Being an Amazon Seller of dietary supplements requires a lot of expertise on how to market and sell nutraceuticals online.  The very best Amazon sellers also know how to leverage Fulfillment By Amazon (FBA) for their distribution.  But the third important part of being a successful nutraceutical Amazon seller is choosing a strong dietary supplement contract manufacturer that not only makes quality products but also has experience with FBA requirements and processes.

If you’re an Amazon Seller of dietary supplements and looking to select a manufacturing partner, you have a lot of options when it comes to choosing your partner.  Not all outsourcing manufacturers are equal, especially if you are looking for a true business partner that can help you grow your brand.  Be sure to look for these key strengths when choosing a nutraceutical manufacturing partner:

1. A manufacturer, not a broker – Working through a broker can cause unnecessary communication challenges, additional cost, and order delays.  Be sure they are truly the manufacturer by explicitly asking, “Are you the manufacturer?  Are you brokering any part of my product?”  Verify by asking for business licenses, FDA registration numbers, cGMP certificates, and photos of the facility.  Better yet, conduct an onsite tour!
2. FDA registered, cGMP certified – All dietary supplement manufacturers in the United States are required to be FDA registered and be Current Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP) compliant.  But that is not the same as being cGMP CERTIFIED.  Be sure you ask for the manufacturer’s cGMP certificate.  That proves they have been inspected and certified by a 3rd party auditing firm.  You don’t want to put a “cGMP Certified” badge on your product when your manufacturer is only cGMP compliant.
3. FBA experience & expertise – Probably one of the most important factors an Amazon Seller should consider when outsourcing the manufacturing of their dietary supplements is their competency with Fulfillment By Amazon (FBA) requirements.  The contract manufacturer should have experience with Amazon packaging requirements like master case labeling, dimensions, weights, and unit counts.  They should also be familiar with FBA product packaging requirements.  You shouldn’t have to teach your manufacturer what the packaging rule differences are between capsules and liquids or plastics and glass.  An experienced FBA nutraceutical manufacturer will also offer Warehousing & Release Management services allowing you to have your products shipped to FBA distribution centers on demand.
4. Custom partnering capabilities – The word “custom” in custom manufacturing should not only apply to your product formulas & packaging, but a good FBA manufacturer should also be able to customize the business relationship.  For example, cash flow can be a critical growth factor for an Amazon Seller.  Your custom manufacturer should be a strong partner and able to structure your order cycles to optimize cash flow so there are no impediments to growth.

Sawgrass Nutra Labs is a custom contract manufacturer of dietary supplements that specializes in custom services for Amazon Sellers and Fulfillment By Amazon (FBA).  If you would like more information, please contact Sawgrass Nutra Labs here.