Supply Chain Shipping Madness & Section 301 Tariff Exclusion Update – Mark Adkison EP99

What sort of important data can a brand gain from working with a Reverse Logistics company? How can you lower your return rate and improve customer satisfaction? In this episode, you will hear about how Reverse Logistics can improve your business with help the environment with a focus on sustainability, getting products back into the market for second use or recycling.

Amazon 3P Marketplace Strategy with John Holby 

In this episode of the Page 1 Podcast, Luke Peters speaks with John Holby on how to better optimize on Amazon and scale your sales with 3P listings. John is the CEO of CPG.IO where they offer eCommerce logistics strategies, eRetail integrations, and optimization services to fast-growing brands.

Listen in to learn why 3P might be a better business model than 1P and how to approach it. You will also learn the advantages of having a Shopify site for your business and why you need to utilize it even as you use Amazon.  

Key Takeaways:

• How to ensure your 3P listings are driving business
• The future plans of Amazon and how we can plan around them
• How to maximize the benefits of Shopify in your business even as you use Amazon.

Episode Timeline:

• [1:46] Get to know John Holby and how they help clients with direct-to-consumer sales at CPG.IO.
• [10:44] How using influencers and social marketing is helping them get more reviews on Amazon.
• [12:58] The different ways they work with Walmart and how each of them works.
• [15:43] The difference between 1P listings and 3P listings and how to approach it.
• [17:52] The unfair ‘competition’ going on Amazon right now.
• [20:31] Why 3P is increasingly becoming a better business model for some brands.
• [22:14] All about Prime one day and why it’s challenging for businesses.
• [24:06] The benefits of having a Shopify site and how CPG.IO helps clients maximize them.
• [27:58] John explains CPG.IO’s other services and their future growth strategy.

How did your business navigate the Covid crisis? Did you learn new innovative ways that grew the business, or did you stagnate in the same old models? To navigate a huge crisis and still grow as a business calls for adopting new models or products that fit in that particular time and moment.

In this episode of the Page 1 Podcast, Luke Peters speaks with Atul Vir on how his business navigated the 2020 pandemic through innovation after 30 years of operation. Atul Vir is a hands-on CEO, seasoned entrepreneur, inventor, and author. He started his business Equator Advanced Appliances in 1991 which he operates on the principles of strong ethics and superior customer service.

Listen in to learn how Atul and his team were able to reimagine and reengineer his company to a favorable and growth position during the pandemic. You will also learn the importance of staying prepared and flexible as a business in any phase of the economy.

Key Takeaways:

• How to focus your business specialization on what the customer needs and wants.
• The importance of having the product inventory in advance to keep growing a business during a crisis.
• Why businesses should stay prepared and flexible even after the pandemic.
• How to use empathy to anticipate customer needs when developing products.

Episode Timeline:

• [2:49] Atul describes the innovative products they sell at Equator Appliances and their focus.
• [5:00] How they reimagined and reengineered the company during the 2020 pandemic to make it their best year in 30 years.
• [8:20] The steps and risks they took to overcome the Covid challenges and stay in business.
• [11:51] How the pandemic taught them to plan for product inventory in advance to avoid delays.
• [14:48] How they navigated cost increases by introducing newer models that fit in a new selling price.
• [17:53] Why it’s uncertain whether the cost of production will continue being high or not after the pandemic.
• [21:02] The innovative outdoor refrigerator and air conditioner Atul came up with, in 2020.
• [23:11] How Atul has learned to understand the customer needs and wants to innovate products.
• [25:16] The different markets Equator Appliances has been able to support during the pandemic.
• [30:22] How some businesses failed during Covid plus how the appliances market will proceed post-pandemic.
• [33:54] The engagement and support Atul and his team are offering to Covid victims in India.

Quotes:

• “Empathy starts by showing concern for not yourself but your customers.”- Atul [24:41]

How to Properly Launch A Product into The Market with Massive Success

Do you have a dream or the goal of successfully launching your product into the market? Have you set up the right strategy to ensure everything works even better than planned? Listen, many elements need to fall into place to ensure that you have a unique product, a ready market for it, and a launching plan set in advice.

