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The Ecomcrew Ecommerce Podcast

An eCommerce podcast for store owners, hosted by 7-figure store owners Mike Jackness and Dave Bryant. We cover everything in eCommerce from Shopify, to Amazon FBA. From email marketing, to Facebook Ads. Never before has there been a podcast with store owners who are so candid. Subscribe to the Ecomcrew podcast today!
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Now displaying: 2019
Dec 23, 2019

Today's episode of the Ecomcrew Podcast is the final episode of 2019 and because of that, we have a bit of a treat for you. Dave Bryant will be joining me in this episode and together we'll be going through the Top 10 Ecomcrew Podcast Episodes of the year. To come up with the rankings, we took into consideration several statistics such as average minutes played, total downloads, pulling data from all the places that we host the podcast, like Spotify, iTunes, and even from the blog itself. 

Now this does mean that we won't have an episode for next week, just to give you guys the opportunity to spend the remaining days of 2019 with your friends and family, and to get ready for the New Year as we approach 2020.

As always, and for the final time this year: Happy Selling, and we'll talk to you soon. 

 

Dec 16, 2019

On today's podcast, I'm pleased to welcome one of the people I've helped out through KickFurther, Kyle Bergman. Kyle started out in the tough retail industry, working as a merchandiser for Bloomingdale's, the Macy's Crown Jewel until he came up with the great product of his own, Swoveralls -- a mix between an overall and sweatpants. However, getting to this point in business didn't come easily.

Tune in to find out how Kyle started in ecommerce, how he used his experience to succeed in the world of retail, and how he came up with his own product. 

 

Dec 9, 2019

If you’re in the ecommerce circle you probably know--or at least heard of--Drew Sanocki. Drew is a veteran in the field, having started, led, and invested in several ecommerce businesses over the years.

He is currently the CEO of AutoAnything, a 9-figure online retailer of auto accessories. He also recently became the owner of a postcard marketing app for Shopify called PostPilot. He blogs (and used to run a podcast) about online marketing and running a business on Nerd Marketing.

I first met him in Nashville during the first ECF Live I ever attended. He talked about the “Whales and Minnows” theory which has stuck with me until today, and is still completely applicable in today’s ecommerce setting.

The theory is basically about focusing on whales (your most important customers) vs minnows (low-value customers who just order once). Below are some conversation points that explains the theory more, plus some other topics we talked about:

  • The differences between a “whale” and a “minnow” and the importance of focusing on one vs the other
  • How to attract more high-value customers
  • The difficulties of running AutoAnything
  • How things are at Nerd Marketing
  • Why postcard marketing brings in more loyal customers and more money to the business

Drew was kind enough to give EcomCrew listeners a discount for his postcard marketing app PostPilot. Just use the code CREW15 and get 15% off your subscription.

Hope you enjoyed listening to this episode! Until the next one, happy selling.

Dec 2, 2019

Today's podcast is a special edition of the podcast because we have an accompanying video that comes along with today's episode. So if you'd like to join in and watch me interview my good friend Greg, hop on! If you're on the road or would rather listen to this episode, we'll have the normal audio-only version like usual just for you guys.

During the filming of the Five Minute Pitch, I got the chance to really get to know some of the other judges that I shared the table with and one of those judges was Greg Mercer. If you've been listening to the podcast since day one, you'll know that I've visited him a number of times over the year, and this time, I got the chance to finally do a 1-on-1 podcast with him where we dive deep into the creation of JungleScout, what were the circumstances that lead him to grow JungleScout to the amazing tool that it is today, and the amazing team that's he's managed to put together over the years. 

If this is the first time you've ever heard of Greg Mercer and JungleScout, this will be a great opportunity to get to know him and the amazing tool that helps thousands of Amazon sellers around the world find their product. Here's a list of questions that I asked Greg during the interview, for your benefit: 

  1. What came first, selling on Amazon or the JungleScout plugin? (7:11) 
  2. When did you first start selling on Amazon? (8:13)
  3. How did you find out about selling on Amazon? (8:38)
  4. What were your initial products? (10:03)
  5. Where did you get the capital to start selling on Amazon? (11:46)
  6. What was the plan after seeing the benefits on selling on Amazon?  (14:26)
  7. How did JungleScout come to be after that? (17:07)
  8. At what point did you start selling JungleScout? (18:46)
  9. How did JungleScout evolve from there? (20:47)
  10. How much were you doing on Amazon when you decided to sell JungleScout? (23:45)
  11. When did you realise that you had to focus more on JungleScout rather than Amazon? (24:25)
  12. How did you manage to put together such a great team? (31:08)
  13. What are some of the books that have personally helped you learn more about your business? (33:05) 
  14. What's the 8 new features that JungleScout released over the past few weeks? (34:17)
  15. What's next for JungleScout? (39:13) 

If you're interested to get the JungleScout plugin, you can visit us here to learn more. 

