Vitamin Business Startup Checklist

1. VitaminBusinessStartupChecklist • We’veworkedwithmanynutraceutical startupsovertheyears,andtime after timewehearthatone ofthemostbeneficialservicesweprovideis ourchecklistofthingstodobeforelaunchingaNutritionalsupplement orvitaminproductWiththis inmind,we’ve decidedtoposta “launch checklist”sothatyoucanfocusyouattentiononpost-launchsales ratherthancleaningup problemsthatcouldhavebeenresolvedwith carefulplanningpriortolaunch. • Althoughthisisn’tanexhaustivechecklist,itshouldserveasagood starting pointasyoubegintoconceptualizethedirectionandfocusof your companyanddecidehowyouwanttomarketyourproduct. • Whetheryou are tryingtoopen ahomebusinessselling vitamins,or simply expandingyourwebsitetosell supplementsonline, thischecklist willhelpgetyouonthewaytosuccess. • Asyougothroughthe followinglist,besuretowrite outanyideasor questionsthatyouhaveonanotepad.Thesenoteswill allowyouto focusonareasofyour businessplanthatneed tobe formulatedmore concisely andwillgiveyou abetterunderstandingofdifferent issues thatmayrequirefurtherresearch. • BusinessConceptandStrategy: • FormulationDoyouknowif youwantyourproductformulatedas apowder,pill, ora liquidsupplement?Doyouhaveanyspecial requests suchasentericcoatingoraddeddyes?Make surethat youhaveatleast3solidsellingpointsoveryourcompetitionfrom aformulationstandpoint(i.e.“myproteinpillsarebetterfor buildingmuscle because theycontain…”).Inadditionto ingredientsused,youcanalsopromotethe benefitsofyour supplement’sdeliverymethods(i.e.liquidvitaminsvs.pill vitamins). • Advertising andSalesChannelPlansDeterminingyourtarget • audienceistremendouslyimportantinmarketingyour product.Thiswill notonlydeterminehowyou advertise,but where.Forinstance,ifyouaremarketingabody building supplement,youmay leavebrochuresatagymdescribinghow • your supplementpromotesmusclegrowth.Orifyouaretryingto

2. sell a multivitamin for women, you may set up a website about yourvitaminwitharticlesaboutwomen’shealth. • It’salsoimportantforyoutodetermineifyouwanttosell • directly-to-customers (DTC) or through retail channels.Although you can obviously do both, it helps to direct your attention to one or theothersothatyoucanfocusyourresources. • FormulationandProduction: • NDASignedDoyouhaveaNDAsignedbyeachsupplement manufacturerthatpricedyourformulas? • IngredientsIdentifiedHaveyouidentified theexact sourcesand • standardizationsfor all oftheingredientsthatyou are lookingfor pricequoteson? • Production: • Contract Didyousignaformulationagreementwithyour contract vitaminmanufacturer? • ManufacturerLegallyAllowedtoManufactureNutritional SupplementsHave youseenanypaperworkfrom areputable • governing authority(StateDepartmentofHealth,FoodandDrug Administration)showing thatthemanufacturer islegallyallowed tomanufacturenutritional supplements?Researchyour manufactureronline andinsistthattheyshowyouanypertinent credentials. • Obtaina Pre-productionSampleHave youobtainedapre- • productionsample oftheproductbeforepurchasingafull productionrun?Thisisimportantsothatyouknow thatwhatyou are orderingisexactlywhatyouwant.If the color,taste, • consistencyis off,it’sbetter foryou toknowpriortoseveral millionunitsbeingproduced.Also,ifyouhaveapre-production sampleandsomething goeswrongintheactualproductionrun, youcanalwaysusethissampleasacomparisonforthatproduct thatyouactuallywantedproduced. • ObtainaCertificateofAnalysisHave you received acertificateof analysisforallmaterialsusedintheproductionofyournutritional supplement? • Packaging:

3. Packaging PresentationHave youdecidedwhat imagesand text thatyouwant touse onyourpackaging?Doyou knowwhoyour targetaudienceisforyourproduct? • Samplesofbottlesor PacketsHaveyouseensamplesofthe exact size bottleorpacketthatyourproductisgoingin? • Make surethatyourproducthasthe exact“look”thatyouare goingfor. • Compliance andInformationReview: • FoodandDrug Administration(FDA)ComplianceHave you reviewedyourlabelorpackagingfor all • DomainNameDoesyour domainnamereflectyour companyor productname?Makesurethatthisissomething thatisbotheasy torememberandhasadirectconnectiontotheproductyouare selling (e.g.don’tname yourwebsiteafteryourdog!). • SecureTransactionsIsyourwebsitesecurefor transactionsand is • thatillustratedprominently on thewebsitethroughlogosand seals? • Verify InformationHaveyouverifiedthatall contactandorder informationiscorrectincluding productpricing,special offers, • phonenumber anddomainnames?Whileawebsitecanhelpyou topromoteandsellyourproduct,havingawebsitewiththe incorrectinformation on itwillfrustrateconsumersanddrive awaysales. • Operations: • TestedMechanismofDepositsHave you“testcharged”tomake surethatcreditcardsandfundsare depositedintothedesired backaccountwithoutanyhiccupsormishaps?Justthinkhow frustrating(embarrassing)itwouldbetofindoutthatyou’ve sold 1,000unitsonyourfirstday,but thatthey’veall ofthefundshave beendepositedinthewrong bankaccount!Asinglemisseddigit isallittakes,sobesuretodoa deposittestrun. • Shipping:

4. Invoices,Packing Slips,andShipping LabelsCanyouprintout invoices,packing slips,shipping labelsandall otherdocuments neededforshippingproduct?Itmay seemok tohandwrite invoicesnow,butwhenyouget ordersforhundredsofvitamins, it’simportanttohaveacomputerizedwayofprintingoutall of yourdocumentation. • Storage: • ProtectingYourProductDoyouhave acool,dryplacetostore your supplementsoutofthesun toprotectthem priortodelivery tocialisgeneriquecustomers?It’simportanttokeepitsafeand stablebecauserelativelyminortemperature andhumidity variationscandestroysupplements.If youareworkingwitha vitamindropshipper,thenthiswon’t beaproblem.