Episode #137: This Toy Factory Will Help You Develop Your Ideas with Kate Khvorostianova
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Small toy companies and toy inventors that only want to order a small amount of product can’t work with factories in China, right? Wrong! Today’s episode is so practical and essential for anyone who wants to manufacture a toy or a game. You will get concise insider knowledge of how to work with a Chinese factory, manufacturing pitfalls to avoid, and tips to maximize your success.
Today’s podcast guest is Kate Khvorostianova. She is an account manager with LongPack Toys, a toy and gift factory in China. Some of the most notable products they manufacture include Throw Throw Burrito and Loopy Looper. Kate gives you the inside scoop on how to work with LongPack, and how this factory might be different than some other ones.
She tells you how to present yourself professionally when talking to a factory, why it's important to market parallel to manufacturing, and all of the services LongPack Toys provides to support inventors and entrepreneurs along the way.
Kate says that LongPack is really interested in working with smaller toy companies, entrepreneurs, and Kickstarter based projects. Is that you? Listen to the episode to get all the information, then reach out to Kate to start the manufacturing process.
EPISODE CLIFF NOTES
Learn what LongPack Toys does as a company and why you should know about them. [00:01:56]
Find out how being a project manager at a factory is similar to being an entrepreneur. [00:04:40]
Learn what an account manager at a factory does and how they help you get your product made. [00:06:16]
Find out what additional services Long Pack offers to support entrepreneurs. [00:08:26]
Learn how LongPack Toys can help you make a sample product. [00:13:57]
Find out the most important things to think about before you reach out to a factory. [00:15:46]
Learn why marketing is important, even in the manufacturing stage. [00:16:55]
Find out what types of games the company started out making, and how they added toy manufacturing into the mix. [00:18:12]
Learn what COVID is like in Shanghai and how the factory keeps up with manufacturing even during lockdowns. [00:19:57]
Find out the best piece of advice Kate has for people in the toy industry. [00:22:35]