"When will I have it?" has two answers added together: how long the product takes to make, and how long it takes to travel. They are separate clocks, run by different companies. Mixing them up is a very common reason launch dates slip.

Three clocks, not one

Clock	Starts when	Ends when	Who controls it
Your prep	You decide to order	The quote, the payment terms and the label proof are all approved	Mostly you
Production	Everything is approved and materials are on hand	The product is packed and ready to ship	The manufacturer
Transit	The carrier picks up	The cartons reach your door	The carrier

Paying for faster shipping changes only the third clock. It cannot finish a product that is still being made.

What starts the production clock

Ask your manufacturer exactly what must be in place. It is usually some mix of:

• An approved quote
• Payment according to the agreed terms
• An approved label proof
• Ingredients, packaging and labels on hand

The clock often does not start on the day you say yes. It starts when the last of these is done. A label proof that sits in your inbox for a week adds a week.

What to know about transit

• Transit times are usually counted in business days, and often do not include the pickup day.
• "Overnight" generally means the next business day after carrier acceptance, subject to the service, destination and cutoff. It does not start when you place your order.
• Weekends, holidays and weather add time.
• Heavy orders may ship as freight on a pallet, which runs on a different schedule from parcels.
• Freight delivery to a home may need an appointment.
• Ask for the tracking number on the day the order ships.

Plan backward from launch

The durations below are invented for this example. Ask your manufacturer and carrier for real ones.

Milestone	Example time needed	Date
Launch day		May 1
Buffer for surprises	1 week	Product checked and ready by April 24
Photos and store setup	1 week	Delivered by April 17
Transit	1 week	Shipped by April 10
Production	3 weeks	Clock starts by March 20
Label proof and approval	1 week	Artwork sent by March 13
Quote and decisions	1 week	Request sent by March 6

In this example, a May 1 launch needs a first message in early March. Starting in April would be too late.

Give yourself a buffer

Do not announce a date, book ads or promise a store until the product has shipped and you have tracking. Better still, wait until the cartons are open and checked.

If you take preorders

Preorders can help pay for a first batch, but they come with rules. The FTC's Mail, Internet, or Telephone Order Merchandise Rule says a seller needs a reasonable basis for any shipping time it states. If no time is stated, the seller must have a reasonable basis to believe it can ship within 30 days. If you cannot ship on time, you must tell the customer and offer the choice to cancel for a refund.

So give customers a ship date only after your manufacturer has confirmed theirs, and add your own buffer on top.

Questions to ask before you set a date

1. What has to be approved before production starts?
2. From that point, how long until the order is ready to ship?
3. Is that an estimate or a commitment?
4. Which carrier and service will be used, and how long is transit to my zip code?
5. Can I pick the order up?
6. How will I be told if something slips?

How OSM handles timing

OSM confirms production timing and shipping details with each quote, for both white label and custom manufacturing orders. Shipping transit begins after the product is ready. OSM does not promise an arrival date until stock, production and carrier details are confirmed. If you have a fixed date, say so when you first contact OSM.

Common questions

Can I pay for overnight shipping to save a late launch?

It can shorten transit. It cannot shorten production.

What usually causes delays?

Late artwork, slow proof approval, changes after approval and materials that are not yet in stock.

What if I have no fixed date?

Say so. A flexible order is easier to schedule, and you can set your launch once you have tracking.