-
Business
‘High Quality, Low Volume’ Drives GouletPens.com to 35 Employees, 4,500 SKUs
April 19, 2020 • Eric Bandholz
Conventional ecommerce wisdom is that merchants should sell across multiple channels, manufacture or control their products, and scale. Don't tell that to Brian Goulet, president of The Goulet Pen Company, which sells high-end fountain pens and writing accessories.
-
Business
Iraq War Veteran Fails, then Succeeds, with Men’s Underwear Brand
March 24, 2020 • Eric Bandholz
In 2008 Robert Patton was coming off his second deployment in Iraq with the U.S. Army. “I was going to do 20 years in the Army,” he said, “But I'd already been on two deployments and was scheduled to go back for a third. I had a family. I didn’t want to spend half of my time in Iraq. So I had this idea.”
-
Business
Ecommerce Owners on Morning Routines, Work-life Balance
March 5, 2020 • Eric Bandholz
Last month I spoke with Ronnie Teja, an innovative entrepreneur who runs multiple ecommerce sites. The published interview focused on how he launched the business. We also discussed work-life balance. What follows is that portion of our discussion.
-
Business
Canada-based Entrepreneur Scales to 15 Websites, 30 Remote Employees
February 23, 2020 • Eric Bandholz
Ronnie Teja immigrated to Vancouver, Canada in 2008. He was 22. Fast-forward to 2020, and he owns and operates a thriving ecommerce company that sells watches and related accessories. I recently spoke with him about launching his company, acquiring sites, and the challenges of managing it remotely.
-
Business
Building an Ecommerce Business, Part 19: Just Do It
June 25, 2019 • Eric Bandholz
This is the final episode in my "Building an Ecommerce Business" interview series. I've hosted 18 amazing guests who have provided much insight into launching, growing, and selling an ecommerce business. There is no right way to do that. You'll likely find success, however, if you focus on three primary functions: vision, execution, and cash flow.
-
Business
Building an Ecommerce Business, Part 18: Selling the Company
June 6, 2019 • Eric Bandholz
Launching and then growing an ecommerce business can be both exciting and stressful. The reward for many entrepreneurs is to sell their companies someday. For this installment in my series on building an ecommerce business, I spoke with Michael Jackness, the owner of a multi-brand ecommerce company. We discussed the process of selling an ecommerce business, which he has done multiple times.
-
Business
Building an Ecommerce Business, Part 17: Growing a Community
May 20, 2019 • Eric Bandholz
An engaged, passionate community around an ecommerce business can drive referrals, loyalty, and repeat sales. But developing that community is not always easy. This is episode 17 in my series on building an ecommerce business from the ground up. For this installment, I spoke with Andrew Youderian, the founder of EcommerceFuel, a popular community of ecommerce merchants.
-
Conversion
Building an Ecommerce Business, Part 16: Custom Manufacturing
May 15, 2019 • Eric Bandholz
Selling manufactured goods directly to consumers, with no retail middlemen, has exploded on the internet. For this episode 16, I spoke with Jimmy Hayes, the co-founder of Minaal, a manufacturer of "bags and gear for life on the move."
-
Content Marketing
Building an Ecommerce Business, Part 15: Content Essentials
May 5, 2019 • Eric Bandholz
Content marketing for ecommerce businesses is much more than a sales pitch. Done well, it connects with prospective customers and tells the story of a brand. In this episode 15 of my series on building an ecommerce business from the ground up, I spoke with Andrew Snavely, the founder of Primer, an online magazine, and Ryan Hunter Masters, the founder of Show Her Off, and a dance instruction site.
-
Business
Building an Ecommerce Business, Part 14: Using Kickstarter
April 16, 2019 • Eric Bandholz
A successful campaign on Kickstarter, the crowdfunding platform, can help validate a business and a product. Cathryn Lavery, the founder of BestSelf, a producer of productivity journals and tools, used Kickstarter in 2015 to launch the company. What follows is my entire audio conversation with Lavery, and a transcript, edited for length and clarity.
-
Business
Building an Ecommerce Business, Part 13: Raising Money
March 25, 2019 • Eric Bandholz
Launching an ecommerce business takes perseverance, passion, and, typically, money. Raising that money can be time-consuming and frustrating. I recently spoke with Joshua Bingaman and Brad Day of Helm Boots, a manufacturer and seller of handcrafted leather boots. We discussed the process of evolving from a start-up, bootstrapped company to one that needs investors, money, and structure.
-
Business
Building an Ecommerce Business, Part 12: Acquiring Companies
February 20, 2019 • Eric Bandholz
Acquiring ecommerce businesses requires skill and diligence. Financing is a major consideration, as is learning from the previous owner and hiring new executives, if necessary. This is episode 12 in my series on building an ecommerce business from the ground up.
-
Business
Building an Ecommerce Business, Part 11: Selling on Amazon
January 28, 2019 • Eric Bandholz
A fundamental decision for many ecommerce entrepreneurs is whether to sell on Amazon. The potential is high, but the competition is increasing tough, among other risks. This is episode 11 in my series on building an ecommerce business from the ground up. For this installment, I spoke with Mike Tecku, co-founder of Sky Solutions.
-
Business
Building an Ecommerce Business, Part 10: Apparel Sales, Manufacturing
January 10, 2019 • Eric Bandholz
Selling apparel online is notoriously competitive. The margins are thin, typically. With hundreds of SKUs for size and color and styles, inventory management can be complicated — especially when the ...
-
Business
Building an Ecommerce Business, Part 9: YouTube Strategy
December 30, 2018 • Eric Bandholz
Producing quality videos is immensely difficult. It requires a clear vision from idea to finished product. This is episode nine in my series on building an ecommerce business from the ground up.
-
Business
Building an Ecommerce Business, Part 8: Customer Service
December 12, 2018 • Eric Bandholz
Startups and seasoned merchants alike can run into hiccups with managing customer service. Is it better to do it in-house or to outsource? Should you hire someone from the start? This is episode eight in my series on building an ecommerce business from the ground up.
-
Business
Building an Ecommerce Business, Part 7: Shipping and Fulfillment
November 28, 2018 • Eric Bandholz
A merchant who sells physical products has to figure out how to efficiently get those items into the hands of customers. It can become complicated as the business scales and receives international orders. This is episode seven in my series on building an ecommerce business from the ground up.
-
Staffing
Building an Ecommerce Business, Part 6: Hiring Employees
November 15, 2018 • Eric Bandholz
Without the right people, a new ecommerce business would almost certainly fail. Refining the hiring process can help find the perfect candidate. For this interview, I spoke with Ayman Al-Abdullah, president of AppSumo, about his hiring method and how it has evolved.
-
Business
Building an Ecommerce Business, Part 5: Paid Acquisition
October 30, 2018 • Eric Bandholz
Knowing where to advertise can be daunting to new and experienced ecommerce entrepreneurs alike. There are many options. Digital marketing agencies can provide some answers. For this interview, I visited with Alex Hart, founder of Good Joo Joo, an Austin, Texas-based digital marketing agency. I asked her about paid acquisition, the process of using advertising to acquire customers.
-
Business
Building an Ecommerce Business, Part 4: Copywriting Matters
October 17, 2018 • Eric Bandholz
Good copy sells. Spicing up your copy will give your online store a personality to stand above competitors. In this fourth installment in my series of conversations about building an ecommerce business, I visited with Neville Medhora, founder of Kopywriting Kourse.
-
Business
Building an Ecommerce Business, Part 3: Early Days
October 9, 2018 • Eric Bandholz
The early days of an ecommerce business are among the most important. Growing a business from infancy is complicated and unforgiving. This is the third installment in my series of conversations about building an ecommerce business.
-
Business
Building an Ecommerce Business, Part 2: Selecting Platforms
September 26, 2018 • Eric Bandholz
Selecting an ecommerce platform is among the most critical decisions of a new entrepreneur. There are hundreds of choices — hosted, licensed, open source. Key factors in the process typically ...
-
Business
Building an Ecommerce Business, Part 1: Choosing Partners
September 18, 2018 • Eric Bandholz
This is an extended series on launching, growing, and selling an ecommerce business. This initial installment will address the process of choosing business partners. My two partners at Beardbrand are supportive and knowledgeable. I asked one of them, Lindsey Reinders, to offer suggestions and tips for selecting partners.
-
Content Marketing
>
Merchant Voice
The ultimate content marketing strategy
August 22, 2016 • Eric Bandholz
The idea of using content to help drive ecommerce sales can sometimes feel daunting. Today’s digital landscape is a 24-hour news cycle, with social media platforms that never sleep. Content ...
-
Business
>
Merchant Voice
Use collaborations to expand reach, revenue
July 5, 2016 • Eric Bandholz
Entrepreneurs tend to focus on their own companies and how to build them from within. While this focus is a major factor in growing a business, don’t overlook the benefits of ...
-
Business > Merchant Voice
Developing custom, manufactured products
June 10, 2016 • Eric Bandholz
Building a business requires a lot of moving parts. From cultivating relationships with peers and customers to branding and marketing, there are many factors that go into being successful. But ...
-
Business
>
Merchant Voice
To grow an ecommerce business, step away
May 11, 2016 • Eric Bandholz
I recently returned from a trip to Amsterdam. It wasn’t a holiday, but a strategy meeting. The three owners of Beardbrand spent a week in the city to focus on ...
-
Business
>
Merchant Voice
Does your company have a soul?
April 9, 2016 • Eric Bandholz
When they hit a plateau on the growth of their business, entrepreneurs often look at ways to initiate a spark. One of the biggest things that companies overlook is the ...
-
Business
>
Merchant Voice
Pop-ups bad for the web, bad for business
March 9, 2016 • Eric Bandholz
Our company is approached frequently by app makers that are selling pop-ups, or modals, for our ecommerce site. The pitch is usually the same: Use our pop-up to get more ...
-
Business
>
Merchant Voice
Beardbrand’s photography process
February 9, 2016 • Eric Bandholz
Photography should be a high priority for ecommerce merchants. There are tons of guides on how to take great photographs. This article won’t be one of those. Instead, I hope ...