The news that Massachusetts law makers have advanced a $593 development bill is great news for small manufacturers throughout the state. While we’re seeing larger companies such as Pfizer invest heavily in the Bay State, it is the small and mid-sized manufacturers who have the most growth potential.
The potential impact of a manufacturing boom on the region’s economy can’t be overstated. Not only do new manufacturers create much needed jobs, in many cases, it’s the small to mid size manufacturers that support ancillary businesses, such as print shops or packaging services. These companies in turn employ more people, who live in and shop throughout Massachusetts.
Entrepreneurial education is hugely important. Manufacturing is a new sector to many people, who may be coming to it as a second or transition career. Having the community support systems in place to outline management essentials, such as knowing when to handle a task in house versus outsourcing it, helps these new entrepreneurs get up to speed quickly.
It’s a common misconception that a manufacturer has to handle all aspects of production on their own. Let’s look at packaging as an example. Products need to be packaged, both to survive the rigors of being shipped from the manufacturer to a distributor, retailer, or customer, and to be appealing to the eye and whenever possible, enhance the customer experience.
Packaging is equipment intensive, takes up a significant amount of space, and requires skilled labor. For the smaller manufacturer, the decision to devote resources to packaging is not a small one. It is prudent to compare the costs of doing this work in house with working with a Massachusetts packaging service. Depending on the volume of production, outsourcing packaging can be a real cost savings measure.
Another benefit small Massachusetts manufacturers enjoy when working with a packaging service is higher quality packaging. Properly packaging products comes with a learning curve: knowing how to best package and ship items reduces breakage, damaged products, lost shipments and more. All of this saves these new small businesses money – so spread the word!
