The Ecomcrew Ecommerce Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Episode 86: Summit, Shipping and Tips for Sellers With Cameron Walker of Global Sources Sep 14, 2017

Show notes

My guest today is Cameron Walker, the president of the Gifts, Home, and Hardware division of Global Sources. I met Cameron last year and he is a great guy who can help you get your bearings if this is your first Global Sources. As a reminder, Global Sources Summit will be October 17-19.

We will discuss the upcoming speakers, events, and new subjects that an attendee can learn about during this year's Global Sources Summit. I have mentioned several times that I will be speaking at the summit this year. A couple of my topics this year are "10 Sourcing Fails" and "10 Ways to Increase Profitability." Cameron and I offer some friendly advice for getting your company ready to sell in China. We also have some travel tips you might find useful. Bottom line, there is a lot of helpful and practical information in today's episode, so don't miss it!

Here are today's points:

What is Global Sources?
3 Resources Global Sources offers international sellers.
What you can expect at the Global Sources Summit.
Many sellers aren't aware of these different shipping options.
How 1688.com can help you negotiate the best price.
China's recent crackdown on environmental hazards and what that means for your business.
Why you need to know about the currency exchange in China.
The importance of registering your I.P. (intellectual property) before your manufacturer.
Some travel tips for listeners going to the summit this year.

If you are interested in attending Global Resource this year we have a special discount code (3ec50) for our listeners that will take $50 off the ticket price! However, this offer will expire on September 15th, so hurry over to the site for your tickets.

I will also be speaking at EcommerceFuel Live in Laguna Beach, CA January 11-13, 2018. I believe that event is sold out, so if you got your tickets ahead of time I'll see you there!

We have some sponsors to thank as well. The first is Stamped.io, which is a great tool if you need to get some quality reviews for your Shopify store. The second is AsiaInspection, both Dave and I use AsiaInspection when we have to inspect a shipment from China. Both of these sponsors are great partners and we're happy to have a relationship with them.

Resources Mentioned Today:

1688.com

AsiaInspection

EcommerceFuel Live

Global Sources Catalog

Global Sources Exhibitions

Global Sources Summit

Great World

Stamped.io

If you have any questions or anything you'd like us to discuss on the podcast you can now email us directly at ecomcrew.com! Just send those emails to support@ecomcrew.com. Also, we would really appreciate if you would leave us a review on iTunes. Thanks for listening!

Episode 85: Avoiding Common Amazon Issues with C.J. Rosenbaum The Amazon Sellers Attorney Sep 07, 2017

Show notes

My guest today is C.J. Rosenbaum, C.J. is a lawyer who specializes in helping Amazon sellers reinstate their accounts with Amazon. Having an issue with Amazon can be a real headache. Unfortunately, issues will come up for any seller at any time. It doesn't matter how careful you are, there will be complaints that Amazon will have to address. That is where C.J. comes in to help you know your rights and basically give you someone in your corner.

On today's episode, C.J. tells us about the 3 most common issues Amazon sellers deal with when their accounts are suspended. He also tells us how to fight back.

Here are today's conversation points:

How C.J. and I met.
Why having a lawyer through the Amazon process is a good idea.
The top 3 issues for Amazon sellers.
What does Amazon mean by "inauthentic?"
How to fight an "inauthentic" claim.
What is intellectual property and how to approach your accuser.
How to disprove a "used sold as new" claim.
How Arbitration can help Amazon Sellers.
When to use Arbitration.

If you find yourself in need of C.J.'s services visit www.amazonsellerslawyer.com. His email is CJ@AmazonSellersLawyer.com or you can call the office at 1-877-9-SELLER.

Remember I will be speaking at Global Sources this year. Global Sources will be during October, and if you have plans to go, you will receive a discount on your ticket by using Ecom Crew's special discount code (2ec50.)

Today's episode is sponsored by Stamped.io, check out their services if you need help with your reviews in your Shopify store. We use them and have been very pleased with the results.

