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]
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This episode is brought to you by www.thetoycoach.com
Visit LongPack Toys’ website by clicking here.
Follow LongPack Toys on Instagram by clicking here.
Follow LongPack Toys on Facebook by clicking here.
Follow LongPack Toys on LinkedIn by clicking here.
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[00:00:00] Azhelle Wade: You are listening to making it in the toy industry episode number 137.
[00:00:06] Like what if I only intend to start with 500 pieces? Can I work with this factory?
[00:00:11] Kate Khvorostianova: Absolutely. This is what we are trying to concentrate on at the moment to support as many like aspiring toy companies, the entrepreneurs, the Kickstarter based projects. That's what we are particularly proud of as a company. If we get to help an inventor or a designer who came up with a unique concept and we just we made it into the real world for them. That's like our greatest pleasure for being in this industry.
[00:00:44] Azhelle Wade: Hey, there toy people, Azhelle Wade here and welcome back to another episode of the toy coach podcast, making it in the toy industry. This is a weekly podcast, brought to you by thetoycoach.com. Today you are in fur treat. I know I say that a lot, but I mean it, every time I say it, this is the first time on the toy coach podcast we have someone joining us from a toy factory, a factory based in China.
[00:01:24] So today we have Kate Khvorostianova, who is the account manager at LongPack Toys. Kate, welcome to the show. I am thrilled to have you here. What long pack toys does is really important to the people that listen to this podcast. So, first I wanna give a quick recap about LongPack Toys. Then we'll go to Kate, we'll dive into the interview because I wanna make sure everybody is on the same page as to who this factory is, how they help and all that.
[00:01:53] So LongPack Toys is located in Shanghai, China, and they've got sales teams in Europe and one in the USA, they export over 30 countries. There are toy manufacturer specializing in plastic and wooden materials. Now, today, joining us on the podcast is Kate. Kate's a dedicated and supportive account manager for LongPack Toys who can ensure that your creative ideas and concepts are fully understood and matched with a perfect practical solution.
[00:02:23] With three years of experience in customized gifts industry and a solid understanding of supply chains in China, Kate can help you manufacture a toy of any complexity on time and at the highest quality level. Kate is an art toy enthusiast herself and she enjoys helping toy artists make their dreams come true. So let's dive in Kate, please tell me a little bit about your journey getting into the toy industry. Did you always work in this industry?
[00:02:52] Kate Khvorostianova: Thanks for introducing me Azhelle, actually I started in the custom gifts industry. So that is, I guess, a little bit overlapping with the toy industry because you also get to understand something about packaging, something about paper component. So I can say that I've been working with these materials for several years already, but in toys industry, it's actually kind of my anniversary. It's one year that I've, it's one year I've started in the.
[00:03:24] Azhelle Wade: Oh.
[00:03:24] Kate Khvorostianova: Toy industry now.
[00:03:26] Azhelle Wade: Happy anniversary. Welcome to our industry. How do you like it compared to gifts?
[00:03:30] Kate Khvorostianova: I like it a lot.
[00:03:31] Azhelle Wade: It's hard to be sad or have a hard day at work when you're deciding the right color pink for like a door, right? It's a lot of fun. Yeah. It's, it's really nice. So I would love to know a little bit about like what you do as an account manager for long pack and maybe actually you should start with, were you an account manager when you worked in the gifts industry as well?
[00:03:51] Kate Khvorostianova: Actually, no, when I worked in the gifts industry, I was more like a project manager. For various like custom products that the company headquarters was assigning me to carry out like, I was basically responsible for contacts with all factories and for making everything happen in time and negotiate the prices and making sure that the factory is paid. It was a very wide scope of responsibility, but on a limited number of projects. And it was super fun. It really felt like I'm a kind of like a small business owner, but under the umbrella, under the protection of the bigger company. And I think it's this experience that is helping me now to connect with the like toy entrepreneurs or startups, because I really know how it feels when you have a lot of random stuff on your plate.
[00:04:47] Azhelle Wade: Yeah.
[00:04:47] Kate Khvorostianova: It seems that some tasks are completely different from one another, and yet you need to wear all these hats and you need to be able to take care of finance and marketing and planning and whatnot.
[00:05:02] Azhelle Wade: What do you do as the account manager? You said you you're working with the inventors or the entrepreneurs who are coming to LongPack Toys to create a product, but how are you working with them? How much are you working with them?
[00:05:14] Kate Khvorostianova: I would actually say that it's called an account manager internally, like in our company, but it is more like a project manager as well. Like the point of contact, the single point of contact for the customer and I help to sort out all the questions that they may have to develop their concept. For example, I would coordinate with the designers with 3d designers, with the engineers. If we move on to molding then with our finance team, obviously, and with the operations and with the logistics department.
[00:05:51] So my role is just to make it for the customer so that they don't have to talk to a lot of people and they can get a comprehensive answer from just one person. Sometimes if it is needed, if my knowledge is not enough and actually an engineer needs to be present in our communication, I would also organize meetings with the engineers and even translate because I I'm fluent in Chinese.
[00:06:17] Azhelle Wade: So you help your clients like, so say they have an idea for a toy or game. They maybe come with, to you with a sketch or a plan drawing and then does LongPack initially tell them, okay, this is the overall cost to produce your item. And for us to project manage the process of sample making and all of that, is that how it starts?
[00:06:38] Kate Khvorostianova: Yes, kind of, it starts with a quote, I would say that project management and things like that. They're really not included into the quote separately. They're just kind of what we do it is an essential part of our service just as much as they manufacturing because it, it just wouldn't be possible without the project management. But like we can also offer some additional services. For example, if the customer has a concept of our toy or a designer toy figure a sketch, but they don't have a 3d file yet. We can help with the creating the 3d files.
[00:07:13] Things like that would be not our primary service, but they can be included additionally and I would say that we are trying to be as flexible as possible. We are a customer first company. I can really tell that because I feel that in my day to day life. Every customer would need some things done in a specific way. And we are very happy to help with that and to comply with that. Actually LongPack started off as a board game manufacturer and we are one of the top board game manufacturers in China.
[00:07:52] Our experience in board games told us that every toy, every game is different. There is a ton of different materials, different components, different concepts, and more importantly, a lot of our customers are independent. Entrepreneurs or they are just a Kickstarter based project. So there are a lot of other things that they need us to support them with. For example shipping. It is more convenient for them if we figure out the shipping for them.
[00:08:25] Azhelle Wade: So there are some major brands that you guys have on your website as part of your portfolio, like Throw Throw Burrito, Loopy Looper, Poetry for Neanderthals. So some people listening might be thinking like, oh, I don't, you know, I'm not that big. I don't have a big order from Target or Walmart. So can I really work with this factory? Like what if I only intend to start with 500 pieces? Can I work with this factory?
[00:08:53] Kate Khvorostianova: Absolutely. This is what we are trying to concentrate on at the moment to support as many like aspiring toy companies, the entrepreneurs, the Kickstarter based projects because we have grown really big for the board game. And in terms of toys, we are also just in the beginning of our journey, but this is our long term goal to be producing more and more toys. And it is in our experience that you can only grow with the people. And while being helpful to people this is what, this is how we achieved the success in board game industry in the first place. Right.
[00:09:38] We were extremely supportive even now like on our social media accounts, like the LongPack Games, the other account. We have some customers who are just dropping in to leave, reviewing the comments. So thank you so much. You've been so helpful and supportive in the beginning of my journey. So yeah, that's, that's what we are particularly proud of as a company. If we get to help an inventor or a designer who came up with a unique concept and we just made something happen, we made it into the real world for them. That's like our greatest pleasure for being in this industry.
[00:10:15] Azhelle Wade: Well, I wanna talk about money then, because you know, people listening might be saying, oh, that's too good to be true. Or they might be saying, oh, I'm gonna send them lots of stuff. Cuz I need samples. How do you guys decide at what point? Your clients pay for the services because let's say somebody has an idea and they need to make a sample. When you first have that sample, you might not have any sales.
[00:10:40] So the first part of the development process, where they're telling you, you know, here's a plan drawing, here's a mockup of a breadboard mockup I made at home. Here's maybe a 3d file. This is what I want this toy to do. Can you help me make a sample? Do you quote the sample separately from production and you guys will still work on the sample even if there is no confirmed production agreement, like agreement to definitely go in a production?
[00:11:07] Kate Khvorostianova: Absolutely. We would not do the molding because that's a big investment both for the customer and for us in terms of time and effort.
[00:11:17] Azhelle Wade: The term molding that Kate is referring to here is in regards to the creation of a plastic piece. When you're creating a toy with a factory, if you want to create a custom designed plastic piece, like let's say the head of a Barbie doll, you would have to open a mold to create that plastic piece. So that mold is two separate metal pieces that have the shape of the toy to be molded cut out of it. Think kind of like a cookie tray. The cost of cutting a mold is typically, you know, several thousand dollars depending on the complexity of the project. So that's why Kate saying here that they wouldn't open the molding if you just want a first sample.
