I received an inquiry today that started right off the bat with: “How much do care labels cost? (Photo) For example, for a satin label like this.”
My ideal clients aren’t the type who only look at the price tag. Our factory didn’t survive by churning out shoddy goods or engaging in a race to the bottom on pricing.
There is no need to reply to inquiries that show zero concern for materials or quality; that person has come to the wrong care label manufacturer.
When it comes to satin care labels, the satin material itself comes in dozens of different qualities. There are non-fluorescent satin, recycled satin, woven-edge satin, and what is often called “satin ribbon” care labels—the list goes on.
Not all care label manufacturers produce the exact same quality.
If you look closely at the photo the client sent, the label artwork is resting on a table stained with ink. You can clearly see smudges left by a hand covered in black ink.
They are likely an industry peer; that kind of scene is something you’d only see at a printing plant.
It doesn’t matter if they are a peer; they could have just said so. We do have peers and trading companies that source care labels from us—though not many—and we don’t rule out that kind of partnership, provided there’s a reasonable profit margin. After all, why turn down a chance to make money?
What I don’t get is why they needed to come to me for such a simple satin care label. Once I asked if they were in the same industry, the conversation went dead.
For 23 years, our factory has stuck to one goal: not necessarily becoming a massive enterprise, but rather a small, specialized operation that excels at what it does. We’ve stayed deeply focused on the care label industry to avoid following the herd into a race-to-the-bottom price war, and instead earn a decent, dignified living.
Earning a decent, dignified living is what drives me to head down to the workshop every day to learn and get hands-on experience. By honing my skills and upholding the quality of our care labels, I know the right clients will naturally find their way to me.
Orders come in all sizes; a “good client” is someone who compares quality rather than just shopping around for the lowest price.
There are no windfall profits in the care label industry. While our prices aren’t cheap, they represent the maximum price point that clients are willing to accept.
With Disney-certified label printing factory status, there’s no reason for Ruan Qiuyue not to produce high-quality goods.
If you’ve ended up with care labels you aren’t happy with, you should give Ruan Qiuyue a try.
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If you would like to know more about Ruan Qiuyue, you can follow her Facebook account.