Challenge
A client, an energy gel company with a history of self-manufacturing, faced a new and critical challenge: how to source a co-manufacturing partner. Their goal was to find a suitable partner while keeping their budget in check and, more importantly, building the internal knowledge base so they wouldn't have to outsource this type of work in the future.
Approach
My role in this project was not to simply do the work for them, but to act as a mentor and teacher. I began by outlining the exact approach I would take if I were handling the co-man search myself, then broke this comprehensive strategy down into a clear, stepwise playbook for my client to follow.
I provided a complete toolset for success, including a co-man search dashboard, an outreach letter template, a project timeline, and strategies for intellectual property protection. I explained not just the "what" of each step, but also the "why," helping them understand the underlying rationale. My outreach letter, for example, was carefully constructed not just to state the requirements, but to generate interest in the brand and the scale of the opportunity, convey the company's readiness, and indicate areas open for negotiation. This design helps the client rise above the noise and get callbacks from top-tier co-manufacturers.
Through a series of emails and live meetings, I walked my client through this training, preparing them for every stage of the process. My client then took the lead, performing the work themselves, while I maintained visibility through the dashboard tool. This allowed me to monitor their progress and offer just-in-time guidance. When they reached critical junctions, such as their first meeting with a prospective co-man, we would have a quick call the day before to go over key talking points and best practices to ensure they were ready.
Outcome
The result was a client that entered their co-manufacturing sourcing project fully prepared and empowered with a sound strategy. This approach was highly cost-effective for them, as they only paid for the training and tools, not for me to perform the entire search. Most importantly, they now have a valuable internal playbook and a robust, well-vetted shortlist of co-manufacturers, giving them the control and flexibility they need for future growth.