That’s why, in this episode of the Page One Podcast, we have Helen Thomas, she has just helped DMAI successfully launch an artificial intelligence product. Helen is the CEO of DMAI, which is a global general artificial intelligence company. She has for many years grown businesses in the technology, digital media, and now artificial intelligence industries.

Listen in to learn the importance of building a community even before the product launch to ensure there is a ready market for it. You will also learn the importance of preparing for the launch in advance, plus simple ways to get you good product reviews.

Key Takeaways:

• How to build a community as part of the marketing campaign during your product’s pre-launch stage.
• Utilizing consistent earned media to support your paid media to keep your Facebook campaign fresh and results-yielding.
• How to prepare for your product launch in advance to ensure its success.
• The importance of adding a human touch to your customer service to ensure good reviews.

Episode Timeline:

• [1:26] Get to know Helen and what they do at DMAI.
• [2:52] She describes the Virtual Preschool System, Animal Island Learning Adventure they launched.
• [5:21] DMAI’s scope of operation, the size of their team, and how they were affected by the pandemic.
• [7:03] The journey of formulating a strategy to create AILA, which became the starting point.
• [9:31] How they invested heavily to produce their software and hardware original content.
• [12:37] She explains how they approached the marketing of the product before launching to build its root in the market.
• [15:56] How to approach Facebook paid and earned media with consistency to see results.
• [19:10] The type of audience they target for AILA online, especially during the pandemic.
• [22:08] Why they only direct their traffic to one place which is their website.
• [25:08] Factors to look into to compliment your business website to be as good in sales as Amazon.
• [29:39] Helen on how she successfully led the preparation for the product launch.
• [32:17] The features that make AILA unique, better, and to perform excellently in the market.
• [35:11] The three simple and guaranteed ways to get you good reviews.
• [38:02] The importance of creating content based on what you care about to attract and build a community.

Quotes:

• “Dream big and execute day by day, you will get there.”- Helen [41:11]

How to Approach Selling on Amazon in 2021

How are you approaching your selling on Amazon strategy? Have you diversified your channels or are you solely relying on Amazon? Diversifying your channels as a business is very important instead of solely depending on Amazon. It is also important to first focus on differentiating the product before diversifying the channels.

 In this episode of the Page One Podcast, Luke Peters interviews Brian Beck, eCommerce expert advisor and author of the Billion Dollar B2B Ecommerce book. He has 20+ years of experience in eCommerce and specializes in creating eCommerce strategies worth hundreds of millions to clients.

Listen in to learn the importance of directing outside traffic to your Amazon site rather than your website at the beginning of your marketing campaign. You will also learn why you need to first differentiate your product rather than selling channels.

Key Takeaways:

• How to succeed by expanding your business to multiple channels and not just rely on Amazon.
• How to increase your visibility on your Amazon site by directing traffic from outside Amazon.
• How Amazon is working to get rid of fake reviews’ sites that negatively affect businesses.

Episode Timeline:

• [1:14] Brian’s background in the eCommerce sector for the last 22 years.
• [2:40] How they help businesses grow with Amazon at Enceiba.
• [4:31] How they help well-established brands navigate Amazon fit into their overall picture.
• [7:26] Why most businesses are shifting to 3P selling on Amazon over 1P.
• [10:42] The importance of expanding your retail and distribution channels without solely relying on Amazon.
• [17:47] How to build your positive reviews using Amazon tools and work to remove the bad ones.
• [24:20] The advantages of directing traffic to your Amazon site to kickstart your marketing campaign.
• [29:15] The different software tools that Enceiba has built to help clients navigate Amazon.
• [34:12] Brian narrates how they helped a certain company transform their Amazon image for the better.