This is the last chance for you to join Ecomcrew Premium for 2019. As a Premium member, you get access to online webinars, our full-length courses, and participate in in-person events! Get valuable information from other 7-figure sellers or if you have questions, you’ll have the opportunity to get answers personally from Dave and I. Sign up here and use the code CYBER for a 50% discount today, we don't discount Ecomcrew Premium any time else during the year, so register as soon as you can!

Curious about Premium? Find out how it can help you add more products to your catalog or leverage Facebook for marketing. Send us an email at support@ecomcrew.com for more information. 

Happy Selling! 

Nov 25, 2019

As the end of the year approaches, and the crazy holiday rush starts to build up, Dave and I wanted to take the opportunity to address the questions that come up quite often from our Premium members, and share it with everyone on the podcast.

So on today's podcast, we talk about a variety of topics, from things like how I built an amazing team in the Philippines, to the best way to improve your Amazon listings. Below is the list of questions and topics that we go through today: 

  1. How to Improve Your Amazon Listings (6:52)
  2. Answering the Age Old Question: "Why are My Sales Tanking?" (9:35) 

  3. Reviving Sales for a Dead Product (11:18)

  4. Our Opinion on Variations and How to Handle Them on Amazon (17:08)

  5. What to Do When Your Amazon Account Gets Suspended (23:43) 

  6. The Benefits of Sourcing Agents (27:40)

  7. Hiring in the Philippines (31:09)

Ecomcrew Premium is open for the last time this year. As a Premium member, you get access to online webinars, our full-length courses, and participate in in-person events! Get valuable information from other 7-figure sellers or if you have questions, you’ll have the opportunity to get answers personally from Dave and I. 

Register now here and use the code "CYBER" for a 50% discount today. 

Want to get more value out of Premium? Find out how it can help you add more products to your catalog or leverage Facebook for marketing. Send us an email at support@ecomcrew.com. 

This December, I'll be part of an amazing event called Smart Traffic Live which is an event put together by the enthusiastic Ezra Firestone and the Smart Marketer Team. Join me and other big names in the industry like Mikael Yang, the CEO of ManyChat, Mary Kathryn Johnson, the founder of Messenger Funnels, and more. Sign up now, and use the code "MIKEJACKNESS" for $100 off on your early bird tickets! 

Related Posts

E101: Tips on Finding Profitable Products in a Saturated Amazon Market
Know about the benefits and disadvantages of products with high volume sales vs. products not on Amazon yet. 

The Ultimate Guide to Amazon Variations
Learn about how Variations work on Amazon. 

How to Find and Train the Best Filipino Virtual Assistants in 2019
As your business continues to grow, there just isn't enough time in the world for you to continuously focus on menial tasks while focusing on the big picture. In this article, we go over outsourcing and how we find the best VAs that helps us with our business daily. 

Nov 18, 2019

After selling ColorIt back in April, it’s left me with an itch that I just can’t scratch with the other brands that I have. I’m looking for something that I can sink my teeth into and improve their revenues drastically using the strategies and lessons I’ve learned through the school of hard knocks over the past 6 years since I started Treadmill.com. 

In today’s podcast, I go over the criteria of the next business I’m looking to buy. These criteria come from a long list of lessons I’ve learned since I started Treadmill.com, and I can’t wait to get started on this. 

  1. I want a business that can be a legitimate brand. (12:19)
  2. A business that has a direct audience in Facebook or a product that can respond well to a large group. (14:18)
  3. A business with good profit margins, at a target of 5x ROI. (16:09)
  4. Something that we can create a lot of content around. (17:46)
  5. A product that can be shipped via FedEx, USPS, and that's not over 70 pounds. (19:39)
  6. Items that are not a passing fad. (21:08)
  7. Something that I’m personally passionate about, and would be a customer for. (21:16)
  8. A product that has a good lifetime value of, and that there’s repeat purchases for. (24:39)
  9. A business where I can add a lot of value. (25:52)
  10. A business that will make great content for Ecomcrew. (27:34) 

This episode of the Ecomcrew podcast is brought to you by Brex. Brex is a corporate credit card specifically built for the Ecommerce Seller in mind — no personal guarantee needed, net 60 terms and if you use our code “Ecomcrew”, you get 50,000 bonus Brex Points that you can use for cash back on any transaction, or business travel via Brex Travel.

Next week, Ecomcrew Premium opens once again next week on the 26th of November for the last time this year. Get access to online webinars, our full-length courses, and participate in in-person events! Get valuable information from other 7-figure sellers or if you have questions, you'll have the opportunity to get answers personally from Dave and I. 

Visit us on Facebook, or sign up for our waiting list here to stay up to date on when Premium opens. 

Want to get more value out of Premium? Find out how it can help you add more products to your catalog or leverage Facebook for marketing. Send us an email at support@ecomcrew.com.