[00:12:01] Kate Khvorostianova: But in terms of like simple mockups 3d samples we quote them separately. And I would say that we don't include almost no margin on creating samples. I would even say that the work of the engineers who are making this sample happen and who are coordinating the creation is not included. Like the project management of this, of this service, because we just want to help the people get going. We definitely believe like it's my personal belief, but it's also sort of the company culture.
[00:12:36] You have to support when you can so that the customers can grow big. It is much more effective a business strategy and in general, much more profit for us. If we support people and give them the opportunity to grow with us, to become like a superstar game superstar, project toy that is awarded because then it will return and the positive energy and the investment will return.
[00:13:00] Azhelle Wade: I love this. I love it. Love it, love it. Okay, so then I guess the best logical question would be how do new inventors reach out to you? And if they're not reaching out to you in the way that you want, how would you. Recommend people listening, reach out to you for their first time. What should they say? How should they handle themselves so that they come off professionally?
[00:13:25] Kate Khvorostianova: Hmm, that's a good question. I would say that a lot of people reach out to us when they actually don't have all of the files or all of the artwork ready. And I think that in most cases, this is actually more than fine. I personally consider it professional that the person is beginning to evaluate their project and like drafting some of their budget up in advance. Rather than developing all the perfect artwork to the smallest detail, but you actually don't know how much it's gonna cost. And then maybe you get the quote from the factories you realize, okay, that material is too expensive.
[00:14:08] And we encourage that. We are more than happy to to help you figure out as you go. We can quote it in different material. We can advise some solutions even sometimes like we are working sometimes on a game and we figure out that, yeah, he, he really wants it made out of wood, but it's not gonna work for the budget. So then fine. We switch to acrylic or to some other material. And then the customer understands. If we are switching to acrylic, then I can actually change the 3d file because I would be able to make them smaller and then say fine.
[00:14:50] Then you will also save on the delivery to the us because it will be smaller and everything has to be requoted again. And because we are really committed to help the customer create the game of their dreams or the toy of their dreams. This is part of the process. This is why we are here. We don't want to be like just an automatic factory that is telling you, okay. Come to me with an order for 10,000 pieces or go away.
[00:15:19] Azhelle Wade: Yes. Yeah. Yeah. What is your minimum order? Quantity for let's say a plastic good that needs to be tooled.
[00:15:27] Kate Khvorostianova: I would say that for plastic toys, like for small things, it is possible to start with 500, but that would mean that the price per unit will be very high, like , because the tooling cost will be divided between the number of units. So normally our customers feel comfortable with several thousand. But that's only because of the tooling cost.
[00:15:52] Azhelle Wade: And those several thousand, are you able to deliver them over time or does the person have to be able to like take them all at once and store them wherever they store all their product.
[00:16:03] Kate Khvorostianova: We can deliver over time. Yes, we can. We can separate the batches. We have warehouses and it is possible to break up it into several batches or like several shipments.
[00:16:15] Azhelle Wade: Yeah, cause that, I mean, that can help people too, cuz some of the new toy creators, they first start selling to online and then to mom and pop stores, which might take like a hundred pieces at a time . So then for them, if they had several stores and they know they can meet a couple thousand, but it's not right away, that's really helpful for them to know, like over time I could have it delivered. What, do you have any advice and tips for people that maybe. Have come to you and maybe they had made big mistakes before coming to you that you wish they'd come to you sooner.
[00:16:50] Kate Khvorostianova: Oh, that's also a lovely question.
[00:16:54] Azhelle Wade: It's good.
[00:16:55] Kate Khvorostianova: I think I think the biggest mistake a toy inventor can make is given up on their idea.
[00:17:01] Azhelle Wade: Oh,
[00:17:02] Kate Khvorostianova: So if they already start reaching out to factories whether it is us or some other factory it is they've certainly overcome that. But I don't know. Another thing is probably marketing marketing has to be done in parallel. I see it a lot that our customers who figure out their marketing a little. First before they come to us. And then they just leverage the experience of working with us into more content, like for example, Kickstarter pre-release or, you know, like when you can update your followers on the stage of the project.
[00:17:47] Once you've already built a small community, and then you are able to share the journey of working with manufacturing and how your idea is slowly changing, they are benefiting from that. So that's not really like a deadly mistake. You can also succeed without that. For example, there are some customers who just to another company, they just develop a product and they sell it. But I do see that it is it takes a bit of effort and unfortunately this is not something that we can help with.