Quotes:

• “At the end of the day, a manufacturer needs to differentiate on product, not on channel.”- Brian [12:47]

3 HAG WAY: How to Develop a Plan and Build a Confident Team to Succeed in Business

Imagine having a business strategy that’s a well-thought-out plan and a culturally strong team to help you succeed. Having a prescriptive framework like the 3 HAG WAY to help you take the guesswork out of your business strategy and to lead your team with confidence.

in this episode of the Page One Podcast, we have Shannon Susko talk about the 3 HAG WAY methodology and how it helped businesses grow during the pandemic. Shannon has more than twenty years of experience building and leading high-growth technology companies in the financial services industry. She currently serves as a corporate director and a leadership coach helping CEOs and top executives in a variety of industries keep their companies on the path to growth and predictable profit.

Listen in to learn how to stop making assumption mistakes and instead adopt the habit of doing market research for facts. You will also learn the vitality of growing a confident team to help you be a confident leader and take your business to the next level.

Key Takeaways:

• The importance of having the patience to build the execution plan and the team.
• How to collect information and do market research regularly to always have facts, not assumptions.
• How to have a thought-out plan to reach business success by utilizing a crisis like the pandemic.

Episode Timeline:

• [2:53] How to execute the 3 HAG WAY methodology in business during the pandemic.
• [5:29] How to wrap all the systems around the strategy by executing the plan and growing the team.
• [10:49] How the 3 HAG WAY aligns the team with the business’s plan and makes things more objective.
• [13:27] The mistake of assumptions that many businesses make instead of focusing on the facts.
• [18:00] The benefits of having thorough and regular market research to have facts in your business.
• [20:25] How companies using the 3 HAG WAY became proactive in projecting and managing the expectations of stakeholders during the pandemic.
• [27:08] Shannon talks about her involvement with the Milo's Tea Company and how she helped turn it around during the pandemic.
• [35:28] The importance of planning and committing to growing your team to achieve your business goals.

Quotes:

• “Assumptions come from not doing the research in the market that we need to.”- Shannon [18:03]

How to Increase the Chances of your Amazon Business Getting Acquired

Have you been thinking of exiting your eCommerce business but don’t know where to start? Or maybe you don’t know whether your business is in the right position to attract good buyers? How about positioning your eCommerce business rightly and taking it to the next level, especially now during the eCommerce high?

In this episode of the Page One Podcast, Luke Peters interviews Sarah Dajani, the Vice President of Operations at Boosted Commerce. She’s a Phi Beta Kappa graduate from Princeton University and has a Master’s in Business Administration from Stanford University. She explains the lessons of being a good student and the value of staying connected that she learned from Princeton and Stanford.

Listen in to learn the importance of trusting the entrepreneurial process and learning as you grow, to succeed. You will also learn how companies like Boosted Commercial are changing the eCommerce business dynamic.

Key Takeaways:

• How to achieve your set goals and excel by putting in the work and trying more than once.
• The impact of the pandemic on eCommerce, especially on Amazon.
• The power of having access to knowledge, people, and institution to understand the economy and find success.

Episode Timeline:

• [3:27] Sarah explains how to trust the entrepreneurial process and learn as you grow.
• [6:16] How she put in the work to get into Princeton and Stanford plus get a job with Bain.
• [8:15] The lessons of being a good student and the importance of staying connected she learned from Princeton and Stanford.
• [11:34] How Boosted Commerce buys and grows eCommerce businesses.
• [15:39] How she works with brand managers at Boosted to grow and maintain those brands.
• [17:56] The relationship that Boosted aims to build with eCommerce business owners during and after purchasing their businesses.
• [20:31] The importance of positioning your eCommerce business to the next level to prepare for exit.
• [22:44] Why the valuation of eCommerce businesses has changed over time.
• [26:44] Understanding what Amazon will and will not become over the long term.
• [31:27] She explains why companies like Boosted are here to grow businesses on Amazon and not chase them away.
• [35:21] The different ways to have access to knowledge, the right education, and the right network.

Quotes:

“What Amazon’s system rewards companies for is bringing additional traffic to the platform.”- Sarah [31:56]

Built to Sell: How to Exit in Private Equity

Have you been thinking of selling your business but don’t understand how to go about it? The process of selling a business is a complex one that can take up to several months and in some cases end up not happening.

