There are lots of resources that make running a product-based business easier than ever.
We've complied a list of our favorites, including affordable graphic design solutions, quick-turn product photography studios, and small-batch warehouses to outsource your fulfillment. Enjoy!
Sourcing & Manufacturing
ALIBABA
The biggest and arguably best way to connect directly with overseas factories, particularly in Asia.
Aliexpress
Search for things like hang tags, hardware and other components from international suppliers. Lots of private label products too.
PLEASE NOTE:
Having great manufacturing and quality control partners is essential, but it doesn’t guarantee you will avoid problems with design, production, or quality. We recommend that you have expert guidance - through our service or another consultant you trust - to help you manage these relationships and protect your interests.
Business Setup
Dashlane
Not only is it important to know your passwords, you want to have them stored safely too! Use this tool to keep all your logins in one place.
Incfile
Planning on trademarking your logo or product name? Incfile handles Trademark applications at a reasonable price.
PickFu
Want consumer feedback in minutes? Pickfu makes it easy to get feedback about your product, logo, packaging and more.
Graphic Design
Creative Market
Beautiful, easy to use templates for pitch decks, social media graphics, landing pages and more
Design Contest
Let graphic designers compete for your business! Host a design contest for logos, branding guides, product artwork and more
Design Crowd
Another design competition site that allows you to host a competition for a logo or other graphic design project.
E-Commerce Setup
Shopify
Get a super-professional, functional website – easy to manage on the backend – and that connects with a bunch of helpful shipping and promo apps!
Storetasker
Need help building and managing your Shopify store? Find affordable taskers who can assist you.
Fulfillment
Barb Gun
Many entrepreneurs apply their own packaging. A basic barb gun will attach hang tags to a variety of products.
EasyShip
Install on your website and get the best shipping rate comparisons each time you are preparing to ship an order.
Fulfillrite
Fulfillrite will ship all of your online orders, as well as fulfill orders from crowdfunding campaigns.
Packlane
The most beautiful custom shipping boxes! Wow your customers with a branded delivery experience plus get $25 off your first order
Shipmonk
Shipmonk is another great way to fulfill customer orders. Send them your inventory and they’ll ship orders directly to your customers!
ShipStation
Want to make money while you sleep? Use a site like Shipstation to handle all your fulfillment. Just ship finished product to their warehouse and they’ll do the rest.
Photography
Flatworld
Need small retouching tasks on your product photography? Flatworld will help you do color changes, smooth out wrinkles and uneven lines and more.
Sales and Marketing
Affiliatly
Incentivize influencers, bloggers and passionate customers to promote your brand with an affiliate program. You'll be able to generate a unique URL for each affiliate, set your own commission terms, track referred sales, and easily make payouts.
Brandboom
Get a FREE professional -looking line sheet for pitching retailers. Easily upload products listings, pricing, terms and more, and download a line sheet minutes later.
Drip
Email marketing for ecommerce entrepreneurs, with lots of handy features for converting emails into sales.
Growth Geeks
Connect with for-hire marketers for project-based marketing work such as search engine optimization, social media engagement and more.
Google Rank Checker
See how your site is performing for certain search terms (and check in on your competition).
Books
Lifespan: Why We Age―and Why We Don't Have To
The New York Times bestseller is a paradigm-shifting book from an acclaimed Harvard Medical School scientist and one of Time’s most influential people.
Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art
No matter what you eat, how much you exercise, how skinny or young or wise you are, none of it matters if you’re not breathing properly.
Contagious: Why Things Catch On
The New York Times bestseller that explains why certain products and ideas become popular. What makes things popular? If you said advertising, think again. People don’t listen to advertisements, they listen to their peers.
Principles: Life and Work
Ray Dalio, one of the world's most successful investors and entrepreneurs, shares the unconventional principles that he's developed, refined, and used over the past 40 years to create unique results in both life and business - and which any person or organization can adopt to help achieve their goals.
The 4 Day Week: How the Flexible Work Revolution Can Increase Productivity, Profitability and Wellbeing, and Create a Sustainable Future
Entrepreneur and business innovator Andrew Barnes makes the case for the four-day week as the answer to many of the ills of the 21st-century global economy.
Building A Storybrand: Clarify Your Message So Customers Will Listen
Learn how to clarify your brand messaging so that people buy your product. Hands down one of the most important business books you’ll ever read.
Fair Play: A Game-Changing Solution for When You Have Too Much to Do (and More Life to Live)
If you are a product entrepreneur in any sort of domestic partnership, this book is a must-read. In order to free up time to dedicate to your business, you’ll have to first make sure your workload at home (running a house, kids etc) is equitable and fairly balanced.
Getting Things Done: The Art Of Stress Free Productivity
A way of thinking about organization and productivity that may change your whole life!
Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance
Your ability to persevere is one of the most valuable resources you have - make sure you are properly wielding this power as you launch and grow your business.
PLEASE NOTE:
None of these companies have asked us to promote their products. While some pay an affiliate commission, all of these resources are suggestions we would share with clients regardless. We hope this list helps you grow your business!
About Us
Learn To Make A Product™ is a business accelerator for physical product entrepreneurs. We provide the mentoring, connections, and resources you need to turn your product idea into a successful business!