the space you already have. Your garage, for instance, is probably already rigged out with power and a lockable door. Installing a few workspaces, shelves, and power tools should be all it takes to get started.
Equally, you could invest in an outdoor steel building, which is an affordable, adaptable option that can grow alongside your company.
Step 3: Set Clear Safety Boundaries
Ultimately, safety is the main concern with manufacturing your products from home, especially if you have young kids in the house. Remember, even a small-scale factory setup probably includes everything from power tools like a circular saw and angle grinder, to sharp plastic cuttings and other such risks. The last thing you want is for a child to make their way here with, or without you.
One way to reduce this risk is to simply set clear boundaries straight away. Having an out-of-home space can help with this, but make sure your children know that they should never come into this area.
Reinforce this message with additional protections like locks on your door, or even a ‘do not disturb’ system like a clear message you hang on the door during the use of heavy machinery. This way, you can significantly reduce the risks of unpleasant accidents.
Step 4: Plan Your Manufacturing Days Carefully
More practically, managing your manufacturing requirements is dependent on careful planning. After all, it isn’t as easy to create products as it is to sit at a desk and reply to an email.
To avoid the disruption and safety risks of having your kids around, you’ll instead want to plan manufacturing days around things like childcare or school hours. This will give you longer chunks of time to batch-produce your products.
On these days, you mustn’t allow distractions from the tasks you can feasibly do when your kids are around, which includes anything admin-based. Simply chunk out those manufacturing hours, leave your laptop in the house, and ensure you’re as productive as you possibly can be in the time you have.
Manufacturing is one of the hardest technicalities for a parentpreneur to manage. Make your life easier by getting on top with these tips.