Building products out of your garage can be a messy process. It takes up space, you have to keep your kids out of it, the neighbors may not like it, and your spouse may even get annoyed. But these days, comanufacturing spaces aren’t that hard to find. And they could be the answer to your problems. If you’re not sure what kinds of things happen in a comanufacturing space, here are a few examples.

Co-manufacturing spaces allow you to create your products, package them up, and ship directly from your office. This opens up some pretty exciting possibilities. For example, the convenience and accessibility of having both an office and maker space for your business under one roof could be the competitive edge you need to communicate consistently to the customer and quickly pivot your focus based on their needs.

Here are five creative ways you can use a co-manufacturing space to grow your business.

Start A Subscription Box

Everyone loves a good subscription box sent to their door every month. Why not transform your business by offering one? You’ll have plenty of space to store, sort, pack, and ship products every month. Not to mention office equipment to print the instructions to stick inside. Before tackling this venture, it’s important to have enough space and resources to run your business, without high overhead costs. With a co-manufacturing space, this becomes much easier.

Make Your Product In-House

Manufacturing your own products can help your margins. But you need the right manufacturing setup to maximize the margins and help your business grow, or it just won’t make sense. By creating your products in-house as opposed to outsourcing them, you’re able to keep a close eye on quality and make swift adjustments to your inventory when demand increases. For example, If you have a candle brand, you can outsource the manufacturing, but by bringing it in-house you have more control over the quality, inventory, and you have more flexibility to make limited edition candles.

Experiment With 3D Printing

3D printing allows you to design and print virtually anything. If your business could benefit from the accessibility and flexibility of 3D printing, consider a co-manufacturing space to customize your manufacturing space for your unique needs. You’ll have plenty of space to experiment and try new business ideas. And as your business grows and requires more operating room, you can simply increase your space. No long term leases and low overhead costs allow you to invest more in your business in the most critical stages of growth.

Evaluate Your Equipment Needs

Almost everyone needs room for business equipment — some more than others. If you have a tech startup that has a server to house, consider renting space from a co-manufacturing space. At Mac6, we keep the space temperature controlled and secured, leaving you with certainty and peace of mind.

Flex Your Space

Creating your product in your home can give you a good start. It can also be a disaster. Even if it’s a success, you gotta think about growth. And outsourcing comes with its own set of challenges. The perfect middle ground? Creating your product in a co-manufacturing space. It allows you to keep inventory in check while giving you the ability to scale product lines while keeping quality. Truce, one of our members in the household goods space started with a mere 130 square feet. Armed with conscious business practices, it only took them six months to scale to 1239 square feet, making loading docks accessible and the shift to increased shipping and receiving almost effortless. Every quarter you can reassess your business growth needs and adjust your space right then and there.

Your business needs a space that accommodates growth while also fostering a community of creativity, innovation, and productivity. If you’re up for trying a new, creative business idea, you’re invited to tour Mac6.