That is why in this episode of the Page One Podcast, we have Sean Belnick to share how he successfully exited his business after growing it from $0 to $300 million in value. Sean founded Belnick, Inc in 2001 and successfully completed an exit in early 2017, and transitioned to a full-time board member in 2019. Belnick, Inc continues to remain one of the largest distributors of furniture to internet-enabled retailers and services tens of thousands of customers nationwide.

Listen in to understand the process of successfully selling a business without jeopardizing its values and objectives. You will also learn why selling to the highest bidder isn’t necessarily the best thing for your business.

Key Takeaways:

• Why it is challenging to sell a business that requires large working capital.
• The importance of ensuring you and the investors see things the same way before creating a purchase agreement.
• Why selling your business value is not the most critical part of the selling process.
• How to be successful in business by staying true to your values and focusing on customer needs.

Episode Timeline:

• [1:55] Sean describes what Belnick Inc. does, which is to primarily distribute office furniture.
• [4:49] The benefits of starting a West Coast office as an East Coast distribution company.
• [7:00] How he scaled Belnick Inc. from $0 to $300 million from 2001 to 2021.
• [9:01] Why it was difficult to sell Belnick Inc. over the years and how they improved to appeal to investors.
• [13:06] Things to pay close attention to, to sell your business at the right time and for what it’s worth.
• [16:07] The process of going to market, how they approached the purchase agreement, and the challenges they encountered.
• [20:12] Making sure your business values and objectives are in alignment with those you sell your business to.
• [22:14] Sean describes the time consumption and hurdles they faced during the sale process.
• [28:17] The long-term equity versus making more profits perspectives that Sean and his buyers had.  
• [30:59] He explains how he transitioned from a CEO to a full-time board member.
• [33:20] The importance of working hard and solving a customer’s problems to create a successful brand.
• [37:49] He talks about his latest passion for helping small business owners and people with ideas.

Quotes:

“The person who invents the idea isn’t necessarily the one who monetizes it the best way.”- Sean Belnick [36:28]

Dr. Robin Gaster: How to Approach Selling on Amazon for Business Success

Is it time for you to make the exclusive brands’ partnership program with Amazon? How will having a deal with Amazon to market your brand on their marketplace benefit your brand? Is it worth it or even smart to completely leave it to Amazon to handle your brand on their platform?

In this episode of the Page One Podcast, we have Dr. Robin Gaster to discuss Amazon’s exclusive brands, 3P vs. 1P, and Amazon’s private label. He’s the CEO of Incumetrics, a data and analytics firm focused primarily on innovation, and a visiting scholar at George Washington University. He has a master’s degree in philosophy and a PhD in political science from Berkeley.

Listen in to learn why you should focus on building and strengthening your brand outside of Amazon to become successful. You will also learn why going 3P on Amazon will lead to more success in your business than selling 1P.

Key Takeaways:

• Why you shouldn’t rely on Amazon to build your brand.
• How to avoid the risk of 1P on Amazon by making 3P successful for your business.
• Why the possibility of Amazon’s private-label going away is high leaving it a marketplace only.
• The importance of building and owning your brand outside of Amazon.

Episode Timeline:

• [1:35] Robin describes the strategy and data evaluation work he does for government agencies.
• [5:53] Understanding why Amazon is building exclusive brand partnerships.
• [10:50] The disadvantage of Chinese manufacturers selling directly to US consumers through Amazon.
• [16:38] Why the idea of Amazon’s idea of building exclusive brand partnerships will not benefit your business.
• [26:40] Why Amazon is pushing companies from 1P to 3P and why you should make your 3P successful.
• [29:58] Amazon’s private-label business and its difference from the exclusive brands’ program.
• [33:23] Why Amazon’s exclusive brand partnerships are more of Amazon’s business rather than building brands.
• [39:20] Why Amazon’s private label isn’t significantly growing due to its low unit price.
• [42:17] Dr. Robin explains why there’s no possibility of a worthy Amazon competitor now and in the future.
• [43:42] Why Amazon should focus on healthcare in the next 5 years.
• [45:03] Dr. Robin talks about his book and how it explores the topic of Amazon.

Quotes:

“Make sure you got the right team and don’t try and overpower the team as the founder.”- Robin [4:19]