A supplement company runs on trust. People swallow what you sell, so the manufacturer you pick, the label you print and every claim you make all matter more than in most product lines.
This guide covers the main steps in order. You will learn how to choose a contract manufacturer, what goes on a supplement label, which claims are allowed and how to open a store built around the daily habit.
Pick one need and one person
Choose one need, such as sleep, energy or digestion, and one kind of person who has it. A focused first product is easier to explain, easier to label and easier to sell.
Ask people with that need what they take now and why they quit anything they stopped. Then pick the form they will actually take every day. Some people want a capsule. Others will only drink a powder or chew a gummy.
Choose a contract manufacturer
Most new brands work with a contract manufacturer that makes and bottles the product for them. You can start with one of its stock formulas or pay for a custom blend.
The manufacturer must follow current Good Manufacturing Practice, known as cGMP, under the FDA's rules for dietary supplements. Ask to see its certificates and recent audit results. Then ask for a certificate of analysis on every batch, which shows the product was tested for identity, strength and contaminants.
Your brand also carries cGMP duties. You are responsible for the product that carries your name, so keep records of every lot you receive and the tests behind it.
- Do you follow cGMP, and who audits you?
- What is your minimum run for this formula?
- Will you send a certificate of analysis with every batch?
- Is any ingredient a new dietary ingredient that needs FDA notice first?
What goes on a supplement label
The FDA sets out what a supplement label must show. Your manufacturer usually helps build the Supplement Facts panel, and you check every line before it prints.
Add a lot number and a best-by date so you can trace any bottle back to its batch.
- The name of the product, with the words 'dietary supplement'
- Net quantity, such as the number of capsules
- The Supplement Facts panel with serving size and amounts
- Other ingredients, such as the capsule shell or fillers
- The name and place of business of the manufacturer, packer or distributor
Get the checklist for this line
The first stage of your line's roadmap, by email. Work through it this week.
Claims you can make, and the FDA disclaimer
Supplements may carry structure and function claims. These describe how an ingredient supports a normal function of the body, such as 'supports restful sleep' or 'supports healthy digestion.'
Supplements may never claim to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent a disease. 'Treats insomnia' or 'cures bloating' turns your product into an unapproved drug in the eyes of the FDA.
Every structure and function claim needs the FDA disclaimer printed on the label, linked to the claim. It reads: 'These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.' The FDA also expects you to notify it within 30 days of first marketing a product with a structure and function claim.
The FTC expects you to have solid evidence for every claim, on the label, on your site, in ads and in posts by people you pay. Keep the studies behind each claim in one folder.
Your first batch
Order the smallest run the manufacturer allows. When it arrives, check the bottle count, the seal and the label against what you approved. Store stock somewhere cool and dry, and log every lot number you receive.
Many retailers and marketplaces ask supplement brands for product liability insurance. Get a quote early so it does not hold up your launch.
Open a store built around the habit
Supplement buyers come back when the product fits their day. Build the product page around when to take it, how much and how it fits a routine. Show the full Supplement Facts panel as an image and as text so search engines and screen readers can read it.
Offer subscribe and save from the first day. Time a reminder email to arrive a few days before a bottle runs out. Connect checkout and place a test order to yourself before launch.
Build it live
The Intensive is a live session on Discord, every other Saturday from 7 AM to 2 PM Eastern. You work through your supplement line step by step, with every move on screen, including a claims check before anything goes public.
It is designed to help you avoid the mistakes that cost new supplement brands time and money. It is general guidance for your build, so check legal and regulatory questions with a qualified professional. Results vary.