Five Things I Wish I Knew Before Starting a CPG Brand

When I started my CPG (Consumer Packaged Goods) brand, I thought passion was enough. IT IS NOT! I had to learn some expensive lessons the hard way. In this video, I share the 5 things I wish I knew before launching my business — so you can skip the costly mistakes and start smarter. What you’ll learn: 1️⃣ Why you should test everything before placing that big production order 2️⃣ How to understand your margins so you’re not losing money on every sale 3️⃣ Why packaging & naming matter more than you think 4️⃣ The risks of chasing big retail chains too soon (and what to do instead) 5️⃣ The importance of community — and why you don’t have to do this alone Resources & Links 🌶️ Check out my brand → www.hotpotqueen.com 💼 Connect with me on LinkedIn →   / weijia-liao   👥 Join the Startup CPG community → https://startupcpg.com/ @startupcpg 🎥 Our family channel → @wonderblooming About this channel I’m Jia 👋 I grew my Sichuan food brand from zero to hundreds of stores in under two years. On this channel, I share real founder lessons on product strategy, trade shows, retail growth, and surviving the CPG grind. ✨ If this video helped, please like, subscribe, and hit the bell — more practical, no-BS strategies are coming your way. 👉 Watch next: How to Pick a Winning Product (Before You Waste $$$) Timestamps 00:00 Intro 00:29 #1 Test Everything Before the First Order 01:33 #2 Understand Your Margin 02:42 #3 Packaging & Naming Matters 03:50 #4 Don’t Chase Big Retailers First 05:09 #5 Don’t Do It Alone 06:22 Takeaways