If you’re invested in health and wellness, you’ve probably given a thought to the formulation of softgels. Softgel supplements are incredibly popular among consumers. However, if you’ve never crafted a dietary supplement or capsule before, your top priority should be to learn just how softgel manufacturing works.
Between deciding upon formulation to learning about key results and stretch goals for your fledgling business, it’s important to have a solid company strategy in place before you start selling.
Manufacturing Best Practices
Softgel capsules, also known as soft gelatin capsules, may seem easy enough to craft. In some ways, softgels are fairly straightforward. There are plenty of examples of people successfully creating their own softgels from their homes. However, this isn’t a sustainable business strategy. In most cases, you’ll end up partnering with softgel manufacturers to get the job done. This is because you’ll need to craft numerous softgels and capsules in a short period to align with customer needs. This is a high output management industry. One of your first action items should be to partner with a quality manufacturer, like Makers Nutrition.
Typically, softgels and capsules have two components. There is the outer shell of the capsule and there’s the fill matrix. In previous years, the gelatin compound for softgel was derived from animal products. However, there are now vegan options that use plant-based shells and are often crafted with tapioca. You’ll also need to consider coloring, opacifiers, preservatives, and flavoring. Some softgels, like fish oil, require special consideration to maintain purity. In the product development phase, you’ll find that the purity of nutritional supplements is an ever-important metric. Once you’ve decided upon the customization of the color, components, and flavors, the manufacturing process can begin. Often, custom formulation involves the storage of your soft gel products in either blister packs or bottles.
Preparing Your Business Goals
In this industry, you’ll be working with various team members and you need to set smart goals to track metrics and performance. It’s easiest to do this through OKRs (objectives and key results) The OKR methodology helps with a performance review at the individual level as well as at the team level. You’ll review your set of key results on a quarterly cadence. At the end of the quarter, you’ll review your OKRs and put them through a performance review. Then, you’ll set company objectives for the next quarter. This goal-setting framework is useful for the softgel industry because you’ll be managing numerous moving parts all at once.
On top of this, key results differ from key performance indicators (KPIs) in numerous ways. OKR goals help you track more measurable results and quarterly objectives. Not only can the OKR framework methodology help you with team objectives on a company level but a good OKR can help you set smarter qualitative goals for your softgel business. Since capsules and tablets are part of a competitive market, it’s important that you have company goals and check-ins to help your custom formula take off. While the OKR process may seem complicated, you’ll find it easy to incorporate an OKR system into your custom product formulation.
Developing a unique dietary supplement requires you to follow some key best practices, set ambitious goals, and make a commitment to your business template. You can’t use a copy and paste formula to ensure business success. If you want to advance your business, you need to take advantage of all the available tools you can so you can show a proof of concept. From following the OKR methodology to setting ambitious goals for your manufacturing process, the industry requires time, effort, and patience. Follow best practices and stick to your business plan. You’re more likely to succeed this way.