Resources Mentioned Today:

Amazon

Amazon Sellers' Lawyer

Global Sources

Stamped.io

Episode 84: Rebuilding Another $1Million Brand Aug 31, 2017

Show notes

Recently Dave posted a blog post on the Ecom Crew website. The post is called Part 1: Rebuilding a $1 Million Ecommerce and Importing Business from Scratch. Getting your own brand up and running has its ups and downs and Dave and I explain the process of getting your products to the customer from start to finish.

Here are the points from our conversation:

Our Ecom Crew course.
The new up-dated Ecom Crew website.
Dave's new brand launch.
Why it takes a year to see any results with a new product or business.
All the time and effort it takes before money is exchanged.
Dave's plans for the next 30 days.
How Dave picked his brand's niche.
How he found the perfect products.
Dave's 100 product rule.
The current sales numbers for the brand.
Amazon's Early Reviewer Program.
Amazon's trademark rule.

If you found today's episode interesting, then you are going to enjoy our course! Go to www.ecomcrew.com/course to get updates about our progress in that launch.

Dave and I are going to be attending Global Sources, October 17-19. I will be speaking at the event. If you are interested in attending we have a special discount code (3ec50) for our listeners that will take $50 off the ticket price!

Also, make sure you follow us on Facebook. We do live episodes on our page, so go like the Ecom Crew Facebook page and you will be notified when an episode is about to start.

Resources Mentioned Today:

Ecom Crew Facebook Page

Global Sources

Stamped.io

Episode 83: Facebook Messenger ManyChat Aug 24, 2017

Show notes

Today I'm going to talk about a new avenue of marketing we have found here at Color It. As many Facebook users know, last year the platform pushed for Messenger to be its own stand alone app. We have found a great tool called ManyChat that creates a Facebook Messenger mailing list. This allows us to send marketing messages to potential customers through Facebook Messenger.

Now, there are some restrictions, but as long as we are paying Facebook for advertising, we can use Messenger as a marketing tool. The response to these messages has been overwhelmingly positive. We have done a couple of campaigns or "sequences" as ManyChat calls it on Facebook Messenger and I'm excited to share the surprising results from it!

Here are the points from today's episode:

What is ManyChat?
Chat apps are replacing email marketing.
How ManyChat works with Facebook Messenger.
The Color It contest we launched through ManyChat.
Color It's 23 Download Promotion.
The restrictions Facebook puts on us when using Messenger.
The awesome results we have gotten from using ManyChat!

I have a couple of speaking engagements coming up:

Global Sources -- Hong Kong, October 17-19.
EcommerceFuel Live -- Laguna Beach, CA, January 11-13, 2018.

Also, make sure you follow us on Facebook. We do live episodes on our page, so go like the Ecom Crew Facebook page and you will be notified when an episode is about to start.

Resources Mentioned Today:

AsiaInspection

Color It

Ecom Crew

Ecom Crew Facebook Page

Episode 82: Office Space vs Working Remotely Aug 17, 2017

Show notes

Dave joins me today for a debate. Is it better to have an office space for your company or not? We have slightly different views on this subject. I personally like the professionalism of an office space and warehouse. Dave likes the freedom of working remotely and outsourcing. We compare our reasons for why we have our preferences and give our listeners some pros and cons of both business styles.

There is nothing wrong with either business approach. We simply want to explore our personal work styles, so that maybe you can decide which one best fits your situation.

Here are some points from our conversation:

Dave's upcoming move to Asia.
Why Dave has decided to work from home.
Why I prefer having my staff in an office setting.
Dave's office space blunder.
Why a company should avoid overhead whenever possible.
The benefits of renting a co-working space.
How Treadmill.com pushed me into finding warehouse space.
The problems of running a brick and mortar location.
Should you hire an employee first, or rent an office first?
How modern business culture has changed.
How renting a warehouse can cause problems for your business.
The benefits of outsourcing to a warehouse company.
Why you need to focus on your company's strengths.
The pros and cons of hiring remote employees.

I would like to remind you that I have a couple of speaking engagements coming up:

Global Sources -- Hong Kong, October 17-19. For those of you wanting to attend Global Sources, we have a special listeners' discount code (3ec50.) If you use this code, you will get $50 off your ticket price.

EcommerceFuel Live -- Laguna Beach, CA, January 11-13, 2018.

