Keyword: The Amazon Insider Podcast

Amazon is making seller information public. Starting September 1, 2020, customers will be able to see the business information for sellers selling products on the US Marketplace. This information will give brand owners more information about who might be reselling their products.  We chat with Peter Kearns with Buy Box Experts to get his take on the announcement plus what sellers need to do right now to keep their distribution channel free from problems. --- This episode's sponsor: Payability. ---

Working and growing your business from home has a lot of perks but it can also be a large distraction. We talk with Ann Sieg, founder of ECommerce Business School about how she keeps herself and other entrepreneurs motivated. Plus, she also gives ideas on how to get other family members, including kids, involved in growing your business. Show links:  ECommerce Business School Payability+Shopify

Now more than ever it’s important to keep your focus on growing your e-commerce business. E-Commerce is the lifeblood of the economy right now and it’s important to be able to have the support you need so customers can find and purchase your products.  Alex Sklar, head of business development at Payability, joins us to discuss how COVID-19 is impacting their customers and what they’re doing to help support them. Plus he gives some great advice for how you can continue to grow during this uncertain time. --- This episode's sponsor: Payability. Check out Payability's new Shopify tool. ---

We’re facing a lot of uncertainty in the financial market right now amidst the COVID-19 outbreak. We’re talking through the current market and e-commerce business landscape to understand what’s going on, how it’s impacting e-commerce and what’s available to help.  Jason Somerville, with Global Wired Advisors, will be joining us for several episodes to provide updates and forecast to help sellers regain some control during the chaos. Reach out to Global Wired Advisors: Request a Consultation.

Amazon is restricting items that aren’t considered household or medical items from being sent to FBA until April 5, 2020. They are trying to get ahead of the massive amount orders that came in requesting those items amid the COVID-19 Pandemic. Sellers at risk of running out of inventory before then will have to either wait or switch to Fulfilled by Merchant (FBM). Ben Kingery and Trever Feller with Shipica.com, will be joining us talking about dealing with Amazon’s announcement and why sellers should have FBM as available options.

The Coronavirus is wreaking havoc across the world. If it hasn’t impacted your supply chain in some form, consider yourself lucky. Regardless of whether or not you’ve been impacted, all sellers should be creating contingency plans to help resolve any supply or inventory issues quickly. Chris McCabe, eCommerce.com, shares his steps towards creating plans when dealing with emergencies and disasters. --- This episode's sponsor: Payability. ---

Welcome to our last episode in our inventory management series. We’re talking about using fulfilled by Amazon (FBA) versus fulfilled by merchant (FBM), plus we’ve got a great story of how they can work together. Ben Kingery and Trevor Feller, Shipica.com, grew their amazon business before FBA existed so they have built a lot of infrastructure to help their business grow and succeed.

Ben Kingery and Trevor Feller (Shipica.com) join us again this week as we continue our series talking about inventory. In this episode, we talk about how inventory can be used to help you grow and cover some of the decisions you need to make to take the next step and grow using inventory.

As sellers, Ben Kingery and Trevor Feller have created a lot of tools and processes to help them grow their e-commerce business. Their company, Shipica, was built out of necessity for their own business’ needs. They’re bringing their inventory expertise to talk with us in a series of episodes about doing more with your inventory, starting first with managing inventory in FBA and an off-site warehouse. Website: ​Shipica.com.

The business selling process is going to look different depending on if you use a broker or a mergers and acquisitions advisor. Chris Shipferling with Global Wired Advisors talks us through those differences and gets into the details of what that process looks like with Global Wired.

Jason Somerville with Global Wired Advisors tells us right now is the best time to get your business on the market. We discuss different factors making 2020 a great time to sell and look to the future at how the upcoming Presidential Election could impact waiting to sell. 

Building a business is never completely risk-free but there are ways you can mitigate risk in your Amazon business. Alex Sklar, with Payability, joins us to discuss the ways sellers can prevent risky situations. --- This episode's sponsor: Payability. ---

Amazon pays sellers every two weeks based on when they started selling, but these payments are rarely the full amount that the seller sold in the last two weeks. Amazon actually holds onto some of the money. They call it, “unavailable balances.” Alex Sklar with Payability is joining us again to discuss unavailable balances, what they are, how to deal with them, and how to avoid them. --- This episode's sponsor: Payability. --- Disclaimer: Payability does not claim to have any insider information on the processes Amazon uses to decide when to release or not to release a payment. This is proprietary information unique to Amazon. The following is based on publicly available information and trends we have observed.

Peter Kearns, Former Amazonian and VP at 180Commerce, tackled a lot of seller questions and issues covering everything from running out of stock issues to dealing with non-authorized sellers. --- This episode's sponsor: Payability. ---

Getting paid is one of the most essential parts of an Amazon business. Money fuels everything from ordering inventory to improving discoverability to shipping products. Understanding how Amazon pays sellers provides the knowledge needed to know when you can place your next inventory order or increase PPC spend. Alex Sklar, Head of Business Development and Strategic Partnerships with Payability, joins us to talk about Amazon Payouts and share how Payability can help. --- This episode's sponsor: Payability. --- Disclaimer: Payability does not claim to have any insider information on the processes Amazon uses to decide when to release or not to release a payment. This is proprietary information unique to Amazon. The following is based on publicly available information and trends we have observed.

Amazon has launched a new tool for Sellers called IP Accelerator. It’s advertised as a free tool that connects you with law firms that specialize in Intellectual Property. Sellers then pay the law firm to file for a trademark application and Amazon will give those sellers access to Brand Registry, before the United States Trademark and Patent Office approves the trademark. Former Amazonian, Peter Kearns, 180Commerce, gives us his take on the program and if he thinks it’s worth it. This episode's sponsor: Payability.

Thanksgiving 2019 is weeks away, it’s time to make sure everything is ready for holiday shoppers. Former Amazonian Jon Derkits, 3PM Solutions, shares his roadmap for fourth-quarter success. Sponsor: Payability.

An important part of any Amazon business is being able to make money. But what do you do with the money you make? When can you start paying yourself? We talked with Tyler Jefcoat at Seller Accountant about when you should make the decision to pay and reward yourself. Seller Accountant Webinar link: https://events.genndi.com/register/818182175026315583/8c38e7d7ee

There are few things successful sellers are all doing to maximize and improve growth on the Amazon Marketplace. Recently, Seller Accountant surveyed a bunch of sellers to determine factors that profitable sellers have in common. Tyler Jefcoat with Seller Accountant breaks down three habits he finds profitable sellers doing. Webinar link: https://events.genndi.com/register/818182175026315583/8c38e7d7ee

The best and most profitable Amazon sellers understand every aspect of where their money is going. They use that skill to become even more successful but it all has to start somewhere.   In this episode, we discuss with Tyler Jefcoat, founder of Seller Accountant, about the most important steps in setting up accounting practices and mistakes he sees sellers often make.

Former Amazonian Chris McCabe answers sellers’ questions about account suspension, hacked accounts, black hat tactics and more in our most recent Ask Me Anything Webinar. Sponsor: Payability.   

Amazon hosts selling summits for businesses selling on the Amazon Marketplace. This year there are six of these two-day events. The final one is coming up in October in Seattle, it’s sold out, but is this something you should be planning to attend next year? John Naughton with 180Commerce breaks down what these events are and who they can benefit.  Sponsor: Payability. 

Amazon Insider Peter Kearns in a recent Ask Me Anything webinar with the Keyword Podcast. We cover everything from boosting reviews, dealing with black hat actors and product launch strategies. Sponsor: go.payability.com/keyword

When you’re building a business with the endgame of selling it in mind, you need to partner with the right intermediary to help you achieve that goal. Joe Hogg, with Global Wired Advisors, talks with us about what you can look for in a partner and how early you should start working with them.  Show links: Webinar: Aspects of Selling a Business. Value estimator: How much is your business worth?? Schedule a free consultation with Global Wired Advisors.

Part three of our "Building a Business to Sell" series brings us to when you should really start preparing your business for the market, including when you need to start talking with an advisor to help you through the process. Chris Bodnar and Chris Shipferling with Global Wired Advisors join us to discuss what those steps look like and tell us what sellers need to be doing right now.  Show links: Webinar: Aspects of Selling a Business. Value estimator: How much is your business worth?? Schedule a free consultation with Global Wired Advisors.

This year makes the fifth anniversary of Amazon’s Prime Day. It’s a chance to capture visibility and increase profits during a typically slow time for sellers. Peter Kearns with 180Commerce joins us to discuss how to capture traffic and improve conversions. "Ask Me Anything" webinar with Kate and Peter on Monday, June 24th, 2019, at 4:00 PM ET. >>> Register for the webinar. 

In the second series of our episodes focusing on building a business to sell, we’re focusing on growing your business off of the Amazon Marketplace. It’s a move that can greatly increase the valuation of your company, leading to a much larger payout if you decide to sell. Joining us will be Chris Shipferling with Global Wired Advisors and T.J. Jones from EmberTribe.

There’s a new virtual summit coming in June 2019 focused on giving sellers long-term growth strategies to be successful on and off of Amazon.  The Relentless Woman Conference is being built by Cascadia and hosted by Keyword Podcast host, Kate Valentine. Sign up now for free at RelentlessWoman.net.

We’re starting a new series, building a business roadmap for you that will lead you to the path of selling your business at its highest possible valuation. Our first part will cover product sourcing with Kelly Fedio, a seller who is currently selling her brand. We’ll also be joined by the mergers and acquisition experts at Global Wired Advisors in each part of this series followed up with a webinar on June 11. Sign up for the webinar at keywordpodcast.com

Daniela Bolzmann wanted to figure out how to launch products and be successful on Amazon. So after a failed Indiegogo and a successful Kickstarter, she gave it a shot. She’s discovered that there are three things that every listing needs to be a success, no matter what the product is. Episode sponsor: Payability.

The 2018 Holiday season is long gone, but sellers can’t forget about the last Q4. There are lots of data that sellers need to go through to start getting ready for Q4 2019. Former Amazonian John Naughton, with 180Commerce, breaks down what you should review from last year. Sponsors: Payability.

If you haven’t found yourself on the receiving end of a false infringement claim, consider yourself lucky. It’s a black hat technique sellers are using to attack competitors. In this episode, we talk with a seller who’s in the middle of fighting for his brand and products after a false infringement claim knocked down everything. The seller who made the claim, even admitted over the phone that the claim was fake. http://go.payability.com/Keyword

When it comes to selling a business, the right broker can make a big difference, bringing a smoother selling process and higher valuation. Global Wired Advisors talks with us about the current business selling market and shares ways business owners can vet potential brokers. 

Brands can rejoice. They’re on the brink of receiving more power than ever to combat counterfeiters by being able to remove counterfeit ASINs from Amazon on their own. Amazon announced that they’ve been testing "Project Zero" with 15 brands and we catch up with 180Commerce’s Vice President of Client Solutions, Peter Kearns, to get his take on Project Zero. 

Sophie Howard has grown and sold multiple Amazon businesses.  In this first episode of Seller Stories, we talk about the five mistakes she sees sellers making that hurt their chance for sustainable success.

A professional marketing strategy is key to make your business grow and ultimately make you more money. Former Googler and Merkato Founder Andrew Swearengen joins us to discuss the process he follows with his own clients to develop a professional marketing strategy. Andrew is also working to build exclusive content breaking down the process coming to the Keyword Podcast website soon. If you’d like to take advantage of a promotion being offered by Merkato, head to gomerkato.com/keyword

Amazon Seller accounts being hacked and causing sellers to be locked out is a growing problem. The problems continue as sellers try to regain access to the account. We talk with Chris McCabe, eCommerceChris.com, about how to get access back to the account and how to prevent potential future hacks.  Sponsor Payability go.payability.com/keyword

Growing your Amazon business is based a lot on your marketing strategy. We’ve reached out to former Googler, Andrew Swearengen, with Merkato to discuss what’s changed in the Amazon marketing world and what sellers need to be focused on to improve marketing. You can find Andrew at www.gomerkato.com/keyword/

If you’re feeling like all of your competitors are using black hat tactics to take you down, you’re not alone. Countless sellers are feeling negative impacts as more sellers resort to dirty ways to compete. Sellers following the rules are sending complaints to Amazon but rarely hear anything or see any action taken. We’re talking with Chris McCabe, with eCommerceChris.com, to determine what else sellers can do. Payability - go.payability.com/keyword

How long does it take to sell your business? Can you sell just a few of your Amazon listings? What happens to the seller feedback if you sell?  These are just a few of the many questions we answered during a recent webinar with Global Wired Advisors. Listen now to the full Q&A portion to hear what else we learned about selling your business. 

You’ve been building your business and now you’re ready to sell, but who are the potential buyers? Managing partners Jason Somerville and Chris Shipferling with Global Wired Advisors join us to discuss who is buying businesses and what kind of buyers might be interested in buying your business, plus, red flags to watch out for.

Myth #1: Your company has to be perfect before it can be sold. Then, we’re going to cover four more myths with Chris Bodnar and Chris Shipferling that business owners often deal with (sometimes struggle with) when it comes to selling their business.  The managing partners at Global Wired Advisors will also be talking through ways to help potential sellers get over those misconceptions. 

Managing partners Joe Hogg and Chris Shipferling talk with us about the key things to focus on to get your Amazon Business ready to sell. We’re discussing everything from what does or doesn’t need to be included on earning statements to creating future business plans for prospective buyers plus covering how to avoid land mines that can impact a sale. 

We’re checking in with Chris McCabe, with eCommerceChris.com to discuss some of the bad behavior issues and black tactics some sellers have been using in 2018. What has Amazon been doing about them?  We’re also covering the best ways sellers can report bad behavior without turning into tattletales.

What makes two-day shipping the gold standard to achieve and what’s available to help businesses selling on platforms besides Amazon offer two-day shipping?  Former Amazonian Harish Abbott, Deliverr, gives us his insight into two-day shipping and ways you can offer it by selling on other marketplaces. 

Without a doubt, the holiday shopping season can be the most exciting and the most stressful time of the year for Amazon sellers. Managing your team and especially your customer service during this hectic time will be key to your success and sanity. Tygh Walters and Michael Melgar of SellerSmile, a customer service agency for Amazon sellers, talk about their new Amazon Customer Service Holiday Survival Guide, available for free download at: http://keywordpodcast.com/customer-service/

Black Friday and Cyber Monday are here. Both are just days away. Holiday shopping typically starts each year in mid-October but it’s about to really pick up until the end of the year.  John Naughton with 180Commerce talks with us about expectations, ways to manage Sponsored Products plus mistakes to avoid.

Cease and desist letters are becoming a common practice by brands selling on Amazon. It’s likely you’ve received one. It’s important sellers know how to handle them and how to avoid them.

Recently, we hosted a webinar with Jaguar AI to talk about their new product sourcing tool, Jaguar AI. This episode is the Q&A portion from that webinar. You can get the link to the whole webinar by emailing kate@amazoninsiderpodcast.com

Amazon has removed a policy we discussed in Episode 087 stating that sellers can only ask for reviews one time in emails they send to Amazon.

Hiring and using consultants can help you grow your Amazon business but you have to know the right process to go about hiring them. Gabe Ray with Jaguar AI, has done some consulting work. He walks us through ways to vet consultants and red flags to look out for.