Happy selling and we'll talk to you soon! 

Nov 11, 2019

The desire to be successful is a commonality that all ecommerce entrepreneurs share. However, people’s definition of success varies. 

Personally, I don’t define success as amassing more money. But money is a way to keep score. I’m a competitive person with an ‘all in’ approach to business. It’s this potent combination that has led me to suffer recurring episodes of burnout.

Steve Chou of My Wife Quit Her Job is a good friend of mine and while discussing the effects of burnout, he introduced me to the 4 Burners Theory.

The 4 burners represent the four life quadrants - work, health, family, and friends. If you want to run a successful business you have to turn off one of these four burners. In order to run a REALLY successful business, you have to turn two off. 

In this episode, I relate this theory with my own personal experience and which “burners” I had unknowingly turned off to be able to grow my business to the scale it is today.

Today's episode is brought to you by Brex. Brex is a corporate credit card built specifically with the needs of ecommerce business in mind. Net 60 float, with no personal guarantee. Your card limit's based on your monthly sales, not your credit score. Sign up today and use the code ecomcrew to get 50,000 signup bonus points. Available to listeners in the USA only.

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a review on iTunes. And use the comment section on the bottom of the page to ask us a question. 

 

Till next time, happy selling!

Nov 5, 2019

 

November’s a busy month for many ecommerce sellers, myself included. But between selling ColorIt and putting our remaining brands into their own LLCs, everything somehow feels more serene...more organized.

Putting in the work all those months ago has certainly paid off as I now find myself in a great position business-wise and in my personal life. There were definitely a handful of struggles along the way but it has so far been worth it. 

If there’s anything you can take away from this episode, its to strive for balance. The pull of entrepreneurship might be strong but you also need to practice self-care and be with people you value the most. 

And so here’s an update on my 19 goals for 2019; where I’ve traveled to, where I’m speaking next and the other things going on in my life.

  1. Sell a brand. (3:39)
  2. Position another brand for sale in late 2020. (5:30)
  3. Getting back to location independence. (6:24)
  4. Reducing debt to zero dollars. (8:44)
  5. Hike the West Coast Trail on Vancouver Island. (10:29)
  6. Take at least 10 weeks of personal travel. (11:24) 
  7. Record 6 or more episodes of the Roadshow. (11:47)
  8. Invest in at least 1 ecommerce business. (12:53) 
  9. Lose 10 more pounds. (14:22)
  10. Visit the Philippines office in 2019. (15:45)
  11. Start selling our services for EcomCrew. (16:41)
  12. Significantly improve the quality of the podcast. (18:33)
  13. Film season 2 of the 5 Minute Pitch. (19:52)
  14. Break each of our brands out into different companies. (21:19)
  15. Start hosting personal events for EcomCrew. (22:00) 
  16. Speak at 6 industry events. (22:58)
  17. Shift to doing things that only bring me immense personal fulfillment. (23:58)
  18. Do intermittent fasting for all of 2019 and eat less meat. (26:33)
  19. Not to drink the rest of 2019. (29:36) 

Learn about our tried-and-tested strategy for launching new products on Amazon. Order your copy now! 

Want to be part of the second season of 5 Minute Pitch? Send us an application!

Previous goals episodes:

EcomCrew Roadshow episodes:

I hope you enjoyed this latest installment of the podcast. As always, feel free to leave a comment below. If you think this episode has been useful to you, please take a moment to leave us a review on iTunes.

Oct 28, 2019

When you’ve achieved success as an online entrepreneur, it can be tempting to sit back and take your foot off the pedal. 

In an industry as dynamic as ecommerce, that isn’t really an option. You need to constantly think of ways for your brand to grow and evolve.

But what to do when you slip up and lose that top 1 first-page ranking on Google? 

My friend JP is facing the conundrum of getting a high-touch business out of coasting mode and back into full-on growth mode. He owns and runs Pro Teeth Guard, a 7-figure business that creates custom-fitted professional-quality dental mouth guards for people who have bruxism (teeth grinding).

Before going into actual problem-solving mode, here’s how JP started with the business (3:58) and how those mouth guards are actually made (5:28).

He also shed light on what led to the business’s downward curve (9:09) and what his goal is for the business moving forward (11:51).

In this episode, we identify key areas he can explore and work on to achieve the goals he has for Pro Teeth Guard.

  • Diversifying into Amazon (13:41)
  • Working on that SEO (17:58)
  • Getting a brand expert onboard (24:12)
  • Leveraging longevity through email (26:13)
  • Increasing average order value (34:02)
  • Retargeting Facebook ads (37:23)

 

Other Resources Mentioned:

E159: 3 Key Email Marketing Sequences for Your Ecommerce Business

Order a copy of our Amazon book today! 

Thanks for listening to this episode of the EcomCrew Podcast. I hope you’ve gleaned insights that you could implement on your own business. 