We also have plans to launch a course on Importing soon. So, check out www.ecomcrew.com/course if you want to sign up for updates. Don't forget to like us on Facebook, so you can join us during the Facebook Live episodes each week.

Today's episode was sponsored by Stamped.io. If you need to take your Shopify reviews to the next level, then Stamped.io can help.

We are also happy to announce, that have a new sponsor in AsiaInspection! AsiaInspection is a company Dave and I both use when we deal with our suppliers in China. AsiaInspection will represent you when you can't go overseas to check your shipment yourself. They are both reliable companies and we are proud to be partnering with them.

Resources Mentioned Today

AsiaInspection

Ecom Crew Facebook Page

Ecom Crew Importing Course

Episode 81: Plans for a New Website Aug 10, 2017

Show notes

Today I'm really excited to tell you about a domain name we have purchased and all the awesome plans we have coming down the pipe. We have just purchased Survivalfood.com. If you guys remember, we purchased Tatical.com a while back. If you go back and listen to episode 72, I talk about all our plans and some of our strategies for Tactical.com. However, today I'm going to share some of the plans we have for Survivalfood.com, which will be a sister property to Tactical.com.

Survivalfood.com will not be an ecommerce store, instead, we have plans to make it a content based site. The articles will be about food stockpiling, camping, backpacking, survivalism, and anything to do with disaster preparation. Hopefully, the content will create organic traffic and interest. I'm really excited about the possibilities because Survivalfood.com is a perfect compliment to Tactical.com! There are tons of opportunities for these two properties.

Here are some of the topics I covered today:

The great time I had at Ecommerce All Stars!
The launch of our new site.
Why we bought Survivalfood.com.
Our plans for Survivalfood.com.
How I decided on this domain name.
An update on what is happening with Tactical.com.

Ecommerce All Stars may be over, but I still have a couple speaking engagements coming up. I also have one to add to the list.

Global Sources -- Hong Kong, October 17-19.

EcommerceFuel Live -- Laguna Beach, CA, January 11-13, 2018.

Sellers' Summit -- Fort Lauderdale, FL, May 3-5, 2018.

This episode is sponsored by Stamped.io. We have recently switched to Stamped.io, so we can get the most out of our reviews, and they have a really great product. We are proud to partner with them and there is a link below to check them out.

Resources Mentioned Today:

Episode 80: Incorporating Subscriptions Into the Business Aug 03, 2017

Show notes

On today's episode I explain the process of incorporating a subscription into Color It. I also discuss tools and other opportunities our listeners might enjoy.

I developed a subscription model for Color It with the subscription fee of $4.99 for 30 drawings a month. The drawings are downloadable images that we have used in other books, so it is a cost effective way to repurpose our content. By offering this service, I am hoping to attract customers who normally may not engage with my other promotional emails. I'm really excited by the prospect!

One opportunity being offered for our listeners is our course on importing from China. Just visit ecomcrew.com/course and sign-up to be notified when we are ready to move forward with it.

Another opportunity is some upcoming events. I will be traveling to Austin, TX this week to speak at Ecommerce All Stars. I have a handful of these speaking events lined up for the year, including:

Global Sources -- Hong Kong, October 17-19.
EcommerceFuel Live -- Laguna Beach, CA, January 11-13, 2018.

If you are going to attend Ecommerce All Stars on August 4th and 5th, make sure you tell me hi!

Here are today's topics:

Ecom Crew's Facebook page and live episodes.
The subscription model we are using for the Coloring Club.
How ClickFunnels.com has been super helpful.
Why you need to know your core customer.
Why we have launched the Coloring Club.
How I sat up the Coloring Club.
Ecom Crew's up-coming course.
My goals for the Coloring Club.
My up-coming speaking engagements.

Resources Mentioned Today:

Ecom Crew Facebook Page

Episode 79: Mike's Alaskan Adventure Jul 27, 2017

Show notes

On today's episode I want to tell you about the awesome time I had up in Alaska and just take a moment to really stress the importance of vacation time. My family and I went up to the Kesugi Ridge Trail and hiked 32 miles over the course of four days.

