Podcasts about moqs

The Truth About Apparel Manufacturer Sourcing & Factory Partnerships In this episode, Rachel breaks down everything you need to know about sourcing an apparel manufacturer and choosing the right factory partner. We go into the key differences between FOB, X-Works, and CMT production models—and why understanding these terms is critical to your brand's success. If you're still unclear on MOQs (minimum order quantities) and MCQs (minimum color quantities), be sure to catch last week's episode for a full explanation here: https://youtu.be/z7d7_kjmWxE. We also talk about sustainability certifications like Bluesign and Oeko-Tex, how to assess factory conditions (hint: check out those floors), and why clear communication with your vendors can make or break your production process. Whether you're just starting out or looking to improve existing supplier relationships, this episode gives you actionable steps to build strong, lasting partnerships. Plus, learn why visiting your factory in person can reveal the real story behind their practices. In this episode, you'll hear: - FOB vs. X-Works vs. CMT pricing models. - Sustainability certifications, specifically Bluesign & Oeko-Tex. - The importance of building strong factory & supplier relationships. - What to look for on a factory visit and why a clean floor says more than you think.   Sign up for the Secrets Behind Billion-Dollar Apparel Brands FREE Course here!   We can't wait to hear what you think of this episode! Purchase the Business of Apparel Online Course: https://www.thebusinessofapparel.com/course To connect with Rachel, you can join her LinkedIn community here: LinkedIn. To visit her website, go to: www.unmarkedstreet.com.   

How to Use MOQs to Budget Smarter & Grow Your Apparel Brand In this episode, Rachel is addressing the subject of Minimum Order Quantities (MOQs) and how they can make or break your apparel brand. As one of the most asked-about (and most misunderstood) topics in the industry, Rachel goes over how MOQs impact your production, budget, and growth strategy. Rachel breaks down exactly what an MOQ is, why it exists, and how to use this number to your advantage when negotiating with manufacturers. She also explores minimum color quantities (MCQs), the connection between MOQs and fabric suppliers, and how to forecast production costs with real-life examples. Plus, you'll learn how to avoid common pitfalls that can cost you thousands.  This episode is not to be missed! In this episode, you'll hear: -What MOQs (and MCQs) are and what they really mean for your apparel business. -How to ask manufacturers the right questions during the sourcing process. -Why MOQ's impact your profit margin, quality control, and scalability. -How to forecast production needs and negotiate effectively -Tips for choosing a factory that can grow with your brand!   Sign up for the Secrets Behind Billion-Dollar Apparel Brands FREE Course here!   We can't wait to hear what you think of this episode! Purchase the Business of Apparel Online Course: https://www.thebusinessofapparel.com/course To connect with Rachel, you can join her LinkedIn community here: LinkedIn. To visit her website, go to: www.unmarkedstreet.com.   

Can 3D printing really replace traditional toy manufacturing? One founder says “absolutely” and she's got the award to prove it.In this episode, I'm chatting with the amazing Courtney Peebles, founder of Solobo Toys, about how she won a TOTY Award for her hit plush toy, Emotional Baggage, and how rising manufacturing challenges pushed her to transform her business using 3D printed toys.Courtney gets real about the challenges she faced with manufacturing overseas, and how jumping into 3D printed toys helped her reduce costs, improve margins, and take back control of her production. Even better? She did it all while staying true to her brand's mission: creating inclusive toys that help kids express their emotions and feel seen.We'll talk about how 3D printing can help small toy brands build profitable direct-to-consumer businesses, the exact steps Courtney took to pass essential safety testing, and why sustainable manufacturing with 3D printers is more accessible than you might think. You'll also hear how winning a TOTY Award for her plush toy, Emotional Baggage, boosted both her visibility and sales and what it really takes to scale a toy business with limited resources.If you've ever dreamed about taking your toy idea from sketch to shelf without a big factory or warehouse, you need to hear this one! Listen now and let Courtney's story inspire your next step in the toy industry.Listen for these Imporant Moments! [00:03:27] - Courtney shares the emotional moment her plush toy, Emotional Baggage, won a TOTY Award, beating major brands like Disney and Miss Rachel. She never expected it—and it changed her business overnight.[00:07:46] - A simple post about her award win triggered a wave of direct-to-consumer orders. She had to leave Toy Fair early just to keep up with the shipping![00:13:18] - With rising tariffs and time pressure, Courtney stopped manufacturing overseas and leaned into 3D printed toys to take back control of her production process.[00:15:32] - Courtney walks us through how she passed all the required safety testing for her 3D printed toys using small-batch manufacturing guidelines—no shortcuts, just smart strategy.[00:24:57] - Starting with one $600 printer, Courtney's now scaling up to 41. She explains how Solobo Toys is growing quickly—without the stress of massive factory MOQs.Send The Toy Coach Fan Mail! Support the showPopular Masterclass! How To Make & Sell Your Toy IdeasYour Low-Stress, Start-To-Finish Playful Product Launch In 5 Steps >> https://learn.thetoycoach.com/masterclass

Register for the FREE Faire Success Blueprint Workshop happening LIVE on 4/28/25: https://kristinfishercoaching.com/faireblueprint The most successful brands on Faire have a few key things in common - and if you're not seeing the results you want, it's probably because your page is missing one (or all) of them.As a former corporate buyer, I've audited hundreds of Faire pages, and I can tell you with certainty: the best-performing shops have dialed in three core things. And today, I'm breaking them down for you so you can start seeing results—fast.Inside this episode, we're talking about:The #1 mistake that's costing you Faire sales (and how to fix it)Why your imagery matters way more than you think—and exactly what to focus onPricing and MOQs: how to set them strategically so buyers take you seriouslyThe secret to optimized product listings that don't just inform buyers—but sell to themWhether you're just getting started on Faire or your shop has been sitting stagnant for months, these simple changes can make a massive impact on your visibility, conversions, and actual sales.Plus, if you want to go deeper into the exact blueprint for success on Faire, be sure to check out my FREE Faire Success Blueprint Workshop (link below).Enjoy the chat! ✨ Register for the FREE Faire Success Blueprint Workshop HERE: https://kristinfishercoaching.com/faireblueprint CONNECT FURTHER WITH KRISTIN!Listen to the private podcast series UNLOCKING FAIRE - Get instant access HEREReady to scale on Faire? Check out The Faire BootcampWebsite: kristinfishercoaching.comInstagram @kristinfishercoachingContact: hello@kristinfishercoaching.com

Are your Wholesale MOQs (Minimum Order Quantities) secretly sabotaging your sales? If you've been keeping your MOQs super low, hoping it will attract more buyers… it might actually be turning them away.In this episode, I'm pulling back the curtain on one of the most common (and costly) mistakes I see product brands making on Faire and in wholesale: setting their opening order minimums too low. I get it—you want to make it easy for retailers to buy from you. But the reality? A low MOQ can actually hurt your brand's credibility, reduce your profitability, and make buyers hesitate before placing an order.In this chat, we're diving into:- The biggest mistakes brands make when setting their MOQs (and why they're costing you money)- How wholesale buyers really think about minimum order requirements- The psychology behind pricing and perceived value in retail- Why a higher MOQ actually attracts better wholesale buyers- The right way to set both your opening order and reorder minimums for maximum profit- How to confidently increase your MOQs without scaring buyers awayIf you've been playing small with your wholesale strategy, consider this your permission slip to level up and charge what your brand is worth.Enjoy the chat!CONNECT FURTHER WITH KRISTIN!Listen to the private podcast series UNLOCKING FAIRE - Get instant access HEREReady to scale on Faire? Check out The Faire BootcampWebsite: kristinfishercoaching.comInstagram @kristinfishercoachingContact: hello@kristinfishercoaching.com

Ever feel stuck wondering how much inventory you should order for your e-commerce store? You're not alone! Inventory decisions can feel overwhelming—especially when you're just starting out and still figuring out exactly which products your customers will love. The pressure of investing your cash into stock without knowing if it'll sell can lead to stress and uncertainty. In this episode, I'm diving deep into practical inventory strategies to help you make confident decisions without tying up all your precious cash flow. Drawing on my experience scaling a seven-figure fashion brand and helping countless clients navigate this challenge, I'll walk you through the key steps to get it right. Here's what I cover: Why starting with smaller Minimum Order Quantities (MOQs) across various styles can help you find winning products faster Real-life examples (including some of my early inventory mishaps!) to illustrate why going too deep, too soon, can hurt your cash flow How to negotiate effectively with manufacturers to get lower MOQs—even if they initially say no How to identify your hero products based on sales data, trends, and competitor insights Common pitfalls that lead to piles of unsold inventory—and how to avoid them By the end of this episode, you'll feel clearer, more confident, and better equipped to handle your inventory strategy wisely—setting your e-commerce business up for sustainable, profitable growth. Let's Connect:

Send us a textAlexandra Bekker, founder of Drink Nimbus, is on a mission to shake up plant-based milk and the sustainability issues that come with it. After a highly successful eCommerce career, she discovered the shocking truth: 138 billion long-life cartons end up in landfill each year. So, she set out to create a better alternative.In this episode, Alexandra shares how she:

Send us a textBurnout is a real challenge in the industry. Many Foodpreneurs start their businesses as a side hustle - juggling production, marketing, sales, packing, and every other task that comes with running a business solo.But it doesn't have to stand in the way of scaling.For episode 130, I sat down with Laura Allan, founder of Isaac's Snacks, the wholefood bites brand keeping it real with fewer than 10 ingredients. With 900+ Woolworths stores stocking her products and a strong presence in independents, Laura has built what so many Foodpreneurs dream of. But it hasn't been easy.Scaling isn't just about getting more products on more shelves. It's about navigating MOQs, cashflow pressures, and the hidden costs of retail that no one warns you about. And for Laura, it also meant hitting a breaking point - stuck in the relentless cycle of doing everything herself, until burnout forced her to rethink how she was running the business.In this episode, we unpack:

Send us a textYou're burning out – but still not paying yourself a wage. So how do you afford a co-manufacturer without cutting corners?In episode 128 we're getting real about the biggest challenge many Foodpreneurs face: you're working non-stop, but your margins aren't big enough to pay yourself - let alone afford to outsource production.But here's the thing: sticking with in-house manufacturing might actually be costing you more.That's why I'm joined by Naishad Dalal, food scientist, entrepreneur, and Founder of the Food Entrepreneurship Academy. Naishad knows everything about scaling food and drink products the smart way, and in this episode, he's breaking down:

In this episode, we're giving you the best Amazon and Walmart strategy clips of 2024 so that you can start off 2025 with a leg up on your competition. ► Instagram: instagram.com/serioussellerspodcast ► Free Amazon Seller Chrome Extension: https://h10.me/extension ► Sign Up For Helium 10: https://h10.me/signup  (Use SSP10 To Save 10% For Life) ► Learn How To Sell on Amazon: https://h10.me/ft ► Watch The Podcasts On YouTube: youtube.com/@Helium10/videos Welcome to this special annual recap episode of the Serious Sellers Podcast, where we bring you the most impactful strategies from the past year to give your e-commerce business a competitive edge in 2025. Join us as we explore the essentials of selecting verified manufacturers and the importance of third-party verification in ensuring accurate information. We'll discuss the advantages of trade assurance for payment protection and the significance of management certifications like BSCI and ISO, which indicate high-quality factory standards and social compliance. Additionally, we touch on regional manufacturing specializations, exemplified by the production of egg dispensers, and the importance of measuring the halo impact of ad strategies on total sales and rankings using metrics like TACoS and cost per customer acquisition. Listen in as we discuss strategies for international Amazon success, highlighting a thriving American brand's expansion into Amazon Japan. We'll explore the strategic benefits of entering the Japanese market, such as lower PPC costs and favorable tax conditions, which contribute to higher profit margins. Patience, quality products, and strong supplier relationships are emphasized as key differentiators from competitors. We also explore optimizing Amazon PPC campaigns with lifecycle-based rules and the power of using index images with numbered benefits to effectively communicate value in product listings. Discover effective strategies for online marketplaces as we recount past challenges and successes in sourcing and selling products in the U.S. market. Learn about creative approaches to finding less visible suppliers and the importance of clear communication and relationship-building. We also highlight the effectiveness of Target's marketplace and the strategic advantages of being indexed on Google to enhance Amazon rankings. Finally, we'll cover the critical importance of using correct HTS codes to avoid costly import tariff mistakes, sharing a personal experience that led to significant cost savings. Tune in and equip yourself with these valuable insights to kick off 2025 strong. In episode 628 of the Serious Sellers Podcast, we discuss: 00:00 - SSP Top 20 Strategies of 2024 02:02 - Selecting Verified Manufacturers for Trust 09:53 - Keyword Analysis and Visibility Tracking 12:25 - Strategies for International Amazon Success 19:36 - Effective Strategies for Online Marketplaces 20:06 - Leveraging Google for Business Growth 23:43 - Optimizing Amazon Listings for Google Images 25:40 - Optimizing Amazon Listings for Sales 32:12 - Enhancing Amazon Listings With COSMO 33:29 - Avoiding Costly Import Tariff Mistakes Transcript   Bradley Sutton: Today we're giving you the best strategy clips of the year so that you can start off 2025 with a leg up on your competition. How cool is that? Pretty cool, I think. Hello everybody, and welcome to another episode of the Serious Sellers Podcast by Helium 10. I'm your host, Bradley Sutton, and this is the show. That's a completely BS-free, unscripted and unrehearsed organic conversation about serious strategies for serious sellers of any level in the e-commerce world. And, like we do every year and we have been doing this since we started in what was it 2018, 2019? we do a recap episode where I handpick some of the best strategies of the entire year. Every year, we go through about 100 episodes a year, not including the weekly buzz, where we have a lot of guests and everybody has great strategies. It's really hard to pick some of the top ones, but what I did is me and the team got together and pulled out some of the top strategies that you guys had talked about in social media and such that you liked, and we put it together so that you could get a leg up on the competition now that we're at the beginning here of 2025.   Bradley Sutton: And so these are strategies that are not out of date. They're still valid. There are some that already, within a few months, became out of date. They're still valid. There are some that already, within a few months, became out of date. We're not including them here. So, guys, I hope you enjoy this episode. Get your pen and paper out. I want each and every one of you to make it your homework to pick five, at least five of these that we're about to get. I think we're doing about 20 here, but do five that most apply to you and your business. Not everything applies to everybody equally. Pick five out of these and implement it this month in your business, or at least make a plan for it. All right, so let's go ahead and see the top strategies of the year.   Kian Golzari: So the first thing you did was you selected verified manufacturers. And what's that for? It means any information that they provide on their listing, whether it be number of years in business, how many staff they have, what certificates they have, what patents they have, what products they have, what does their production line look like, the images and videos in the factory. That's all been verified by a third party, meaning InterTech, SGS, TUV. One of these very reputable companies have gone in and verified all the information is true, whereas if we didn't work with verified suppliers, then whatever information they want to put there, we just have to sort of take their word for it. So verified is the most important thing to search for first. Then, on the left-hand side of the page, you'll see trade assurance right, I would always click that as well and trade assurance just means that your payment is protected. So if you've ordered an egg dispenser which holds, you know, 20 eggs and you do the production and you receive one which only holds 10 eggs, then the trade assurance will protect you and it will refund your order because you've selected that right. That's just a little bit of a safety net important for, like you know, new sellers, right. And then, as you scroll down on the left-hand side of the page, you'll see something that says management certification, right. And if you scroll down a little bit more, yeah. So you see like BSCI and you see Zedek, you see ISO. I always like to select BSCI and ISO. So BSCI is your business social compliance initiative and ISO is just a really high-quality standard and this just basically means these are factory certificates that they have. So, uh, BSCI will go in and they'll check, like you know, um how many years you've been in business. Do you have, like, fire extinguishers? Do you have adequate lighting? Do you have safety exits? Like we've checked the dormitories, we've checked like the canteen where the workers eat. So it's kind of like gives you confidence that you're working for a very, very good factory, right. So now, if we go back to the top of the list, right, we've. Now we've searched by manufacturers, we've got verified manufacturers, we've got trade assurance and we've got factories which have, you know, BSCI and ISO certification. So now, as I'm scrolling down the list, like if you zoom in on the company names, like the first word in the company name is always the city or the province in which that factory is located.   Kian Golzari: So sometimes, like the factories, like electronics are made in Shenzhen, backpacks are normally made in like Shenzhou. Like furniture, like steel tubing for furniture, chairs is made like Yongkang. So I'm just trying to get familiar. Is there an area which specializes in egg dispensers? Maybe not because it's such a niche product, right, that maybe you could make it, make it anywhere. But as I scroll down, I'm trying to see, like, is there one name that pops up more frequent than others and in that area which specializes in that product? But I see Ningbo has probably popped up a few times, right? So, but anyway, it doesn't matter. If Ningbo had popped out like eight out of nine times, I would say, right, well, that's the region we need to be ordering from.   Bradley Sutton: Interesting.   Gefen Laredo: You know ACOS is great, but obviously this is TACoS Tuesday and TACoS is the metric of your total sales.   Carrie Miller: Yes.   Gefen Laredo: And so when we're looking at total sales something that we brought in and I know it's a little vague, but we really looked at the halo impact of ad strategies and how they impacted ranking and total sales, right. And so when we focused our ad strategy, maybe on a cost per customer acquisition model, maybe on a TACoS model, and we look to really prioritize, hey, where are we showing up, right? So, if, if, if we're driving all this traffic and we have a 20 percent conversion rate, let's say, on this keyword, are we tracking using, using uh, using a Helium 10, of course, um, are we tracking that ranking properly? To say, hey, we started running these ads aggressively on August 1st and if we have been tracking ranking on that keyword for the last two months since going aggressive on that term, where are we ranking now and how have sales changed? and are there broader KPIs that we're measuring outside of just direct ad revenue? And that worked really well for us because we centered that around tentpole events and this is a really big strategy of ours. That is incredibly complex, it takes a whole village to actually execute. But when we focus our customer acquisition and ranking models around major times in the year so think Prime Day, think Fall, Prime Day, Black Friday, Cyber Monday, holiday and then, of course, if you're a one-off brand, if you I don't know are ski related, then obviously your season is January to March. You know like there are differences, but really peak seasons. If you're able to focus your growth model around the times that are going to give you the most reward, then that worked really well for us last year and we expect to see a lot more of that this year, especially as we all expect people are going to be more deal oriented. It's a constant battle for margins, so the better rank you are, the more organic sales you drive, the better your TACoS is.   Ben Webber:                           Several years ago we were about to stock out of as you know, we sell a lot of fourth quarter products and kind of joke toy products and we're about to stock out of one that we sold between 800 and 1000 units a day of which is a fairly substantial issue. So we actually loaded up a cargo van and drove the cargo van to Amazon, talked our way through the front gates to deliver it and they took it, and so we did that once, then we did it again and we got through again. The third time they're like no, you can't do this, and so like okay, but somehow, like no, you, you can't do this, and so like okay, but somehow, we have to be able to do this. So we looked into carrier central and figure out how we could become a last mile rider, which is incredibly easy it takes about 15 minutes to fill out a form and then you have to show that you can back in and out of a parking spot incredibly, incredibly easy. But so in that January we bought a truck and the rest is history from there. But it came about because we were about to stock out and panicked and we're like, well, what's the worst that can happen?   Silas Moestrup Pedersen: And one of the things that I recommend to every time that we have a new client or meet someone is to narrow in on fewer skills. It sounds quite simple, right, but what we do every time is that if you have a big catalog A, B, C and D products and then A products they get a special treatment compared to B, C and D. It could even be, if your catalog is massive, you only focus your ad spend on A products. Same thing from a content perspective. Those are the ones that get the most love in terms of title, bullet point, backend attributes, et cetera, descriptions. So it's just having that focus on fewer products, I think, is number one. Then, if you can automate your reporting, we have that in Looker automated so that you don't have to necessarily sit and look at the data and pull Excel spreadsheets et cetera it just saves you so much time. If you're capable of doing it and spending time on it, then I think. Thirdly, we talked a little bit about it, but I think taking the time to do super solid keyword research from the get-go Like get into Magnet, get into Amazon's data sources, get into Cerebro, look for all your competitors' keywords et cetera understand what those A keywords are, and those A keywords are the only thing that you focus on in the start. Those are the ones that go into your rank campaigns, that they go into your manual campaigns, et cetera, and that those are the ones that just like where you track everything through Like a little hack could be for your A products. Every week you use a repro. Every other week you put in your A product and then you export all the data for that. You take a spreadsheet. In column A you say this is the date when I pulled the. This is the date of either. I pulled the data, this is the ASIN you put in the ASIN that you pulled the data for. Then you make a formula.   Silas Moestrup Pedersen: You can just ask ChatGPT where, based on the paid and organic rank, you say whether you classified the keyword as being on page one, two, three or four, and then you pull this data in this way every single week for maybe two months when you're running a new test or something like that. You take all the data, you put it into a pivot table and boom, then you would have an overview and a graph of how many like your all your page one, two, three, four positions across your entire catalog and you could even put a filter on up in the top and then you can sort by ASIN and then you basically have your own visibility tool where you can see your paid on your organic visibility on a weekly level at an Asian level. And you can use that to take all those keywords If you're ranking let's say page three or two or something like that put them into a rank campaign. If you feel like they're good, you can take all the keywords where you're on page two, maybe put them in the title, et cetera. So, like building those systems, that allows you to scale something consistently.   Bradley Sutton:                           What was your gross sales yesterday, last week, last year? More importantly, what are your profits after all your cost of selling on Amazon? Did you pay any storage charges to Amazon? How much did you spend on PPC? Find out these key metrics and more by using the Helium 10 tool Profits. For more information, go to h10.me forward slash profits.   Cara Sayer: So one of the biggest things was the fact that I do think a lot of Amazon sellers don't really have a brand. They just have a name for a business or a name for something that they use and they don't really have a what I'd call a true brand. And they don't always. I think sometimes also, existing only on Amazon makes you lose perspective on you know how normal businesses work, like businesses that aren't based on Amazon, and so you know a lot of businesses. I mean, I think throughout life, people buy from people and I think that's so important to remember that, even on Amazon, one of the reasons why Amazon focuses so heavily on A plus listings and now they're bringing in the premium A plus and all the rest of it because Amazon knows right. You know me quite a few years now and I've always banged on about brand. I've always banged on about having a story. Tell your story. It doesn't have to be your story necessarily, it could be the product story, but you need to have something that differentiates you. And even then, I was chatting to someone at the conference earlier on and I was saying the thing is that sometimes it's not even the fact that you're selling different products, it's the way that you curate them right. So it's the collection of products that you've chosen to sell under your brand name says something.   Nick Katz: So one of our clients is an international brand. They're an American registered company and they last year they cleared seven figures and we're definitely looking to do a lot more this year. That's in two years. They're doing very, very well in America, they sell in Europe and they sell in Canada. But the Japanese sales are now almost comparable to the to the us sales, but the profit margins are a lot higher.   Bradley Sutton:                           That was about my second question.   Nick Katz: Yeah, because you know things like the PPC is a hell of a lot cheaper. The ACOS for the account is about uh, I think it's about eight, nine percent now. The TACoS is about three or four percent. It's the kind of figures you can't really get in the US. So actually in theory you could sell a lot less in Japan and still end up with the same kind of profit as you could in the US. But obviously if you're getting sales close to the US you're probably going to have much, much higher margins. Japan generally is cheaper. It's cheaper tax as well if you are off the threshold to pay tax. But if you're under 10 million yen, which is probably about 60,000, 70,000 US, if you're under that in sales, you don't have to pay consumption tax. There is no tax. So anybody like me selling in Europe who gets absolutely lost by the tax authorities there, paying 19, 20, 21, 23% in some of the regions in Europe, you could be selling 50, 60,000 US in Japan and not have to pay any consumption tax whatsoever. So there are definite advantages to selling in Japan.   Bradley Sutton: What are some of the things that set you apart from maybe the 10 other matcha people who maybe have started and gone out of business, you know, because they didn't have your strategy? What do you think set you apart from others?   Sam: Well, I think a handful of things. The first one is okay, so I think you can use. You can rely on Amazon PPC. You can look at your search term impression share reports, you can look at your keyword ranking and all that kind of stuff and that will help you in the short run. But honestly, the thing that really helped us the most was patience and making sure that your product is on a sensory level it's actually good and people like it. Once you have those two things covered, then you just need to get people to try it, get them to tell their friends, and then their friends who are interested in Marchable buy. Then they are buying again and then this whole thing kind of grows by itself. Your PPC and all of these other tools that you have are really just like fuel that you add to this engine.   Singchuen: And on the other side of things is, obviously you kind of need to make sure that you treat your suppliers well as well. Make sure that they understand what you're going through and make sure that you try to understand what they're going through. If language is a barrier, hire an interpreter, right, it's not too difficult. Decency goes both ways. So you may be pressed, but you've got to recognize that the factories themselves, they are pressed as well. So working together for a compromise, understanding each other and not throwing too much Just to be a little bit more understanding towards each other, goes a long way. A bit more understanding towards each other goes a long way. I think what tends to happen is that if you're not patient, as Sam has mentioned, you may cut off communications with factories that may help you in the future, and you don't want to do that.   Destaney Wishon: I think the biggest things that we look at is we create rules for the different outcomes we want. If we're launching a brand-new product, then we're creating rules that are based off sales. So we're going to be taking a deep dive into, hey, what is the conversion rate and what is the sales? And we're going to build rules for maximizing that increased bid when I have a certain conversion rate. On the flip side, if our goal is profitability, we're going to work backwards from our ACOS or RoAS goal. We're going to say, hey, let's build rules that are based on lowering bids when our ACOS is too high, and maybe layering in our conversion rates also low, let's go even lower, right. So those are the two simplest ones that we look at, but it really needs to be strategic. You can create rules that are based off the phase your product's in, whether it's launch, consistency, profitability, organic rank. You can create rules based off your overall business outcomes. Which is always an important one is what is that key RoAS that you're going to optimize for all of your campaigns, but just making sure not to overcomplicate it in the beginning, right. Once you start to understand the correlation between CPC and RoAS, then you can start building in a little bit more customization around lifecycle and things like that.   Kevin King: This is how you been converting like crazy with what? what do you call an index image? This he calls it the uh, it's the image in your listing that will be the top reasons why your product is the best. This is not your main photo. This is not your photo number one. This is what he calls this photo number two and it's an index of of your products is why I think it's why he calls it the index image, and what he says is you need to number the benefits. A lot of of people are using call-outs, they use infographics, but they don't number them. So you want to actually have numbers like this. So this should be something like this should be your second image the five reasons you love, or the seven reasons or the three reasons.   Odd numbers are always better than even numbers. Three, five or seven or nine always work the best. But here he's got the five and look, there's big, there's numbers. That's important. He just doesn't list them. People like order and when they see numbers, their mind can sort it and they can read it quickly and it makes sense to them. So the numbering system here is critical, not just the fact that he put the main point, the main benefit and capital, and then explained it in. I mean in bold and a little bit larger than explained everything else below it in light blue, but he's got these numbers. That's the critical thing is numbering it.   Bradley Sutton: Maybe this is a little bit of the sexy side of patents, but you've talked before about how patents doing patent searches can actually be a form of product research and finding a product to sell on Amazon. How in the world is that possible?   Rich Goldstein: Yeah, absolutely it's true, because the way that the patent system works, once a patent expires, it's fair game for anyone to use it. So a utility patent lasts for 20 years and a design patent lasts for 15. But once that patent expires, anyone can make that product and, at the same time, keep in mind that a lot of people have an idea for a product, they get it patented, but they never do the research, they never learn about the process enough to actually get that product launched, and so there are a lot of great ideas that have been patented that are just in the patent archives and they've never actually been put on the market. There are some lousy ideas, but there are also some great ideas, and so if you know how and you search the patent record for expired patents, you can find ideas for really great potential products.   Tom - Honest FBA: We dabbled with the US a few times in the past and Thomas Net is really popular. You see, it's spoken about quite a lot as a place, as a resource. Honestly, we never had any success there. There was a time when we were the MOQs are always insanely high and there was a product previously that we agreed to the MOQ. It was something like 10 or 20,000 units. It was pretty high. And there was a product previously that we agreed to the MOQ. It was something like 10 or 20,000 units. It was pretty big. And we were like, okay, we'll go for it, but can you just repackage them into a different kind of mix? And they just said, nah, nah, don't fancy it. And we were like, right, okay. So we kind of banged our head against the wall. So now a little-known site called Google is honestly the best bet, so like, but I'm not talking page one at Google. You've got to dig. So put on a VPN. If you're somewhere like we are, like in Spain, put on a US VPN and then get down to like pages five, six, seven, eight, get in there. And then I just hammer a lot of emails out, but a lot of the websites that you find down in those stages or those pages. They're not good at SEO, they're generally kind of old sites, but you're finding older, established businesses so and often you'll find a phone number. So one of the best lessons I say is like get on the phone and just ring them up and you can save months of time, like the guy who ended up.   Tom - Honest FBA: One of the guys who ended up working with had a phone call with him on the first day. I found it and we ended up. We're now doing two products with him already. We've got another three lined up and he had nothing to do with the niche we're in. He was in so we're in pets. He was in humans. He was in food. I just gave him a call, explained the brand vision, what we're trying to do. He got really excited. He's now helping us source new ingredients. He's coming to me with product ideas. He's now going to do a whole range of products for us. So that was one of the beauties is like having that communication line and being able to really explain yourself has been massive. We are still sourcing in China, by the way. We still think it's a really viable option, but having this US option as well, there's so many benefits to it.   Grace Kopplin: In terms of Walmart, that's always been a strategy for us. Transparently, Walmart just hasn't been a volume driver for us. It's been steady but it hasn't really been a place that's warranted a ton of focus for us. But another marketplace that has been great for us is actually Target's marketplace, target Plus and that's been a key, key piece of our success, especially with working with brands who are looking for store placement at Target. For example, we've had a few items that we've listed on Target's marketplace that have done really well, that have gotten the attention of a buyer and actually got store placement, which is really exciting. And, at the end of the day, getting an item placed on shelves most of the time can drive more volume than a mid-tier listing on Amazon. So we tend to try to use that strategy.   Bradley Sutton: How do you get on target these days? Wasn't it invite only back in the day or now that Target is adding that 360 or some kind of like yeah.   Grace Kopplin: I think it might still be invite only, but I know they've been actively adding a lot of sellers. I know that their backend is still quite archaic compared to what Amazon is. It's probably what Walmart was like four years ago. But I think it is still invite only, but definitely something to reach out to your connections and see if you can get a connect with a Walmart e-comm buyer.   Leo Sgovio: So there are a few reasons why you want to be indexed on Google, and for the most, let's start from the most advanced ones, right? Advanced sellers they normally try to send traffic to Amazon, especially during the launch period, using external traffic, right? So Google, we know, is a good referral that tends to help your rankings, and so Amazon tends to reward you if they see traffic coming from Google. So if you're not indexed, you lose a chance to show Amazon that you are getting traffic from Google. Now, I have a theory that paid traffic has a little bit more weight than organic, but the reason why you want to be indexed and the reason why you might want to be indexed for certain keywords is so that when you drive traffic through the URL to Amazon, you can actually give attribution to that keyword. That's number one, right? So you can actually use these URLs as your two-step.   Leo Sgovio: Number two if you do a good job with your indexation and your listing is optimized, you actually also appear in the images, right? And so if people are looking for specific products, sometimes I search on Google using images because I'm looking for specific products that might be hard to find on Amazon. But if I look through the Google images and I find the product, then I go to Amazon and so if you're not indexed, you're also not going to be able to be found there, and Google images actually gets a ton of traffic. So here are some of the reasons why, two of the reasons why. I can think of many more, but the most important are these ones. Google is still one of the largest search engine, and so missing out on that opportunity search engine and so missing out on that opportunity, I'm afraid it causes a lot of missed visibility for an Amazon seller at a listing level.   Carrie Miller: I think one of the things that sets us apart is that when I've created our listings, or whenever I create our photos, I think about what are the main benefits of the product, the main selling points of it, and I realized this isn't something that everyone can easily do, and so the way I kind of have been teaching it is that you can take your competitor's listing, download their reviews, download their best reviews, their five-star reviews, and say ask ChatGPT, like, what do people like most about this product? What are the benefits of this product according to reviews? What do people like? Basically, ask a bunch of questions to ChatGPT and you'll get a bunch of kind of selling points and you'll kind of see a trend of like the top selling points or top benefits of your product. And that's what you want to focus on is like what's in it for the customer? You've got to kind of appeal to their emotions. How is it going to make their life better, easier, are easier, are they going to be more beautiful? Are they going to you know what? What is it, what's in it for them?   Carrie Miller: And I think that that is going to be the key that sets you apart, and I know it's. It sounds pretty basic, but I've actually been doing some looking at different listings. People have been asking me hey, can you take a look at my listing? And when I look at the listing, I'm like, well, these aren't, these are not actually selling points or benefits. Like, these are features of the product. Right, you can always put the features in right later on, but how are you appealing to the person when you were? If you're telling somebody about your product, are you being like oh hey, the dimensions are 14 by 14. Like that's, that's like an afterthought, right? You, you want to. However, you would even just sell to a person, like talking face to face. That's how you're going to do that. Your first image shouldn't be a dimension photo. It should be a selling point, your main, like best selling point, main benefit in that first image. So I think that's a huge thing that a lot of people are kind of missing.   Bradley Sutton: What would you say is the most actionable things from search career performance? That kind of closes out like, hey, this is actually something that is not just, oh, it's good to know, but hey, I'm actually going to take action, uh, on this.    Mansour Norouzi: Taking action. I would say, even when I look at my own brand one is that for the main keywords, what I actually I do this on a weekly basis I have a list of the main keywords which is for my, for one of my aces are like 10 uh, 10 uh keywords and actually I go into the detail of week over week what is happening to my click share for those keywords, because they are very important for me and I want to be on the top and like top five for these turns. I want to be aware of what is going on with my competitors and what's my need. So if I see I have a track of my click share for the keywords, if I see it is going down, right away I'll figure out what's going on and maybe push with my advertising, for that for me would be our main keywords and what's going happening for my click share rate, conversion rate and click share just on my top keywords. Honestly, I will go, I think, by myself going with all for all the keywords, just like top five to 10 keywords, what they are, and I'll keep it very close overview and monitor them to see exactly what's going on, because you see that search volume going up or down, but I want my click share and my conversion share that I have I'm generating. Either they are consistent or going up. So if I see this trend is down, right away I start doing maybe I run coupon code or I push with my advertising to make sure I'm getting them back into track.   Bradley Sutton: What is your favorite? Helium 10 tool Ksenia or function of a tool.   Kseniia Reidel: Probably the audience. That's the one that I use all the time. Is it called audience?   Bradley Sutton: Yeah, the split where you ask the questions to the people and say, how are you using that Like for your images, or just for product ideas, or what are you using that?   Kseniia Reidel: Honestly for everything. For both for the product ideas, for your images, or just for product ideas or what are you using that? Honestly for everything. But both for the product ideas, for the images, because I just think it's so easy. You know, when you're thinking about like the product we find, then I usually do um, like the drawing and uh, 3d, you know the 3d image of the product that doesn't exist yet. Then usually all my products are like, really designed differently, that's what's on the market right now, and I just upload the image there and I see what people say and ask them would you buy this product? And if you wouldn't buy this product, why, why not? Or what would you change in this product? And sometimes I see the things that I didn't even you know, I didn't even think about that.   Bradley Sutton: So you're launching just the 3d rendering and just asking a question on that image, or you're launching it like, or you're launching it, you're putting it in a poll next to like existing products and asking them, or which one are you doing?   Kseniia Reidel: I'm doing both. Actually, the first, I just do the rendering and ask them would you buy this product? And if you would not buy this product, what would you change Like? How would you make it better for you? And then sometimes I also compare it to the other products that are on the market and ask them which one would they buy?   Bradley Sutton: Interesting.   Kseniia Reidel: And a lot of times I do the changes on the product based on what the people say.   Bradley Sutton: What was the results of those search, find, buy in order to send those relevancy signals? Again, not for rank, but to send those relevancy signals to Amazon. Take a look at this when I ran in Cerebro on June 19th, just three days after they did that relevancy single, you know, push those three coworkers here at Helium 10,. Take a look now at the Amazon recommended rank. Remember how it was only showing two keywords for Amazon recommended rank. Now it was showing multiple ones and it put that keyword that I sent the relevancy signal for egg holder countertop. It had Amazon recommended rank number three, which basically means that that was the third most important keyword according to Amazon for this product. Now do you remember what I was getting for impressions in PPC? Like 200 total impressions over three days. What did sending those relevancy signals to Amazon do for my PPC impressions? Take a look at this. To amazon, do for my PPC impressions. Take a look at this.   The next three day period from June 19th when my relevancy got fixed to June 21st instead of 200 impressions, 5 000 impressions, 4 000 of that. How? What keyword was it for? Egg holder countertop, that one that I sent those relevancy signals to Amazon for? This works, guys.   Ryan King:                          So Walmart has the equivalent would be brand portal, and I would absolutely recommend, if you're the seller, if you're the brand, to register through brand portal, and the main reasons are there are certain advertising opportunities that are only available to brand registered brands, so sponsored brand videos, sponsored brand ads that go across as banner displays. Another major one would be brand shops, brand shelves we can talk about later as well and then IP protection, and so the advantage of being registered in Brand Portal is that you can file IP infringement claims, and in this case, the most successful one to do is to file claims against those alternate listings for using your copyrighted imagery, and so we see success of getting those pulled down within 48 hours, typically when that happens. Now you can still file that IP claim even if you're not registered through Brand Portal. There's a link to file that claim, but you can't track its progress, you can't see the history, all those kinds of things. So it just gives you greater credibility in those and greater ability to look back at the progress. And the last one I'd say is if you're a registered brand, it's going to give you the highest content ranking for your listing. So even if there are other sellers that have tried to change that listing content. You're going to outrank them as the registered brand and chances are you're not going to have to deal with things changing on your listing in that regard.   Kevin Dolan: Cosmo is a specific tool and I think that the function that it performs is valuable to enhancing Amazon's understanding of a listing. So I certainly would not be surprised to see Amazon implementing this in a production capacity on a large swath of searches. That would not be surprising to me, but it's not as massive as the shift that we've seen into semantic-focused search. Cosmo in particular discusses essentially a mechanism for enhancing Amazon's understanding of a product by taking into consideration things that aren't expressed in the query and things that aren't expressed in the listing. The example that they use in the paper, the canonical example, is if you're looking for shoes for pregnant women, a listing might not literally say shoes for pregnant women. It might produce a specific type of open toed shoe that has good support, good comfort. That might not literally be listed as a keyword in the listing, but it might be something that the system can infer based on its knowledge of the universe, about what it's like to be a pregnant woman and the types of products that they might benefit from.   Norm Farrar: Out of everybody that we've looked at, it was up to 80. But 70% of Amazon sellers do not have the proper HTS code. They let their Chinese seller set an HS code and it's wrong. So when they get in here and guess what, nobody, nobody is calculating that as a part of your cost of goods. So they're going out, they're sourcing in China, they're not calculating, and this could be as high as 400%. Now, I've never seen it that, but it can be. So you know you're 25, 40% of your cost of goods. Is that not something that should be calculated? And like for me, I was doing natural soaps and I was paying 17%. So we were taking a look at it and Afolabi says can you consider this Castile soap? And I said yeah, it's olive based. And he goes well, how about I give you some good news. Pay zero. I just stuffed 17% back in my pocket. So out of the 70% of people that are missing the boat, they don't have the proper tariff code and the average person that gets the proper tariff code on an order the average that we've been able to calculate has been $7,800.

Can you tell the difference between a manufacturer and a trade company? Join us for Tactics Tuesday as we uncover the surprising tactics trade companies employ to appear as manufacturers, based on a revealing story from Mike's colleague's visit to China. We'll guide you through essential strategies to verify your suppliers' true identities and the benefits of dealing directly with manufacturers to secure more competitive pricing. This isn't just about saving a few bucks; it's about optimizing your costs for better profitability and sustainable business growth.Ready to rethink your approach to product pricing and Minimum Order Quantities (MOQs)? We'll share actionable tips on negotiating with suppliers to ensure product profitability, not just the lowest price. Discover why starting with lower MOQs can be a game-changer for new product launches and how to balance inventory to avoid costly stockouts. Our focus is on fostering long-term, trusted relationships with your suppliers that support your business's success.Launching a product on Amazon? Don't miss our insights on why minimizing discounts can be more beneficial than you think. Learn the value of a solid email list or community in supporting your launch, and why targeting long-tail keywords might be the smarter move. Plus, we explore negotiating better payment terms and improving cash flow through smarter logistics, featuring a nod to services like Skewdrop. This episode is jam-packed with strategies to enhance your supplier relationships, manage inventory, and boost your business's bottom line.

While Alibaba is a popular choice, it isn't always the best option for dropshippers due to communication issues, minimum order quantities (MOQ), and long shipping times. In this episode, we dive into the best Chinese suppliers that can be great alternatives to Alibaba.What You'll Learn:What to Look for in a Supplier: Key factors to consider when choosing a dropshipping supplier.Benefiting from Automation with the RIGHT Suppliers: How to use automation tools to streamline your dropshipping process.Niched Suppliers: Discover suppliers that specialize in specific niches.Shipping Times: Learn about suppliers with faster shipping options.Why Listen? If you're looking for reliable alternatives to Alibaba that can offer better communication, lower MOQs, and quicker shipping times, this episode is for you. We'll provide insights into lesser-known suppliers that can boost your dropshipping business.⭐ Start Your

Renaud hosts and is joined by Fredrik Gronkvist, founder of Productmkr.com, to discuss near-sourcing from Europe + Turkey (and Mexico for North American buyers) VS buying from China. Fredrik has done a lot of research on how to source from China alternatives and he now offers a supplier database for subscribers to help make finding the right option easier. Here he shares his advice on near-sourcing and how it differs from the traditional approach of buying from China.   Show Sections 00:00 - Greetings and introduction. 04:14 - What are the key challenges importers face when near sourcing? 08:14 - How to improve your chances of receiving a response from non-Chinese suppliers? 11:04 - What is the impact of near sourcing on MOQs and lead times? 17:03 - Does near sourcing reduce quality and compliance risks? 22:40 - Does it make sense for all types of products? 27:23 - Is the process of identifying and screening potential suppliers in Europe/Turkey the same as in China or Vietnam? 32:19 - How should buyers approach sourcing from nearby countries? (Summary) 33:24 - Wrapping up.   Related content... Read Productmkr.com's analysis: Manufacturing in Europe vs China: A Comparison Nearshoring To Mexico. An Alternative To China? India Gaining Popularity over China as a Near-Shoring and Sourcing Destination Globalism 2.0: North American Importers To Move Supply Chains Out Of China Soon?   Get in touch with us Connect with us on LinkedIn Send us a tweet @sofeast Prefer Facebook? Check us out on FB Contact us via Sofeast's contact page Subscribe to our YouTube channel   Subscribe to the podcast  There are more episodes to come, so remember to subscribe! You can do so in your favorite podcast apps here and don't forget to give us a 5-star rating, please: Apple Podcasts Spotify TuneIn Amazon Podcasts Deezer iHeartRADIO PlayerFM Listen Notes Podcast Addict Podchaser

Setting a minimum order quantity for products can be a very beneficial move for distributors and manufacturers. Here we look at the ins and outs of MOQs and give recommendations on how best to manage them. You can learn more about it from this episode or read about it on our blog More information about MRPeasy software at our website mrpeasy.com

Host Victoria Guido interviews Dustin Butcher, CEO and Co-Founder of MADE TECH, a company revolutionizing the performance apparel industry through custom and made-to-measure automation technology. Dustin shares his journey from working in the outdoor industry and running a creative agency to founding MADE TECH. The company's mission is to provide performance apparel that perfectly fits the wearer's body, addressing a common issue where standard sizes fail to accommodate individual body shapes and sizes, particularly in sports where fit and movement are crucial. Dustin discusses the inspiration behind MADE TECH, which stemmed from personal experiences with ill-fitting outdoor apparel during activities like ski touring. He highlights the company's focus on inclusivity, allowing for 100% size inclusivity and addressing the needs of a broad spectrum of body shapes and sizes. This initiative caters to individuals who traditionally struggle to find performance gear that fits and opens the door for brands to offer more inclusive product lines. Dustin's background in the outdoor industry and encounters with the limitations of standard sizing in apparel led to the development of a technology-driven solution that customizes clothing to the individual's measurements, enhancing performance and comfort. The conversation also touches on the industry's broader implications of custom and made-to-measure apparel, including sustainability and waste reduction. Dustin elaborates on MADE TECH's business model, which initially targeted direct-to-consumer sales but has pivoted towards partnering with established brands to offer custom-fit options. This strategic shift aims to leverage brand trust and reach a wider audience, promoting inclusivity and personalization in the performance apparel market. MADE TECH (https://www.made-custom.com/) Follow MADE TECH on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/made-tech/). Follow Dustin Butcher on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/dustin-butcher/). Follow thoughtbot on X (https://twitter.com/thoughtbot) or LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/150727/). Become a Sponsor (https://thoughtbot.com/sponsorship) of Giant Robots! Transcript:  VICTORIA: This is the Giant Robots Smashing Into Other Giant Robots Podcast, where we explore the design, development, and business of great products. I'm your host, Victoria Guido. And with me today is Dustin Butcher, CEO and Co-Founder of MADE TECH, powering the future of performance apparel with custom and made-to-measure automation. Dustin, thank you for joining me. DUSTIN: Oh, thank you so much for having me, and I'm excited to be here. VICTORIA: Wonderful. Yeah. So, why don't you just introduce yourself a little bit more and tell me about your background? DUSTIN: Yeah, of course. So, as you mentioned, I'm one of the co-founders of MADE. We have built technology that enables the automation of custom and made-to-measure performance apparel. So, similar to how you could, like, you know, go online and design a custom suit or something like that and get it made to fit your body, we do that for performance apparel so that the product that really matters if it fits you properly and that sort of thing, and, you know, so that might be outdoor apparel, motocross, yoga. Whatever sport it is that you're into that, you need your apparel to move with you; that's what we fuel. And so, we're working with a bunch of different brands in that space to do that. My background, I came from the outdoor industry; always been in the outdoor industry since I was able to hold a job, originally just at ski resorts and stuff as a lifty and as a waiter, and all those types of classic, you know, teenage jobs. And then I worked in-house at a bunch of outdoor companies, Voilé, a little backcountry ski company here in Salt Lake, and then Black Diamond, and Gregory Packs, and Petzl, and kind of worked around the industry a bit. And then for the last 12 years, I ran a creative agency, specifically in the outdoor industry, working with a lot of those same brands and other brands in kind of communicating their value to the outdoor customer. And so, and then we kind of rolled into MADE, had this idea, connected with my co-founders, and really built it from there. VICTORIA: I love hearing about people building careers in the outdoor industry, something really close to me personally. I also got my first few jobs from rock climbing and having competed as a young adult and then walking up to businesses and saying, "Hey, you have a climbing wall. Like, you should hire me, and I'll run your climbing wall." And they're like, "Okay." [laughs] So, it just, like, brings you so much confidence and such a great community to be a part of. And so, you're talking about creating clothes that move with you. Can you tell me a time when you were doing something, some kind of performance sport activity, and you were like, "Wow, whatever I'm wearing does not fit me. This is really affecting my performance and my ability to do this sport"? DUSTIN: Yeah, I probably have too many of these stories. And what's interesting about that is I'm a pretty traditionally medium guy. I'm 5'11. I'm 170 pounds. Like, I should generally fit into mediums, but I'm just in that weird spot where I always kind of feel like, am I a medium or a large in this? My torso is a bit long. So, my primary sport is ski touring, like, backcountry skiing. That's what I love to do. That's where I spend my time and my focus and a lot of that kind of stuff. So, I've had lots of experiences where I might be climbing up a [inaudible 03:08], and my jacket comes up a bit on my lower back and exposes my lower back, and it's cold. And so, then I got into defaulting where I wear, like, one-piece base layers, so I can never expose my skin directly. But it's like, the ultimate solution really was to have properly fitting stuff. The original concept for MADE came from I was out on a ski tour with some friends, and I was wearing a pair of pants, some soft shell pants that I loved the fit of. But the feature set wasn't there, and they were, like, Alpine climbing pants. They're not even designed for ski touring. They didn't fit over my ski boot. They looked a little bit silly, but I loved the fit, like, in the leg. And they didn't have like, you know, a beacon pocket and those types of things that I would want. But I do have this other pair of ski touring soft shell pants that I wear most of the time that fit terribly but have all the features that I want. And it was like, ah, man, I wish I could, like, determine exactly what I need as a skier and then, you know, would have the confidence that it was going to fit me perfectly, that sort of thing. And that's really where it kind of started. It was a very selfish, like, how can I get the thing that I want? You know, I connected with my co-founders, both of whom came from Arc'teryx to start this with me. And we really got to thinking, and it's like, wow, with this type of system, we can make a really big impact as far as like, we can be 100% size-inclusive. There's not body shapes or sizes we can't meet with this type of system. And so, then it really opened a lot of doors as far as, like, what we can do and how we can connect this. And that's when we all kind of came together on this idea and said, like, "This matters, and we're the ones to build it." VICTORIA: I love that you're trying to fit something that works for you, and you realize having that ability could make it inclusive for everyone. And I wonder if you could share more about what you know about sizing in the clothing industry and, how that's developed over time, and how it may be really limiting who has access to the products that you're selling and the activity that those products allow you to do. DUSTIN: It might sound like a crappy, little history lesson, but, you know, the further back we go...before the industrial revolution, clothing was made to fit the individual, you know, you'd go to a tailor, and you'd tell them what you need the product to do for you, and they'd measure you and make the product. And then we got into this mass manufactured thing, which is great as far as, like, efficiencies and economies of scale, and all that kind of stuff. And so, we can get stuff cheaper and still, like, high-level product, but we got into this standardized system. And then companies deal with this challenge of like, okay, what is our small? What is our medium? What is our large? And finding those things and trying to meet the needs of the bell curve but also knowing that for every individual person, they're not meeting that person's fit needs, right? They're trying to fit as many people within the primary sizes as they can, and that's part of the challenge. One of the things that we've run into in performance product, especially, is that, like, there are massive swaths of people that simply cannot get good performance product in their size. 68% of North American women are over a size 14, and it's really hard to find good ski outerwear, as an example, for a plus-size individual like that. And that's not even that plus size. That's an average, like, that's 68%. Like, we're not talking about like, oh, these are the ends of the bell curve. These are people who want to get out and do things, and they've been unable to do it because of clothing. What a silly reason to not be able to do the sport that you're excited about, or even to go spend time with your friends and family, or whatever it might be, like, your motivation, but, like, what a bummer of a reason to not be able to do it. So, those are the things we're trying to solve through our system is saying, like, "Hey, we can work with these existing brands, and they can now offer stuff that is fully inclusive, meets all of their quality expectations, all of this, and still comes in with a very reasonably priced product." You know, it's not what you think custom would be where it's like, oh, it's going to be five times the cost of the ready-to-wear product. No, we can come in at the same price or very similar with these brands and allow them to make options that meet the needs of all different shapes and sizes. VICTORIA: Well, I can really relate to that because some of the clothes that I would wear for climbing or even yoga are coming in at a very high price point already. And I recently tried on a set of clothing from a retailer who's normally, like, known for yoga and outdoors equipment. And I was just surprised at how it seemed that they wanted the person who fit these clothes to be very narrow all the way through [laughs]. And I was like, wow, I'm struggling to fit in these clothes. And, like you said, like, I feel like I'm pretty average, and that was frustrating, and especially, like, getting clothes like that it can really deter people from participating in the sport and participating in outdoor activities altogether. So, I think it's really cool that you are going down that journey. Let me ask you, how did you get the original idea for MADE TECH, specifically? DUSTIN: So, first, we had to determine, is it possible? Can you make a system that would automate the creation of a custom pattern, all of that kind of stuff in really technical product, right? We know it can be done in suits and jeans and that sort of category that's more of a simple cut-and-sew. Whereas when you get into technical product where you're dealing with waterproof fabrics and seam sealing, you know, in a ski jacket, there's, like, 200 pieces of that product versus two pieces that get, like, pushed together and sewn between, right? Like, it's really, really complicated stuff. So, we started with that kind of hypothesis is, yes, we can figure this out, and we did that under a D2C brand, MADE Outdoor. It's madeoutdoor.com. It's now been live for almost two winters, and we've made a bunch of product and a bunch of people happy. And, you know, we had some really early success with really tall, thin dudes, you know, like, that 6'6, you know, I'm sub 200 pounds or something. I'm really thin. And that person has been kind of forced into wearing a triple XL jacket for so long. So, they're pretty psyched. And so, like, we've had some of those early wins, and that was really kind of like, okay, we tested it. We've proven this system works. And so, it's really just been in the last six months that we've said, like, okay, now where do we make the biggest impact? How do we make that change in the industry and in these opportunities to participate in these sports? And that's not through our own brand. That is one piece of it. Sure. But the larger opportunity is for us to work with existing brands that have that consumer trust already that, you know, like, "Oh yeah, I've worn this brand for however many years, and I have that trust, and I love the brand. And now I can get something that fits me perfectly." Or it's that person that's like, "Oh, I've always worn this brand because it fits me, but I really would love to wear this other brand, but I know it doesn't fit me properly." And so, it opens doors for people to kind of like say like, "Okay, what's the brand? What are the materials? What's the brand ethos that really connects with me? And be able to go there and not have fit be the reason that I can go with one or the other." VICTORIA: That's really interesting. So, you started with originally direct-to-consumer custom ski and snowboard wear and, found your initial success, and then identified a pivot point where you could expand and do direct business-to-business and make other brands more inclusive as well. DUSTIN: Yeah, that's the big idea, right? And it doesn't need to be my name or our brand name on the thing. Like, what we've built, like, there's just an opportunity for an impact here that's bigger than just us. VICTORIA: I love that. And it makes me want to ask you, what other core values drive your everyday decisions as you go about your process here? DUSTIN: Yeah, the three kind of pillars we think about anytime we are working on something, and really that kind of drive our whole system at MADE, is inclusivity, sustainability, and personalization. I should come up with a better way to say that, but it's those three, right? So, on the personal side, we want you to have the thing that you need. Your setup for some climbing clothing is going to be different than mine. You're going to want to set things up differently. And maybe you are a boulderer, and I am a big wall climber. Yeah, we have different needs for what we have. And so, we want you to be able to kind of define that rather than just being a designer in some boardroom somewhere. So, that's the personalization side. The second is the sustainability side. 30%, and this sounds outrageous, but 30% of apparel is never sold to an end consumer. And it eventually gets destroyed or sent to the landfill, which obviously has a massive sustainability impact, not only for that product to how do you dispose of that kind of thing, but also just, like, we made it, and it took time, and it took money, and it took human hours and all that kind of stuff. So, that's a huge opportunity for us because everything that is made through the MADE system it already has a home. Like, we never make a thing...if any of our brands are using our system, they only make things that already have a home. So, that's a huge win. We immediately take off that 30% of overproduction, right? And then the inclusivity stuff we've talked about already, but it's like, we just want people to be able to do the things that makes them happy. And it's a bummer when you can't do those things, whether it's climbing, or yoga, or whatever. Like, you know, there are some big brands that have had a hard time with size inclusivity, which is totally understandable. It's really hard to make product that fits everybody. And so, you know, we create these standardized systems, and then we knowingly leave people off. But we know that because it's like, well, not that many people in this size have bought from us, and we have to hit our MOQs, and we have to do X and Y and that sort of thing. But with this type of system, they can hit everybody, and they're not taking those, like, big risks as far as like, oh yeah, we have to set place this big order, and then all this product is going to sit in a warehouse for three years before it'll finally sell through. VICTORIA: It reminds me of a classic story you hear in software design about how they tried to make the first Air Force pilot chair; I don't know if you've heard this one, where they, like, took all the measurements of all the pilots and then they, like, averaged out all the, like, heights and widths and everything. So, they made this chair that fit no one. DUSTIN: Yeah [laughs]. VICTORIA: Because no one is perfectly average. Like, you know, everyone has variations in their size and their measurements. And so, I think that's really cool. It's interesting. I hadn't thought about the conservation impact or the impact on the environment; it takes just to have to have so much error in your sizing, which is naturally part of what's going to happen when you try to make an average size. DUSTIN: I've not been on the product design side of apparel. I don't envy them. Like, their job is hard to find that fit story that, okay, this is what the average consumer looks like. But what does our consumer look like, and then how do we find something that meets them? And what is our medium? And then, do we have to make a different medium for different markets in the world? And there's so much, like, level of detail in there. That's one of the beauties of us working with other brands now is that, like, their level of knowledge in that stuff is huge. And so, pulling from that and being able to say like, "For your product, how should this jacket fit somebody? How do you want it to move?" So, then, when our system pulls in the 3D measurements of that individual, it can say like, "Okay, this jacket needs to sit this far off of the shoulder. It needs to have this much room around the bicep." Like, those types of things are all part of how it works and gives those opportunities for, like, an individualized fit that is determined by how the brand wants it to perform. MID-ROLL AD: Are your engineers spending too much time on DevOps and maintenance issues when you need them on new features? We know maintaining your own servers can be costly and that it's easy for spending creep to sneak in when your team isn't looking. By delegating server management, maintenance, and security to thoughtbot and our network of service partners, you can get 24x7 support from our team of experts, all for less than the cost of one in-house engineer. Save time and money with our DevOps and Maintenance service. Find out more at tbot.io/devops. VICTORIA: How did you go about, like, what was your first step when you said, "Oh, I need a system to do this type of automation and to be able to do this kind of customization"? How did you approach solving that problem? DUSTIN: Well, we started to figure it out, and we realized that the system didn't exist [laughs]. So, that's really what it was. It was out of necessity more than anything. So, we wanted to build our custom and made-to-measure brand, and none of the systems existed to do it. So, we got to work on building those systems. You know, that was, over the last year, it's like, okay, we built all these systems. Do we just use them for ourselves, or can we have that bigger impact if we work with other brands? VICTORIA: So, did you have the skills to build the technology already in-house, or did you have to develop that within your company? DUSTIN: Oh, man. So, my co-founders are amazing. I started this with two co-founders, Cheryl LeBarr and Capri Philip, both came from Arc'teryx to start this with me. Arc'teryx, if people don't know, is one of the big outerwear brands in the outdoor space, a beautiful, beautiful product. They understand fit and, form and function, and they make an amazing product. And I have connections over there, and so I made a few phone calls and really, like, found the right people. So, we got to work on it. None of us are coders. We kind of scrambled through our MVP. We figured out how we could do it with...if you look at our MVP backend, it's messy, like every startup's MVP is. And it's like, okay, this system is connecting to this system over here, and it's talking to this. And it's sending this data from here and that sort of thing. And it's like, but we figured it out, and that was the key. You know, so the automation of this stuff really came from the pattern design side, which was Capri's specialty. And then the automation of the, like, tech pack and all of the factory details that they need to produce the garment came from Cheryl's side, from the product development side. And mine was more on the brand and kind of communication of the value and that sort of thing. We were scrappy. And we figured out how to build something that worked. And then the next step was to bring on a proper CTO and then really build the, like, scalable system that's like, okay, now it can plug into existing systems. And, oh, you have these expectations of your enterprise-level software. Yes, this is how it works, that sort of thing. So, it's been tiered in that way. And that, honestly, is part of the fun. Like, part of the fun is finding these new problems to solve and then coming up with creative ways to solve them. VICTORIA: That's really cool. So, you all were able to build your MVP together within your existing co-founding team. I'm curious about, like, what platforms you chose to do that in. Did you pick, like, a programming language or some sort of, like, ClickOps or some kind of, like, other tool that you could use, like low-code tool, to develop it at first? DUSTIN: I mean, it's very low code. It's Google Docs, Google Sheets that speak to each other and, like, can share data between them kind of thing within our secret backend, obviously. We have a really great relationship with our measurement partner. We didn't build the measurement technology. That's a whole different business model and that sort of thing. So, we work with this great group called 3DLOOK that does our measurements, and it just uses a customer's phone to take a front and a side photo, and then we get a full 3D model that goes into our thing. It's super cool. We tried to pull some things off the shelf that existed that we could use without having to build it ourselves. With my agency business, like, I have a developer that I work with a lot. And so, like, we called on them to help us build a few pieces, but for the most part, it really was just, like, getting scrappy and creative together. And, like, we built the MADE Outdoor platform on Shopify. It's like all these systems that are just kind of like, yeah, we know how these systems work. Let's use those to start, and then if it works, then we build it into a bigger framework. VICTORIA: I'm glad you mentioned that there's take a picture because I was going to say, whenever I even have to do, like, a sizing guide chart on a website to buy clothes and you have to, like, measure your waist, I'm like, I don't want to do that [laughs]. I'm just, like, too lazy. I don't want to check that right now. So, taking a picture would be so much easier. DUSTIN: People are so bad at that [laughs]. Like, when we first got started, and we were asking people to send in their measurements, and here's a video on how to do it, even the same person, like, with three different people measuring them, you'd get wildly different information. And so, we definitely knew early on, okay, we need to eliminate the human error aspect and get this as digital as possible. So, that's where we found the right partner. And it really is, it's, like, a two-minute thing. You stand in front of your phone. It takes photos. The photos aren't even saved anywhere, like; they're AI, like, looks at the photos and then gives us the model. We're not sitting on a bunch of pictures of people in their base layers and underwear or anything like that. It's like, all of this is just kind of like, we have your 3D model, and now we can build the product, and we can even do digital test fits on that person, your actual body, before it even gets made, and stuff. So, we have systems for redundancy and everything that we can test everything. And that's just the beauty of, like, the modern technology that exists. Like, we didn't build that either, but we are using the heck out of it to make sure that we can make the best product for people. VICTORIA: That's really cool. I love that. So, you've maybe answered this question already a little bit, but was there anything else in your product discovery process, and especially as you shifted into marketing directly to businesses, anything that was in your discovery process that surprised you and had you pivot in your strategy? DUSTIN: You know, you start with your own experience, right? So, we are sitting in our meetings, and it's like, oh man, here's all the products we want to make. And we're like, we've got this list of 40 things that we want. Oh, I need soft-shell pants. And we started in hard shell for our own brand. So, then it's like, "I live in the Wasatch. I don't wear hard shell, like, while I'm ski touring, at least. Like, I need soft shell." And then it's like, okay, well, let's start working on soft shell stuff. Then it's like, okay, we also need mid-layers, and we need base layers. And then we need mountain bike, and we need trail run, and we need climbing, and we need hiking. And it's like, oh man, you know what would be easier? If we just worked with, like, one of the or all of the big brands in this space. And there's some really great examples of, like, smaller companies that have created really compelling systems to work with these brands, like the same group that does the secondary market stuff, so the Worn Wear program for Patagonia and the ReGear thing for Arc'teryx. And they built that same structure for, like, two dozen different brands. And it's like, man, that is the model for us. That's where we can really connect is they've created so much value in the secondary market, and we've created a bunch of value in this custom and made-to-measure market. That's what we want to do. And we want motocross...like, the MADE brand isn't going to make motocross stuff. The MADE brand isn't going to make fly fishing necessarily. But we want these markets and these people to be able to have that solution. And we also, like, we're early in the space. Like, we want them to use us rather than, like, take the time and money and everything to build it themselves. Like, come to us, like, that's our whole idea. We want to have that bigger, larger impact. So, I guess it's us just trying to say like, "What do we want?" And we're users. We know the market. How do we get there the fastest? And how do we have that impact quicker than just necessarily, like, okay, well, in 25 years, we'll have all those products that we want? VICTORIA: Yeah, yeah, I could see that, how it went from, well, yeah, I would want this for every product, and then you're like, well, I can't build every product [laughs]. So, I like that pivot in your strategy. And what challenges do you see in being able to make that impact as quickly as you want? DUSTIN: One of our biggest challenges right now, I think, is that this is a totally new idea in this space. Nobody's done this in this space. Like, in suiting, custom suits have been a thing for a long time, and it used to just be for rich people. And now because of, like, modern technology and stuff, it's become more approachable. Awesome. That's great. And so, like, in that kind of category, people are more used to the idea of, like, yeah, I place an order, and it takes time, and they make a thing, and then it comes to me. Whereas with outdoor apparel and sports apparel and that sort of stuff, you go to your local shop. You try on six different things, and you walk out with the one that meets your needs the best. That's what people are used to. So, it's a little bit of a shift in the thought process. You know, we've had our early adopters, and now we're kind of moving into more people who are like, "Okay, I get it now." And so, we're seeing more of that where it's like, yes, if I give some time, then I really see the value of having something that fits me perfectly. And in the MADE Outdoor brand, it's not an inexpensive product. We make a really premium hard shell product. Now, it's comparable in price to the other brands that make comparably featured and whatever product, but still, you're spending money, and you want something that's going to last for a while. And so, to have that perfect fit, to have that perfect feature set, to know that when I ski, I totally need a left chest pocket, and I don't need a right chest pocket, whatever it might be, like, your details, that matters, right? So, that's probably our biggest challenge right now. That's not an unsolvable problem. We can manage that. We can get the communication out. And especially as we're onboarding these existing brands, that gives us the opportunity to have a much larger mouthpiece and be able to kind of say like, "Hey, this exists, and you should care." Yes, it's going to be amazing for individuals who have traditionally been off-size. But it's also amazing for you people who think you've always been just, "Yeah, I'm a medium, and everything fits me just fine." You'd be surprised. Like, having something that fits you perfectly is a different world, and the ability to then move in that sport and, like, be able to do your thing, it's like, oh yeah, I guess that, like, extra fabric in my shoulders was kind of, like, limiting my movement while ice climbing or, you know, oh yeah, my sleeves were always coming up while I was climbing, or whatever it might be. Like, there's things that I think people will really kind of be psyched about when they start to experience that custom aspect of it. VICTORIA: Yeah. I can speak to some of that, too, as, like, a climber. And you mentioned it even when you talked earlier about, well, if you're bouldering at the gym, that's a totally different experience than if you're out all day on a multi-pitch, and you're on the wall, and you're, you know, you're vertical for, like, six hours of the day [laughs]. And I think it's really interesting to be able to provide that customization. And how are you defining success for the company? So, you just made this pivot about six months ago. Did you immediately create some goals that you wanted to achieve in three months, six months, or five years? DUSTIN: Yeah, I mean, we have our, like, target, our sales targets and stuff that we are looking at as far as we want these many brands on board this year. And we want to bring on like, you know, as I step back a little bit, as, like, the bigger thoughts behind the company, that's more of, like, where we're trying to target multiple different categories at the same time. So, like, if we can get one big outdoor brand, great, that's what we want to do. Now, we want all the outdoor brands. We totally want them all. But if we can just get one, then we're going to have a start of an impact in the outdoor sector. Then we want the motocross brand, and we want to be able to make the impact in that sector. And we want the fly fishing brand, and we want the yoga brand, and we want the traditional, like, team sports brands and those types of things. Like, we want to kind of, like, spread and have an impact across categories and as kind of a first attack. And then to really kind of go from there and say like, "Okay, now let's build out, like, oh, fly fishing really is connecting with this, or the yoga community is loving the, like, idea of a really custom fit product." So, like, those types of things are where we can kind of go from there. But as we begin, it's really like, can we make an impact across these different categories? And those are a lot of our goals as we start out. It's like, how can we connect with surf? How can we connect with hike? How can we, you know, like, and it's just looking at each of these little categories because we know there's people being stuck that can't get out in each of those things, and we know we can help. But we're not going to design the product personally. So, how can we make that impact with the right partners? VICTORIA: Oh, that's great. And I'm even thinking about surfing and getting a wetsuit. And there's just so few women wetsuits, period, in the store. And it's very limited in range and can be really challenging. And I took a friend surfing last year and did not enjoy that process. She did not like it [laughter]. She liked the surfing part, but the getting the wetsuit on and trying them on was not great [laughs]. DUSTIN: I can only imagine, yeah. And there's some really cool, like, in surf, there are some great small brands, like, new brands that are doing custom fit. I don't know their systems. I don't know if it's an automated process or if it's a manual process, but the reality is it's not readily available enough to the general public. And that's where it's like, oh man, our system makes it readily available. And so, then it's like a simple kind of like, okay, I go online. I fill in this information. I decide, do I want a hood on my wetsuit? Do I not want a hood? Do I want this kind of entry? Do I want...Like, you decide the details that you want, and then the product is made for you. That's the beauty of it, right? VICTORIA: Yeah. And I'm curious to kind of get back to marketing to existing businesses because you not only have to sell them on this is the art of the possible. Here's, like, what you could do to get the same performance with these custom measurements of your existing high-performing apparel. But you also have to encounter this change management process where they have a way of doing things. You'd be a new product. They'd have to figure out how to change up all their operations. So, I'm curious: what's your strategy for getting involved in that and working through it? DUSTIN: Oh man, some of these companies are giant ships with tiny rudders, right? So, to get them to shift any direction or the other is tricky. A lot of our current sales pipeline is more medium-sized brands that have a little bit more of a nimble; yeah, we can jump on this. But one advantage we have is that some of these categories do have some custom programs, like I mentioned, the custom wetsuit stuff, like, that is in the market. So, like, wetsuit companies are aware that this needs to exist. Fly fishing waders: there are some custom fly fishing waders, now, not necessarily made-to-measure, but you don't make them in a 4XL or something. You could order a 4XL from a certain company. So, like, there are systems like that. So, they've actually already kind of figured out the manufacturing side, which is one of the challenges of it that we can help the brands figure out those details because we've done it, and we know how to, like, take advantage of the efficiencies that they have in place with their current supply chain, or they can use our supply chain that we've built out. So, it depends. But that is one of the challenges is to get them to just kind of commit to say like, "Yes, this is worth putting in the time." So, we do have...actually, the secondary market company I mentioned earlier, the way that they do it is it's, like, a separate site. And so, it's not run through their existing site. And so, they get around some of the ways of not necessarily having to be tied directly into a lot of their internal systems, and it's run as, like, a secondary system. Like, there are guitar manufacturers that make custom that they don't even produce them. They basically license out their shapes and stuff to custom builders. So, we're trying to take a lot of the learnings from these other categories that do something kind of similar to what we're doing and learn from them and say like, "Okay, that's one approach we could take, or that's an approach we could take." And then, really, we're going to the sales conversations with those brands and saying, "What do you need? Because we can be flexible." We're the opposite of the giant ship with a tiny rudder. We're that tiny, little motorboat that can, you know, like, spin circles and stuff. Like, we can do whatever is really needed at this point for these brands to be able to tie into them. So, we are flexible, and we try to learn as much from them as possible to be able to build the right solution. VICTORIA: Yeah, I think that is the draw of you get your foot in the door with the middle businesses, and you can prove out that it works, and then maybe eventually the bigger brands start to take notice and pick it up as well. But it is going to take time. That's really cool. I think it provides that, you know, for those mid-size businesses, it gives them an advantage that a larger enterprise wouldn't be able to offer. DUSTIN: Yeah, no, I think, at first, especially, like, the idea to be kind of first to market-ish with something totally new and exciting and to create that brand value with their customer in a way that they haven't been able to before. VICTORIA: Right. And you mentioned fly fishing a few times, and I feel like it's one of those sports that I've done it when I was, like, really small, like, maybe with my grandfather, like, fishing in the river. And as I get older, I'm like, it does sound nice. DUSTIN: Right? [laughs] VICTORIA: Like, sitting alone in, like, a beautiful place. Like, maybe you get a fish, maybe you don't. I think I like the idea of it more than the reality of it, but will try it out some...I have enough other sports [inaudible 33:02]. DUSTIN: I think you'd be psyched if you gave it a shot. Like, fly fishing is something that, like, if you like being outside, it's something else. There's a beauty to it, for sure. And there's a beauty to all of these sports. And, honestly, if people are being active, whatever it is that you're doing, good for you. And that's part of it is, like, we are trying to be as sport agnostic as we can in all of this because, yeah, we don't care if you are a diehard snowmobiler, right? Amazing. Great. Let's get you some product that fits so you can get out and do your diehard thing. Or, you know, maybe you're a mountain biker or a road cyclist, or, like, you know, there's so many things that we wear clothing that we hope allows us to perform in that sport, and yet so much of it is holding us back, even maybe to a degree that we don't even know. Professional athletes and stuff, much of their product is made-to-measure. Olympic speed skaters, like, it's not like they had to just choose a medium or a large type of product. Like, it's made to fit their body so that they can perform at their pinnacle level. That's awesome. Where that stops is in the, like, general consumer, and, like, I want to get out and do my sport. It's not about being the best at this thing. It's just about being my best at this thing and having the most fun that I want to have in it. The fit and the details of your product matter just as much as it does for the Olympian as far as I'm concerned. VICTORIA: Absolutely. And it reminds me of a story that happened to me. I was climbing in this very popular pant that is known as their climbing pant from this particular brand. And it was maybe the fifth time I'd worn these pants and just ripped the inseam while climbing. DUSTIN: [laughs] VICTORIA: You know, lucky it wasn't that cold that day or anything, but it's just [inaudible 34:50] DUSTIN: Your belayer got a kick out of it, I'm sure. VICTORIA: Yeah, there was a layer to this, right? Yeah. DUSTIN: [laughs] VICTORIA: And I've heard that happens to lots of climbers who wear those same pants. Like, they're known for that because it's really hard to get that measurement right, especially with that kind of material, which was great. It's like this material that was supposed to not rip, right? [laughter] [inaudible 35:09] what is this? Yeah. Maybe I do want to go outside, and I want to go fly fishing, or I want to go skiing or snowboarding, but, oh, they don't even have pants in my size. Like, I'm not even going to try. And that's really demoralizing. So, I think it's great to be working on that problem. Oh, wonderful. Thank you so much for joining. Is there anything else that you would like to promote today? DUSTIN: No, I mean, I think I love having these conversations, and chatting with you has been so great. It's fun to talk about what we're working on and to, you know, get the word out a bit more. There's not really other things to promote other than, like, you know, if you're a smaller or medium-sized or a large apparel brand hearing this, like, please reach out to me. I want to talk to you. We've built a system that really can help both the brand and the customer. It helps the brand with revenue and with margins and reduced waste and all of these things, but it also just helps the customer have a better product and a better experience. And ultimately, that's, in theory, what we are trying to do when we make product. So yeah, that's my focus, and that's what I want to talk to everybody I can about right now. VICTORIA: I love that. Thank you so much for sharing your story and for coming on the show today. You can subscribe to the show and find notes along with a complete transcript for this episode at giantrobots.fm. If you have questions or comments, email us at hosts@giantrobots.fm. And you can find me on Twitter @victori_ousg. This podcast is brought to you by thoughtbot and produced and edited by Mandy Moore. Thanks for listening. See you next time. AD: Did you know thoughtbot has a referral program? If you introduce us to someone looking for a design or development partner, we will compensate you if they decide to work with us. More info on our website at: tbot.io/referral. Or you can email us at referrals@thoughtbot.com with any questions.

The Business of Apparel Podcast Series: All About Sourcing In this episode of the Business of Apparel Series, Rachel pulls back the curtain on apparel sourcing. This episode packs a punch with firsthand experiences and expert insights on navigating the complex web of manufacturer partnerships, cost negotiations, and the crucial dance with minimum order quantities (MOQs). Whether it's weighing the pros and cons of local versus overseas production or the art of funding those first crucial purchase orders, this conversation is a goldmine for anyone ready to take their apparel business from concept to closet. Embark on a journey of financial savvy and strategic sourcing as we tackle the challenges of funding a startup and the allure of low MOQs.. Discover how side hustles can be more than just income diversifiers—they can be the lifeline for your brand's inception and growth. We're not just sharing experiences here; we're equipping you with actionable strategies and highlighting invaluable resources to ensure you can forge ahead with confidence in your manufacturing choices and sustainable practices.  To wrap up, we delve into the ethical and practical facets of manufacturing that can define or derail your brand's legacy. Learn how to establish a robust relationship with your factory, ensure your products are ethically sourced, and maintain that crucial balance between cost and quality.    In this episode, you'll hear: -Unmarked Street's role in sourcing for your company. -The importance of understanding Minimum Order Quantities (MOQs). -Where is your funding coming from? -Ethics in factories and cleanliness should be top priority.   We can't wait to hear what you think of this episode! Like, comment & subscribe to my channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@unmarkedstreet/videos Learn more at https://www.thebusinessofapparel.com --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Connect with us: https://www.linkedin.com/company/unmarked-street/ https://www.instagram.com/unmarkedstreet/ https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100076027998346 https://twitter.com/UnmarkedStreet https://www.pinterest.com/unmarkedstreet/

Jaye Genung comes from an eclectic career history that includes project management, product development, procurement and account management. Her employment history includes medical devices, b2b electro-mechanical and cpg companies. This mosaic of experience set the stage for her to be able to start out with her own founder's story.In This Conversation We Discuss:[00:48] Intro[02:26] Seizing the opportunity to start a business[04:10] Considering the working class in product designs[04:52] Researching the supply chain with trusted network[06:25] Negotiating for MOQs & prioritizing customer needs[07:50] Having someone that pushes you and believes in you[08:26] Talking to people means building a relationship[09:48] Doing your research and creating a strategy[10:33] Offering something new & investing on ads [11:26] Gaining traction quickly after the first 100 orders[12:02] Investing in ads for customer acquisition[12:47] From a side hustle to working full time[13:44] Seeing the business grow over the years [14:46] Pushing through amid doubts & mental blocks[15:15] What CEOs need to learn and accept[16:09] Success is not just one thing[17:03] Finding out what you're good and not good at [17:43] Be honest and reach out to your network[18:35] having the best product is not enough[19:17] Finding balance in every tenet of your business[20:14] Where to get high-quality heated apparelResources:Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube100% female owned heated apparel company gobiheat.com/Follow Gobi Heat on LinkedIn linkedin.com/company/gobi-heat/If you're enjoying the show, we'd love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

Curiosity is a super power and it's what drives everything we are doing here at Did I tell you... Lost ball marker, great podcast. Albi loses his prized ball marker earlier in the day but ends the day with three new buddies that solve his ball marker woes once and for all.   Albi and Panda catch-up with the founders of the hottest new golf gift launching this holiday season... Marker Locker. They share how through their own creative inspiration, they were able to develop the concept, design, refine, and launch all within less than a 12 month period.  It's not only a remarkable story, it's also inspiring to anyone who is driven to create. 3 new spirit animals join the shed:Honey Badger, Kangeroo #2, GOAT (KID) DITYAMA also launches the first of many contests... this one is for the hard to get Marker Lockers!  We are giving away 6 of these initially. Listen to the podcast for the secret word provided during the podcast for an easy way to multiply your chances to win. https://gleam.io/e90QE/dityamafm-giveawayAlbi learns the hard way that these guys are damn good putters, good sticks over all, and also learns more importantly...  great dudes who share the passion for golf. This episode has a little bit for everyone: 00:00:29 "People call me Albi"00:07:23 Lost ball marker, great podcast.The timestamp in the podcast where it starts to say "Creating a unique golf accessory" is 00:13:22. Creating a unique golf accessory.00:15:48 Ball markers as collectible items.00:23:55. Think outside the box.00:24:12 The podcast discusses a golf challenge.00:29:48. Can a human swallow a golf ball 00:37:12 Reverse sandbaggers are controversial.00:39:19 Importance of honesty in golf.00:50:07 Predicting animal battles is entertaining.01:00:05 Albi Brain /  random questions.01:05:10 Life is full of unexpected moments.01:09:12 Golf cart etiquette is important.01:18:26 John Daly 01:24:08 Swing aids require active use.

Sourcing and Manufacturing Options Outside of China - With Mike Michelini Introduction In this episode of Seller Sessions, host Danny McMillan interviews Mike Michelini, an expert on sourcing and manufacturing in Asia, specifically Thailand. They discuss the pros and cons of manufacturing in Thailand compared to China. Key Takeaways Thailand is known for handmade, natural products vs China's expertise in electronics and injection molded plastics Northern Thailand specializes in wood, handmade goods, natural products. South Thailand near Bangkok has more traditional factories. Response times are slower in Thailand - you have to follow up more but once engaged, they commit Use Facebook and Line app to source suppliers in Thailand Higher minimum order quantities (MOQs) in Thailand - educate on holding inventory Packaging options less abundant than China - focus on great branding Overall quality has been higher for Mike in Thailand vs China Comparisons of Manufacturing in China vs Thailand China is the "world's factory" - expertise in electronics, injection molded plastics Thailand better for handmade, natural products - wood, dried flowers, clothes Northern Thailand known for wood, handmade goods, natural products Southern Thailand near Bangkok has more traditional factories with port access Response times slower in Thailand - have to follow up more aggressively Once engaged, Thai suppliers very committed Source Thai suppliers via Facebook and Line app vs Alibaba Higher minimum order quantities (MOQs) - educate to hold inventory Packaging options less abundant than China - focus on great branding Quality has been higher in Mike's experience with Thailand vs China Sourcing Suppliers in Thailand No Alibaba-like platform - use Facebook and Line app Search Facebook in Thai for suppliers and products Engage via Facebook Messenger then move to Line app Get friendly with emojis and build relationship Recap terms in a quotation for clarity Prepare to educate on holding inventory for lower MOQs Packaging options less abundant - develop great custom branding Overall quality has been higher than China factories Tips for Manufacturing Outside China Expect higher minimum order quantities (MOQs) and educate to hold inventory Develop great custom branding and packaging to stand out Build relationship with factory through messaging apps Don't assume same level of urgency - follow up aggressively Confirm terms: pricing, MOQs, delivery timelines, inspection process Leverage inspection companies expanding across Asia With lower volumes, consider negotiating payment terms favorable to you Be prepared to educate on your needs like lower MOQs Mike's Joint Venture Brand in Thailand Mike partnered with long-time plastic manufacturer in Thailand Started joint venture company and private label brand together Mike has 30% equity stake, manufacturer holds 70% Manufacturer finances inventory for launch around $150k Mike's company makes payments over time to pay back capital Cross Border Summit in Thailand Mike's signature event connecting Amazon sellers and experts Started in China alongside Canton Fair schedule Moved to Thailand and postpones 2 years for border reopening Occurs annually in March/April timeframe Valuable for networking and meeting suppliers 2023 summit scheduled for March 30-31 near Chiang Mai Check CrossBorderSummit.com for details Conclusion Thailand offers a compelling option for sourcing quality products outside China. With the right expectations and preparation, you can find great partner factories to produce your products. The Cross Border Summit provides an opportunity to network and meet potential suppliers in Thailand. Keywords: Thailand manufacturing, China manufacturing, sourcing outside China, finding suppliers in Thailand, Cross Border Summit

Michael Hodgen is a visionary entrepreneur and the dynamic CEO of Freedom Rave Wear, a trailblazing company that designs and manufactures cutting-edge, sustainable festival clothing. Under Michael's leadership, Freedom Rave Wear has become a frontrunner in the festival fashion industry, known for its innovative designs, eco-friendly practices, and commitment to the community. Driven by a strong belief in sustainability and manufacturing, Michael has integrated environmentally friendly materials and processes into the company's operations. With his finger on the pulse of the latest Ecommerce trends, Michael has skillfully navigated the ever-evolving online marketplace, ensuring Freedom Rave Wear continues to thrive and expand. In This Conversation We Discuss: [00:00] Intro[01:00] What is Freedom Rave Wear?[03:17] Validating the idea for FRW[04:46] Starting to grow the brand organically[05:53] How FRW became an online business[08:46] Evolving the manufacturing capacity[10:55] Why FRW choose to manufacture in-house[13:16] Production based on what the customer really wants[14:54] Minimums can be a limiting factor for your business[15:38] Apparel brands don't have to manufacture in-house[16:46] Sponsor: Electric Eye https://electriceye.io/connect[17:44] Sponsor: Shopify https://shopify.com/honest[19:26] Sponsor: Sendlane https://sendlane.com/honest[20:52] Cashflow advantages of not having deadstock[22:15] COVID was especially challenging for FRW[22:39] Pivoting to Fabric Punch[23:32] The advantages of having a micro factory[24:18] Having a close feedback loop with customers[25:40] Scaling up from “festival” customer acquisition[26:51] The innate synergy in FRW's niche[27:57] When you should consider paid ads[28:42] How FRW does their paid ads[29:51] Where to support FRWResources:Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on YoutubeBody positive, eco-friendly, & affordable reedomravewear.comFollow Michael linkedin.com/in/michaelhodgenSchedule an intro call with one of our experts electriceye.io/connectTake your retail business to the next level today shopify.com/honestSign up for a one-dollar-per-month trial periodSchedule your free consultation with a Sendlane expert sendlane.com/honestIf you're enjoying the show, we'd love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

Beverage can painting has been around since the 1930s but due to the intensive offset lithography process, a common method for printing on aluminium packaging, microbrewers have had to sell massive quantities of cans to justify the cost.Historically, the process has involved prepress preparation of the artwork, followed by the creation of separate printing plates for each colour used in the design.  Ink is applied to the plates, transferred to rubber blanket cylinders, and then onto the aluminium cans as they pass through the printing press.  Each colour is applied in separate passes, and quality control measures ensure the final product meets standards.  After printing, the ink is dried and cured to prevent smudging.But what if there was a way for breweries to utilise the entire can for their artwork without the massive cost or minimum order quantities?  Recently, Oasthouse Engineering - a manufacturer and supplier of cans and machinery in Rotherham, UK, invested in a state-of-the-art digital printer that allows breweries of all shapes and sizes to print their artwork directly onto cans, changing the way that brewers present their beers.As a design and marketing agency, we're heavily invested in making sure our client's beers are presented in the best possible light.  Therefore, we partnered with Oasthouse Engineering for this special episode of the Hop Forward Podcast to discuss all things digital print and cans, before taking a look at the machine and having a few Greg Wallace moments along the way.Many of the leading craft brewers in the UK have already started using Oasthouse Engineering to print their cans, so we ask Sam Morris of the business to talk us through the process and discuss any requirements your own designers may need to be aware of when it comes to setting up designs for print.Moreso, Sam is passionate about sustainability and discusses how on-can digital printing is also beneficial to the recycling chain.To find out more visit https://oasthouse-engineering.com/digitally-printed-cans and visit the Hop Forward Instagram account to see the machine in action.THIS WEEK'S EPISODE IS SPONSORED BY OASTHOUSE ENGINEERINGThis week's episode of the Hop Forward Podcast is brought to you by Oasthouse Engineering.  For over 20 years Oasthouse Engineering has been servicing the food, beverage and drinks dispensing industries. They have worked to secure partnerships with some of the best manufacturers of packaging equipment, as well as significantly investing in their own originally engineered machinery. Whether it be bright, labelled, sleeved or digitally printed cans, Oasthouse Engineering has you covered with low MOQs, excellent customer service and high-quality print and package.Visit oasthouse-engineering.com for more info.Stay tuned to hear more about their state of the art digital printing as we hop into this week's episode of the Hop Forward Podcast.

Evelio discusses the challenges and considerations involved in transitioning to sustainable packaging. He emphasizes the importance of understanding what sustainability means to your brand and aligning your packaging choices with your company's environmental goals. While consumers may demand sustainable packaging, they often lack knowledge about recycling and other sustainable practices. Valley Monster advises brands to educate consumers and make it as easy as possible for them to recycle or dispose of packaging. He also highlights the need to assess the availability of sustainable packaging options, comply with regulatory requirements, and have the internal resources or access to third-party expertise to implement sustainable packaging effectively. Connect with Evelio Mattos on LinkedIn Key Takeaways: Define what sustainability means to your brand and identify your company's environmental goals. Educate consumers about sustainable packaging and make recycling as simple as possible for them. Consider the availability of sustainable packaging options that meet your brand's needs and quantities. Understand the regulatory environment and ensure your packaging materials comply with relevant laws. Assess your internal resources or seek third-party expertise to evaluate and select sustainable packaging materials. Quotes: "Consumers are demanding sustainable packaging, but they often don't even know what sustainability means."  "You have to make it as simple as possible for that consumer to take it, bin it, forget it." "Not every material is available at scale, and not every material has the MOQs that will help you if you're a startup." "You have to be able to look at the data and make a decision. Are you going to be more sustainable with choosing A or with B?" "There are challenges with every decision you make. There are trade-offs." --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/packagingunboxd/message

In today's FittBite, we're diving into a secret trick for slashing your Minimum Order Quantity (MOQ)—covering setup costs. Discover how by taking care of additional costs like 'dye fees' for fabric suppliers, you can unlock lower MOQs and control your overall order value. This smart negotiation tactic is a must-watch for anyone looking to optimize their purchasing strategy!Let us help you design, prototype, manufacture and sell an apparel brand that is worthy of your unique vision: https://fittdesign.com/full-service-production?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=description&utm_campaign=FittBiteSlashYourMOQ:ThePowerofCoveringSetupCostsBook a 1 on 1 with our host, Shadi for personalized advice on how to create and grow your fashion business: https://www.fittdesign.com/services/consultation Design your own collection with our instantly downloadable factory ready tech pack templates: FittDesign Tech Pack Templates Follow our host on instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shadiadada/ https://www.instagram.com/fittdesign/ Got any other questions, email us for an instant response at: studio@fittdesign.com Subscribe to our weekly fashion design podcast (New episodes every Thursday at 4pm CST): https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-fittdesign-podcast/id1454410683 Visit our website:https://www.fittdesign.com/ Follow us on:https://www.linkedin.com/company/fittdesign/ https://www.facebook.com/fittdesign https://www.pinterest.com/fittdesign/ https://www.behance....

At Pacific Packaging Components, we recently had the pleasure of hosting Chelsey Crofts, one of our exceptional employees, as a guest speaker on the topic of secondary packaging. Known for her unwavering passion and enthusiasm, Chelsey's expertise in this field makes her the perfect candidate to lead this discussion. Secondary packaging plays a crucial role in enhancing the overall appeal and functionality of products. With Chelsey's extensive knowledge, her insights into the latest trends and innovations were unparalleled. Her genuine excitement and dedication to the subject were evident throughout the episode, making it a truly captivating experience for our audience.On this episode, we'll talk about:Which projects did she enjoy working on the most or learn the most from?When a beauty brand approaches her with a project, how does she begin the creative process? How does she set the project up for success from the start?What are some common mistakes that brands make when they think about or consider secondary packaging?where does want brands to be at their minimum order quantities (MOQs) when they're thinking about entering secondary packaging?The difference between manufacturing domestically and overseas and when brands should choose each option.Sustainability and packaging in the beauty industry have long been discussed. How can brands make their secondary packaging more attractive? Should they focus on sustainability or eco-friendliness?What does she think is the best option to combine with secondary packaging? Should it be glass dropper pipettes or tubes? Which ones would she recommend brands to consider?What are the common parts of holiday kits, ambassador kits, and retail displays, and how are they different from standard units, cartons, or shippers?Smart packaging, such as a QR code, has been around for a while. Are there other advancements in decorating or designing secondary packaging to encourage customer interaction?Chelsey Crofts is the Senior Project Manager at Pacific Packaging Components, Inc. She is an outgoing person who loves to interact with others. She has a strong background in customer service, procurement, and supply chain management. She pride herself on her ability to build and maintain strong relationships with my customers, coworkers, and vendors. She is a very passionate person and She put her heart and soul into everything she do.For more information and to explore other episodes, go to www.ppcpackaging.com/the-packaging-brothersFollow PPCPackaging on social media!  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/pacific-packaging-components-inc-/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PPCPackaging/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ppcpackaging/?hl=en Website: http://www.ppcpackaging.com/Find out more about Chelsey and connect with her on LinkedIn.Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/chelseycrofts/The views and opinions expressed on the "Packaging Brothers" podcast are solely those of the author and guests and should not be attributed to any other individual or entity. This podcast is an independent production of Packaging Brothers, and the podcast production is an original work of the author. All rights of ownership and reproduction are retained—copyright 2023.

There are many factors that impact apparel manufacturing, from proximity and type of raw materials to factory size and the skill level of the work force. Stars Design Group CEO, Bret Schnitker, has spent decades in the fashion industry and has first hand experience working with garment factories all over the globe.  In this episode, Schnitker sits down with Chief Strategy Officer, Emily Lane, to discuss apparel production MOQs for the world's top manufacturing countries.  To access the materials mentioned in the episode click here.

Building a beverage brand is one of the toughest categories in CPG. The order MOQs are high, competition is fierce, and the heavy product makes DTC challenging. So how do you succeed? I invited Noah Wunsch, founder of Ruby Sparkling Hibiscus to share how he approaches building the brand, which involves an extensive field marketing plan executing 15-30 demos across the country each week. These in person events are an integral part of the brand's research, development, and evolution.Listen in to learn Noah's formula to building a great ground game and getting liquid to lips.Startup to Scale is a podcast by Foodbevy, an online community to connect emerging food, beverage, and CPG founders to great resources and partners to grow their business. Visit us at Foodbevy.com to learn about becoming a member or an industry partner today.

Starting a beverage company is one of the toughest categories to launch in. MOQs are much higher, cash requirements are high, shipping costs are expensive due to weight, ingredient lead times are long, and so much more. At the same time, consumers are drinking more RTD beverages than ever and there are a ton of leading trend indicators that show opportunities in the marketing.Join me for a conversation with Brian Post and Greg Kaminski of G&B Filling Station, a beverage launchpad on opportunities and watch outs for emerging brands. They combine formulation, sourcing, co-manufacturing, and storage in house.Startup to Scale is a podcast by Foodbevy, an online community to connect emerging food, beverage, and CPG founders to great resources and partners to grow their business. Visit us at Foodbevy.com to learn about becoming a member or an industry partner today.

Drishti and Christopher Kanten are the founders of Kanten Solutions Co., which is a startup scientific consultation company equipped with a research & development laboratory. They are committed to helping people transform their ideas into actual products. They provide services in the fields of chemistry and biological sciences namely, chemical & cosmetic formulations, sample production, custom testing for efficacy & shelf life, scientific advising for industries & universities, contract manufacturing for small & large MOQs, and assistance with data analysis and statistics. In this episode, Foo and The Kantens talk about their journey as academics to a couple that is determined to deliver evidence-based scientific information for product formulations or prototype development. Tune in to learn more about the value of the schooling process, and how you can rise from the challenges in your industry.Tune in to learn more!Connect:Strategic Advisor Board: www.linkedin.com/company/strategic-advisor-board/James Foo Torres: www.instagram.com/jameslfoo/www.linkedin.com/in/jameslfooWebsite: ImperiumAuthority.com/Christopher Kanten LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/christopher-kantenDrishti Kanten LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/drishti-kantenWebsite: www.kantensolutions.comInstagram: www.instagram.com/pointofview24

Gym Bod's target market for their high protein, low sugar, ice cream is anyone in activewear who has a sweet tooth!I spoke to Cian Dawson, one half of Gym Bod, who co-founded the brand with partner, Courtney Brown, about selling through a major supermarket chain and gaining market share in a competitive category. Gym Bod has been developed for the mass market, but it wasn't initially conceived that way. When playing in the highly competitive frozen dessert category, and striving to be profitable, some days (okay… many) can be painstakingly difficult.Listen to my chat with Cian and hear her spill the beans of what it's really like behind the scenes keeping one's head above water playing the long game.You'll learn:Price penetration strategy: what it is and what you need to know so you take market share;How to analyse the market so you learn who is really buying your product and market hard specifically to them;What to do when a retail partner wants you to develop a product and how to deliver it on time;How to work with a co-manufacturer and manage their MOQs; andHow Cian and Courtney align the ‘stars' of production, ingredient delivery and sales demand, even when holding down ‘day jobs'.LINKS & RESOURCESGymbod websiteGym Bod InstagramMuscle NationDenadaMasterclass and Scaling WorkbookWaitlist for Foodpreneurs Formula®If you haven't listened to episode 26 (46.33 mins), Straight talk from a speciality retail buyer. What to say in your pitch., listen here.And, I invite you to come and join my community of female foodpreneurs, and catch up on the conversations, in Kiosk. For Women in Food and Drink, my free Facebook group.This episode is brought to you by Foodpreneurs Formula®, my business acceleration coaching program for packaged food and drink brand owners ready to scale; and my free on-demand masterclass that gives you the framework to help you navigate your scaling journey.

Starting a business in your apartment or dorm room is something Hollywood makes movies about. For our guest this week, Matthew Valiollahi, that was his reality. In college he noticed there was a need for a southern brand that was elegant and eye catching. While attending undergraduate and law school he had this vision of creating a clothing brand that captured the essence of living in the south. Initially starting out as a T-Shirt company, Southern Marsh has quickly evolved to become a brand widely recognized by all to capture the flair of life in the south. Through trials and tribulations, MOQs and recalls, Southern Marsh has perfected the system of creating new lines in time for each and every season. From the early days of that one store owner who gave them a shot, to having a store of their own, this dream has become a reality. Thank you everyone for your continued support of the show and being with us for 130 episodes so far. We have no intentions of slowing down and are always looking for that next entrepreneur to share their journey thus far. Sponsors: Falaya, Horizon Financial Group, Mallard Bay Outdoors, Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers, Mercedes-Benz of Baton Rouge & Gov't Taco Vodcast Website: www.thepattygshow.com Southern Marsh Website: https://southernmarsh.com/ --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/pattygshow/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/pattygshow/support

For an eCommerce business, inventory is everything. If you don't have enough inventory, you might lose on opportunities. If you have too much, your cash may be locked with the inventory. If you are working with vendors, they will not work with you unless you are willing to work with their preferred minimum order quantity. But those MOQs must make sense for your business as well. In fact, MOQ will drive your sales and product bundling as well as you need to have enough margins and determine the appropriate MOQs that will make sense for your business.In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for a live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss MOQ and how to calculate it. We also discussed the differences in MOQ calculation for B2B vs. B2C, the difference between MOQ and EOQ, and how MOQ calculation is different in the DTC world. Finally, we discussed the correlation of MOQ and lead time, the best practices of MOQ when multiple vendors may exist for the same SKU, and the magic formula for coming up with appropriate MOQs for both buying and selling. For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.

A successful e-commerce strategy requires you to be able to dropship your products. This is especially true for newer brands that might not have access to the capital necessary to set up the distribution and logistics network required to meet customer expectations. Even the existing brands need to have it as part of their strategy for newer products and territories before setting up an expensive distribution network for untested ideas. But finding products for dropshipping is not easy as the dropshipping business model requires you to find the products with appropriate margins. It also requires you to find quality suppliers who are willing to support your order types, MOQs, and customer experience expectations. Finally, it requires you to research the competition and channels to ensure that you are able to compete with bigger brands that might have the economy of scale with their existing fulfillment network. So how do you decide which are the right products for dropshipping? Do you analyze each channel and SKUs and determine if dropshipping might make sense? Do you also need to consider the product weight and size to account for shipping complexities, cross-border challenges, and white-glove services that might need to be included as part of your product bundle? These are the questions you are going to have if you are exploring dropshipping as part of your business strategy.In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for a live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss how to find products for dropshipping. We discussed the criteria for finding the right SKUs for dropshipping and the differences between B2B and B2C dropshipping. Finally, we covered strategies of how to conduct price and supplier research to set up the dropshipping network.For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.

In this episode, I'm so stoked to share with you about my recent trip to a Boston based factory that will give you some serious goals to go local. I'm gonna share how this tour has impacted my approach towards sourcing private label products primarily from China.  The goal of this episode is to challenge your China-first-approach when it comes to PL  and introduce you to a factory that has low MOQs, great pricing, USA based and could potentially be the factory that launches your next PL.  In This Episode: [00:45] Sharing with you my takeaways from my recent Boston based factory tour. [01:07] The goal of this episode [03:15] What this factory can make. [03:30] My top takeaways from this [12:15] How does the lab look?   To get in touch with the factory, ping me at: amazongroupchat.com Links and References: Wizards of Amazon: https://www.wizardsofecom.com/ Wizards of Amazon Courses: https://wizardsofamazon.mykajabi.com/a/27566/x6Kwkz6p Wizards of Amazon Meetup: https://www.meetup.com/South-Florida-FBA/ Wizards of Amazon on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/WizardsofAmazon/ Wizards of Amazon on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wizardsofecom/

This week on the podcast, Jeffrey is welcoming an old friend of his, David Starr! David is a Principal Solutions Architect in the Azure Industry Experiences team at Microsoft where he focuses on helping companies bring their solutions to Azure and the Azure Marketplace, becoming Microsoft partners. David is the founder of ElegantCode.com, has served in numerous leadership roles, and has been an early and consistent advocate for Agile workflow and engineering practices. He is a co-host of his own podcast as well, Azure For Executives.   In this episode, David speaks about better engineering practices, different levels of testing, his favorite tools, and the absolute fundamental engineering practices that developers should be engaging in. He also shares his take on MOQs, shift left testing, pin testing, and more!   Topics of Discussion: [:14] About The Azure DevOps Podcast, Clear Measure, the new podcast Architect Tips, and Jeffrey's offer to speak at virtual user groups. [1:32] About today's episode with David Starr! [2:11] Jeffrey welcomes David Starr to the podcast. [2:32] David shares some of his career highlights and what led him to work at Microsoft. [8:11] What are some of the great engineering practices that are most applicable today? [10:53] David shares some key takeaways around having better agility through better engineering practices. [15:22] A word from Azure DevOps Podcast's sponsor: Clear Measure. [15:54] Fundamental engineering practices that all teams should be engaging in. [18:58] David explains what pin testing is and why it is important. [20:20] David shares his favorite tools in Visual Studio. [21:26] How to know what levels of testing to add to your build when you're getting started. [22:21] David's take on MOQs. [23:35] Talking about different levels of tests. [23:57] Jeffrey and David discuss the Software as a Service (SaaS) transformation of the Azure DevOps team of going from Visual Studio Team Server to Visual Studio Team Services. [24:39] David explains the term ‘shift left' testing. [25:43] Why shift left and not shift right? [28:22] Other engineering practices that David advises developers to go after, after the build and testing. [37:18] Where to learn more about what David is talking about and connect with him online! [38:12] Jeffrey thanks David for joining the podcast.   Mentioned in this Episode: Architect Tips — New video podcast! Azure DevOps Clear Measure (Sponsor) .NET DevOps for Azure: A Developer's Guide to DevOps Architecture the Right Way, by Jeffrey Palermo — Available on Amazon! bit.ly/dotnetdevopsebook — Click here to download the .NET DevOps for Azure ebook! Jeffrey Palermo's Youtube Jeffrey Palermo's Twitter — Follow to stay informed about future events! The Azure DevOps Podcast's Twitter: @AzureDevOpsShow David Starr on Pluralsight The Azure for Executives with David Starr David's Website: ElegantCode.com David's Twitter: @ElegantCoder David on GitHub @DStarr Scrum.org Ken Schwaber 97 Things Every Scrum Practitioner Should Know: Collective Wisdom from the Experts, by Gunther Verheyen Azure DevOps Services   Want to Learn More? Visit AzureDevOps.Show for show notes and additional episodes.

Today I’m chatting with Joline Nehoray, Co-Founder of Beverly Hills Lingerie. Sisters Celine & Joline founded Beverly Hills Lingerie in 2018 with the dreams of growing & maintaining the ever-evolving streetwear lingerie industry. Pioneered by the likes of acclaimed icons Cher & Madonna, lingerie as streetwear was a developing trend in the 1980s. Taking note of the trend which has been fading in & out for decades, Beverly Hills Lingerie is in pursuit of preserving its special charm. “Lingerie as streetwear is a fun & flirty way to toe the risqué & dance around the delicate line of controversial & elegant."In this episode we’re chatting about the key steps to starting a lingerie brand, how guerrilla marketing activations were the foundation of the launch plan and what kind of MOQs you can expect for the lingerie industry. LINKS WE MENTION:Joline's InstagramBeverly Hills Lingerie's InstagramFemale Startup Club's InstagramDoone's InstagramIn partnership with Klaviyo, the best email marketing tool for ecommerce businesses.Listener Research: hello@femalestartupclub.comPromo Code: FSC25

In This Episode... Adrian asks Renaud the questions: "Is Investing In Process Automation In The Factory Worth It?" and "What are the best practices to follow to smoothly transition into more automation?" In China especially, there's a trend to replace staff with equipment, and part of this automation drive comes from the government itself who is steering the manufacturing sector towards higher-tech products. As staff costs rise, the temptation to use equipment and robots due to the seemingly lower cumulative cost over time is understandable, but is process automation truly worth it, and If we do want to implement automation into the factory, what are the best practices to follow to make it a smooth transition? That's what we get into here...   Show Notes 00:00 - Introducing the episode 02:35 - Summarising process automation in the factory - essentially it's the use of equipment and software to replace human labor. This sounds great and can be, but this episode aims to dispel a lot of the fantasy surrounding automation. 05:07 - Is rushing into automation common amongst Chinese manufacturers? - yes, the government and owners are focused on going higher-tech more quickly, but they're walking a tightrope between increasing equipment use and putting too many staff out of work. The usual attitude is that to go up in the value chain processes need to be automated, which is somewhat true, but it's the implementation of automation where things can go wrong if it's rushed into and the pros and cons aren't fully investigated and considered. 07:54 - The benefits & drawbacks of automation in the factory - going through a list, starting with the benefits: Benefits (08:07) Lower costs of equipment in comparison to employing numerous operators over time (labor cost/social insurance/etc) (10:27) Equipment reduces defects over operators (human error) and removes the need for an operator that focuses on rework (11:30) Reducing management overheads and maybe even dispensing with requiring an HR manager to manage multiple staff Drawbacks (12:09) The cost of interest on capital expenditure - quite high in China, around 8-10% (12:35) The costs of specialized staff required to run and maintain the equipment (14:02) Cost of getting the machinery to work properly (setup/time/needing operators to work during this) (15:44) Maintenance - a large driver of costs (parts, downtime, training skilled staff, etc) and really important for highly automated factories (listen to more about preventive maintenance here) (20:36) Automation can reduce a factory's flexibility - manual labor allows a factory to be flexible and provide high mix/low volume work, but automation reduces this flexibility and leans more toward low mix/high volume work. Your higher MOQs may remove the ability to take smaller orders which can return more profit. (22:08) Lead times could be reduced by equipment, but often it's not the case - in theory, automation means more parts can be made more quickly, but often Chinese manufacturers make a lot of inventory and don't take advantage of it and it doesn't improve lead times. 22:57 - Many manufacturers don't take many of the disadvantages into account - this can mean that the cost of equipment VS operators over, say, 10 years works out at more! Pivoting is easier with a human workforce.  24:31 - What are automation best practices followed by the 'best manufacturers?' - Toyota's approach is to automate or remove DDD (dull, dangerous, and dirty) operations without focusing on ROI, as staff safety is more important.  25:59 - The wrong way to implement automation - rushing into heavy automation will cause trouble mainly due to your staff struggling to be skilled and familiar enough to handle the maintenance effectively. This can cause downtime, scrap, and reduced equipment lifetimes so is a serious problem. Before implementing full automation, you should try...  26:32 - Re-engineering human operations - Before implementing automation, the best companies have process engineers check the operations humans are doing and assess how to make those more efficient. So that's re-engineering human operations to reduce 'waste' and increase the seconds per minute that they are physically working on transforming each piece, for example, through improving the layout of and logistics around the production line and providing enhanced training to the operators and their group leader. This can reduce staff numbers and improve efficiency and quality. 28:54 - Semi-automating some of the operations - now you have improved the efficiency of operators you can look into implementing some automation to assist operators to become even more productive, for example, a machine that delivers a part into place for them to transform and then ejects it, reducing their time spent not transforming parts. Again, this should reduce staff numbers and improve efficiency and quality. 31:46 - Some of the problems factories face when rushing into highly technical automation too soon - if a machine goes down it can hold up the whole production until the machine is cleared, for example. But the worst case is that a machine gets broken and can't be used until replacement parts can be obtained. 33:35 - If your supplier informs you that they're implementing automation, how to handle that? - make sure that they're conducting a pilot run that is isolated from the rest of production and they are not recklessly rushing into it. This is a good thing, though, as it shows that they're investing in the company and looking to the future. 34:35 - Renaud's blueprint to implementing automation efficiently - assess whether tools even necessary or is reducing waste in manual operations, for example, a worthy goal? Re-engineer processes with lean manufacturing tools.  The trend is that over time automation will be increasingly required by most manufacturers helpful, so starting with semi-automation to make the operator's routines more efficient starts to train them and the maintenance staff to work with automation and equipment (maybe with one pilot line to start with) now makes sense. As you go along, more and more processes can be automated step-by-step, and this will be accompanied by a reduction in staff required in turn. 37:24 - Automation is NOT just robots - Michel Baudin wrote in this blog post that PLCs (programmable logic controllers) outsell industrial robots by millions to one each year. These units control the equipment and processes and the reality of most manufacturing operations is that robot arms, for example, are not actually what is used to automate processes at all. 39:40 - Wrapping up   Related content... Chinese Manufacturer Selection: Beware of Excessive Automation The Right Way To Approach Production Automation Will You Save Money With Process Automation In Your Factory? Get in touch with us Connect with us on LinkedIn Send us a tweet @sofeast Prefer Facebook? Check us out on FB Contact us via Sofeast's contact page Subscribe to our YouTube channel Subscribe to the podcast  There are more episodes to come, so remember to subscribe! You can do so in your favorite podcast apps here: Apple Podcasts Spotify Stitcher Google Podcasts TuneIn Deezer iHeartRADIO

Ohne Mindestbestellmenge Amazon FBA zu starten ist nicht möglich. In diesem Video geht es um 5 Verhandlungstipps, um die MOQ erfolgreich zu senken und so gering wie möglich zu halten. Weitere exklusive Tipps und Tricks: https://one.amzpro.io/ Bei der Produktion in China verlangt der Hersteller eine sogenannte minimum order quantity für das gewollte Produkt. Die Alibaba MOQ Angaben sind dabei meist eher eine Verhandlungsbasis als ein fester Wert. Mit den folgenden 5 Tipps kommst Du garantiert mit einer geringeren Mindestbestellmenge durch: 1. Mach dich für den Hersteller attraktiv Zeig deinem Hersteller wer Du bist, wie groß Du bist und, dass es sich lohnt mit dir Geschäfte zu machen. Stelle ihm in Aussicht, dass es eine mögliche langfristige Zusammenarbeit geben und es sich dabei nicht um ein einzelnes Geschäft handelt - Natürlich nur, wenn die Zusammenarbeit, die Qualität und die Abwicklung zur vollsten Zufriedenheit ist. 2. Versuche kleine Hersteller zu finden Versuche kleinere Hersteller zu finden, die ein hohes Qualitätsempfinden haben. Mit kleineren Herstellern auf Alibaba verhandeln ist besser möglich als die größeren Factories nach niedrigeren MOQs zu fragen. Die großen Hersteller haben ihre festen MOQs und sind kaum flexibel, da sie meist große Kunden bedienen, die auch in großen Mengen bestellen. Such dir also auf Alibaba Hersteller mit 50-100 Mitarbeitern, mit Alibaba Trade Assurance und Du findest sicher kleinere MOQs. 3. Suche den persönlichen Kontakt mit dem Hersteller Der persönliche Kontakt zum Hersteller macht eine Menge aus. Es verbessert nicht nur euer Arbeitsklima, sondern erleichtert jegliche Verhandlungen um MOQ oder den Preis. Wenn Du nicht nach China reisen kannst, kannst Du den Hersteller am besten zu einem Videocall oder Telefonat einladen. 4. Frage den Hersteller, welche Materialien er auf Lager hat Wenn Du flexibel in deiner Produktion bist, kannst Du die MOQ senken, wenn Du auf bestehende Materialien des Herstellers zurückgreifst. Meist hat der Hersteller aus geplatzten Geschäften das Lager voll mit Ware bzw. Materialien, für die er aktuell keine Verwendung hat. Diese Materialien kannst Du für deine Produktion verwenden. Da für deine Produktion keine Rohmaterialien vom Vorlieferanten bestellt werden müssen, kann dir dein Hersteller deswegen einen geringeren MOQ und sogar einen geringeren Einkaufspreis anbieten. 5. Frage den Hersteller, warum der MOQ so hoch ist Frag deinen Hersteller ganz offen, warum die MOQ so hoch ist. Wenn er zum Beispiel sagt, dass er 1000 Verpackungen von seinem Lieferanten bestellen muss, weil das seine MOQ ist, dann kannst Du folgendes tun: Solltest Du beispielsweise nur 500 Produkte bestellen wollen, bezahle die gesamte Anzahl der Verpackungen - so hat der Hersteller erstmal keinen Verlust. Unterbreite deinem Hersteller das Angebot, dass Du für diese Bestellung 500 Stück nimmst und für die 2. die restlichen 500 bestellen würdest. Für den Hersteller ist das ein attraktives Angebot, da Du ihm ein weiteres Geschäft versicherst. Er wird dir bestimmt beim MOQ entgegen kommen und freut sich auf eine langfristige Zusammenarbeit. Mit diesen 5 Amazon FBA Tipps kannst Du die MOQ deines Herstellers mit Sicherheit weiter runterhandeln.

Brands large and small are all fighting the same battle of customer acquisition. How you reach customers, and how much that effort costs, is in constant flux, which is why Nik Sharma is a big fan of constantly running micro experiments. Nik is the CEO of Sharma Brands, a company that remains one of the best-kept secrets among the DTC community and which helps brands scale into the tens of millions. On this episode of Up Next in Commerce, Nik takes us behind the scenes of what that scaling process looks like, including his strategies around customer acquisition. Nik explains how important constant testing is, and he shares some micro-experiments he recommends running regularly. Plus, he tells us why reading every review and every comment associated with your brand is the best leaping-off point for your creative process. Main Takeaways:Please Rate And Review: Reviews really do matter, and you should look at every single one to have a better understanding of what customers are saying, what they see as the value props and what isn’t working. You can then work backward with that information and create content that matches what your customers want. Mo Money, Same Problems: Regardless of how big a company gets, the main problem any brand faces is that of customer acquisition. Bigger brands can throw more money toward getting their message to customers, but ultimately it’s about getting the right content to the right people.The Mom Test: Your website experience needs to be seamless and frictionless that even the most technically challenged, or busy, can make it through without issue. It also needs to deliver the message that you want to send right up front. No one is going to search for the thing you want them to see, so put it front and center.For an in-depth look at this episode, check out the full transcript below. Quotes have been edited for clarity and length.---Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Respond quickly to changing customer needs with flexible Ecommerce connected to marketing, sales, and service. Deliver intelligent commerce experiences your customers can trust, across every channel. Together, we’re ready for what’s next in commerce. Learn more at salesforce.com/commerce---Transcript:Stephanie:Hey, everyone. Welcome back to Up Next In Commerce. This is your host, Stephanie Postles, co-founder at mission.org. Today, we're hanging out with Nik Sharma, the CEO of Sharma Brands. Nik, welcome to the show.Nik:Thank you for having me. I'm excited to be here.Stephanie:Yeah. Me, too. If we had video on, I would be trying to look at your whiteboard that you had on with probably 1,000 notes on it.Nik:All the secrets. It's got all the secrets.Stephanie:Yeah. What kind of secrets are on that board? I was really trying to zoom in like what's going on back there?Nik:It's got all the goals for the week, starting with nine hours of sleep, all the way to-Stephanie:That's a good goal.Nik:... how we plan to combat Facebook and Apple's big fight that's going to start January 15th.Stephanie:Oh, tell me a little bit about the big fight. I'm obviously not up to date on that. What's going on?Nik:Yeah. So basically in the new iOS update, Apple is going to give pretty much everybody multiple opportunities to block tracking. And so it's really going to hurt attribution for a lot of these ad platforms, especially for small business ad platforms like Facebook ads, Snapchat, et cetera. And so we're basically starting to think through how we combat that going into the new year because a lot of the businesses we work with, they're either brands that are just starting. And obviously, those are small businesses, but there's also some mid-sized businesses doing anywhere from 200 to 800 million in revenue, but they're also going to be just as effective. And so we're trying to think through how we go about combating that going into the New Year, basically making sure that there's not a ton of drop-off as it relates to the client.Stephanie:Yeah, I didn't realize this was happening so soon. I was paying attention a bit to the taking away cookies and tracking and all that kind of stuff. I didn't realize the iOS update was happening January 15th. So what are you guys thinking? What's your strategy? What are you advising your brands to do? I know I just jumped right into it, but this is really interesting.Nik:Yeah. Well, as of right now, it's a little bit up in the air. We have a few ideas going of how to combat it. But to be honest, there's not a ton of information out that we have to work with. We're trying to work with multiple different ad tech partners to understand how they view the impact happening. But at the same time, we're trying to think through how do we basically start creating our first party audience ads much faster than running ads when we need them, so whether that's by creating what I would call a prospecting CRM versus just a customer-centric CRM post-purchase, or trying to think through how do we still drive lower funnel conversion and attribute those sales properly, even though they might not be last click purchases. Yeah, it's a big cluster of unknowns right now.Stephanie:Yeah, that's tricky. I also wonder to what extent will a user maybe turn that feature off and then start to realize maybe how helpful that feature was when it comes to showcasing you the information that you want to see, or maybe ads that actually are helpful because I think right now, a lot of times people are like, "Oh, I want privacy and I want this and I want that"? But if you were to turn off a lot of the features that you're talking about, then you wouldn't really get the customized experience that people will do oftentimes appreciate in Google and other places. They wonder what that would look like.Nik:Yeah. Most of the people I've talked to have basically said a similar thing that they like the personalization and whatnot that comes with it. But there is definitely a pretty big group of people who would rather prefer that they never get targeted with an ad. Unfortunately, that's the threat to a lot of the small business advertisers out there.Stephanie:Yep, interesting. Well, when you guys have a little more insight into that, I'll just bring you back in here, how you guys are approaching it and what happens in January 15th.Nik:Yeah, definitely. Definitely.Stephanie:Cool. Give me a little background on Sharma Brands. I was seeing that you guys work with a lot of brands, some of which we've actually had on the show before, which is really cool to see. We've had [inaudible] and I think I saw two others. But tell me a bit about what is Sharma Brands and what do you guys do for the brands that you work with?Nik:Sharma Brands is like the secret of the internet. We don't really talk about it much publicly. But basically, what we do is we work with brands that are either just launching or have just launched. We either guide them through the launch or we pick them up right after launch. We work with brands that are midsize, brands that are doing really well and ideally want to do better, or we work with brands that are pretty big retail businesses that want to get their ecommerce business set up and on track. And so we come in and handle everything from strategy to execution, to implementation. A lot of it is testing, a lot of it is focused on creative and messaging and offer testing merchandising. We also do everything all the way to producing national TV spots, satellite radio, like basically helping brands venture out from the more traditional just Facebook ads or building a website.Stephanie:Got it. What inspired you to create Sharma Brands? I saw you had a lot of roles. You were the head of D2C for a couple of companies. I think you worked at Hint. Is that what led you to creating Sharma Brands, or tell me a little bit about that journey?Nik:Yeah. I've always had a knack for wanting to work on multiple brands, which is probably why Sharma Brands works. But separate from that, I don't know if we are even the perfect solution. I don't think we aren't because we don't really do everything. But there's not really a proper growth partner for a lot of these brands. There are media agencies, there's media companies, there are creative agencies, there are product development agencies, but there's really not many when it comes to true growth and helping them in things like scaling, going from 1 million to 10 million or 10 million to 60 million. And so we created this little niche where we help brands do just that. We try to stay on for no longer than six months per project. Our goal is to basically get in and do just an insane amount of testing so that by the time we leave, that brand knows exactly what's going to scale and what's not going to scale.Stephanie:Interesting. What kind of testing do you mean? What do you do throughout those six months to figure that out?Nik:It can be anything from copy, creative, landing pages, long form content. When I say creative, there's a whole variety of creative. There's the things like... We might test UGC, we might test influencers, we might test studio stuff, we might test just a whole variety of different types of content. We do the same thing when it comes to page experiences, so whether they're landing pages, whether they're listicles, articles, partnerships with companies like Morning Brew.Nik:And then of course, the last piece of it is the merchandising, so everything from offers and pricing to products, to what gets people in the door, what's the best product to sell them after that. And subsequent to that, how do we optimize for brands that are high consumption? How do we focus on subscription? How do we keep customer lifetime value high? How do we bring back repeat purchase rate without having to spend money to reacquire that customer? The goal is to figure an overwhelming majority of those types of things out so that by the time we're done, there's a very clear playbook that they can operate on for the next few months or a few years.Stephanie:Yep. I'm assuming that when you were working at Hint and other places, you started seeing similar things that were working and weren't working. Can you tell me a bit about what it was like working at those companies, or maybe you started uncovering a few universal truths around D2C?Nik:Yeah, working at Hint was great. It was a lot of fun. We grew really fast, which led us to a lot of challenges that we were able to overcome. But it gave me a lot of insight into the challenges that a lot of the brands face. Obviously, I think customer acquisition is one of the biggest things that brands don't necessarily understand or distribution, which is, I think, one thing we're really good at. But then after that, after you get to a point where you're able to acquire 1,000 customers a day sustainably and at reasonable prices, then how do you take those customers and service them further? How do you come up with products that feed those customers after what they've already bought if it's not a high consumption product? How do you think through unique partnerships that attract eyeballs that then give you the opportunity to sell those customers onto your brand? There's so many things. Basically, it all stems down to distribution. Good brands are really good at product and brand building. But then the idea of then getting that in front of other people is where the tough part comes in.Stephanie:And so how do you approach customer acquisition now, where maybe it was different than prior to 2020 because it feels like there's so many new companies in the space? Maybe not all of which will be here in a couple of years. There's a lot of companies. I think more businesses launched in 2020 than in 2019 and prior years. So how do you approach trying to compete and get the eyeballs and find new customers for your brands in a pretty competitive market right now?Nik:To be honest, we don't really take competitive brands into account. What we try to do is just be really innovative with the way that we message and get in front of people. For example, something as simple as like Judy, which is emergency kit you know, being able to really hone in on understanding whether it be by surveys or by looking at what types of messaging has better click through rates and conversion rates, understanding the types of messaging that people are reacting to, and then going really deep on it, all the way to coming up with funky partnership ideas like putting Poo-Pourri and Judy together because both brands service emergency situations.Stephanie:That's a really good partnership.Nik:Yeah, no, it's great. It's really just about like how do we stay ahead of competition? Most brands today probably run a very similar playbook of like, "Let's create some... text some images, put some ads up and run them to our homepage." We put that on steroids. We're testing maybe 17 different versions of creative or testing 7 different versions of landing pages or homepages or sites that they're leading to along with 37 different audiences that we're going after to understand which type of messaging converts better with which audiences.Stephanie:That's great. So how do you think about creating all those different types of messaging? How do you stay creative? I know when I'm thinking through ad copy, even for our company, once I create one or two or three, then I'm like, "That's all I got. I'm out." How do you guys stay creative and create like, what'd you say, 17 different landing pages? I mean, like a lot.Nik:Well, I have a team that's insanely creative, so that helps.Stephanie:That's helpful.Nik:But outside of that, I think one thing we do, which is honestly something anybody can do, is we try to look at every single review. So if we work with a brand, we try to read every single review and we will literally use a whiteboard and make a tally of the different value props and how many times they're mentioned and then use that to basically work backwards and understand messaging. So things like that to things like looking at comments on ads, to customer service emails and messages, to how are other people tweeting about it, how are other people taking press about a brand and then tweeting about the press or talking about that specific article. So we try to take in a variety of things. And then if all else fails, have a little glass of whiskey and take an approach with some fresh eyes.Stephanie:That's good. When it comes to large brands and small brands, we've been going through some of these challenges, but are the challenges the same for both big and small, or do you see completely different challenges depending on the size of the brand?Nik:I think that a lot of the challenges on the macro side are the same, but on the micro... On the macro side, for example, customer acquisition, right? A company that's doing 800 million versus a company that's just launched, both are going to be focused on how do we acquire customers smarter, better, faster, cheaper with higher lifetime value? But on the micro side, it's a little different because a company that's doing even 50 million in revenue has a lot more awareness to play off of. They have a lot more scale to go leverage things like partnerships with other brands, they have budgets to go to places like The Skimm and Morning Brew and other places like that versus a company that's just starting.Nik:They still have the same problem with customer acquisition, but they need to figure out even if they raised a little bit of money or if they did it, they need to figure out, "Okay, what is the fastest way for us to get 100 customers and then 1,000 customers and then 10,000 customers and then 50,000 customers." And obviously every time you hit that milestone, it gets easier and easier, but it's still the same. That's the challenge of how do you get in front of as many eyeballs as possible and also relevant eyeballs. You don't want to get in front of just eyeballs that are not going to convert for you.Stephanie:Yep. Are there any tools that you use to stay on top of maybe trends or what people are searching for, or even staying on top of like different kinds of audiences to reach and how to reach them in new ways, like new things you're doing maybe this year that you weren't utilizing in the past?Nik:One thing that we have started doing a lot more this year versus years in the past is really not taking creative too seriously. So, for example, like running memes as ads insanely outperforms things like really beautiful $30,000 photo shoots, or the way like... Do you use TikTok?Stephanie:Yes, I do. I love TikTok.Nik:I'm addicted to TikTok.Nik:With TikTok, I think if you look at the way TikTok has impacted culture or pop culture, I should say this year, it's pretty fascinating. Like when Instagram was big and there were Instagram models or even you could even say like... yeah, you could probably say even like big YouTubers, they don't really make news or make headlines, nor do they get, for example, flown out to fashion shows internationally to come walk in a runway. But TikTok has just completely taken 2020. And whether it's like TikTok is being flown out to Rome for fashion week or it's the fact that all of Snapchat discovers tabloid garbage is all influencers, there's something about TikTok that resonates really well with the masses.Nik:And so one thing we've been doing is testing, not only just testing TikTok's style videos, but also even the way... If you look in the comments of TikTok, I think the comment section is where the memes of tomorrow, or the memes of next month live. And so we've been [crosstalk] doing a lot of things where we test those. Those have been having really interesting results too. Just really like, again-Stephanie:All right, so give me some examples.Nik:... just a bunch of testing and fun stuff. My favorite is the... For example, if you were like this podcast is the perfect podcast for ecommerce operators, you would put the word operators in between the sparkles emoji, or just like random silly things that you see on TikTok. Yeah. It's hard to explain, but it just works so well.Stephanie:No, yeah, I know what you mean. Yeah. Well, tell me some of the most interesting comments that you've seen on TikTok that you've turned into memes.Nik:Well, the sparkles one is probably the easiest. Let's see. Outside of that, the eye mouth eye I think is hilarious. What else? What else? The concept of like it's the blank for me. There's just so many little inside jokes on TikTok that becomes so... Not only relevant on the outside world, but also people see it and they relate to it because they think they're the only ones that know about it because TikTok is such a one-to-one thing, you know?Stephanie:Yep, yeah. And then when you were talking about creating TikTok style ads, I'm assuming you're saying that you're creating an ad like you would create a video on TikTok and then you're actually putting it on other channels and platforms. Is that what you meant by that?Nik:Yeah.Stephanie:Yep. I was just thinking about that actually a couple of days ago. My head of growth is like, "Oh, can you create some audio ads and video ads and all this to help promote the shows or whatever?" And I was like, "Well, what's the easiest way for me to do that?" Honestly, creating it on TikTok, even if it's an unlisted video-Nik:Oh, 100%.Stephanie:Yeah, so much easier than trying to do anything else.Nik:The best ads in ecommerce are ones that do not look like billboards on the street. That's where a lot of brands go wrong is that when it comes to ads, they try to create this unique experience or this look that doesn't resonate with the common person. It's like no wonder they don't work because they look like if you see an ad, there's no chance you're going to sit there and be like, "Oh, an ad, let me watch this whole ad." All your ads have to feel like they're not ads. They have to feel like content that somebody maybe not wants to watch or needs to watch, but something that's intriguing enough where they're going to watch the first little bit, and then it's your job as the brand to hook them to watch the rest of it.Stephanie:Yep. Yeah, I love that. The other thing, now that we're talking about influencers and spreading things, I heard that your fridge is famous. You tell me a bit more about this because when I heard that, I'm like, "Isn't Nik an influencer? Why is his fridge famous and you're known for your fridge?" So give me the deets on this.Nik:Yeah, the fridge racks up impressions. That's for sure.Stephanie:Why? What is up with your fridge? Is it a fancy one?Nik:I'm just trying to look up real quick how many impressions the last one got. But no, it's funny because obviously I worked at Hint and I've worked with a bunch of different beverage brands. Yeah. So the last tweet about my fridge has 151,000 impressions.Stephanie:Why? What'd you say?Nik:It's nothing special. It's just the fact that a lot of people know me as a beverage marketer or beverage person. I'm just looking at this tweet from September 14th and my fridge has Taika, has Empathy Wines, it has Jock Coffee, it has Dose, which is like a new wellness shot, it has JuneShine, which is hard kombucha, it's got Sanzo, it's got OLIPOP, Red Bull, Orgain protein elements, which is a adaptogens beverage, and then a bunch of Hint Water.Stephanie:Close to D2C fridge. You're stacking it up.Nik:It's basically a D2C fridge. Yeah. And then depending on when you open it, you might see different drinks. There's another picture of the fridge I'm looking at. It's all RISE cold brew. It's got Lemon Perfect and it's got Cha Cha Matcha's ice tea lemonades.Stephanie:Interesting, interesting. And then so how are people engaging with this? How did it even start of you posted this picture and realizing people like to see what you were trying out, or what you were investing in, or what made them excited?Nik:Well, it started because a friend of mine, David Perell, basically posted a picture of my fridge, I want to say when I first moved to New York last year, or I think he might've done it when I lived in San Francisco. But then he posted about it and how like my fridge is basically a vending machine. And then all these beverage companies started responding. And then whenever I tweet about my fridge, I just get a flood of packages over the next 10 days from different beverage brands that want to be included in the next round of the fridge.Stephanie:That's really funny. But I also feel like it's helpful to see how to share things that get shared, that go viral because the best way to advise brands and other people is by doing it yourself.Nik:100%. That's always been the thesis behind any kind of public account that I have. Whether it's my community number, whether it's my email newsletter, whether it's my Twitter account, everything that I try to do is like, "Okay, I'm basically just testing it so that we can hopefully do this on a brand and it makes a big impact because maybe it's something that they haven't done before or just people in general haven't done before."Stephanie:Yep, yeah. That's very, very cool. So when you're working with all these brands, one thing that we've been discussing here at Mission lately is just about all these new users who are now online, a new demographic group is online shopping. They're getting used to it, they're going to be here probably for the long haul now that they have maybe ordered groceries or gone on Amazon for the first time. How are you working with your brands to ensure that their messaging and their interaction and that they may be personalizing things in a way that also connects with this new demographic of shoppers that weren't here prior to 2020?Nik:So basically, how should brands prepare for-Stephanie:Yeah, having like an older generation now who are ready to shop. And I'm sure the messaging or the way that brands are personalizing is usually towards millennials or 18 to 35 or 18 to 40. Everyone seems to focus on that same two generations, but the older generation are the ones that have the money. They're the ones who are ready to spend. They just haven't brought it really online until recently. But it seems like a lot of things have to change for it to also work well with them.Nik:Yeah. I think tactically, there's different things you can do, whether it's the channels that you choose to advertise on. So whether that's shifting budget out of Facebook and onto platforms like TV and satellite radio and connected TV even, or it's... One thing that I've found at a previous brand I worked with was that the creative we would put out that has, let's say, models or talent that looks like they're in their late 20s, early 30s is what resonated best with the audience groups over 45.Stephanie:Oh, interesting.Nik:So it might just even be something as simple as a shift in your creative to reach [crosstalk 00:27:11].Stephanie:Yeah. I wonder why that would be the case.Nik:Everybody aspires to be better looking or younger or smoother skin or whatever it may be. And that might be a reason. I think another way though too is thinking through just the ease of how something as simple like your website functions. How easy is it for somebody to come in and shop? I always send landing pages or websites to my mom. She'll look through it and be like, "This is confusing," or she'll be like, "This is perfect. It was one click and I was in the cart." And so we always go for the ladder as the goal. But the other thing too is like... One thing I always say is you got to treat your customers like Kim Kardashian on the red carpet and you're her assistant, right? The brand is the assistant. So you can't expect your customer, you can't expect them to go browse around your site and learn about your brand and learn why they need your brand, or how your brand is going to make their life better, or the deal that they might be able to get, or the coupon.Nik:There's so many brands that they clearly offer coupons when you Google, for example, like... I don't know. If you Google like... we'll say Jetblack because they're not a business. If you Google Jetblack coupon, there's probably 17 coupon sites that have a 10% or a 20% off coupon. But what you do is you now create an opportunity for somebody to leave the experience of checking out to go find that coupon. There's a good chance to just get distracted and never come back versus something as simple as like... Basically, what I'm trying to say is you want to create everything or you want to put everything in one simple experience so that somebody who has no time, somebody who has no patience, somebody you could assume they don't have the knowledge of how to navigate a site can basically come to your site and get what they need and they know why they're getting it and just create something really easy to use.Stephanie:Yep, yeah. I think frictionless shopping is the way of the future. The one thing about coupons though, I feel like they're just dangerous. Like you said, you leave the site... I know I used to back in the day, go through all these coupon codes and then I'd really get annoyed because none of them are working, all of them were expired. And yeah, it's still feels like there's room even on a website to be like, "You will never find coupons outside of our website. So don't try. Don't go looking around, don't go testing like 1,000 different codes. You'll find nothing. It's only here."Nik:Totally. The other thing too is like then you have companies like Honey, the browser extension, which are basically fraud companies, in my opinion, or scammy companies. And if you don't create something of an offer for let's say you run a... let's just say a beverage brand called Three Stars, and somebody comes to the Three Stars' site and they want to buy a variety pack because they're a new customer and they want to try the flavors. When they get to the checkout and they see, "Oh, there is no discount. Oh, but Honey says..." The Honey thing pops up and you click it because you're hopeful that there's a discount. Even if Honey generates no discount, Honey is going to refresh the page and now that becomes a 10% affiliate cut. The brand is paying the Honey without them even realizing it. The customer is not getting any value out of it. But because you didn't create the opportunity for them to check out without having to use Honey, you're now going to end up paying Honey 10% if they have it installed.Stephanie:Interesting. I hadn't realized that's how it [crosstalk 00:31:03].Nik:Yeah. Honey is a really scammy business. It's really scammy for brands.Stephanie:Oh, geez.Nik:I hate Honey with a passion.Stephanie:Oh my goodness. I actually think we had someone from Honey the long time ago before our commerce show was even live in the world. We had, I think, their COO on one of our other shows, Mission Daily. So if anyone's interested, go check out [inaudible 00:31:24].Nik:Yeah. It's a genius business model for them. Basically without showing the customer or without really showing the brand, they're just ripping 10% off of every purchase. And if you're selling like a $400 emergency kit, that's 40 bucks that they're making for everybody who just has an extension installed, but it's-Stephanie:And the brands can't control that, or they can't say-Nik:No, they can now. When I saw it, I went to them and said, "You guys, you're basically just taking credit for everything you're not driving." And they're like, "Oh, well, it's just the way that Honey works. We drive a lot of traffic." And I'm like, "No, you don't." So then we just shut them off. They just don't get paid now, even though they can still be used.Stephanie:Oh, interesting. So when thinking about outside of coupons, but more ways to connect with different users, what do you think about catalogs? Because we had a good discussion, I think, many episodes ago with one of the execs at Marine Layer, and she was talking about how great catalogs work for them. I haven't heard many people talk about it. So it seems like there's still an opportunity there though with so many people now working from home. I know I get excited about mail that's actually fun to look at and helpful. So how do you advise your brands on connecting with an audience through catalogs or paper mail?Nik:Personally, I'm a fan. I think it's a sign of luxury when I get a catalog, whether it's from a company like Buck Mason or Todd Snyder or [inaudible 00:33:06], like it's definitely a sign of luxury. The catalogs themselves are printed on very nice and chic paper. I think it just adds to the overall experience of being a customer at those brands. At the same time, if you're a brand that's just starting and you don't have the capital means to do it, I think there's ways you can create digital catalogs for fairly cheap and have them be digital experiences.Stephanie:Yep. When you have a catalog, I've heard some brands optimize for experience and fun and more of like a branding play versus others are focused on send them back to the website, get the conversion. How do you think about optimizing a catalog to work well?Nik:Well, I think it's two ways. One, you got to feature products that I think people want. So if your spring collection is 250 pieces of clothing or 250 different SKUs, maybe you feature the 27 that people really want. But then secondly, I think from a messaging standpoint, it's got to really make you salivate when you're going through it. That was [crosstalk 00:34:36].Stephanie:Like Trader Joe's catalog.Nik:Yeah. That was one of my favorite things about... Do you remember SkyMall?Stephanie:Yeah, yup.Nik:SkyMall just made you want to buy everything in that magazine because everything was like, "Oh, a random flashlight for under my desk chair. Sure. That now seems like something I totally need."Stephanie:Yep, yep, I agree. I just saw something in a catalog that I actually ended up buying. It's a... What is it? A candle lighter, but it's not like a big flame thing. It's operated by battery. It has this really long stick on the end and it's intense, it's awesome. Everyone should check it out. We'll link it up in our show notes. But I bought that from a catalog because it was showing it going inside a really deep candle. I was convinced. And it's amazing.Nik:Yeah, no, totally. It's all about like building... You want to build a use case for somebody to go tell their friends why they bought what they bought from you. That's like the best way to market.Stephanie:I think you also have to have good paper quality though.Nik:100%.Stephanie:I hate the catalogs that come with just like icky, thin paper, and it's just 1,000 pages and I'm like, "It doesn't feel curated. Just every thing is here. I don't even know how to look through this in a way that makes sense for me," versus the ones that are just 10 pages. It's what you want to look at, or just the best thing that feels like it's personalized, even though it's probably not. I'm okay with that as long as it feels high quality.Nik:Totally.Stephanie:Let's jump over to a little bit higher level ecommerce question of where do you guys think ecommerce as a whole and D2C is headed over the next couple of years? What are you preparing for right now, or what big thing?Nik:Well, I think that ecommerce, as a whole, is going... There's been a ton of innovation this past year and the year prior, both on the side of operations, things like understanding you can't blow cash on acquiring customers, all the way to understanding how to optimize shipping costs or manufacturing costs or even using tools like Settle, which let you basically hack your cash flow. I think, to be honest, over the next year or two, it's just going to be a lot of growth in the category across many different categories that maybe thought they weren't going to be ecommerce. Everything from sitting at a restaurant and now... Obviously, we see QR codes everywhere, at least in major cities, at restaurants for scanning and getting the menu.Nik:I think we're going to see that you're going to start paying your bill through Apple Pay after you order your meal, all the way to things like better experiences with packaging and unboxing or just how you learn about a brand for the first time after you buy it. But I think there's also going to be a rise in things like marketplaces. There's a company that I just joined called The Fascination. And basically, the entire idea behind The Fascination is to take a lot of these cream of the crop direct to consumer CPG brands that are independently trying to acquire the same customer and basically put them together, create content around it, and create shoppable content.Nik:So, for example, if you have a daughter who's moving to... I don't even know if people are going to be going to college next year. But let's say she's going to college next year, and it's like the ultimate list of things you need for your dorm, it's got your mattress topper, it's got your pillows, your comforter, it's got your desk lamp, it's got organizers. You would be able to basically shop all of this in one page with one checkout through The Fascination. And on the back end, all these brands are getting orders basically pushed into their order queues. The Fascination basically just takes a tiny cut, like an affiliate. But the brands own the customer, they own the relationship with their customers, they have the ability to remarket to those customers. And The Fascination acts as a front of acquiring the customer and now selling maybe eight things at once.Stephanie:Oh, that sounds really cool. I think that's much needed with so many new brands popping up right now too. It just feels like sometimes I don't even know who to trust and who's actually got their back end filled out. Is this just the landing page that they're testing out to see if people actually want a product that they haven't even developed yet? So it seems like it's needed to have a trusting source like that to say, "These are some of the best brands and we've verified them and you've got customer service here and we're reputable and blah, blah, blah."Nik:Yeah. And that's another thing too is there are a lot of sketchy brands that have launched because the barrier to entry is so low. What The Fascination is trying to do is basically the same way you have like a kosher sticker on food items or a gluten-free sticker that's very universally known. I think they're going to basically try to do the same thing, but for four brands.Stephanie:That's awesome. Yeah. I will have to check that company out, maybe bring them on the show. Sounds like [crosstalk 00:42:39].Nik:Yeah, yeah. They would be a great one to bring on.Stephanie:Yep. The other trend I'm excited to watch this next year is last mile and see how that evolves, especially with the food delivery companies and the DoorDash and Grubhubs of the world starting to actually just work with local retailers to fulfill last mile deliveries. And I think that whole industry is about to have a big evolution. So that'll be an interesting one to watch.Nik:Yeah, I couldn't agree more. I mean companies like Ohi or even FastAF, they're doing some pretty awesome things when it comes to last mile delivery.Stephanie:Mm-hmm (affirmative). Yep, yeah. I agree. All right. Well, let's move over to the lightning round. The lightning round is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. This is where I'm going to ask you a question and you have a minute or less to answer. Are you ready, Nik?Nik:I'm ready.Stephanie:All right. What's up next on your reading list?Nik:Ooh, I would say the book Supermaker by Jaime Schmidt.Stephanie:Oh, that's a good one. Yep, sounds good. What is your favorite business book that you refer back to?Nik:Atomic Habits.Stephanie:And you're on it. You're like, "Are you top of mind? I got this great." Sounds great. What topic or trend do you not understand today that you wish you did?Nik:Bitcoin.Stephanie:I've had a couple of people say that. What's the nicest thing anyone's ever done for you.Nik:The nicest thing anybody's ever done for me is-Stephanie:I had to stump you. You were too on it. You were too lightning.Nik:Yeah, that's a good question. Honestly, my favorite is when just people just reach out randomly and say, "Hey, how's your day?"Stephanie:You like that? Sometimes I'm like-Nik:I love it.Stephanie:... "What do you want? Get to the point."Nik:Yeah. Well, sometimes you can tell when people have a reason for asking. But when a genuine friend just texts you out of the blue and just says, "Hey, how's your day going?" It's always nice to know.Stephanie:Yep, yep. Okay, a friend. I thought you meant just like a random Twitter person.Nik:Oh, no, no, no.Stephanie:I'll get messages on Twitter like-Nik:No, no, no, a good friend.Stephanie:... "Hi, how are you?" I'm like, "What? Who are you? Why are you asking me how I am?" That's weird. Ah, 2020. What's up next in your travel destinations when you can travel again? Where do you want to go?Nik:I want to go to Jamaica actually with a friend of mine, Chris Hall, and a few of his friends. He's got a pretty good setup there in Jamaica for quick trips out there. So I'm looking forward to hopefully in February maybe go there for a few days and just unplug from work.Stephanie:Oh, that sounds fun. Chris, bring me out there as well. That'd be great. What's up next on your Netflix queue?Nik:Ooh, actually there was... I forget the name of the comedian, Andrew Schulz maybe. He just launched a stand up. I saw it yesterday and I added it to my list. So that's next up on my queue.Stephanie:Oh, that sounds good. I'll have to check it out. If you like it, I'll check it out. What are you most excited about to add to your fridge next?Nik:Ooh, that's a good question. There's a beverage that we are launching called Barcode in-Stephanie:Barcode.Nik:... Q1 next year. It's with the former head trainer of the New York Knicks, who's also a big celebrity trainer, as well as with Kyle Kuzma, who's a championship Lakers player. It's basically a healthier version of Gatorade and it tastes incredible and it's got everything. It's like everything he would prescribe or give to his athletes, but bottled up in one drink.Stephanie:Oh, that sounds good because I do like Gatorade. But then when I'm drinking, I'm like, "I know this isn't good for me."Nik:It's horrible for you.Stephanie:Yeah, it is delightful though.Nik:It is.Stephanie:All right. And then the last one, if you were to have a podcast, what would it be about and who would your first guest be?Nik:I've actually been thinking about this recently. It would probably be about the struggles of commerce that people go through. So it would only be focused on problems people have had in their business, not the successes and not focused on people who've successfully exited. It is strictly focused on people who have, for example, not figured out how something works or how they're going to get through something. I don't know why, but I always keep thinking my first guest is going to be Paul, who's the founder of Prose, which is a haircare brand.Stephanie:Okay. I think that sounds great. I love stories like that, where people can actually learn something and because there's so many... Any media article is always like, "Oh, here's the end result. And now, they're a billion dollar company. Oh, and they exited, Oh, they got acquired." It's like, well, what actually happened where they failed because I don't want to fail too and I know they have some kind of knowledge of things that I could avoid, that's why I love biographies and stuff because you can read it and essentially accelerate your knowledge through that person's life and hopefully avoid some of the pitfalls they went through.Nik:Totally. And not only that, but also then for all the people listening who might be starting a business, or might be getting themselves into a position where they're not really sure what to do, it almost becomes an encyclopedia where, "Oh, Paul had no clue where to get you pumps at low MOQs for his shampoo bottles. How did he figure out what they were and where he could find them and not get ripped off?"Stephanie:Yep, yep, yeah, or I always love the stories when people are going overseas to find manufacturers and hearing things that they encounter. I forget what brand we were talking to on the show where they... I went into one of the warehouses and they were selling apparel and they were like... and all of the employees were smoking and all the stuff smelled like smoke. It's like I would have never realized that unless I actually went over there and was doing an audit before moving forward with one of them.Nik:Yeah, totally.Stephanie:Very cool. Well, Nik, thanks so much for coming on the show and sharing all your knowledge. Where can people find out more about you and Sharma Brands?Nik:The easiest is my website, which is just nsharma.co, or the second easiest which I read every tweet, every message is my Twitter @mrsharma.Stephanie:Awesome. Yeah, just go to Nik and say, "Hi, how are you?"Nik:Exactly.Stephanie:All right. Thanks so much, Nik.Nik:Thank you.

When you have a company that brings together three mega trends in personalisation, convenience (in the form of gummies) and the consumers increased sensitivity to being healthy – then you have to find out more. Melissa Snover is changing the game with Nourished with 3D printed personalised gummies. The business model is disruptive and the concept feels like the future. This isn't just about the brand and product, it is also about the progression of technology and overcoming the challenges of large scale manufacturing and high MOQs. In this interview, Melissa talks about how she started the company, the development of both technology and product, and their current rate of growth. We always talk about the future of nutrition being personalised – well it is already here.

Dave Snyder, is the USA Director of Sales for Gameland Manufacturing, a full service board game manufacturer with over 15 year experience in game production. Gameland excels at high-quality production, from box to bits, with competitive pricing and low MOQs of 500 units on all print runs. In addition to leading the USA team for Gameland, Dave also owns and runs Javelin Dice Works, a custom metal dice supplier in the USA.

Reasons to Investigate Selling Internationally on Amazon - The opportunity - intro Amazon stats 2019 Amazon GMV 2019 worldwide was 280.5  Billion USD All of Amazon outside USA: Was 87B USD GMV in 2019 (31% of total) Amazon International selling summit: Global Empires Summit - Hosted by Kevin Sanderson My presentation for Summit: Overview of some lessons from the British Empire - the 4 horsemen - - and the “Merchant Mindset” BASH - and Merchant Skills that you need…. Why consider Amazon selling internationally? Reason 1: Additional Revenue - USA is about ⅔ of total - So even on average, you could add another ⅓ or so to sales by being fully diversified Reason 2: one of the easiest ways to expand - Identifying a market is hard - Getting a quality, differentiated product is really hard - Doing so profitably even harder! - Expanding once you've done all that EVEN in an era of more bureacracy is easier - Mostly because you can outsource the bureaucracy (tactical) but you CAN'T really outsource great sourcing (strategic) Reason 3: Profits/low competition - Fewer competitors in some places. Barriers to entry. - Inertia - Language barrier. EU Japan - Cultural barrier. Japan - VAT/Sales tax etc. barriers. EU. Japan etc - Strong currency EUR/DE - Wealthy consumers (EUR/DE) Reason for Amazon Selling Internationally: Diversifying Risk Reason 4: Currency risk - Diversifying risk 1 - Fluctuations - GBP to USD - Currency being punished - GBP! - EUR to USD tight range last few years Reason 5: COVID Risk Diversification -  Diversifying risk 2 - Demand shock - US helicopter money coming to end - UK furlough coming to end - UK GDP sank 20% in Q2 2020! - USA only 10% - Supply shock - Fr. And IT FCs shutdown height of COVID spring 2020 - US FC - US FC shutdowns to come? Reason 6: Amazon Suspension Risk - Diversifying Risk 3 - Reduce single-Amazon marketplace dependence - Individual countries can change regulations and lead to suspended listings - Eg Hazmat in Germany for client account - In USA, same exact product selling, no issues - An entire marketplace Amazon account can be suspended while others remain open Reason 7: Cashflow/Working Capital trick - MOQs - profit per unit - Stock turn (cashflow) - WC - function of profit and stock turn Cost-Benefit analysis  Upside (Benefit) assessment - Possible upside - Probability - Downside assessment (Cost) - How bad it could be - Possibility 3 Amazon overseas expansion opportunities - low hanging fruit Canada for US based sellers - Physically close so can affordably send stock - Straightforward. Helpful customs agents in Govt. - Speak English For UK sellers: Germany is a huge market Bigger than say Italy But similar costs/time to comply with VAT registration - All things being equal, better value Etc etc For all sellers - Japan - About same size as U.K. market GMV - 2 weeks shipping time to China. This is huge for cashflow!! - Only 10% sales tax on import cf 20% VAT into U.K. or EU - no research tools. Most sellers stay out. Again huge. Next steps Get informed about international Amazon Global Empires Summit - Hosted by Kevin Sanderson My presentation for Summit: Overview of some lessons from the British Empire - the 4 horsemen - - and the “Merchant Mindset” BASH - and Merchant Skills that you need…. Upcoming Interviews on 10K Collective podcast about Amazon International Selling Simply VAT about VAT in general, EU in particular and Brexit on 10K Collective Brexit - selling into OR from inside the UK Sales Tax update (selling in USA) Get expert help to start selling on Amazon abroad - Tax specialists - Freight forwarder (internationally) - Cultural expert (Esp for Japan) - General strategic guidance (coach)

Learn the power of Standing Orders in your business and how it can help lower your MOQs and lower your product cost here.

Understanding the material cost and not hesitating to reach out to source that product yourself and be the supplier to your own factory is a great way to get your price and your MOQs lowered. I hope this tip helps.

Another tip on negotiating with your factory to lower your MOQs is to pay a little more. Acknowledging that factories has margins and paying a premium price on a product will get you the chance on your MOQ.

Rachael Blaske has run several Kickstarter campaigns over the past few years, with games designed by her husband Justin Blaske. Over $400,000 has now been raised for these tiny, excellent games. In our discussion we talk about trying to design within restrictions, how they handle high MOQs, and many other aspects of her Kickstarter Journey thus far. Have a look at the Mint Control Kickstarter page HERE. Check out their Five24 website HERE. To learn more about FunDaMental Games feel free to visit www.thefundamentalgames.com Introduction Music provided by: https://www.purple-planet.com Voice introduction by Marilena D.

How to Sell handmade on amazon for Profit What does Rural Handmade offer Amazon Sellers  right now? For Amazon sellers who want to sell handmade on Amazon,  there are two solutions: data-driven or designer-driven. Data-driven Rural Handmade has built algorithms that follow consumer behaviour eg Alibaba, Etsy, Amazon etc. They share this with entrepreneurs who want to sell handmade on Amazon or other marketplaces and tell them key areas to focus on. The system is still in Beta but Rural Handmade can advise in person. How does that compare to eg Jungle Scout and similar Amazon research tools? Those tools are based on BSR etc. solely from Amazon data. Rural Handmade has replicated this kind of thing from different sites. It's not just for those who want to sell handmade on Amazon - it's about different portals. Rural Handmade is trying to rely on the global e-commerce markets as a whole, not just Amazon or any particular marketplace. However, if you want to sell handmade on Amazon, they are an excellent start, as they cut out the non-handmade Amazon data. 3Design for handmade items Sellers then work on a basic design. Then Rural Handmade can make a professional design (if the Amazon seller doesn't have that capability in-house). They then hand on work to SE Asia. If an Amazon seller has only a broad design idea for a handmade item, can you give recommendations? Yes, they can start from a very broad idea and they can do research. If you want to procure 10-15 SKUs, you upload ideas and designs to the site. There are catalogues in different segments. They can help you You could start building a brand with £100 Protection against copying/defensible The problem in Amazon is a big fish consumes a smaller fish. Whereas if it's handmade, it's hard to copy. It would be very hard to find the locations. So selling handmade on Amazon is a fantastic way to defend your product against being copied. Suppliers or competitors who want to copy product have to go through the same supply chain. There is basically no plastic in rural handmade goods so that rules out a lot of Chinese factories from easily copying the goods. And sustainable local materials - eg recycled metal, etc. are not easy to find. For example, for hemp, you'll need to go to Nepal, and the export of it is restricted. Hedging risks when launching new Amazon products If you buy one SKU for $5000 vs. 10 SKUs for $5000, you are hedging the risk of a product not performing as expected. If you research and launch 10, you may see success with 2-3 of them. If you sell handmade on Amazon, you have the opportunity to spread your capital among multiple SKUs. With the same money, you'll learn a lot more - and you can build on the basics when they succeed. Production Capacity/scalability with handmade goods There are £120-200M people in SE Asia involved in handmade The potential to scale is potentially there - but Konark isn't looking at mass production of handmade. It's about OPTIMAL production - price is so that consumers don't have to take out a loan. Then keep innovating - small, medium batches. So it's not a model built around mass production with "me-too" products. A lot of makers are not as educated as many sellers and their vision is limited. The first few iterations for them are painful because they're used to making things quickly. But 120-150 million people in rural SE Asia are now being organised by Rural Handmade. You can get a capacity of 300-500, even up to 5000 units per batch, depending on raw materials. Can you start with low MOQs with handmade products? Anything between 300-5000 units of handmade goods is probably doable. Could start off with a smaller batch - say 100 units. But it does have to make a business case - there are minimal shipping costs. What's a typical price per unit for handmade goods? A leather handmade bag would say be £3-6 ($4-8) The reason it's cheaper is the “disintermediation of the supply chain”

How to Sell handmade on amazon for Profit What does Rural Handmade offer Amazon Sellers  right now? For Amazon sellers who want to sell handmade on Amazon,  there are two solutions: data-driven or designer-driven. Data-driven Rural Handmade has built algorithms that follow consumer behaviour eg Alibaba, Etsy, Amazon etc. They share this with entrepreneurs who want to sell handmade on Amazon or other marketplaces and tell them key areas to focus on. The system is still in Beta but Rural Handmade can advise in person. How does that compare to eg Jungle Scout and similar Amazon research tools? Those tools are based on BSR etc. solely from Amazon data. Rural Handmade has replicated this kind of thing from different sites. It’s not just for those who want to sell handmade on Amazon - it’s about different portals. Rural Handmade is trying to rely on the global e-commerce markets as a whole, not just Amazon or any particular marketplace. However, if you want to sell handmade on Amazon, they are an excellent start, as they cut out the non-handmade Amazon data. 3Design for handmade items Sellers then work on a basic design. Then Rural Handmade can make a professional design (if the Amazon seller doesn't have that capability in-house). They then hand on work to SE Asia. If an Amazon seller has only a broad design idea for a handmade item, can you give recommendations? Yes, they can start from a very broad idea and they can do research. If you want to procure 10-15 SKUs, you upload ideas and designs to the site. There are catalogues in different segments. They can help you You could start building a brand with £100 Protection against copying/defensible The problem in Amazon is a big fish consumes a smaller fish. Whereas if it’s handmade, it’s hard to copy. It would be very hard to find the locations. So selling handmade on Amazon is a fantastic way to defend your product against being copied. Suppliers or competitors who want to copy product have to go through the same supply chain. There is basically no plastic in rural handmade goods so that rules out a lot of Chinese factories from easily copying the goods. And sustainable local materials - eg recycled metal, etc. are not easy to find. For example, for hemp, you’ll need to go to Nepal, and the export of it is restricted. Hedging risks when launching new Amazon products If you buy one SKU for $5000 vs. 10 SKUs for $5000, you are hedging the risk of a product not performing as expected. If you research and launch 10, you may see success with 2-3 of them. If you sell handmade on Amazon, you have the opportunity to spread your capital among multiple SKUs. With the same money, you’ll learn a lot more - and you can build on the basics when they succeed. Production Capacity/scalability with handmade goods There are £120-200M people in SE Asia involved in handmade The potential to scale is potentially there - but Konark isn’t looking at mass production of handmade. It’s about OPTIMAL production - price is so that consumers don’t have to take out a loan. Then keep innovating - small, medium batches. So it’s not a model built around mass production with "me-too" products. A lot of makers are not as educated as many sellers and their vision is limited. The first few iterations for them are painful because they’re used to making things quickly. But 120-150 million people in rural SE Asia are now being organised by Rural Handmade. You can get a capacity of 300-500, even up to 5000 units per batch, depending on raw materials. Can you start with low MOQs with handmade products? Anything between 300-5000 units of handmade goods is probably doable. Could start off with a smaller batch - say 100 units. But it does have to make a business case - there are minimal shipping costs. What’s a typical price per unit for handmade goods? A leather handmade bag would say be £3-6 ($4-8) The reason it’s cheaper is the “disintermediation of the su...

Sometimes, you know, things happen. Chris was out this week doing his PAX West thing and we were able to snag MKUltraCorp as a guest host in his place! Surprising amount of keyboard talk and unfortunately no taco talk, but please don't change that dial just yet. We learn about a lot of the new projects Erik is working on (from MKUltraCorp), when we might see them, prices, MOQs, and all those other juicy scoops (ahoy!) you keeb-fans have been lookin' for. Only on OffTheClack! We also, obviously, go way off topic and sometimes get downright outlandish! PS--Podcast cover unrelated. Glitter pills just freak me out and I want them to freak you out. Enjoy.

This Green Beauty Conversations episode sees the Formula Botanica team report on the top beauty trends 2019 as seen at In-Cosmetics Global held this year in Paris in early April. In-Cosmetics is one of the beauty industry's key calendar events, and is a vast gathering of all branches of the cosmetics' sector and is open to both trade and the public. The Formula Botanica team comprising School Director Lorraine, Education Manager Timi and Business and Relationship Manager Gemma spread out among the vast exhibition halls to cover as many niche and sectoral beauty zones, workshops, supplier stands and talks as possible to give us a rounded and hot-off-the-press perspective on the top beauty trends for 2019. Formula Botanica also garnered a prestigious slot at the event; Lorraine was invited to give a keynote presentation and chose to tackle the traditional polarisation of synthetics vs naturals in a keynote entitled 'Challenging the assumptions of naturals in cosmetics'. Comparing notes and looking back to previous editions of In-Cosmetics, this podcast sees the team dive into some 10 top beauty trends; some evolving still; some contentious; some fascinating; and most all three at once! The trends we focus on include: formulation and ingredient innovations; the industry's focus on the skin's microbiome; water-reduced and waterless beauty; sustainability; greenwashing; food's influence on cosmetics; and bewildering and less than transparent new terms that cropped up such as 'sub-zero waste'. One theme that stood out throughout In-Cosmetics was how indie has gone mainstream; a fact acknowledged by In-Cosmetics 2019 as this was the first fair that included a dedicated Indie Beauty Trail. We came across around 50 Formula Botanica graduates and students at In-Cosmetics and would encourage more of you to attend next year's fair in Barcelona. Our team offer advice on how to make the most of In-Cosmetics, which can be an overwhelming experience. Listen in, be inspired and discover how to include the top beauty trends 2019 in your formulations and brands. In this episode, you'll find out about how: A new breed of emulsifiers is giving rise to innovative products with transformational textures and dual purposes. We discovered incredible 'jelly' textures that turn into powders and creams, as well as thick cleansers that turn to foaming products. Food-inspired cosmetics are hitting the market big time and catching attention with names borrowed from food products. Examples include: Body Vinegar, and Face Chutney. Cosmetic products aimed at helping protect and nurture the skin's microbiome are on the rise and forking into three branches of functional products using pre-, pro- and post-biotic ingredients. We're curious to discover more about the underlying science behind their claims. More suppliers are gaining certification (Ecocert, Cosmos etc) for their ingredients. This should make life easier for formulators and brands seeking certification of their end products. Simplicity is the new ace card for formulators. We saw a noticeable absence of suppliers and cosmetics' brands promoting the latest exotic ingredients and far more emphasis on 'less is more' and locally supplied is better; and How greenwashing is still rife but masquerading in different guises. For example, products claiming sustainable credentials not because of their inherent ingredients or recyclable packaging, but because they donate to green or ethical projects. Key take-outs on how to make the most of In-Cosmetics as an indie brand include: To avoid overwhelm at the vast In-Cosmetics fair over three days, plan well in advance which zones to visit and book workshops and talks before you go. You can do this on the In-Cosmetics' website. Register for free to get updates. Before you go, buddy up with fellow Formula Botanica graduates and students on our online classroom or Skincare Entrepreneur Mastermind Facebook groups. Together you can cover more bases and feel less intimidated especially if it's your first big beauty trade fair. Don't be worried about representing a small, indie beauty brand. We found suppliers this year far more willing and helpful to the indie sector than in the past. Suppliers were eager to talk about smaller MOQs (minimum order quantities) and seemed to have geared up to the indie sector's needs. Do try to attend some formulation workshops as you will learn a lot about how to work with new, innovative ingredients like emulsifiers. Do visit the Sensory Bar and any other innovation zones even if a lot of the products showcased are not natural. You can gain invaluable insights into upcoming trends from mainstream cosmetic brands which can open your eyes to possibilities in your natural formulating. Listen, Download and Subscribe to Green Beauty Conversations Thank you for joining us for this episode of the Formula Botanica: Green Beauty Conversations podcast. If you enjoyed this episode, please share, subscribe and review on iTunes or Stitcher so that more people can enjoy the show. Don’t forget to follow and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.  

Putting it all together Over the last 4 episodes we've looked at products, materials, prices and MOQS. Today's show covers how to put it all together - and make sure that everything is delivered on time   This episode is the fifth in a series of 5 podcasts that accompany my Get Set for Manufacturing Challenge. Each episode tackles one of the 5 key things that you need to consider if you want to start working with a a UK manufacturer. To take part in the challenge go to makeitbritish.co.uk/getset and I'll send you all the details. The show notes for this podcast along with a full transcript can be found at makeitbritish.co.uk/020   Get Set for Manufacturing Challenge If you are looking to manufacture in the UK but don't know where to start, join our Get Set for Manufacturing Challenge and be factory-ready in 5 days! Subscribe to this podcast – and support UK manufacturing  More Make it British Website: makeitbritish.co.uk Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/katehills Instagram: @makeitbritish Twitter: @makeitbritish Facebook: facebook.com/makeitbritish Our Trade Show Business Design Centre, London N1 makeitbritishlive.com Want to find out how your business can benefit from being at the show? Apply here

What is an MOQ and why do manufacturers have them? A minimum order quantity (or MOQ) is the lowest amount that a manufacturer is able to make of a certain product. The manufacturer generally sets their MOQ based on how many of a production run they need to make in order for it to be viable for them. MOQs can vary from manufacturer to manufacturer - and there is always a way to negotiate them, as you'll discover in this episode.   This episode is the third in a series of 5 podcasts that accompany my Get Set for Manufacturing Challenge. Each episode tackles one of the 5 key things that you need to consider if you want to start working with a a UK manufacturer. To take part in the challenge go to makeitbritish.co.uk/getset and I'll send you all the details. The show notes for this podcast along with a full transcript can be found at makeitbritish.co.uk/019   Get Set for Manufacturing Challenge If you are looking to manufacture in the UK but don't know where to start, join our Get Set for Manufacturing Challenge and be factory-ready in 5 days! Subscribe to this podcast – and support UK manufacturing  More Make it British Website: makeitbritish.co.uk Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/katehills Instagram: @makeitbritish Twitter: @makeitbritish Facebook: facebook.com/makeitbritish Our Trade Show Business Design Centre, London N1 makeitbritishlive.com Want to find out how your business can benefit from being at the show? Apply here

Hardware is hard. Consumer hardware is even worse. As an ex ecommerce seller with years of experience manufacturing overseas, I can tell you dealing with suppliers, MOQs (minimum order quantities), quality control, cash flow and even LTV are tough. Unlike SaaS where you build it once and sell again and again with almost no added... The post Consumer Hardware's a Horrible Business Model, So Apple Slows Down Your iPhone appeared first on The Syndicate.

Hardware is hard. Consumer hardware is even worse. As an ex ecommerce seller with years of experience manufacturing overseas, I can tell you dealing with suppliers, MOQs (minimum order quantities), quality control, cash flow and even LTV are tough. Unlike SaaS where you build it once and sell again and again with almost no added... The post Consumer Hardware's a Horrible Business Model, So Apple Slows Down Your iPhone appeared first on The Syndicate.

Insider Lessons Gained from Launching Successful Products   Dale Backus has a story with ups and downs, hard work and wins, and some really amazing entrepreneurial lessons. He’s won crash the doritos contest not once but twice. He used some of these earnings to help fund his startup. That startup is now doing over $20m a year in revenue. That business is  SmallHD, a camera accessories company. Big wins for a young man of 31 years old.   Khierstyn and Dale are working together on a new project and it’s really exciting. Real world experience of taking a company from nothing, self funding, and growing an impressive revenue stream.   That’s why Dale  was invited on to the podcast. To give you a chance to hear from someone who has built from ground up, from 0 to 8 figures, and is now starting at 0 again.   [04:30] 10 Year Journey in a Nutshell   Dale tells us that he had an entrepreneurial spirit from young age. When it came time to graduate high school, he wanted to take his own route. He didn’t want to follow what parent’s desired path. He knew he had skills and that it was just a matter of making money.   “It’s always a matter of money right?” Dale laughs.   He started a production company called 5 Point Productions and shares that it’s not something he would recommend. Products make more sense  and it’s inherently harder to sell services. It was like a weight bearing down. They created some car ad, but he tells us that those are the worst. Then, the super bowl contest came along and they were inspired. It was only 4 days from deadline when they saw it, but they decided to go all in.   It was the first ever consumer sourced ad content contest - and they won. It was a pretty revolutionary marketing strategy at the time. A unique concept. That was the first of 10 years they ran the contest. It was unbelievable.   “We didn’t get a lot of money but we got a lot of credibility and an increase in business.” They leveraged that for 5 Point Productions. “We had some fun making things that WEREN’T local car ads.” Eventually the fame wore down and they were back to the grind. It just wasn’t working for them anymore.     In the process of running that company, they had to keep improving quality as they were getting bigger and working on accounts.  It was during this process that they discovered a need for this display to be able to plug in their HD camera into something they could monitor with. It wasn’t out there at the time, and decided to go out and build it.   Dale loves creating physical products, likes it more than sevices, and edged everyone towards launching the product. They launched SmallHD which was building these displays.   [10:40] Meeting Sales Without Inventory   It can be tough launching  product and meeting sales needs when you don’t yet have a physical product. Dale tells us that they tackled it head on. They threw together a few prototypes and crowdfunded themselves on their own website. Kickstarter wasn’t around because crowdfunding was still a new concept. They ran a 24 hour campaign pre-order and sold 60 units which opened up the possibilities. When they got money, they ordered parts. Orders would trickle in but it was slow. Then they developed a real product, something developed as the next step.   There were many lessons learned in the process. At first, Dale tells us that they fought against MOQ (minimum order quantity) for a new board for which they couldn't afford the MOQ investment. It so happens the Doritos contest popped up again around this time, though the prizes had increased dramatically.   Against wishes and recommendations from those around them, they decided to enter again. Long story short, they created 2 ads and both were selected as finalists.  One became the second best commercial and they won $600,000. This was the boost they needed to meet those MOQs.   It’s a Cinderella story, Dale shares, and it doesn’t always happen, but it did for them. That’s how they launched the company and grown it so much over the past 8 or 9 years.   What they learned is that going and meeting the producers in person, especially in overseas cultures like China, it goes a long way. “They build their sales on relationships” Dale explains. If you make these connections you can often work them down and get the MOQs to something more manageable.   [24:54] Best Decision for SmallHD   Every thriving businesses experience highs and lows. For Dale, the best decision was to stay focused. Along the path there were many opportunities to branch off or expand, but they stayed the course. Dale explains that the displays can work with and touch a lot of other technologies within the same vertical, so it’s natural to want to dabble in different opportunities.   Dale gives us some general advice. “It’s easy to get distracted by perceived opportunity. “ Until you dominate the space you are already in, why would go off and do something else? You must first achieve the primary goal of the primary focus first. That’s what they did.  Dale and his team wanted to make the best countertop displays in the world and they believe they’re almost there.   [27:15] To Swag or Not To Swag   When discussing focus,it stands to reason that the topic of swag comes up, because it can certainly take tame. The thing is, swag works.   You’re not trying to be the world leader in t-shirts, it’s an accessory. There should be limitations though.   There’s not a lot involved in swag like t-shirts. It’s about how much time it will take away from the main project and what resources it will divert. It shouldn’t slow you down from reaching that primary goal, it should be a support feature.   As an entrepreneur you need to, everyday, decide to work on the most impactful things. “I strongly recommend making sure there’s good people around you.“  Dales stress that having the right people around you is how you accomplish those supportive tasks without splitting focus. You are the leader. If you are working on mugs and t-shirts all the time, it may not be a good thing, but if you have someone to do it for you, it’s likely a good deal.   [29:38] Lessons Learned: Part One   Like most entrepreneurs, Dale insists that he has made an enumerable amount of mistakes. Reflecting on those mistakes is something he does frequently. Still, there’s the number one lessons Dale feels we should all learn.   Hire with purpose and have a hiring strategy. There are lots of things that could be problematic, but hiring properly can take care of 80% of those things.  Dale says, “Most of your time should be spent on hiring and developing people.” Only hire when necessary, not because it’s fun.   When they started, hiring was fun. It was a sign of growth, but what he didn’t understand was that you need to hire the right people. This is the number 1 thing. You see (and can clearly hear) that Dale has been burned which is why he is so passionate about it.   As a founder, you need to get people to believe in your vision. The smaller you are, the harder it is to do that. As a result, you hire those that are easy, that you’re comfortable with; friends and family. They know you and it’s easier to hire them as they are already supportive. However, they aren't always the best fits for your company.   Dales shares, “We hired the first 5-0 people and the were all friends or family.” When he hired his first team, he hired fast and hard, and didn’t get the right team. It meant major delays and nearly bankrupted them.   After learning that lesson, they have a great team now, and it’s helped grow the company by leaps and bounds. Bottom line, hire the right people.   [40:21] Lessons Learned: Part Two   Though since we got Dale rolling, we thought his second and third most impactful lessons would be good to dive into.   Dale’s number 2 -Don't over optimize too early. He shares that it’s very easy to want to do things the right way, almost to a fault. You can spend too much on big shiny systems before you need them.   Develop and spend as you need it. You shouldn't be bleeding because of a system. Before you start spending money on a system, you should be desperate for it. Keep your overhead as low as you can as long as you can.   Lesson 3 for Dale, is be more data driven, know your numbers. When they started, they didn’t have any idea what the number really were ever. Often they wondered where the money was. They were making money but there never seemed to be enough when it was needed. Know your margins, your costs of goods, your KPIs. It sounds corporate but it's’ really valuable. You don’t have to be rigid but you need to know what it’s going to cost you to get a customer. This helps you better know where to spend your time.   [42:13] Something Nifty This Way Comes   Before he signed off, Dale helped get us hyped up. He’s getting ready to launch a simple product business. He invented this product, and wants to get it out fast and hard. Dale’s working on learning more about online marketing. It’s time to get back into entrepreneurial side, the startup side.   Dale is launching Oh Snap, a cell phone accessory. Want to know more? We urge you to visit getohsnap.com.Dale can hardly contain his excitement about getting it out to the world.   As part of the new venture, Dale says that they are looking for a marketing person, looking for a marketing strategist so if this is you send email to dale@fornom.com   Nothing beats listening to the episode, so if you're reading this and you haven't tuned in, check it out above.     Episode Outline   Introduction: Insider Lessons Gained from Launching Successful Products   [04:30] 10 Year Journey in a Nutshell [10:40] Meeting Sales Without Inventory [23:42] Backetkit [24:54] Best Decision for SmallHD [27:15] To Swag or Not To Swag [29:38] Lessons Learned: Part One [40:21] Lessons Learned: Part Two [42:13] Something Nifty This Way Comes     Resources and Sponsor SmallHD getohsnap.com Crowdfunding Product Launch Guide Crowdfunding Product Launch Academy   Sponsor: BackerKit - use the code “uncut” to get 50% off setup services

Amazon, Walmart, Etc. Secrets of the ecommerce world ... What's going on, everyone? This is Steve Larsen and you're listening to another fantastic episode of Sales Funnel Radio. Now, this episode is part three of our six-part series where I'm diving deep into the six different categories of people using ClickFunnels to blow up their businesses. This episode is all about eCommerce and there's a lot of ways to pull off eCommerce, there's a lot of ways to do it, and a lot of questions that everyone know who's in eCom has the answer from their beginning. Am I going to self-fulfill? Am I going to drop ship? Am I going to go for high ticket, low ticket, high volume? Am I going to brand it? Is it just going to be a straight sell and one off? Is it going to be community behinder? Am I going to be the brand behind it? There's a lot of things involved with eCommerce much like any business but I think I really enjoy what my guest today has to offer. I would take notes, see how he's doing it. He's got a great community behind him called ecomunderground.com and he's got a cool little offer for you guys at the end which I think you'll enjoy. Anyway, massive value, it's free for you so anyway, I think you guys will enjoy it. Let's jump into this episode and we got three others coming up deep into the industries that I know out of one of the six applies directly to your business. I hope you guys will enjoy the series so far, let's jump right into it. Announcer: Welcome to Sales Funnel Radio where you'll learn marketing strategies to grow your online business using today's best internet sales funnels and now, here's your host, Steve Larsen. Steve Larsen: All right, guys. How is it going? I have with me a very special guest today and honestly one of my favorite categories of sales on the internet in general, very excited to learn more of the deep, dark ninja secrets of how to make this work. We're going to talk about eCom strategies today with the expert and my friend, Bryan Bowman. How are you doing, man? Bryan Bowman: I'm doing amazing. How are you doing, Steve? Steve Larsen: I'm doing awesome, living the dream. Doing really good. Hey, thanks for being on the show here, like I say and eCom is probably one of my favorite, one of my favorite personal category for income generation, whether someone doing it on the side or it's a full-time thing. What a lot of people would probably realize is that when Russell went out and hired this data scientist to come through and look up through all the users of ClickFunnels and try and find patterns, eCom was actually the highest revenue generating industry overall out of all of them. Everything, info products, I mean anything. If you guys want to pay attention, I mean, get a piece of paper out, take notes. Bryan is going to drop some massive gold here and super excited for you guys to learn more about eCom which is a space I'm personally very interested in as well. Anyways, Bryan, if you can just let us know how did you even get into eCommerce? It's a newish industry as far as kind of the wave of the internet taken over things. Bryan Bowman: Yeah, yeah, for sure, man. I mean, first of all, just to back up what you're saying, there is something really powerful about selling physical products. Steve Larsen: It's so cool. Bryan Bowman: This is something that I'll talk about a little bit but I do want to talk about how you don't have to choose one or the other and this is really what a big part of my message is right now because it's what we're doing in our brands and it's what's working in my community with my students is that what I have found, because I'm really, really entrenched in the physical product sellers universe or world. There is this mindset that it has to be one or the other. Where I'm really shaking things up is I'm telling people that we can have it all and physical products have their own power but info products have their own power as does a third category of product that I'm going to encourage those who really want to build a well-rounded business and a business that's going to be sellable and build an empire that I think they need to have as well. We'll leave that for a minute and I'll answer your question, I'll answer the first part of this which kind of like my backstory. Yeah, man, I've been involved in selling I guess products online or physical products for a long time. For me, it was really a hobby like literally all the way back to college I was buying, it was crazy, I would buy books and I still to this day I'm understanding why this worked but it's still a little confusing to me. I would buy books on eBay and then turn around and sell them on Amazon. The quickest arbitrage ever. Steve Larsen: It's straight up arbitrage, that's awesome. Bryan Bowman: That is available to everyone like everyone can go on eBay but I mean, I'm kind of joking like not understanding why. I mean, it's because of the confidence Amazon has. People trust Amazon so much so some people feel like a little sketchy about eBay, maybe they don't want to buy from there and literally I would buy textbooks for five bucks and sell them for 55 on Amazon. It was crazy.   Steve Larsen: Geez. Bryan Bowman: That was like a little side gig in college but I've been always leveraging the internet to sell physical products but really where it got really serious for me was about four years ago and for some of your listeners, they maybe selling on Amazon or maybe they've heard about this Amazon gold rush that's happening and four years ago it's kind of the wild west. I mean, FBA was around but not a lot of people were using it. That's where I started and basically FBA is where you can send in all your products to Amazon. They fulfill the orders and you just create the brand and ship everything off and then list on Amazon. Now, that was awesome. You're leveraging Amazon's traffic which is very cool. At the time, I need to figure out what I was going to do because we've talked about this a little bit, Steve. My wife was having some health issues and we were just trying to figure out what do we do because I needed to be home more, there's no way I could keep working my corporate job as actuarial consultant like traveling all over the place. I needed to figure out a side hustle that was going to make some extra money and ultimately free me from my job and that's really why I double down. Literally I would work all day long in a cubicle like nine to five either traveling, doing actuarial stuff, come home, eat dinner, and from like 7 PM till 3 in the morning, I was creating listings, working with my designers in Germany. Then I was talking to manufacturers in China at 1 AM because they are like on the complete opposite time as us in the U.S. and I'd be Skyping with them, seeing the factory, seeing samples. It was crazy. That's how we launched our first brand on Amazon and started leveraging that platform and really pretty quickly I think maybe because I had that actuarial background and understood the numbers which is another huge, huge thing guys. Those of you listening, I don't care what you're selling in your funnels and whatever industry you're in, you have to know your numbers. People usually don't like to talk about math, they shy away from it but you need to know basic stuff, cost per conversion, lifetime value of a customer, your cost of goods, those metrics they are going to separate you from the pack because of that very reason, no one else wants to think about those things. Steve Larsen: It's true, then you have to think about Excel sheets and that's hard and you have to think about ... It's kind of a big locked gate, a little bit to that industry a little bit. Bryan Bowman: Exactly, exactly. Listen, I love barriers to entry, it's why I became an actuary. I became an actuary, for those of you who don't know what it is, don't worry. If you have kids or brothers or sisters who are really good at math, tell them to go be an actuary if they are not going to become professional sellers online like internet marketer or sellers. Basically, having that background in stats and math, it helped me with my advertising on Amazon, ultimately, it now helped me with my Facebook advertising and in AdWords like understanding those numbers. I can't stress enough how important it is. If you're not that person, find somebody who's really good with numbers. Steve Larsen: How would I find someone like that? I mean, because that is a barrier, you know what I mean? That's a personal barrier to entry. How would I find some dude that actually go out and do that kind of thing? Bryan Bowman: I mean, we could have a whole conversation about this. I use VAs so what I do is I will set up the basic spreadsheet and then I have them, I train them on how to download reports, upload the reports and send me a summary so that I just get like an executive summary about every week. Steve Larsen: Okay. Bryan Bowman: They do the work that probably most of us, I mean, I don't really like, I kind of like being in spreadsheets but not all day. Steve Larsen: Right. Bryan Bowman: What they're good at like because I have SOPs in place they can download the reports that are already, this certain reports that are already set, they can upload them, they can refresh the workbooks and basically, just send me the summary that's already built in to the workbook and then I just can have a look at it, overview it and then make any changes that need to be made. There are plenty of people Upwork, you can go to, what is it now? Is it Elance? Is that what it's called now? Steve Larsen: Freelancer. Bryan Bowman: I mean, like I said I train my VAs one on one so I use onlinejobs.ph. Steve Larsen: Cool. Bryan Bowman: Even if you want to hire someone domestically like in the U.S. look at community colleges like see if there's some math students or someone who's in a business program, someone who's technical that's looking to pick up a few extra hours. I think it's important to have that person whether it's you or not in the business though because it's huge. Steve Larsen: I believe there are eCom people that I've talked to or some of these, that is the thing. It seems like there's a big difference between them who's successful and the others who aren't. Just merely knowing the numbers and tracking the numbers in each campaign. Bryan Bowman: Yeah, because then it just turns into a simple yes or no like, "Is this profitable?" Yes or no. "Should I double down on this?" I mean, especially if you need to make a quick turn around on your ad spend, I mean, if you have to put a $100 in today and you need to make it back in 48 hours because capital is limited and you can't wait 30 days to see your return, it is critical that you know your numbers and you know what your yes and your no is and when you need to double down and when you just stop your ads. Going back, I think because I leverage that, we had probably quicker success probably the most. I loved Amazon, it was awesome like we're doing really well really quickly but then my daddy used to always say, "No matter how thin the pancake there's always two sides." That couldn't be any more true with Amazon, you can have this great thing going but then we got hit with, man, I don't even want to get into the whole story because it brings up too much pain but I do remember waking up, it was a Tuesday morning, I checked my seller app and I'm like, "Wait a second, this is already a slow morning. I don't know about this." I went back to the desktop, checked and sure enough like our number one product had been blocked then our seller account was shut down. It took forever to get that back. It was just one thing after another and through all that pain, I really figured out, it became very apparent like I cannot depend on Amazon. I have to build my own sandbox. Amazon can be a spoke in the wheel but it cannot be the entire wheel. That's when I really double down on the funnels, honestly that's when I was looking for the best way to build funnels, how do I start because I had used them before but never really to the extent that I'm using them now. I just wanted to build that off Amazon strategy because I already had the brands in place. I was like, "All right, I need to build my sandbox." That's how I started using ClickFunnels and I guess it was at the time it felt like a curse but ended up being the biggest blessing for us because now we've been able to really diversify our sales and really develop a repeatable strategy. It's good, it's all good, man. I'm excited. I think it's interesting how this happens where some of our most painful times end up being the things that give us the most power and give us the most ability to make a difference and make a change. Steve Larsen: You said something that I thought was really interesting. I mean, you're basically describing the equivalent of the Amazon slap, the Google slap. Bryan Bowman: Oh yeah, oh yeah. Steve Larsen: There's a lot of people who I've spoken as well, they say like, "Just leave it on Amazon. All you need is Amazon." I mean, you just said the exact opposite that you realized that you can't do that. What advantage did you gain by not just staying on Amazon, by actually going off of it? Bryan Bowman: Absolutely, there are a lot of advantages but there's one that's the one that you should, all your listeners and you and everyone should write down, it's two x versus eleven x. That's all you need to know. Your Amazon business, if you have a purely Amazon based business where all your revenue is coming from Amazon, you can expect on the market when you go to sell that business, about a two x return on earnings. Steve Larsen: Really? Bryan Bowman: Yeah. If you have a business off Amazon, Shopify, big commerce ClickFunnels which by the way those listening, you can run an entire eCommerce business on ClickFunnels. It's one of the biggest misconceptions that I find. Steve Larsen: It's so true, thank you for saying that. Bryan Bowman: People, they think for some reason I don't know why and this is one of the things that I make sure I always educate people on in my community inside of eCom Underground is like it's a shopping cart. You can put everything in there. You can run an entire eCommerce store there. I compare it to basically a Costco versus a personal shopper. A Costco is like your Shopify store where you're walking around, you have a big shopping cart and you can throw a bunch of stuff from the rafters into your shopping cart and check out. That's a Costco. Whereas a funnel or ClickFunnels is it's like a personal shopper. When you walk in, you go to Neiman Marcus and they're curating goods just for you and the goods that you're going to see are different than the ones that I'm going to see because we have a different build, we have a different taste, we have different age. You're a man, if I'm a woman, you're going to see different things. That's the experience of a funnel so that's why they convert so much better. The two x is of your Amazon, eleven x, if you build that business on Shopify, if you build that business on ClickFunnels, BigCommerce, whatever, you can expect a ten to eleven x return on earnings when you go to sell that business. The market reflects the risk inherent in having a purely Amazon business. Steve Larsen: That's amazing, that's amazing. I never thought about that. I've got a buddy who just sold for a ton of money in the eCom space and I was like, "Man, that's remarkable at how big that thing scaled, how fast." It was exactly what you said, he wasn't just staying on Amazon itself. I've heard from a lot of people, "Make sure you are in Amazon," but just like you're saying, you can't leave the whole cake on Amazon itself. Bryan Bowman: Absolutely. The best analogy guys is imagine you've been doing marathon. Have you been in marathon, Steve? Steve Larsen: I've been in a sprint triathlon. Bryan Bowman: All right, do you know when a marathon when you have all the people on the side and they've got the waters and like the herd. It's like this massive, all these people are running, right? They are just like, people are holding out cups and they are just grabbing cups and water splashing everywhere. Steve Larsen: Yeah. Bryan Bowman: That's what I compare Amazon to. We're the ones with our cups and we're charging for them and there's this like all these people coming and they're grabbing our cups and they're drinking them. It's like yes, I get rid of all my cups but they're gone, they are just running. You don't even know who they were. Whoever was running the marathon, they've got the entry numbers, the emails, the phone numbers, they know everything but you're basically just hanging out on the side lines with your cup of water. That's kind of what Amazon is like and you're just waiting for the next herd of traffic that's going to buy your stuff. That's cool. Steve Larsen: It's a really good analogy. Bryan Bowman: Yeah, that's what it feels like. Then you're just waiting, you're like, "All right, hopefully the next marathon comes." The marathon by the way is called Q4. As opposed to building a business, and this is what I always tell people, what is your business? When you really think about it, it's not your inventory, it's not your sales or your profit or revenue, it's your customers, your customer list. That's why the market reflects that big difference in building that on Amazon versus off Amazon business so it's critical to have that ability to have that relationship with your customers. That's probably above anything, that is the biggest reason why you'd want to build something off of that marathon platform. Steve Larsen: Sure, and what's funny too is like anyway, I love the analogy that the customer is the business. Amazon takes all that, it take all that data. You can't really get that data, can you? You're just selling stuff. Bryan Bowman: Exactly. I mean, and they understand it. They understand the power in the customer that's why they keep it and in fact, they have a lot of things in place to keep you from driving traffic off the platform. They make their terms of service very open-ended so that they can really suspend you for any reason. It's kind of one of the dirty secrets like no one really knows that. It's interesting, when you first start selling on Amazon it's like it's so exciting because a lot of people like me were just like, "Hey, I need to build a business, an income that replaces my day job." Every advanced Amazon seller you talk to will tell you the same thing. It's always this worry in the back of their mind. Again, fortunately, this is a mindset thing is to really, really see the blessing in the pain sometimes. Fortunately, I went through some of these pain early on which forced me to have to become something else and have to learn something else which is again turned into the biggest blessing for us. Steve Larsen: I mean, someone once told me that for every dollar spent online, Amazon is so big that a quarter of that dollar is going to Amazon right now. Bryan Bowman: Yeah, that's crazy. One out of four dollars spent online is spent through Amazon or one of their companies. Steve Larsen: That is huge, absolutely massive. Bryan Bowman: If you really think about that. Steve Larsen: I know, you think about how much money that really is it's like oh my gosh, that's amazing but you're saying, obviously put some stuff on there just to be present but then keep the bulk of the business offline. How are you actually building it offline? I mean, not offline but off of Amazon. Bryan Bowman: Yeah, exactly. This takes me to my next point which I touched on earlier. Stephen, this is all the stuff I really I just I talk about all the time inside of eCom Underground because I just really want to open people's eyes to something else, like a different opportunity, different possibility. The first thing you have to do, it's nice that someone says, "Great, build off Amazon, you can do better," but how, right? The first thing is it's a mindset shift in how you're going to build your business. If you're looking to just sell general store type stuff or you just want to sell one off products that are hot sellers, maybe Amazon is a good fit or maybe some free plus shipping funnel, that's fine but long-term, we need to really build an asset. The way I like to think of it is shifting from commodity to community. This is something I repeat over and over and over again because as long as you're selling a widget and all widgets are the same, and the person who comes to your store sees it as another widget, you're competing on price. That's all you're competing on. Steve Larsen: Which is awful. Bryan Bowman: It's awful. It's awful. The life cycle of your product is shorter and it's not going to last as long before someone's going to undercut you. I mean, there's plenty of people that are doing this, they're literally making pennies on the dollar like a profit and they're just trying to do the volume play. I hope you consider this. Imagine you've built up a community instead, people who've rallied behind an interest or a common shared like passion or even an expert or a personality so it take for example, I was talking to my sister about this. One product that you would never want to sell right now by the way, if you're going to go on Amazon, it's completely saturated, measuring cups, kitchen utensil like measuring cups, you would never sell that. Maybe if you did, I don't know, maybe you could, I wouldn't. Margins aren't big enough and it's too competitive. It would make no sense. Then I was talking to my sister, she loves to cook. She's passionate about cooking and she follows this, oh what's her name? Cupcake Jemma, okay. She follows her and she loves Cupcake Jemma and she loves the content Cupcake Jenna puts out and follows all her videos and all these stuff. I asked her, I said, "If Cupcake Jemma came out with measuring cups that were twice the price of whatever you could find on Amazon, and the lowest price that you could find out there, would you buy the ones from Cupcake Jenna or would you price shop so you can get cheaper ones?" She's like, "No, I'll just buy hers." Why? "Because I know that's what she uses or I know it's her. It's her." She's getting to experience something of that community, of that interest, of that passion, right? When we start building communities and it doesn't necessarily have to have an expert at the front end. I like if it does because there's an attractive character that we can follow but if we can just build a community first, I learned this from Todd Brown, then the sale becomes superfluous because the messaging and the marketing is so good and people are craving to be a part of something. I don't know how else to explain it. If you start with the community then you can start introducing the physical products because people will actually start asking you for it. When we start building our communities and there's a lot of different ways you can build them. You can use Facebook pages, Facebook groups. There's a lot of different ways you can do it but the point is people will start asking you. You could do it on YouTube, they'll start looking at the videos and they'll be like, "What's that shirt you're wearing? What's that thing you're using?" They already want to know. Before we ever start pitching any physical products, people will start asking us for them like, "Oh, it would be cool if," let's say you're in the running niche, "If you could come up with a patch," like I love running, running addict, or whatever it is, they'll start asking you first which is awesome. That's like a very good thing. Steve Larsen: Crazy. Bryan Bowman: You start with the physical product but this is where I'm going to challenge you, probably not you but your listeners is to go a step further. Who says we only have to sell physical products? Let's get into the information space also. We can sell training. There's a lot of information that we can still be a part of and even if we're not selling it, we can form affiliate agreements with people where we can present relevant products and this is how we build our funnels relevant products that are information based because we need those higher margins to sustain the business. One of the dirty secrets about eCommerce is you only really get paid when your business is flat. When the business is growing, growing, growing, you're operating in let's say 30% margins, you're going to pay for the inventory because there's cost of goods, you're going to pay for the inventory shipping fulfillment, all that stuff. If you made a 100,000 this month, you want to make 200,000 next month. Steve Larsen: Don't grow. Bryan Bowman: You got to roll that money back in so you can pay for all that inventory and everything else associated with it. That's how you end up making five million dollars a year in eCommerce and you'll pay yourself 200 grand because you can't pay yourself very much but as soon as the business goes flat and you stop growing, then there's cash you can pull out. One of the things is if you can start adding information, and the third piece if you can add software which is awesome because you can have this trifecta inside of your community, now you can really start getting cash into the coffers and really start getting more cash flow coming in and let the eCommerce side build on its own and double down on that. Steve Larsen: That's awesome. I think it's really cool. I run the Two Comma Club Coaching Program right now and it's been a lot of fun but that's been one of the big questions, so I'm going to read the book Experts Secrets from Russell Brunson. Say like, "Hey, this is just for webinars." You're like, "No, no, no." Bryan Bowman: No way. Steve Larsen: No, it's not. If you look at it carefully, he's just using a webinar as an example of how to actually use the Expert Secret process but if you're to take an eCom product and combine it with info or combine it with something else or software or whatever it is, that's one of the easiest ways to create a blue ocean for yourself because no one else is thinking about that combination or taking information and then ... Actually with the Experts Secrets funnel itself, the actual book funnel, we do this all the time. We will combine just like you're saying, "Hey, here's this cool eCom thing, this cool products that's physical," but then really the revenue accelerators are all info products in the backend as the upsells. Anyway, just 100% I'm screaming over here that what you're saying I totally attest to. We've seen it so many times if you can combine them together whatever, that is huge, huge power, massive power for revenue. Bryan Bowman: The biggest thing and we could talk about this, I mean, I don't know if you like to get into it kind of the actual strategy we use with traffic and then getting that traffic to convert but the biggest thing is building that connection, the community. You have to have this... One thing I do and I run four different brands and in every single brand I have an org chart. Those of you who are listening, if you have not read E-Myth Revisited like, don't pause the podcast, finish the episode and then go to Amazon or wherever and go buy yourself that book. Steve Larsen: Yeah, great book. Bryan Bowman: You should have an org chart, think of your business as I don't care if you're a solo operation and I do this for all my businesses even if it's just me, I have no staff, no VA, no one at all, it's just me, and I am solo operation in that brand. Build an org chart as if you are going to build a McDonald's and you're going to franchise this business. You want it to be a well-oiled machine that the 5,000 version of your business will be just as profitable as the first that you founded. Build that org chart and make sure that in that org chart there's somebody who's in charge of relationship management like really managing relationships with your customers because at the end of the day ... Have a statement. Another thing I do is there's a contract for each one of those roles and every single one of those positions has to fulfill the promise to serve and to reinforce the values of the community more than selling like ever. It has nothing to do with selling. That's why I always say, "It's all enveloped in community." Make sure that you are reinforcing the values of the community and why they are there because that is your asset. Long-term it's that community because they're going to tell you what they want and they're going to start asking for it... They are going to start asking for that physical product that they're going to rest on their desk, that info product that they're going to, after they're done using your physical product they are going to log on and use your info product and then the software, if there's a need for it. Not every niche has it. It's funny, Russell, I'm a part of inner circle, it's just amazing to be coached and mentored by Russell. He talked a lot about how satisfying the itch in the funnel, like there's initial itch and then once that itch is scratched, there's another. I started using the phrase that different niches have different itches and it's like some niches have more itches than others, right? Some can't support a software let's say but you'd be surprised, if you think creatively, a lot of different interest can but anyway I'm geeking out a little bit. The big thing is remember why you're doing it, it's the community, it's not the product. If you're thinking product, product, product, you're selling a commodity. I don't care what you're selling, the info product, the physical product, whatever. If you're thinking about the product, it's just a commodity and someone else is going to beat your own price eventually. Steve Larsen: Oh man, I totally love that. The power of the community too is so huge because I mean, just like you said, they will start to tell you what is it that they want which takes a lot of the guesswork out for you. Basically, it's this huge platform for you to start crushing false beliefs and it's a little group for you to launch when you actually do create the products that they're asking you for. I don't know, it solves so many problems for you to have the community, have this following, a group of people it's like I'm totally in love with what you're doing. Bryan Bowman: Exactly. Steve Larsen: I love that you brought that up, it's part of the eCom selling because most people don't think of that for eCom. Most people since it's a physical product, I mean, it doesn't take that much copy usually to sell something physical. You don't really see massive sales letters on Amazon pages. The value is on the tangible thing I'm going to get to hold and touch. I'm being future paced alone. Usually, you can charge a little bit more easier than info products out of the gate because I'm going to get to hold it and it's real. Bryan Bowman: The only eCommerce people that are thinking about this are those that are in eCom Underground. Steve Larsen: Yeah, no, I totally believe that. Bryan Bowman: No, honestly. I know sometimes I sound like a broken record to the community. I'm always talking about this. It's so important like this is the one piece is this community piece but anyway, I love it. It's fun stuff, man. Steve Larsen: That's awesome. As far as how to sell an eCom product, you said the funnel, don't just be on Amazon, build a community, combine it with info product or software, how do you find the product? It's like we have these models in our head and we understand part of the marketing pieces like, "Oh, yeah, I can totally do that. I can do that." What? Do I do it too? What's the actual ... Find those things. Bryan Bowman: Absolutely. Absolutely. Again, I'm going to assume. It's so funny because I always talk about there's principles, there's strategies and there's tactics and the tactics what usually ends up happening is people don't usually share the tactics or talk about the tactics. They'll talk about the principles which is like find your Y, find the core interest, the strategy is how you're going to implement high level but then the tactics really people don't talk about much. We're covering all these which is actually pretty cool. The principles guys is what is the interest and I would always have you start there. I would have you not start at the product... I think that's an old mindset and if you start at the product, I think it's not that it can't be done and I'll share a way where you can do it that way but I would highly encourage you to start all the way at the beginning at the principle like what is it that you're trying to build, what is it that you're trying to create, who are the people you're trying to gather or congregate and the products will emerge out of that, I guarantee you. They do every single time. That's literally how we build brands. Now, we start first with the interest. We start first with the passion and the products will emerge. If you want to go straight to product, we're going to come full circle and go back to Amazon. Amazon has more data than you could ever go out and pay for with software or anything else. There's some really cool stuff you can do. If you go into, I mean, I'll just tip right here, guys, this is how we do product research. Even if we're in a niche already and we want to look for extra products, and this is assuming you don't have a list, if you already have a list then do an ask campaign. Ask your people like what do you want basically. Steve Larsen: Yes, I love you're bringing that up. Okay, nevermind. Bryan Bowman: Let's say we're starting with nothing. What's that? Steve Larsen: I said I'm geeking out with you. Bryan Bowman: Let's say we're starting with nothing. Amazon has these really cool things called Amazon best sellers. They are the hot list, the most wished for list. When you go into Amazon and they'll tell you what are people wishing for, what are they putting on their wishlist like what are things that they want, what are the things that are the hottest sellers overall in Amazon or by individual category. If you want to sell stuff in the sports and outdoor niche, Amazon will tell you these are the hot top hundred selling items in the sports and outdoor niche. It just gives you the data. That by far is the best place to start, to start brainstorming ideas. There's apps you can buy that are plug ins, none of them are really I mean, they're not super accurate in the sense that like this one says this sells 10,000 and this one sells 20,000. It's just a gauge to help you understand maybe approximate sales so you understand what's a hot selling product and where maybe there's some opportunity. Amazon is a place to start. If you want to look for purely product research, I would encourage all your listeners to start checking out some of those lists in Amazon. Again, guys, I would highly encourage you if you want to build a long-term asset, start with the principle of the actual interest. Steve Larsen: Could you give an example of that? Bryan Bowman: What's that? Steve Larsen: Could you give an example of that? Just for someone listening that goes, "What do you mean by principle?" Bryan Bowman: Yeah, if we decide like we want to get, okay, I'm just looking right here, I've got my cup of coffee right here. We'll go with coffee. If I'm like, "All right, I want to start selling eCommerce." Let's say I'm starting from day one, "Man, I really want to start selling some physical products." Then maybe you're going to go into Amazon and you're going to start looking for hot selling products in the coffee niche. There's a lot of them. I mean, coffee niche is such a good niche. I'll explain why it is in a second. There's tons of amazing products you can sell and probably can make some money on. You can get source pretty easily. You can find a manufacturer in China or maybe even domestically, but we tend to go overseas and get it sent, get your samples and start producing. That's one approach. You go to Amazon, you're going to be able to find some hot selling products but what I'm going to encourage your listeners to do and I hope you consider is let's go back before we even consider do I want to sell the coffee mug, do I want to sell the grinder, do I want to sell the pour over top, or whatever. Let's go back and let's talk about the niche, the interest coffee aficionados, coffee lovers, people who really like why do they love coffee so much and start building that community. Start thinking in terms of even if you're not going to build a community page or anything like that but start thinking about the interest, the principles. Why do they love coffee? What does it mean to them? Because what's that going to influence it's like top down, it's going to influence everything else. It's going to influence all the way down to your Facebook ads. If you're just like, the worst thing you can do if you're going to run a Facebook ad, we can talk about this is say, "Get my coffee," let's just say coffee mug, coffee mug 50% off today only like I guarantee you no one is going to buy that. No one is going to click on that and buy it because all you're trying to do is scream louder than everybody else, every other advertiser. If you can pull your customer out of the crowd. I always use a Waldo example like where's Waldo where there's like all the people and then Waldo is in there and if like a magnet, if I can pull Waldo out of that sea of people then I don't need to yell anymore. I can just have a conversation. If I start with the principle which is why do people love coffee so much, that's going to affect my messaging, right? That's going to affect how I connect and for some people, they choose a certain coffee because they want it to be free from toxins, and they want it to be organic and they want it to be the cleanest cup of coffee. For others, it's like a super power where it's productive, it's the first thing they have that inspires them. No caffeine, no creativity then that's how I'm going to connect with them. At the end, I'm still selling the same product, the pour over top thing but it's because I took the time to get my principles right, then the strategy I used for my Facebook ad was influenced and then tactically how I implemented it in my funnel was influenced as well. I don't know if that make sense... Steve Larsen: No, it totally does. Rather than selling, I mean you're basically selling the benefit rather than the feature which is awesome. Bryan Bowman: Yeah, I mean there, you put it, see you're so much smarter than me, Steve. Steve Larsen: Whatever. Bryan Bowman: You put it so much more elegantly. Steve Larsen: I stole that from so many marketers. That's cool though, okay. Meaning, I've always thought of that in terms of how to sell it but you're taking that principle like way farther back into the actual product selection phase which is very interesting. Bryan Bowman: You know why though, man? This is my prediction, and not that this is ... I'm no Nostradamus so marketing, I know the guy who is though, but what's really going to start separating people is like being genuine, man and you can't fake it. That's the thing. I actually, I try to get into niches. I don't sell me-too products. I try to get in niches that I'm going to take a little bit of time to really understand the niche. Typically, it's going to be something I'm interested in but even if I'm not and I see a great opportunity in the market, I'm going to get to know these people. I really, really, really want to be genuine and serve and create a sense of community. It just makes everything so much easier. I can't emphasize it enough because you're going to be able to think their thoughts. You're going to be able to get into their head. It makes product selection and copy and offers and everything so much easier. Steve Larsen: Yeah, yeah, no, definitely with that kind of backdrop. You go in there and you start looking at Amazon best sellers and you're going to figure out how you can sell the result rather than the thing. How do you start testing? What is it that you're doing to go through you know, "Is this product actually good? Should I build a whole culture and community around this?" You know what I mean? What's the next step after that? Bryan Bowman: I mean, the first thing I mean I'll be honest, it's been tested enough where our method once I check some boxes in terms of knowing that there's enough interest in the niche, doing a little bit of preliminary product research, seeing that there's some products that people buy, again, going to Amazon, seeing what kind of stuff they buy, researching the niche a little bit, seeing the competitiveness of it. I'll double down and just start building up our communities but I think initially whenever you're going to sell any physical products, always use small test orders. More and more, because there's been so many more of these private label sellers or people starting their own brands and going to manufacturers in China. If you're using Alibaba or AliExpress or whatever you're using or global sources, there's just a lot of different ways you can go to get product more and more these manufacturers are accepting lower MOQs or lower order quantity. When I started, if you're not ordering a thousand units like good luck because you're going to pay, either you're not going to find any manufacturer to sell you anything or you're going to pay a lot of money. Now, it's not uncommon. I mean, if you just push back a little bit or just make a second or third request, it's not uncommon to be able to get 100 or 200 units, 300 units max, I guess not max but max for a minimum order like a small order and you start with something small. I mean, always order samples. I don't want to get too much into sourcing but always check a few samples on physical products because the picture they show you is never the same as what they actually send you. I mean, what they send you is never the same as the order so it's the bigger order. Order one, the 300 units and start selling those. You could put them, I like putting them on Amazon but you can create some simple funnels and see if the inventory moves. If you're able to actually get the product to sell, if it does, then you know you're ready to double down and order a bigger quantity. Anyway, I don't want to get too much into the inspection stuff and all that. Steve Larsen: Sure. Think about more the ecomunderground.com for sure. Bryan Bowman: Yeah, this is definitely all we talk about is all the nitty-gritty, the details, but I think the main take away is always start small and scale up because I've made that mistake. The first product that we ever launched, I mean, I didn't have a lot of disposable income and we put ten grand into it. I learned the hard way because I sold $500 worth of product. Steve Larsen: This is going to sound like crazy. Bryan Bowman: In fact, I still think I have some of those boxes of products sitting around in a storage unit somewhere. The biggest thing I can tell you like anything else is micro budgets, micro orders essentially and just scale up and test it first. Fortunately, ClickFunnels has made it super easy to be able to test product like using funnel. Steve Larsen: I was going to say, you go get the product, you find it on Amazon. First of all, what people are wanting, the interest, the principles. You go and you source the product to get small micro shipments of it and then you're testing the sale on Amazon plus like funnel, is that how you're doing it? Bryan Bowman: Yeah, I mean I would pick one or the other honestly guys because I definitely don't want to divert. I'm a big believer like you focus your attention on one platform so the reason I like to test on Amazon, the only reason I like to is it's just quick. It's very quick to verify but I think that you also, if you're not really interested in getting into the whole Amazon world which you don't have to, the newest brand we're launching we're not even going to sell on Amazon. It's just not an interest of ours... We're doing it surely off of the marketplaces. When I say Amazon, I mean Walmart, Jet, Newegg, all of the marketplaces. You can build out simple funnels just to test to see if people are ordering and build out Facebook ads the way that we've talked about. Maybe we didn't talk about so much but the main thing with the Facebook ad is, actually this is really good, I really want to share this. Steve Larsen: Yeah, let's hear. Bryan Bowman: When you're building out your Facebook ads, there are so many ways to drive traffic, guys. I know people who are purely on Pinterest, that's how they get all their traffic. I know people who are purely on AdWords, that's how they get all their traffic. We use a combination of AdWords and Facebook. We're starting to branch out into Pinterest for one of our brands that's more in the mommy niche. Facebook is still I believe the most powerful platform but because of the increased competition, you've just have to step your game up and the biggest mistake I see people make, I kind of talked about it already with especially in eCommerce, with the streaming louder than your competition with bigger discounts and bolder funds, red borders or whatever is that streaming louder doesn't work. You have to get connection. It's really interesting because if you're selling a high ticket coaching program, let's say you're selling a $10,000 high ticket coaching program, you would never get on a Facebook ad and be like have a video or have an image that says, "Get my high ticket coaching for 50% off, it was 20,000, now 10 and I'm an amazing coach. You should totally come work with me, you will get amazing results." No one would ever start their campaign that way. It's like a coaching program, right? Steve Larsen: If they do, it's really annoying. Bryan Bowman: Yeah, if they do, it's really annoying and if you see those ads, just make them a spam or just report them because they don't work. Yet that's what most eCommerce sellers do, right? We're like, "Buy now. Buy now. Buy now. Buy now. Buy now, 90% off, 95% off, I'll give you $5 if you buy it." It's like let's just push the offer. What would you do if you're a high ticket coach? What would your ad look like if you're trying to sell a $10,000 coaching program, Steve? Your initial ad to cold traffic, what would you ... Steve Larsen: If I was selling a high ticket coaching program from cold traffic, actually I wouldn't. I would sell to my own community. The first thing I would do is I would be out showing people benefits of using a funnel and first, defining the people who probably know what that vernacular is. Then, ascending then up slowly just like you and I were talking about before because I wouldn't walk up on the street and ask someone for ten grand. To me, that's what cold traffic is. I'm not that good at cold traffic and it's for a reason. I just feel like it's the harder method than going to warm traffic and hot so I don't do cold that much. Bryan Bowman: Like you said, first thing you do is you'd start serving and you just start probably connecting with them. It's a little bit easier with low ticket. It probably wasn't the best analogy because yeah, absolutely, good luck selling $10,000 program to cold traffic but let's say it's a $30 offer. Let's say it's a $10 offer, I don't care what it is. There is an independence and an interdependence between your ads and your landing page. There's an independence because you're not trying to sell with the ad. All you're trying to do is get people to click to find out more. It's like a headline, the headline has one purpose, right? To get people to read the next line. Steve Larsen: Right. Bryan Bowman: The headline is not there to sell them necessarily but your ad is definitely not there to sell them, it's to get them to just click to get to the landing page, however, there's an interdependence between the ad and the landing page because that pre-frames them and sets the stage for whether or not they're going to accept your message on that landing page. Not all clicks are created equally. When I understood this, this was like the biggest breakthrough for me and my ads was there's this independence but this interdependence and when in my ad I just want them to click so that's where I'm going to try to build that connection, that's where I use a lot of story, I use a lot of powerful imagery. Who is it? Oren Klaff in Pitch Anything, he talks about the three different parts of the brain. Steve Larsen: It's such a good book. Bryan Bowman: It's awesome. I could just ramble off books right now, they're so good. Steve Larsen: Me too, so good though. Bryan Bowman: Basically, the part of the brain that's responsible for making decisions is actually has nothing to do with the logical like fact-based like what percentage off am I getting, it's the emotional part of the brain. It's the part of the brain that's responsible for processing emotions. We want to connect and we want to feel what they're feeling and let them know that our product, we're not trying to create emotions. This is Eugene Schwartz, Breakthrough Advertising, the job of your advertisement is not to create the emotion, it's to take their existing hopes, dreams, desires and put them onto your product and project them onto your product. We do that by connecting with the ad, we need to have more of a connection. It's a little bit hard. I know this all sounds very theoretical but- Steve Larsen: It's so true, though. Bryan Bowman: It's not that difficult if you actually care and you actually take the time to think about what pains, what fears, what hopes, what dreams your prospect has. The only job of the ad and it's not overly like sentimental or anything, we're not trying to be corny either. It's just enough to make people stop and go, "Okay, maybe I am interested in this pour over coffee top thing, maybe this really will make special cup of coffee, maybe it will make something that is worth tasting. Let me go ahead and click and find out." Steve Larsen: Right, it's powerful because like you said, you're not trying to create desire inside of a person or any kind of emotion or whatever. If they already have it, the only job I feel like of the sale and marketing is to just plug into exactly what you just said. I forgot it's Eugene Schwartz that said that. That's cool, that's really cool. With the ad, you're going in, you're saying, independence and interdependence in the ad but then also the way they flow together. I'm not trying to sell on the ad, I'm just trying to tap into current emotion and then the next page that has one role, the next page one role, I love that. Everything on every single piece of creative. Bryan Bowman: Exactly. Steve Larsen: Do you mind just real quick, I know we've been going for a little while here, but do you mind just real quick just sharing a little bit of one of the standard eCom funnel models is and maybe we'll wrap up with that? Bryan Bowman: Yeah, for sure. We still use free plus shipping a lot. I still love free plus shipping. Again, when people say, I see this all the time, you know free plus shipping, everyone is doing it, it doesn't work. Yeah, if you're leading with on your ad, get our widget for $7 or get it for free, get it for free, click here, click here, click here. Again, it's a commodity, people just don't respond as well to that ad. Last year they did, but they just don't respond as well anymore. I still like though a low ticket tripwire, whatever you want to call it, to get them in and qualify my buyer and qualify, qualify a subscriber and qualify a buyer at the same and obviously getting that credit card info on the front end allows us to do one click upsells. The biggest thing I would give for eCommerce folks and maybe you've heard this, maybe you haven't is multiple quantities, multiple quantities. I want you to test being a little over the top. In the sense like if you think nobody would ever want five- Steve Larsen: Coffeemakers. Bryan Bowman: Coffeemakers, exactly... You don't know how many people they have in their family, who they're going to gift these things to, you have to try it and you'd be surprised how often people will take the multiple quantity option. Again, ClickFunnels is why love it, it makes it super easy for me to not only add multiple quantities but with a few lines of custom code, a few easy lines, have some nice call outs, bold some things, really call out my best value to try to entice people to consider the higher quantities. On the upsell pages, I used to do more of the same thing, we're finding that doesn't convert as well so I am starting to switch to different complimentary products but again, in multiple quantities. Then, on my down sale we'll usually strip out the most popular item so let's say it's a supplement product. We lead with our free plus shipping or maybe our trial, then on the upsell with multiple quantities, on the upsell we might have a pack of different products that are likely to be purchased together like a bundle, stack or whatever of supplements. If they say no on the down sale, we would strip out the most popular product that we know people is our best seller or is a popular product of ours. We would strip it out of that stack. That's one example. Then just make sure you take advantage of those thank you pages. That's another common thing I see with funnels in general but definitely eCommerce funnels more than anything is no one is taking advantage like few people take advantage of that thank you page. That's a great place, again, learn from Amazon, frequently bought together, frequently viewed. Think of yourself as a massive ... Steve Larsen: This too. Bryan Bowman: What's that? Steve Larsen: Other customers bought this too. Bryan Bowman: Exactly... Customers who bought this bought this as well. Hack Amazon, I mean, if you're an eCommerce seller, hack Amazon but like look at every element on that page and see how you can incorporate some of that stuff. That's probably one of the best takeaways I can give is that thank you page, it's underutilized and start funnel stacking. Honestly, you'd be surprised how many times people will go through this free plus shipping offers when you start stacking them. Steve Larsen: It's so true. I don't know how many times I bought [Trayvon 00:56:41] gun oil thing, oh I have a few guns. Bryan Bowman: What's that? Steve Larsen: I said, it's so true, I don't know how many times I bought [Trayvon 00:56:47] gun oil thing. I only have a few guns but man, I bought so many of those things. It's so funny. That's hilarious... Man, I want to thank you for this. Just to recap everything, I always take a massive full page of notes every time I get to talk to a genius like you so I got it here again. You talked a lot about how not to choose eCom or info or just one thing, you actually can combine them and make even more powerful offer. I love the concept of how getting off of Amazon allows you to sell for 11 x potential on the backend. The dirty little secret is you get paid if it's flat. I love that. It's hilarious, man. Then, massive focus on community, otherwise you're just a commodity. You can still sell the commodity but there's no longevity in just selling commodity. You got to be able to sell to community too and get people into there. I love that. Itches are in the niches, love that too. Then a big focus on principles, what are the interest, what is it they're actually going after, actually fulfilling that and tapping into creative or tapping into the desires that they already have. I love the concept of independence and interdependence with the ads too and pre-frame bridges and all that before the funnel hits and then going to the funnel. Man, you dumped a ton of stuff on here. This is amazing. This is like just a little flavor of what you actually offer in eCom Underground, that's so cool. I really appreciate it. Bryan Bowman: I was excited to come on, man, when you invited me. I was very excited. We've become really great friends man and I appreciate you, I appreciate what you're doing. Anything I can do to help serve your audience and hopefully give back some value that they can implement, some strategy but also some very tactical things that if they're running funnels right now, hopefully they can go tweak and start testing. Steve Larsen: I appreciate that. You guys noticed, those of you guys that are listening now, how much did he actually just spend on the funnel itself like the pages, not that much time. I think it's a big place that people fumble up and they say, "I've got to spend all this time," now, the funnel matters but so much goes in to actually finding the product. Finding the needs, fulfilling and actually building the business around the funnel so it can be self-sustained, I love that. Anyway, thanks so much for all you shared and I really, really appreciate it. Hey, where can people go to I think you've mentioned the trial they can get? Bryan Bowman: Yeah, I want to do something special for your audience just to have them experience a little bit of eCom Underground and be able to connect with them a little bit more. I recently created a group. We have a large private Facebook group like most ClickFunnels official, it's private but it's available for free to the public. That's an amazing group that's growing very, very quickly but we recently started a separate group which is our insiders group. Our eCom Underground Insiders... This is really special for me because it's a little smaller group and allows me to just serve them a little more closely and spend a little more time with them. What I do in that group is I have a weekly live Q&A where we literally breakout the whiteboard and your exact questions get answered and you come on and as a group we can answer them but what I do is anything that I can do to help to answer these questions I do. If you submit the questions in advance, if there's someone in my network who's a better expert than I am then I try to get them on that call and we try to make sure you get your questions answered every week on those live Q&As. What I also do is I have an expert, I call it expert no pitch interview where literally you know that moment, Stephen, it's one of my favorite things ever, it's like after you finished dinner, the plates have been cleared, dessert is gone, we're just sipping coffee or whatever it is and we're just sitting there talking. We're all just really calm and just sharing stories. That's the environment in the interviews, we're literally it's just an open dialog, somebody who's just amazing in what they do, most of the time eCommerce related, and we can just pick their brain and get our questions answered from an expert. We do that every month and we have a special private group just for us for the insider so it's a really special community. What I want to do is just extend a 30 day all access trial for all of your listeners, they can come check it out, see if it's for them and I'd love to have them obviously. It just reminds me of a sales page, like what's the catch, there's no catch. It's part of a huge national promotion. What I want honestly is like have your audience experience it, if they get value then of course I would love to have them stay and to be a part of the community long-term. What they can do is if you'd like to be a part of it and experience it, they can go to eCom, it's with one M, ecomunderground.com/steve S-T-E-V-E and yeah, we'd love to have you and have you try it out and see if it's a good fit for you. Steve Larsen: That's awesome, man. I appreciate it. Hey, if everything else is good, reach out to Bryan to say thank you so much. Bryan, I appreciate it, a personal friend and total eCom junkie and nerd. Bryan Bowman: Yeah, for sure. Steve Larsen: There's a lot of eCom people that listen to this podcast, so I know they're all going to really love it. Anyway, thanks so much, man. I really appreciate this. Bryan Bowman: Awesome. Thank you so much and yeah, it was awesome. Steve Larsen: All right, bye-bye. Announcer: Thanks for listening to Sales Funnel Radio. Please remember to subscribe and leave feedback. Want to get one of today's best internet sales funnel for free? Go to salesfunnelbroker.com/freefunnels to download your pre-built sales funnel today.

GFA140. Today's episode is all about USA domestic selling on Amazon. Not yet ready to invest in large MOQs with Chinese factories? Don’t let that get in your way - Brad Degraw is on today to explain how you can get started with low upfront investment. For more FBA from USA full show notes, check out GlobalFromAsia.com/episode140. The post Selling on Amazon without Investing a Fortune with Brad Degraw appeared first on Global From Asia.

Today we are taking elite sellers success into the game with better inventory management, tracking, projections, profits, MOQs, cashflow and more. Enjoy! How $100k+ Sellers Succeed Why I have trouble with inventory management and profitability How elite Amazon sellers scale businesses bigger The reason $100k+ sellers love TeikaMetrics software How to save money on Amazon storage space Why I want to 2-3x my product offerings What you need to know about overstocked, understocked and managing business How PPC management can help FBA entrepreneurs The reason ALL Amazon sellers should use HelloProfit for tracking profit Why you should do a FREE TeikaMetrics consult What you can do with liquidating inventory How to cut down on cashflow problems Why you can always negotiate MOQ Ways to perfectly project future sales FREE TEIKA Metrics Test Drive Consult Want more? Subscribe TODAY and Leave a Review! The post How $100k+ Sellers Succeed – ALL113 appeared first on FBA Allstars.

Ever wondered how to create multipacks and product bundles to increase profitability? And did you ever find your suppliers' MOQs are too high? In this episode we answer two listener's questions on these very subjects.