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a review on iTunes. And use the comment section on the bottom of the page to ask us a question. 

Till next time, happy selling!

Oct 21, 2019

I’ve been a closet domain collector for over a decade and some of my “purchases” have turned into ecommerce properties - treadmill.com.,colorit.com, survivalfood.com, and tactical.com. In this episode, my co-captain Dave Bryant joins me in this discussion that centers around domain flipping.

Today we’re going over strategies, thought processes, as well as the dos and don’ts of shopping for domains. 

In this episode, we specifically cover the following:

  • Mike and his impressive portfolio of domain names
  • Why investing in domain names can help you become successful in ecommerce
  • Appraising the value of a domain name
  • Finding domain names
  • A word of caution of using GoDaddy
  • The negotiation process
  • Domain value predictions

We hope this episode has inspired you to try your hand at purchasing domain names. If you have any questions, leave us a comment and we’ll get right back to you.

Want a physical copy of our tried-and-tested Amazon launch strategy complete with examples and screenshots?  Get your free book here.

Get advice from Mike and have your business featured on the podcast.  Sign up for the EcomCrew Roadshow today! 

Finally, if you enjoyed listening and think this episode has been useful to you, please take a moment to leave us a review on iTunes.

If you have any questions or comments, feel free to leave them below. Happy selling!

Oct 14, 2019

In the ecommerce realm, opinions on starting a dropshipping business really differ. Some people say it's dead, others insist that its the only way to go.

Well, dropshipping is still very much around. But as Amazon moved into a position of dominance, its appeal has waned. The fact that some so-called “gurus” who sell dropshipping as an “easy” way to earn millions hasn’t helped either.

However, there are those who own sustainable dropshipping businesses. 

Dave Couillard, our resident design expert, is one of them.

I’ve asked Dave to join me in this podcast episode to talk in detail about his website, HardCases.ca. This will also serve as his formal introduction as a business partner on EcomCrew.

Here are some highlights from our discussion:

  • Dave’s ecommerce journey: from web design to dropshipping (12:59)
  • What a typical day for him is like (19:13)
  • Sourcing products and finding suppliers (23:10)
  • Running a dropshipping store (44:40)
  • Pros & cons of dropshipping (59:37)

I hope our discussion didn’t only prove informative but encouraged you to look at dropshipping businesses in a different, albeit more positive light.

As always, drop any questions you may have in the comment section below. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a review on iTunes.

 

Get a copy of our Amazon domination book and just pay for shipping. Order it here.

Until next time, happy selling!

 

Oct 7, 2019

Avid listeners to this podcast would know that the bulk of our team is based in Cebu City, Philippines. And I get asked a lot of questions about how we manage employees all the way on the other side of the world. 

The quick answer is that I don’t. We have a terrific manager in the Philippines, Mia. She takes care of everything down there. We’re lucky to have such a great group of people working for us that, now, the process is locked down and the whole thing completely runs itself. 

Today’s guest has a slightly different approach to hiring and managing a remote team.

I’m joined by Dave Nevogt, CEO and co-founder of Hubstaff, a staff monitoring, and time tracking software. 

We’ve been using Hubstaff for a while now and it has made managing our team in the Philippines so much easier. From payroll to managing productivity, the software has it all.

The company and its main product were born out of a pain point he experienced in a previous business. In this episode, Dave talks about software features and shares tips on how to find, hire, and manage awesome employees all around the globe.

As always, here are timestamps to make your podcast listening better.

  • The inspiration behind Hubstaff and the problems that it solved (6:00) 
  • Hubstaff by the numbers (12:24)
  • The pros and cons of having a remote team (16:33)
  • How Dave found people and built a remote team (19:16)
  • The techniques Dave uses to manage employees all over the globe (23:20)
  • The link between time tracking and good team management (28:24)
  • Useful tips for starting a remote team (45:31)

Give a Hubstaff a try! Sign up by clicking on our affiliate link and use the code ecomcrew50 for 50% off the first month.

Interested to learn more about sourcing from China? Join our free webinar on October 8, 10 AM PST. Reserve your spot now!

Sep 30, 2019

Greetings from scenic Lake Tahoe. I’m cranking out this Under the Hood episode before we head on down to Las Vegas, where the weather looks to be warmer this time of year. 

I love niches and I love meeting entrepreneurs who are passionate about the things they are selling. Today’s guest is a happy mix of both. Nic Dillon is a long-time musician and owner of Old Delhi Music, a website that specializes in high-quality musical instruments from India. 

While you can expect to find sitars and drums on his store, he’s famous for playing and selling harmoniums.

Sit back and listen as he shares a bit more about his business and gets advice on how to take it to the next level.

Here’s a  list of handy timestamps to get right into the meat and potatoes of our conversation.

