How do we work?

The first step in each project is building your team. Who will make your product? Who will supply the materials? Who will work on the special finishes that you require? Who will make and attach the labels or hangtags? Or engrave your logo? We will select partners and/or products for you based on your needs (considering the manufacturer’s skills, specialties and capacity). If you visit Bali we will invite you to visit them during a sourcing tour, or if you do not visit Bali we will introduce them to you remotely, through a report.

This is where your concept is turned into an actual product and all details of your product are confirmed: the shape, the measurements, testing the materials, testing the colors, testing the finishing, deciding on how and where your branding/logo is presented on the product, etc. We will work closely with you and the makers to develop the styles and report all the confirmed details in a techpack or design brief. This design brief will be the reference for production and quality control.

For some product categories (especially home decor and furniture), it is also possible to buy white label products, that means that the artisans will have done the prototype development and you can buy their products and sell them under your own label. If you buy white label products we can skip this step.

When the prototypes are confirmed or when you place a re-order, we will start with preparing all the needed materials for your production quantity. We will then make pre-production samples in all sizes and (color) variations. These pre-production samples will be confirmed with you, and you can also use these for photography or other marketing needs. When the pre-production samples are confirmed, we will work with the artisans on the bulk production. And do quality control on each item to make sure that it is made according to the confirmed pre-production samples.

Depending on the volume of your goods we will either use our DHL account (that gives you over 50% discount compared to the published DHL rates) for air freight, or we’ll collaborate with our cargo partner to have your items packed and shipped by boat. If you work with a warehouse you can let us know the packaging instructions and we will pack and label your goods accordingly.

We can take pictures of your production process. You can use these pictures as content on your website, social media or other marketing channels in order to educate your customers about the process behind the products, while also giving them little hints about 'what is cooking'....

We understand the importance of good and clear communication.

Each project starts with a meeting to make sure we are all on the same page regarding the project's goals, your deadlines and expectations about the products. We are very interested in knowing your plans for launches, so we can work and think with you. Ideally, we plan collections ahead so we can also remind you when it is time to start a production in order to meet the deadlines for your launch.

You will receive email updates from our team once a week (during prototype development usually more often), and we will schedule videocalls or meetings at important Milestones, such as discussion of prototype results or confirming the PO.

If you have any questions throughout the project, we are always just an email away, and we're happy to schedule additional videocalls.

We believe that each collaboration between brand and makers should be beneficial for both parties. We collaborate with both bigger factories as well as small studios or independent makers. In the case of bigger factories we ask about the facilities for employees and certificates and we always visit in person. When working with small studios or independent makers we do not expect them to have certificates, and we make sure that they have a voice in the project when it comes to determining timelines and cost at the start of each production project. We also aim to make the process as easy as possible for the makers by preparing very clear production briefs and making sure all materials are ready and delivered on time. This way the artisans can avoid being busy with unpaid tasks such as coordinating the materials or following up on payments and focus on the actual production work, while we take care of everything around it.

Our clients always have access to data about their production partners and can always visit their partners if they want to.

We also care about our earth and where possible we try to suggest working with responsibly sourced, natural or recycled materials.

We will coordinate and organize supplier payments on your behalf, so you can pay for different suppliers through one invoice.

The Bali Curator will not add to the prices you are paying to the artisans/suppliers, nor ask for commissions on your orders to the artisans or suppliers. Our service fees are strictly separated from the prices you are paying for the ordered goods. We will agree about the scope of work and corresponding service fees at the start of each project or before the start of a new service.