Mike and Gary talk about the perks of expanding an Amazon business to Japan, including the actionable steps to get started.

Choosing the right marketplace is just as important as choosing which product to sell on Amazon. But there’s one huge marketplace that US- and EU-based sellers may be sleeping on: Amazon Japan. 

Amazon.co.jp is one of the biggest marketplaces no one is talking about, with its over 600 million monthly visitors, domestic FBA services, and fewer competitors. 

Joining me for this episode is Gary Huang, who’s one of our favorite guests on the podcast and is currently dominating the Amazon Japan marketplace as we speak. He’ll give some valuable insights about the dos and don’ts of expanding to Japan as an established ecommerce seller, some actionable steps you can take to get started, and a lot of tips and tricks in between. 

If you’re on the lookout for a profitable Amazon marketplace to expand into, definitely listen in.

Timestamps: 

• 1:05 – Are Amazon sellers sleeping on Japan?

• 3:44 – Japan’s ecommerce market makeup—why it’s a great opportunity for sellers

• 5:55 – The perks of selling on Amazon in Japan 

• 8:37 – The right way to translate your listings to Japanese

• 9:25 – Why I’m pessimistic about continuing on the Amazon treadmill

• 11:37 – Differences between Amazon US and Amazon Japan

• 14:40 – How your costs are lower when selling on Amazon Japan

• 16:13 – Debunking some myths about selling on Amazon Japan

• 18:45 – Steps to get started selling on Amazon Japan

• • 18:56 – Step 1: Product-Market fit analysis and the right way to do it

  • 21:35 – Step 2: Checking Japan product regulations

  • 24:12 – Step 3: Being aware of compliance and licensing

  • 26:32 – Step 4: Transferring your Brand Registry to Japan

  • 27:19 – Step 5: Get your translations done; Offer japanese language customer support

  • 28:15 – Step 6: Localization

  • 29:18 – Step 7: Getting ready to sell

• 30:11 – How to price your products on Amazon Japan and other marketplaces

• 31:54 – The first ever Amazon seller summit in Japan 

I wanna thank Gary for giving us yet another value-packed episode. If you’re thinking about selling on Amazon Japan in the near future, be sure to check out the first-ever 7 Figure Seller Japan Mastermind in Tokyo this April 4-5 to listen in to some deep dives on Japan ecommerce from Amazon insiders, expert importers, and more. 

That’s it for this episode. Don’t forget to leave us a review on iTunes if you enjoy all our content. Happy selling and we’ll talk to you soon!

“Every man has two lives, and the second starts when he realizes he has just one”— Confucius.

In this episode, I’ll be talking about the recent passing of my cousin and longtime business partner Jay, and the valuable lessons I learned from taking care of him during his final days. 

Dealing with the aftermath of a loss and the thought of one’s own mortality can be difficult—even morbid—topics, but I’ve come to realize the infinite value of taking control of our lives, planning for the aftermath of our own passing, and getting our affairs in order for the sake of those we leave behind. 

Timestamps: 

• 00:00 – Intro

• 05:10 – Becoming caretakers for our loved ones

• 06:55 – Schedule your annual checkup ASAP

• 11:36 – Getting your affairs in order

• 16:11 – Dealing with the trauma of loss

• 19:12 – The value of coming to terms with your own mortality

I want to thank Jay for all the memories and everything we shared together. 

Please make sure to get that checkup and let me know if you can. It would mean the world if even only one person takes action because of this episode. Entrepreneur or not, always remember to prioritize your health and advocate for being prepared for the worst case scenario in this unpredictable life. 

Happy selling, and I’ll see you in the next one.

Mike and Dave discuss the thought processes and nuances of their business goals for 2023 and beyond.

Setting a trajectory and an overarching vision for your ecommerce business is not as simple as it sounds. There are myriad factors that can influence how and why you set your goals and, more importantly, whether they are realistic and achievable for your company. 

In this episode, Dave and I will not only be talking about what our goals are, but we’ll be talking in-depth about the thought process behind those goals and the various nuances of effective goal-setting for an ecommerce brand—from the quality of your employees, to your team structure, to which aspects of your finances play key roles in your company’s growth prospects. 

Timestamps: 

• Intro - 0:00 

• The driving force behind Mike's diligence when it comes to 2023 planning - 1:56

• How involved should you be when it comes to setting goals? - 2:56 

• Goal #1 – Dave’s first goal of the year and the dilemma about goal-setting - 4:08

• Mike's accomplishments in 2022 - 5:32

• Our goal for EcomCrew in 2023 - 6:37

• Why goals-setting depends on what type of team you have - 7:35

• Dave's big mistake when setting goals - 8:18

• How to draw the line between leading and doing - 10:42

• Should you have a CEO/COO? - 12:52

• Goal #2 - Focusing on defensible products - 17:58

• The strategy of launching products monthly - 19:32

• Big ecommerce opportunities in 2023 - 23:12

• What qualifies as a ‘moat’ around your products? - 26:16

• How long can that moat around your products last? - 32:12

• Goal #3 - Being more hawkish on costs - 38:11

• Should you turn off all auto-campaigns on Amazon? - 39:56

• Is the Peel, Stick and Block method still as relevant as before? - 42:00

• Dave's thinking of a brand sale - 46:11

• Are FBA Aggregators looking to go public this year? - 50:00

• Is investing in Amazon Businesses better than Treasury Bills? - 51:19

I hope you took away some valuable insights from this episode that you can use to sort out your business goals for this year. Don’t forget to leave us a review on iTunes if you enjoy our content. 

Happy selling and I’ll see you on the next one!

Mike and Kevin talk about the value of your time and setting priorities as an ecommerce influencer, the reward of being able to help other people out, and what the endgame is for recognized personalities in this space. 

Being a recognized personality in ecommerce takes a toll, whether it be on your time, your energy, or even just struggling to manage your relationships with people. In this episode, we’ll talk all about the value of amplifying your time as an ecommerce influencer, why we do what we do, and where this niche industry is heading—joining me for this one is a legend in the space, Kevin King. 

Kevin is a highly regarded figure in the ecommerce ecosystem who’s built a solid following for things like the Freedom Ticket Course and the Billion Dollar Seller Summit. He is also now the host of the AM/PM Podcast, which is among the best listens I can recommend to ecommerce sellers of all stripes. 

Timestamps:

• The value of multiplying your time as an ecommerce influencer – 0:55
• How I handle ecommerce consulting requests and other gigs – 5:30
• Some perks and struggles of being recognized by people – 6:49
• The rewards of helping ecommerce sellers and making a difference – 10:44
• Kevin’s experiences as a well-known figure in ecommerce – 13:05
• What’s the ideal endgame for ecommerce influencers? – 15:10
• How Amazon and the ecommerce industry in general is shifting  – 20:24
• Why government intervention is good for Amazon sellers – 24:55
• What made Mike decide to move to Vegas – 28:06
• What the Billion Dollar Seller Summit is all about – 30:15
• How to get a hold of a replay package from the Summit – 39:44
• Growing a podcast in the ecommerce space – 42:18

I want to thank Kevin for taking the time to do this episode with me and giving some invaluable insights all of us can reflect on. Check out some of the awesome stuff he’s doing below:

• The Freedom Ticket
• Billion Dollar Seller Summit
• AM/PM Podcast

That’s it for this episode. Happy selling and we’ll talk to you soon!