  • How Nic got his start as an online entrepreneur (4:11)
  • From hobby business to full-time gig (8:29)
  • What’s the revenue been like? (9:48)
  • The struggles of selling (13:20)
  • Leveraging the workmanship & uniqueness of a product (18:30)
  • Letting people know that it’s a premium product (26:15)
  • Is focusing on that one product we’re known for a good idea? (35:42)
  • Getting more people to be buy harmoniums (53:13)

Under the Hood is a segment where we do an hour-long coaching call with one of our listeners. We take a look at their businesses, provide honest feedback, offer our best business advice, and answer whatever questions they have. In exchange for the free coaching, we will turn the call into a podcast episode so that our community can benefit as well. It’s a win-win!

Interested to learn more about sourcing from China? Join our free webinar on October 8, 10 AM PST. Reserve your spot now!

If you think this episode has been useful to you, please take a moment to leave us a review on iTunes.

Till the next one. Happy selling!

Sep 23, 2019

After a week of staying put, here I am back on the road and going through Reno on the way to Las Vegas. I was in Dallas for Scott Voelker’s first-ever Brand Accelerator Live event. It was a slightly different crowd than what I was normally used to. But, I still got to hang out with some old friends and even some EcomCrew Premium members.

All our big podcast fans out there would know that I try to do my part and give back to the community by investing in up-and-coming ecommerce brands. And I do it on KickFuther.com. In fact, we did an entire episode on them a few weeks back.

And on today’s podcast, I get to chat with the owner of one of those businesses I’ve helped out. John Castrano has had years of experience in the beauty and grooming industry before starting Tame the Beast, a men’s grooming line. But getting the business to where it's at now has been quite the journey.

Listen as John recounts he got started in ecommerce and give a glimpse at how the business is doing some five years later.

As always, here’s a list of timestamps so you can jump right into the good parts.

  • How the Beast brand started (9:28)
  • Early struggles to get the business up (15:43)
  • Finding investors (18:11)
  • Post-accelerator phase (22:58)
  • Breaking down the numbers (32:31)

Take part in our free Importing from China webinar on October 8, 10 AM PST. Reserve your spot now!

And if you want to try out Kickfurther for yourself, head over to ecomcrew.com/kickfurther.

Questions or comments?  Feel free to leave them below. 

Finally, if you enjoyed this podcast, please leave us a review on iTunes.

Until next time, happy selling!

Sep 16, 2019

Back in February, I introduced the EcomCrew Roadshow on this podcast. Since then, I’ve taken the RV and traveled to a handful of states to help entrepreneurs solve some real-world struggles associated with running an online business. 

I gave you a peek into these one-on-one sessions in a March episode. Today, I’m happy to bring our first official episode of the EcomCrew Roadshow. I recorded this one with Cory Stout at his home in Tulsa, Oklahoma. 

Cory is a familiar name, especially to our regular listeners. He’s a Premium member and has been on the podcast a few times to talk about his main brand, Woodies, and another business he just acquired this year. 

You can go back and listen to those episodes through the links below.

Trimming Down SaaS Subscriptions

Finding an Exit Strategy

Buying an Amazon Business: Tips for First Timers

True to the Roadshow’s purpose, I sat down with Cory and dissected his business down to that last item on his COGs. We also discussed some ‘low hanging fruit’; opportunities that can help him grow his wooden sunglasses brand beyond the 7-figure revenue mark.

Jump to all the best bits of conversation here.

  • Money vs time (5:24)
  • “Busy is the new stupid.” (7:33)
  • What Cory wants to get out of the Roadshow (10:38)
  • Low hanging fruit (13:59)
  • Clearing out those business skeletons (14:42)
  • Optimizing listings and the search for gem keywords (14:47)
  • Not forgetting about the ‘why’ (23:41)
  • Balancing COGs (28:38)
  • Accounting for inventory (35:01)

Let us know what you think of this episode. Would you like to listen to more content like this on a monthly basis? Sound off in the comments section.

If you think you’re a good candidate for the EcomCrew Roadshow. Sign up today for the chance to be in your very own episode. 

It’s the last day we’re opening registration for EcomCrew Premium. Don’t miss out on all the great features like full-length ecommerce courses, unlimited 1-on-1 consulting, membership to our private community, and much more. Be part of the Crew!

Watch all of those Helium 10 webinars through this mini-course.

Finally, please take a moment to leave us a review on iTunes if you found this podcast helpful.

Till the next one. Happy selling!

Sep 9, 2019

Dave’s joining me on the podcast today as we drill down on our business numbers. 

In this episode, I’ll be breaking down the trailing 30-day figures for my biggest brand, IceWraps. Meanwhile, Dave will talk about the latest statistics for his current business, Offroading Gear.

We cover Amazon sales and the big-ticket items on our COGS.

You’ll want to skip the part where I slipped on one of the boardwalks while doing the West Coast Trail (boring story) and dive right into the good parts of this today’s episode. 

Here are the timestamps to guide you.

  • How Pat Flynn influenced this episode (6:51)
  • Latest numbers for IceWraps (7:28)
  • Latest numbers for Offroading Gear (8:55)
  • Adding the cost of tariffs (9:55)
  • What makes up these costs (13:55)

I hope you found that deep dive into each of our business’s numbers informative and helpful. If you’d like to hear more content like this, please leave us a comment below. 

EcomCrew Premium is open until September 16. Supercharge your ecommerce business by getting access to our full-length courses, online webinars, and in-person events. Get unlimited advice from Mike and Dave or bounce ideas off of other 6 and 7 figure sellers in our members-only Facebook group. Sign up here!

Want to get more value out of  Premium? Find out how it can help you add more products to your catalog or leverage Facebook for marketing? Send us an email at support@ecomcrew.com

Sign up for this month’s free webinar.

Get a copy of the Amazon Domination book here. 

If you think this episode has been useful to you, please take a moment to leave us a review on iTunes.

Till the next one. Happy selling!

Sep 2, 2019

It’s a new month and change is coming to the EcomCrew Podcast. 

If you haven’t listened to last Thursday’s goals update, I talked about us reducing the number of episodes in a week from two to one. We want to provide you with the best possible content and, in order to do that, it was a decision to go for quality over quantity.

Today’s episode is something that I believe fits the bill. As entrepreneurs, we tend to fall prey to our own success. The struggle to keep up with growth often means that our cash flow takes a beating. Affording inventory can become a real problem. 

This is why I’m excited to have Kickfurther CEO Sean de Clerq and VP of Business Development David Koifman on the show. 

Kickfurther is a platform that brings together businesses with inventory funding needs and individuals looking to grow their money on ecommerce. The platform helps cash-strapped businesses grow by raising funds from individual buyers to pay for the business' next order. When the business sells the inventory successfully, the individual buyers get paid and earn a profit.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

  • How a Kickstarter campaign and Sean's financing problem gave birth to the idea of Kickfurther - 2:34
  • How Kickfurther deals first came together - 8:23
  • How Sean found early backers who trusted their brand-new platform - 10:35
  • Criteria for a business to be on the platform - 19:08
  • Step-by-step process for a business to get funding - 23:53
  • Timeline for a business to get funding  - 28:13
  • Kickfurther's finance charges - 29:59
  • What returns have been historically for investors - 36:22
  • Risk factors - 44:38
  • Consignment setup - 48:44
  • Special Kickfurther deal for EcomCrew listeners - 53:43

If you want to try out Kickfurther for yourself, head over to ecomcrew.com/kickfurther.

Learn how to develop defensible and winning products you can build your business around. Sign up for this month’s free webinar.

Get a copy of the Amazon Domination book here. 

If you have any questions or comments, feel free to leave them below. Happy selling!

Aug 29, 2019

Time truly flies. We’re just a quarter away from the holidays. That means a ‘goals update’ is long overdue. But, that’s not necessarily a bad thing as I get to cover a lot of ground and take you on the journey I’ve been on this year.

It was definitely an eventful eight months. I sold one of our best-selling brands, freed up my time, and am now able to spend time in the RV on extended road trips while doing the EcomCrew Roadshow.

There were misses here and there, but significantly more wins. If you haven’t listened to my previous updates, you can listen to them here and here

And now to the meat and potatoes of this episode. I’ve listed down the 19 goals along with their corresponding timestamps so it will be easier for you to follow along. 

  1. Sell a brand. (3:52)
  2. Position another brand for sale in late 2020. (4:38)
  3. Getting back to location independence. (5:32)
  4. Reducing debt to zero dollars. (8:04)
  5. Hike the West Coast Trail on Vancouver Island. (9:01)
  6. Take at least 10 weeks of personal travel. (10:59)
  7. Record 6 or more episodes of the Roadshow. (12:53)
  8. Invest in at least 1 ecommerce business. (14:16)
  9. Lose 10 more pounds. (15:21)
  10. Visit the Philippines office in 2019. (16:13)
  11. Start selling our services for EcomCrew. (17:03)
  12. Significantly improve the quality of the podcast. (17:50)
  13. Film season 2 of the 5 Minute Pitch. (19:35)
  14. Break each of our brands out into different companies. (20:40)
  15. Start hosting personal events for EcomCrew. (22:09)
  16. Speak at 6 industry events. (23:11)
  17. Shift to doing things that only bring me immense personal fulfillment. (24:23)
  18. Do intermittent fasting for all of 2019 and eat less meat. (24:59)
  19. Not to drink the rest of 2019. (26:40)

Learn to find and develop products that stand out from all of the me-too crap everyone else is selling. Sign up for the September 12 webinar.

Try out Kickfurther today! Get $500 off of Kickfurther's services when you sign up for a business account or receive $10 when you join as an investor.

I hope you enjoyed this latest installment of the podcast. As always, feel free to leave a comment below.

If you think this episode has been useful to you, please take a moment to leave us a review on iTunes.

Till the next one. Happy selling!

 

Aug 26, 2019

It’s Dave doing a solo podcast today. I’ve been giving periodic updates on how my current ecommerce business has been doing so far. Having recently marked two years of owning and running OffRoadingGear.com, another update is due.

If you’re new to the podcast or need a refresher, here are quick links to previous episodes in this series.

In this episode, I also let you in on the following:

  • Last month’s revenue (1:23)
  • How it compares to the previous months (1:57)
  • What makes up the $100K revenue (2:57)
  • What my product inventory looks like (4:05)
  • Product development strategies I use (6:32)
  • Having a content website like OffRoading.com (14:45)
  • The negatives of running this business (18:04)
  • Do I sell or not? (25:11)

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

Get on the waitlist for EcomCrew Premium here.

Learn more about Helium 10 through this mini-course.

I hope you enjoyed this latest installment of the podcast. As always, feel free to leave a comment below.

If you think this episode has been useful to you, please take a moment to leave us a review on iTunes.

Till the next one. Happy selling!

Aug 19, 2019

Sourcing is one of our go-to topics on the podcast. There are so many moving parts and different ways to approach it. 

I’ve been so fortunate to have sourcing experts come on the show and share insights on this. Today’s episode is no different. 

I’m joined by Nathan Resnick, the CEO, and co-founder of Sourcify, an intuitive sourcing platform that helps companies find new products around the world. 

In our discussion, Nathan speaks mainly on how to go about sourcing when you’re a novice. And, if you’re a veteran at it, how to cut costs without sacrificing product quality. 

In this episode you’ll learn:

  • How Nathan got into sourcing (8:42)
  • How to source your first product (9:11)
  • Ratios: private labeling versus manufacturing your own - customized molds (16:49)
  • The three-pillar approach for cutting costs on sourcing products (23:44)
  • On the importance of third-party inspections (32:29)

Our talk ends with Nathan emphasizing the importance of striking an effective balance when dealing with the three pillars of sourcing - price, quality, and lead time. 

We recently did a series of webinars with Helium 10, which we turned into a mini-course. Head over to ecomcrew.com/helium to watch the entire 3-part series.

In Vancouver this week? Drop by the CRAFT Beer Market and have a drink with us. Sign up for the meetup here!

Finally, if you enjoyed listening and think this episode has been useful to you, please take a moment to leave us a review on iTunes.

If you have any questions or comments, feel free to leave them below. Happy selling!

Aug 15, 2019

Today’s guest is George Lawrence, the founder of MerchantWords. I’ve been wanting to get him on the podcast for ages. Finally, we’ve had the chance to record this episode. 

Before getting into the meat and bones of what his awesome tool does, a bit of storytime.

George is known in and around the industry as one of the good guys. Not just for his generosity in sharing what he knows but also for his resilience in the face of setbacks. Last year, his house burned down in one of the fires that ravaged parts of Southern California.

Fortunately, personal and business experience instilled a sense of preparedness in him. With things up on the cloud and having a distributed workforce, he was able to forge on with his company.

Now on to MerchantWords. If you ever wanted to get in-depth insights on what people are searching for in your niche, it’s definitely a must-try.

Here’s George giving the 411 on this awesome tool.

  • how  Merchant Words started (9:50)
  • what MerchantWords does (16:40) 
  • how it's beneficial to sellers  (18:25)
  • some real-world examples (23:15)

Sign up for MerchantWords using our link and get $21 off on a monthly plan. 

Speaking of great tools, we recently did a series of webinars with Helium 10, which we turned into a mini-course.

Even if you don’t use Helium 10, I think you’ll find the information there that's really interesting. Head over to ecomcrew.com/helium to watch the entire series.

Finally, if you enjoyed listening and think this episode has been useful to you, please take a moment to leave us a review on iTunes.

If you have any questions or comments, feel free to leave them below. Happy selling!

Aug 12, 2019

Just as the title says, this episode is all about helping you get a better sense of how the due diligence process works by talking about a bit about how it was done for a brand we sold - ColorIt.com.

I’m joined by Chris Yates and Brian Diener, from Centurica, a company that helps online business buyers conduct due diligence on prospective acquisitions. They not only handled the due diligence on ColorIt but also served as a go-between for myself and the new owners to ensure that this part of the buying process went as smoothly as possible.

Chris provides a bit more detail about the Centurica through the following:

  • What the company does (4:22)
  • The process of doing due diligence (5:35)
  • Potential costs for the service (7:14)

Brian, who did the actual due diligence on ColorIt, talks about how it was done.

