Business

An ecommerce site is a business. Our Management & Finance category addresses online payments, funding needs, employee issues, merchant profiles, key metrics, multichannel and omnichannel strategies, cross-border analyses, inventory management, accounting topics, sales taxes, and much more.

Business
Ridge Wallet CEO on Influencer Turmoil, iOS 14.5

July 15, 2022 • