EcomCrew | Actionable eCommerce Shopify and Amazon FBA Advice

"How do you pick the perfect ecommerce product?" This is one of the questions I get asked the most. It's understandable--with hordes of products to choose from and a wide array of Amazon categories, choosing just the right product is overwhelming. In today's episode I will share with you the method I use when picking the perfect products to sell. If you're just starting and have absolutely no idea what products to choose, this episode is a good place to start.

With margins squeezed the hardest, it's no wonder manufacturers are looking beyond the traditional supply chain and want to reach out to customers directly, capturing profits that their distributors and retailers make. This is the case with today's Under the Hood episode guest, Matt Baack. Matt makes a good profit margin in the B2C area and wants to transition completely to B2C. In this episode we talk about how he can make this transition as smooth as possible. We look at the low-hanging fruit--the options that can move the needle as fast as possible without spending a ton of money.

If you've been listening to the EcomCrew Podcast for quite some time, you'll know that I'm a big believer of masterminds. The company of people who understand your struggles as an entrepreneur and offer guidance on your growth is invaluable. I recently joined a mastermind with mid- to high-seven figure entrepreneurs and I just came back from an in-person retreat with them. I just literally landed and went right away to record this episode, because the retreat had such a profound impact on me that it made me reflect on the big picture and see what actually matters to me in the long run.

Our guest for today's episode is Meghla Bhardwaj, Head of Content Marketing at Global Sources and organizer of the Global Sources Summit. Our conversation revolves around two topics: results of a survey carried out by Global Sources on trade show attendees and tips and best practices on how to improve sourcing.

Amazon sellers' forums and groups were alive with the sound of panic last week. On February 26th, Amazon sent emails to hundreds and maybe even thousands of sellers containing a warning about Terms of Service violations. While we see some posts claiming that the email is just due to a glitch on Amazon's side (since it seems to be sent en masse), it was still enough to give those playing with fire a pretty good scare. Thankfully, we did not get the email. I hope you didn't, too.

On Monday’s episode, Rob and I discussed how to effectively manage Filipino VAs and foster a long-lasting working relationship with them. Now that we’ve got that covered, we move on to the second part of Rob’s problem: scaling his business.

Rob Hampton, our guest for today's Under the Hood episode, talks about the problems he ran into when working with Filipino VAs. We've managed to put together a team of awesome Filipino VAs who've been with us for a while now. They've done tremendous things for our business and we would not have grown so much in recent years if not for their help. Rob and I discuss how to build such a team, and how to manage VAs in a way that fosters a long-term relationship.

Our months of hard work have finally paid off! We are happy to announce that the following courses are open for registration: Build a 7-Figure Product Brand and Import From China Like a Pro. And to kick things off, we have Dave Bryant from literally the other side of the world on the podcast to talk about the course and the carefully curated content that's waiting for you on the other side. And if that's not a treat in itself (you guys know how hard it is to get Dave on the podcast), we're offering the two courses for the price of just one, for a limited time only.

Ezra Firestone is in the house! That's right, Ezra Firestone of Smart Marketer is our guest for today's episode. Today's topic goes to the very core of any business--money. Ezra shares his exact formula on how much he spends on all areas of his businesses, and why he tends to spend a lot more on areas where most entrepreneurs tend to cut corners.

Have you ever had that feeling when you just know you're about to get fired from your job? In 41 years I have never been fired--I worked hard enough to not be in that situation--and it's certainly uncomfortable dealing with this issue with a company I started.

This is Part 2 of last Monday's Under the Hood episode. I talk to Cory Stout of Woodies.com about an impending threat to this business: Chinese sellers. We believe that it's only a matter of time before they swamp Amazon and the platform will be too small for everyone to thrive in. With that in mind, Cory and I discuss a topic that might actually be difficult to talk about--selling his business.

For today's episode, we have Cory Stout of Woodies.com on the spotlight. Cory is living a nomadic lifestyle while running Woodies, and since automation is a big part of his business, he has been racking up a long list of SAAS (Software as a Service) subscriptions. Today he and I talk about his subscriptions and evaluate whether or not they're worth keeping.

Our guest for today's episode is Dan Faggella, a Class A badass guy. He is a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu master, an Artificial Intelligence enthusiast, and the first guy to ever break my number 1 rule on the EcomCrew Podcast. Dan and I talk about how he built his first ecommerce company, Science of Skill, into a multi-million dollar venture selling digital products, and how you can do it too.

Last week, Megan and I talked about cash flow and early-stage financing for her ecommerce business. We continue to talk a little bit more about financing in this episode, specifically Amazon loans, then move on to the next big issue: Facebook ads.

We have another Under the Hood episode for you! We have Megan Loftin of The Bootstrap Boutique on the spotlight and we talk about the best ways to finance her business and solve cash flow and inventory problems. Look out for Part 2 on Monday!