Sometimes you just need to talk to someone who knows.
One-to-one help with labeling, regulations, and whatever else your business has run into. You bring the problem. I’ll give you the right information so you can decide what to do about it.
You’ll be working with me — not an assistant, not a tool, and not an AI. Twenty years of this, five books, and I’ve almost certainly seen your question before. More about me.
Is this the right thing for you?
Consulting is one-to-one time with me via phone, Zoom or email, or it’s me carefully reviewing your labels, website copy or other documents. It’s the right choice when you want a person looking at your specific situation instead of a tool or a book.
People usually come to me when:
- A label, or a whole product line, is about to go to print and they want to be sure before spending the time or money
- A letter arrived from FDA, or a notice from a marketplace like Amazon or Etsy
- There’s something unusual in a packaging design that no checklist anticipates
- They’re importing a product made elsewhere and want to make sure it will comply with US regulations
- They’ve read the rules, more than once, and still aren’t confident they’ve got it right
- They’d simply rather hand it to somebody and get back to making product
If you’re wondering whether your question is big enough to be worth an hour, it probably is. Most people are surprised how much ground we cover in one.
What consulting covers
My consulting covers all aspects of soap and cosmetic labeling, most aspects of good manufacturing practices, and many of the other regulations that apply to soap and cosmetic makers.
It bends and shapes to fit what you need. It’s based entirely on what you want help with, and how much help you want.
For example. If you want to learn how to label your products or build an ingredient declaration yourself, I’ll go over the requirements with you and give you what you need to do it. If you’d rather it were just handled, send me packaging specs and label design and I’ll send back a complete report to hand off to your designer (or that you can follow). Both are perfectly good answers. Neither one is the “right” way.
A single label review is simply one of the things consulting can cover. If that’s all you need, an hour usually does it.
Some of what I’ve done for clients:
- Answered questions about MoCRA and other regulations
- Reviewed a series of similar labels and given specific changes to make them all compliant
- Created an ingredient declaration, with several options for ordering and naming
- Checked whether IFRA standards are met for a custom essential oil blend
- Reviewed manufacturer specs to make sure the label and packaging correctly reflect what’s actually there
- Reviewed label, brochure, and website text for illegal claims
- Helped with safety substantiation for ingredients and products
- Written Standard Operating Procedures for GMP compliance
- Walked through FDA Facility Registration and Product Listing
How it works
Most people start by just telling me what’s going on. Here’s how it usually goes.
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1
Tell me what you’re working on
Use the form below, or just email me. Tell me what the problem is, the situation that you are trying to resolve, or the question(s) you need answered. Provide as much information as you want.
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2
I’ll tell you what it will take
You’ll normally hear back from me within a day with a straight answer on two things: whether this is something I can help with, and how many hours I think it will take. If it’s a one-hour question, I’ll say so. If it’s bigger than you were expecting, I’ll say that too. And if consulting isn’t the right answer for what you need, I’ll tell you that instead of selling you hours.
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3
Buy the time
Once we’ve settled on how many hours, I’ll send you an invoice. Pay it and we’re underway. You never have to guess at what to buy.
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We work through it
By email, phone, or Zoom, whichever suits the work. Usually it’s a combination. You send things over, I go through them and come back with what I find. Ask as many questions as you need along the way. That’s what the time is for.
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You end up with something you can use
Not a summary of the regulations. The actual thing: corrected label copy, a finished ingredient declaration, a written report, or an answer with the reasoning behind it so you can apply it yourself next time.
What it costs
Package hours can be used in any combination of email and calls, on anything that comes up over the year. You don’t have to know in advance what you’ll need them for.
Research and report writing counts as part of your time. If I need to dig into something for you, or write up what I found, that time is part of the hours you’ve bought.
Let me know what you need help with.
Use the form below or email me at hello@mariegale.com. Either way I should answer you in 1 business day or less.
Frequently Asked Questions
Thank you for answering my question. I really appreciate your straightforward answer. I have not been able to get one before. Sure made a difference to me. … Thank you again for someone who watches out for us. Depending on your very timely research is so refreshing. Thank YOU! — Liz
I look forward to working with you!