During my time away there were some issues with the business, but I have built a self-sufficient team, so I was still able to enjoy my trip. Hiking that trail showed me some parallels to running an e-commerce business. If you are interested in seeing some of the sights, then there is a link below to a video I took on the hike.

Here are today's topics:

My hike on the Kesugi Ridge Trail.
Why entrepreneurs need to take vacations from time to time.
The benefits of going somewhere without internet service.
How my team handled some business crises while I was gone.
Why building a good team is important for your business.
My future plans to hike in Hawaii.

I would like to remind our listeners that I am still looking for a Director of Ecommerce. Episode 74 of the podcast outlines what I am looking for in that position. If you know somebody, or if you are that somebody, please email me at mike@terran.com.

Also, I will be speaking at some events this year,

Ecommerce All Stars -- Austin, TX, August 4-5.
Global Sources -- Hong Kong, October 17-19.
EcommerceFuel Live -- Laguna Beach, CA, January 11-13, 2018.

We are back to doing live Facebook episodes again, so follow our Facebook page, and you'll be notified when we do an episode.

Resources Mentioned Today:

Kesugi Ridge Trail Video

Ecom Crew Facebook Page

Ecommerce All Stars

EcommerceFuel Live

Global Sources

Episode 78: Doing Business In and With China - Part Two Jul 20, 2017

Show notes

Welcome to the second half of our doing business in and with China Q and A session. Today we talk about the mistakes we made when we started importing goods from China. We both have examples of things catching us off guard while waiting for our shipments. The issues ranged from a high duty fee on an order, to a major cultural blindside, like Chinese New Year shuts down the whole country for a month!

We also discuss how we handled those time and money crunches that made us want to pull our hair out of our skulls. Sometimes the money just isn't coming in fast enough and sometimes an international incident will delay your product. We offer advice on how to plan ahead, so you aren't stuck with too little or too much inventory.

This half of the Q and A is all about the things that could (and often will) go wrong in your business. Tune in if you want to know what it is really like ordering and shipping products from China. The good, the bad, and the ugly.

Here are some of the topics we discussed today:

What mistakes did we make in the beginning?
Our experiences with poor money management.
How tax laws differ in America versus Canada.
Why waiting for a shipment will almost always take longer, than you expect.
Strategies that will make waiting on inventory shipments a little more tolerable.
Dave's "shot gun" approach to product launching.
Mike's "order more" approach to product launching.
What to do when a product "dies."
Things we do differently now because we learned it the hard way.
The weird business culture differences we didn't expect.
Our top 3 tips for anyone wanting to get started in shipping from China.

As a side note, keep in mind we are launching an Ecom Crew course around September. If you are interested in being part of that, then visit www.ecomcrew.com/course, if you sign-up we'll let you know when the course is ready. The first few people to purchase the course will receive a 25% discount.

Resources Mentioned Today:

Episode 77: Doing Business In and With China - Part One Jul 13, 2017

Show notes

Hello, it's Mike and Dave! This is our first official podcast together. We figured a good first episode was to compare notes about our experiences with doing business in and with China. Dave and I both import our products from China and for the most part, we've both had great results from it.

This topic will be a two-parter. Today we answer some questions about China. If you are thinking about getting into importing from China or any other foreign country, this two-part series will hopefully prepare you for what to expect.

Here are some of the points we discussed today:

When did we start importing from China?
How the market has changed since we started our importing.
Why China really is "the factory of the world."
What it is like to import from other countries, besides China.
Dave's tips for optimizing your inventory costs.
The benefits of having a large product catalog.
What we hate about doing business with China.
What we love about doing business with China.

Just a reminder, I am speaking at some events this year. Here is a list of those events.

Ecommerce All Stars -- Austin, TX, August 4-5.
Global Sources -- Hong Kong, October 17-19.
EcommerceFuel Live -- Laguna Beach, CA, January 11-13, 2018.

Also, keep in mind we are launching an Ecom Crew course around September. If you are interested in being part of that visit www.ecomcrew.com/course, if you sign-up we'll let you know when the course is ready. The first few people to purchase the course will receive a 25% discount.

Resources Mentioned Today: