On Friday I posted this photo to the Alesya Bags Facebook page. Another box came from China on Friday. Right before the Chinese New Year too, which is a really good thing.
It said GOOD on several sides which I thought must be a good omen. Or at least that the customs gods were on my side. I opened it up and here’s what was inside:
Wait a minute…isn’t that the same bag I already have? What’s so new and exciting about that? Well yes, no and kind of.
Let’s back up for a moment.
Here’s the news – I have hired a new manufacturer. I was 75% happy with the old one. But when push came to shove I didn’t think they lived up to their contract. Were the bags good? Yes! But just like any product I will always be working to make them better. And one big way to do this is by getting a new manufacturer.
I’m now working through a company in California who has many projects with this factory. So far it’s been better for several reasons. Culturally, it’s easier to work with someone in your own country. The baseline of expectations is already in place.
The new company has also been way more up front with pricing. For instance, I already know what it will cost to make, ship and package each bag based on three different quantity levels. WAY more information than I had at this point in the process with the old company.
So what is the bag pictured above?
On Friday I recieved two bags – one in eggplant and one in tan – that were meant to duplicate what I already had. I needed to judge the new manufacturer to see if they understood the bag and if I was happy with the quality. As you can see below, they are generic bags. No Alesya Bags branding anywhere on the bag.
I’ve compared this bag to my old one and there are some changes to be made. Nothing major, but all important. Now I’ll send those changes to my contact in California and we’ll move on to the next bag. That new bag will include a few bag changes plus new colors.
In a word – PROGRESS. On to the next!