[00:18:20] Azhelle Wade: Yeah, well, don't worry. I can help them. I tell my students the same thing. Not even just the students in toy creators academy, but people that book one on one calls with me, they'll say, oh, I have this idea. I wanna launch it. Do you know a factory I can go to do, you know, a trade show? I can go to. And I tell them, yes, I know all those things, but you don't wanna launch this until you start building some sort of community and get some features on either magazines or toy trade shows. And you can do that before you go heavy into, to full on manufacturing. You can do that with a sample. So yeah, I agree. It's very important. So the next thing I wanna ask you about long pack toys is what are the categories that you work in specifically? Because I saw your vinyl figures, you even do packaging. What category of toy can you work?
[00:19:12] Kate Khvorostianova: Yeah. So let me explain as a company that originally started from board games we developed our own facilit. First of all, paper, so paper is like the, in the history of the company. And if there is anything you need to package or any paper components, you're totally covered, like a thousand percent covered. Then we also developed our own plastic, like injection molding facilities. Because games tend to have miniatures. And then we realize that like, now that we are doing it for games, we might as well be doing it for toys. And the same goes for wooden components. Actually, we just needed it to develop it first for for the games. And then we just became able to do it on itself.
[00:19:57] Azhelle Wade: Ah, I see. Yeah, So, okay. Kate, we talked about this a little bit behind the scenes. I've gotta ask. There is a little bit of a background noise. And you mentioned that like COVID is crazy there. So what is going on? Where you're are you in Shanghai right now?
[00:20:12] Kate Khvorostianova: Yes, I'm in Shanghai.
[00:20:14] Azhelle Wade: How's it going? Let's go. What's that noise in the background first?
[00:20:19] I'd like to pop in and share here that this interview was recorded several months ago, when the cases were pretty high in Shanghai and that's what the noise in the background is and kate will continue to explain it a bit in the rest of this interview.
[00:20:36] Kate Khvorostianova: I would say it is exactly as crazy as it shows in the news, like in the American news. It's one, case when you can really 100% trust the news. The situation in Shanghai right now is crazy for our manufacturing facilities, it's kind of alright, but that is only provided by half of the team actually living on the factory. We are very committed to the customers and we have to meet the deadlines. So it's been a bit of a struggle in the beginning, but we managed to figure everything out. And office workers like me, we are just locked up in our apartments.
[00:21:16] Azhelle Wade: Oh, wow. So you're not at the office right now.
[00:21:20] Kate Khvorostianova: We've been working from home for two months now.
[00:21:22] Azhelle Wade: Oh, I'm so sorry. It got really bad here again too. But if anyone was wondering what the noise was, Kate was being called to go take a COVID test. Well, I'm sorry that some of your team has to stay living there, but I'm sure everybody appreciates how much work you're putting into their projects.
[00:21:38] Kate Khvorostianova: Yeah, we can really feel the support from the customers and from each other. This has been a very special moment for our company because we really realized that in times like this, when you are no longer expecting something good to happen to you from. You really stick to each other and you are United by the same mission, the same purpose on day to day basis. And this is what has been helping me to stay in, in my mind during the lockdown. Yes. And everybody else on the team, it's really like the, the purpose and working in the toy industry certainly gives you that purpose. I must say.
[00:22:21] Azhelle Wade: Yeah. Cause at least every product you work on is just social positive product. All right. So Kate, this has been really informative. I'm actually going to now wrap up with some of my closing questions. Number one, what is the best advice you've heard since working in the toy industry?
[00:22:41] Kate Khvorostianova: Yes. Can it be a little bit farfetched , but, but it is nice. So the best advice that I have discovered since I've joined the toy industry is actually from, from a different end industry. I don't know if you've read this book it's called the Diamond Cutter. So it's actually about approaching business questions with the mindset of Buddhism. And really doing things with a good intention and how it can create like rings on the water and every good thing that you do results in the future. That's what I've been totally feeling and applying. Since I've started working in the to industry.
[00:23:26] Azhelle Wade: That is great advice. I've applied that in my own business a lot as well. There have been times in my business where my friends or whoever, you know, wants to give me advice will say, oh, you shouldn't do that because you should get paid more. But there were times where I just make the decision based on what I really think is right. And it always works out so much better when you're just trying to put good into the world. And my last question for you, Kate is what toy blew your mind as a kid?
[00:23:55] Kate Khvorostianova: Probably it was Something that would be called probably a stem or steam toy now.
[00:24:00] Azhelle Wade: Okay.
[00:24:01] Kate Khvorostianova: But it was like a little plastic mosaic pieces that you can put on a on a plastic board, like, and they would get stuck inside. I remember that like, you know what I'm talking about?
[00:24:15] Azhelle Wade: I think I know what you're talking about.
[00:24:18] Kate Khvorostianova: It's like little plastic beans shaped as squares and triangles. Like my childhood, it was in the nineties. It was not a branded toy. I wouldn't be able to find it now.
[00:24:29] Azhelle Wade: I'm looking it up right now. I'm trying to find it. Yeah. that? I know. I think I know what you're.
[00:24:35] Kate Khvorostianova: Like when you can create different patterns with different colors by just putting that paint into the plastic board. It
[00:24:43] Azhelle Wade: paint mosaic board. Really?
[00:24:46] Kate Khvorostianova: Yes. And my parents, they knew that that was my favorite. So they would sometimes hide it from me for a month.
[00:24:53] Azhelle Wade: Why?
[00:24:54] Kate Khvorostianova: So to be very happy to rediscover
[00:24:57] Azhelle Wade: Oh my gosh. That's really cute. Aw. They wanted to make you appreciative.
[00:25:03] Kate Khvorostianova: No, no. Like they would hide it when I'm not around. And when I really don't remember this toy anymore, and then they would give it back to me like a month later when I'm feeling sad.
[00:25:14] Azhelle Wade: That is so funny. That is great. Oh, wow. That's beautiful. Where can people reach out to LongPack Toys or connect with you? Where should they go?
[00:25:24] Kate Khvorostianova: So there is our Instagram page, our Facebook page. First of all, if I think that could be the most convenient for most people but also on our website, there is a, an mailbox toys@longpack.com. Where we can answer to your questions, whether you have a toy idea or you just have some questions about manufacturing toys, we are trying to make ourselves helpful to the industry and to help some in toy designers, creators, inventors. So feel free to reach out. We'll be super happy to help you with that.
[00:26:03] Azhelle Wade: Thank you, Kate. I'm sure a bunch of people are rushing over to the link right now. We're gonna put all the links to their Instagram, Facebook, their website in the show notes up today's episode. So make sure you check those out. Thank you so much, Kate. It was a pleasure.
[00:26:16] Kate Khvorostianova: Thank you for having me. It was so nice.
[00:26:18] Azhelle Wade: Well there, you have it toy people. That was my interview with Kate of LongPack Toys. Can you believe we've never had a factory on this podcast before? I can't believe it. So look, I hope if you were looking for someone to help you manufacture a paper, good, a game, a wooden toy or something with plastic pieces that now you have a new place to start. That, you know, you can reach out to this factory long pack toys because they're open and willing and happy to work with new toy creators.
[00:26:50] Now I'm really impressed with the mission that this company has to help elevate new creators in the industry. And they're willing to grow as their clients grow. They're not just going to say, come with 10,000 with a 10,000 piece order. Don't come at all. That's not them. And that's really, really impressive. I believe in what Kate said that if you put good into the world, It can have this compounding ripple effect on you as a person or you and your business. And I believe that if they maintain that mentality at long pack toys, it's going to serve them very well.
[00:27:23] Okay, before we've go. I've got to give a shout out to a student of mine. Geordie Humphrey. Geordie is an emerging inventor, who is the true MVP this week during the final week of the TCA Virtual Pitch Event. So here's what happened. There was a last minute opportunity to pitch at this pitch event. And so about 40 minutes before the pitch needed to happen. I messaged Geordie and I said, Hey, I've got an opportunity. I know you have two items that would really fit it. And I want to know if you can make it. He got everything together really quickly took some time away during his lunch break and pitch these two concepts. And guess what? They were really well received.
[00:28:05] Now, we all know it's tricky in the toy industry to make a deal, but I've got to say based on the feedback we got from that first meeting, I think that there are more meetings to come. So Geordie, I'm super excited for you. I've got to give you a shout out and say, thank you for just being ready to go when the time is right. Now, if you are someone who is in the process of pitching your idea or your thinking, you have an idea to pitch. I got two things for you. One, I want you to head over to toycreatorsacademy.com because I want to be a part of your toy journey. But two, if you have any opportunity to pitch even if it's not the perfect time or it's not the perfect way, or you're not like a hundred percent ready, maybe your product's like 80% ready.
[00:28:52] I just want you to go for it. There's not always going to be the perfect time. You're not always going to feel 100% ready, but you can be prepared enough to make the most of whatever opportunities come your way. And you shouldn't let any of them slip by. Okay toy people to grab the links from today's episode, head over to thetoycoach.com/137, and as always, thank you so much for joining me here on the podcast today. I know there are a ton of podcasts out there so it truly means the world to me that you tune into this one. Until next week, I'll see you later toy people.
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