Welcome.
This is a checklist to get ready for 2022.
A 'How to Guide' as it were, emergency instructions in case of crisis.
It may just save your business.
Its called 'How to Make 2022 Your Best Year and Not Go Bankrupt'.
Dramatic? Maybe. Serious? Definitely.
Let's get to it.
READ THIS FIRST
Let me start by telling you this, I don't know you.
I don't know what kind of business you run.
Maybe you're just curious, maybe you already know 2022 will be your best year.
Maybe you're knee deep in shit, your production and logistics are a mess, and you're already on the verge of bankruptcy and you need a fix, fast.
I am writing this assuming the latter. So I'm warning you now, I took out all the fluff and padding a lot of these guides have to fatten the word count.
I am not going to load this full of social proof of past work to get you to buy in.
So let get down right down to it.
This is a run down, a simple guide, I made for those who are not our clients yet.
How to Make 2022 Your Best Year and Not Go Bankrupt will teach you how to whip your company into shape and laser focus every part into a wonderful machine. A machine that is laser focused on your customers and your profits.
Its a checklist of actionable lessons I have learned, created, and deployed through years of working with kick ass brands, amazing factories, and traveling the world to not just make some of the best products in the world:
But sharpen the companies that make them into a razor edge.
That being said, below you'll find the top three things you must do to survive 2022.
(More lessons will be added through our newsletter 'Backroom Business', for free.)
The reason I say that is we know the logistical nightmare that was 2021 isn't stopping.
We knew that and spent all of the year positioning our clients to be protected.
I won't be going into all the reasons why 2022 will be worse, you don't have time for that.
These things will all still be applicable if you work at it and I've also included additional lessons to expand on them so you, not only survive, but thrive.
Let me say this is not a lifeline. This is not me saving you.
They are instructions on how to save yourself.
(If you feel it is past that point and you need a rescue diver, then here )
The lessons are short, punchy, and to the point for a reason- because you need short, punchy, and to the point.
You will find yourself rereading these and finding new ways to apply them to your business and your team members.
You're smart. You've got grit.
You don't need a Masterclass course, you need direction and a few high level ideas to chew on.
Ok, enough preamble, lets get to the meat and taste the flavor.
(If at any point during this guide, you say 'fuck it' and decide you want to save yourself the effort and all the time, and you want someone to just come in and do it all for you? Click here and make it happen.)
PRODUCT vs PROCESS
Listen, your products are only as good as the system you built to get them to your customer.
What changed the world more?
The Model T or the Assembly Line ?
Would the T have gotten to as many customers without the assembly line process?
No. Too many brand owners are so caught up in their products (and thats not always a bad thing!)
that they are lost if things don't go exactly right for them.
Everything in your business, you are spending money on.
If every single thing, in some small way, is not working towards getting your product into the hands of your customers?
You are wasting effort, time, and money.
Does this mean your receptionist should be touring factories? No.
But it does mean your entire process of your product, from thought to sale, needs to be considered.
Needs to be systemized.
A system provides a manual for everyone in the company to follow and know where they're at in the process.
It allows everyone to become familiar to the details. They can adapt if something goes wrong.
They real money? Is when you go to suppliers.
You come to a factory with
• detailed designs
• knowing what parts you're willing to adapt and what you're not willing to change
• target pricing
• projections on sales and possible next orders
You will stand out against every single other brand.
This can not be overstated. I have seen people get serious preferential treatment.
Better pricing, better service.
You have to think about it from their perspective.
You come buttoned up, knowing your product inside and out, how to adapt, no long wait times to pow wow with the team over every little thing, and showing it could be repeat business?
There is nothing a factory loves more than repeat orders.
All of that compared to weeks worth of back and forth emails and novice questions?
Its a no brainer, they'd be stupid to not want to do business with you.
Now this will look different for different products.
Some brands will only need a once a month meeting, others may need multiple a week.
Find whats best for you and work at it.
Most important is the consistency.
You will see magic happen after a few weeks of getting your team together for an hour, talk about your brand, brainstorm, and decide direction.
Your products will soak into their bones.
WORK AS A TEAM
We're going to get the big one out of the way. The most over looked part of every brand line.
Your product development process. I've changed businesses with this one lesson.
I've put clients' kids through college on this, so listen up.
Most brands think of making money something like this
This is typically what most people in a company think about when it comes to their brand.
If you have a specialized job, maybe buyer or logistics specialist, it might look something more like this:
This is getting better. This is what the majority of profitable businesses knew before the global lockdowns and logistics crisis.
That is why many of them are out of business now.
When their normal factory couldn't meet their needs, many reasons we won't go into here, they were screwed.
They did not have back ups and most didn't know the first thing about finding one.
Those that did had a weak system, weak product development and sourcing.
So they did not stand out or were not fast enough to beat out the stronger companies.
It is not as simple as emailing some designs and wiring some funds.
Especially now.
You need something like this
Factories facing mounting costs, intensive shipping hoops to jump, and generally pain in the ass tension throughout the whole turn around cycle.
More than ever the best factories only want to work with the best brands.
The ones who have their shit together.
Developing products, finding the right suppliers, negotiating terms, and seeing successful delivery?
Its not for amateurs. It is a muscle that needs constant work.
Actions you can take now:
• Set times aside to dedicate to product development.
Find whats best for your situation. Some benefit from free form creative round tables, others from focused workshops on a certain aspect of their product.
Keep at it and watch it flow through your entire process.
• Go through your current products and work up your Q2 2022 supplier needs.
If you can do Q3, even better. Start working up information on those products, so when you hit your supplier it is as organized as possible. You will stand out in the rush back.
Make is so easy to work with you, they'd be stupid not to.
SHIPPING PROBLEMS
Listen, here's the bad news: You can't do anything to clear the ports.
They will not be unclogged any time soon.
What you can do is make getting there like greased lightning.
Let me break down what is going on over there.
So the shipping containers, and space in them, is sold to get on a ship.
The prices of those containers have skyrocketed during this thing.
They change prices every day.
Up. Down.
You have to check that that.
Its like a fish market.
Now what most suppliers are doing is quoting you a price which includes this.
They don't want to come to you on the day of shipping and tell you they need more money and they do not want to cut into their profits.
So they wait for the price to drop. This may take some time.
I have seen someone wait two months in port to get loaded onto a boat.
How much would a two month delay cost you? Just to get loaded!
So heres what you need to do ASAP. This can save you big time.
Get in contact with your supplier if they handle delivery or your freight forwarder.
Discuss with them their policy on this and work out a plan that fits your needs.
I have see some companies take this on by individual order even.
Working out which items and shipments simply cannot wait and budget out extra funds just in case they need to get things loaded and can't wait.
Some shipments are not as crucial and can afford to wait around for cheaper shipping.
Now more than ever you need to be able to time your shipments as accurately as possible.
So reach out to the people moving your goods and discuss.
You're welcome.
OUTSIDE THE BOX
Time to get creative
If you've noticed a trend, we've been working through your products timeline.
Its made, its shipped, now where is it going?
You may not have a choice in this one, but it is worth investigating.
We had a client that was using our warehousing services in LA.
However we worked it out that, since they were in Atlanta, GA we could ship to South Carolina, then load it on a train, to rail it down to their office.
And it would still be faster than going through the California ports.
This is something you will have to start getting creative with yourself and it doesn't always mean just you getting your products.
It could cover anything once your goods have left the ports, it is about making the impact on your customers smaller.
Remember it is all about your customers and their experience with your brand and buying your products.
Some companies, for one reason or another and even with my guide, will face delays.
They may face inventory shortages and go without certain items for a while.
The tempting option is to completely ignore this.
Or worse, try and lower prices to keep customers.
This shipping crisis isn't news, your customers know about it.
How you manage their reaction and experience is up to you.
I have seen people come up with really creative ways to take advantage of this.
Some have included the tracking information of the specific cargo containers with their goods they can track as it crosses the seas.
Others have made a newsletter and videos showing their customer the process they go through restocking a certain item.
Ignoring it or taking sole responsibility for it is not the move.
Use this as an opportunity to humanize your brand and engage your customers.
Lemons into lemonade. Everyone loves someone with grit.
There it is.
How to Make 2022 Your Best Year and Not Go Bankrupt.
You're going to want to read through that again and really think how it applies to your business. We have spent this year positioning our clients using this same advice.
Now for them it was more involved and tailored made, but this is enough to get you in fighting shape and ready for the fight of next year.
A lot of readers have asked why I gave this much info out for free.
The honest answer? I legitimately want you to succeed.
I want people to have a thriving brand and a business that makes products people love, pay a lot of money to, and allows the brand owner to give a lot to their family.
It is why I run an agency that does nothing but help brands be better and make more.
We are located in NYC, LA, and China. We eat, drink, and breath every step of the process of starting and running a great brand.
I truly believe if you put this guide into practice you can do everything you need to make your brand a success next year.
But for some people it may take longer or may be harder.
If you want all of this done for you, as well as all the other services we do for our clients, you can check that out here.
I want this to be a living document. To that end I will be updating it through our free monthly newsletter 'Backroom Business', where we talk all things profit.
(You can sign up for that here)
So until then, give it hell and don't stop until you're proud.
Best,
Stephen
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