  • Verification process (13:17)
  • Accuracy of splitting up fees (15:02)
  • Checking supplier relationships (16:47)
  • How P&Ls are reviewed (19:45)
  • What goes into a client report (21:09)
  • The results and how we reacted (27:47)

Learn more about Centrica's services from the website or book a free phone consultation. 

Get the full picture of what went down with the ColorIt sale when you listen to these episodes.

Get info about the Rhodium Weekend event in October.

Finally, if you enjoyed listening and think this episode has been useful to you, please take a moment to leave us a review on iTunes.

If you have any questions or comments, feel free to leave them below. Happy selling!

Aug 8, 2019

It’s been a hot minute since I did one of these Under the Hood episodes. Today, I bring you one that could be both interesting and potentially helpful for those selling products in narrow niches.

It can be difficult to be number one in a highly saturated and competitive niche. That’s not usually a problem for folks with businesses in very specific and product-focused niches. 

 Nevertheless, being involved in an ultra-niche business has its own share of challenges.

Today, I’m talking to Mark who helps run a dancewear company in an ultra-niche market.  Originally started by his grandma 40 years ago, he was instrumental in its shift from selling wholesale to retail in 2017.

Here’s a look at where the business is at right now.

  • How Mark got involved in ecommerce (2:43)
  • How they stared in the online space (4:05)
  • What the revenue’s like (5:19)

Mike puts in a couple of suggestions for growing the business. 

  • Do SEO (7:11)
  • Look at selling on Amazon (9:26)
  • Put out good quality content (12:15)
  • Start using Facebook Messenger (19:12)
  • Free plus shipping offer (20:46)
  • Create a giveaway (24:57)
  • Add lifestyle photos (29:57)

Under the Hood is a segment where we do an hour-long coaching call with one of our listeners. We take a look at their businesses, provide honest feedback, offer our best business advice, and answer whatever questions they have. In exchange for the free coaching, we will turn the call into a podcast episode so that our community can benefit as well. It’s a win-win!

Subscribe to the 5 Minute Pitch podcast to listen to all the pitches and deliberations from the show’s first season.

Join season two of the 5 Minute Pitch by filling out and submitting the application form.

Aug 5, 2019

Ecommerce conferences are really a great way to meet people. Sometimes these new acquaintances spark great partnerships as well.

I met John Li at lunch during this year’s Sellers Summit event in Miami. I got to learn more about PickFu, the polling platform he co-founded. 

A few weeks after we met, he sent me an email with a poll he created on the old homepage of one of our brands, Wild Baby. The results were so interesting that I had to get him on the podcast.

At the beginning of this interview, he talks in detail about the following:

  • How PickFu started (3:53)
  • Use cases for the tool (6:00)

That initial poll was great data to have at the time because we were in the process of changing the Wild Baby homepage. So, each of those 50 comments we got was helpful. When the new homepage was ready, we ran a series of other polls that revolved around the redesigned homepage. Find the timestamps for those below.

  • That first poll John did on our old Wild Baby homepage (7:47)
  • Poll on the redesigned homepage (10:46) 
  • Splitly test (13:22)

We also ran a PickFu poll to assess the effectiveness of our sign up page for EcomCrew Premium. Listen to the results at the 25:06 mark.

More recently, we ran a poll against a competitor for one of our products. I'm happy to note that 29 out of the 50 people polled opted to buy our product instead of the competitor. Take a look at the results here.

I hope you find all of these poll results interesting and useful. If you want to get feedback on your own website images or Amazon listings, you can use our affiliate link at pickfu.com/ecomcrew and get 50% off on your first poll. For questions, you can shoot John an email at john@pickfu.com.

Subscribe to the 5 Minute Pitch podcast to listen to all the pitches and deliberations from the show’s first season.

Join season two of the 5 Minute Pitch by filling out and submitting the application form.

 

Aug 1, 2019

How time flies. We’re right past the middle of the year. Soon it’ll be the holidays, a busy time for any ecommerce seller.

People in ecommerce may have similar experiences, but stumble into the industry in a lot of interesting ways. 

Daniel Buelhoff’s story is pretty out there.

A short time after graduating from college, he and his partners were able to raise €12 million to fund Smeet, a social gaming company. When that venture went south, he pivoted to ecommerce with an expiring Nespresso patent. Now, he sells physical products online through Gourmesso and is expecting 8-figure revenues. 

In this podcast you’ll learn:

  • How Daniel got his start in business (4:17)
  • How he and his partners raised €12 million in venture capital to start the gaming company Smeet (6:14)
  • How the changes in Facebook had an adverse effect on Smeet (9:54)
  • Transitioning to ecommerce with an expiring Nespresso patent  (13:55)
  • Achieving success with Gourmesso in such a crowded niche (22:23)
  • Expanding to the other niches and acquiring more businesses (29:25)
  • Some things that helped him grow his coffee business (34:53)

Listen as Daniel shares inspiring insights on finding a niche, maintaining it, and growing it to the n'th level. 

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