Thursday, July 30, 2009

Have A Product? Buy a Barcode!

http://www.qualityupc.com



The amount of money and energy thrown into inventing a new product can be extremely frustrating. First you go and get a patent, then you build an expensive prototype, next thing you know you're at a convention trying to persuade retailers to put your product on their shelf. When your bank accounts at its all-time low, they're asking you if your product has a Universal Product Code attached to it.
Well if you're not educated on where to get those ubiquitous black & white stripped identification labels, there's a lesson to be learned.

A Universal Product Code is a unique 12-digit barcode which allows retailers to manage sales and inventory of a product. It's technology which allows retailers to keep an easy track of your brand new invention. For every item you want to sell in those stores with scannable checkout systems you'll need to buy one barcode per item and for each variation. This includes color, size, and style.

Where does one purchase a barcode, you ask? Years ago, every company out there had to go through the source: U.C.C. (Uniform Code Council). These peeps provided you with a prefix (basically half of the 12 digit full code). Then your company had to dish out more pocket change and buy software which created the remaining digits. Ah, then it still doesn't end. After you've purchased the software you've still got to print those barcodes out. A printer for at least a couple hundred must be bought and not just any ol' printer, a label printer.
To continue on about the U.C.C. (because I tend to sidetrack myself)
Back before the millennium you could join the U.C.C. for a flat fee around $1000. The sad news is U.C.C. got bought out by GS1 US and those cheap one-time fees are long gone. Joining GS1 US these days is a chunk of change out of your pocket and it comes with a yearly renewal.
Truth of the matter is, companies who bought their prefix from the U.C.C. before 2001 and never ended up using those valued barcodes, are now reselling them to consumers like us for cheap. Yes, you heard me- cheap.

After a bit of research on the worldwide web I've found a simple, easy, navigation happy reseller. These guys most definitely have got it together. You can buy a UPC Barcode for only $29.99! $1000 buckaroos from GS1 US-No thank you! With the economy at it's all-time low I think cheaper is better in my book. My small tea business came to flourish after I purchased from Quality UPC. I'm now in 11 different retail stores instead of a measly 3.
It's truly helped the quality of my business and I only had to make a one-time purchase of a few hundred dollars instead of a few thousand throughout the years.

Now that Amazon has implemented all companies selling on their site must have barcoded products, I think my UPC code lesson should be helpful.

Remember UPC-A is the specific name of the barcode you'll be needing for any general use product. Quality UPC sells UPC-A codes and their customer service is so helpful. If you're still confused give them a call and I'm sure you'll be satisfied with your barcode knowledge after the phone hangs up.



http://www.qualityupc.com


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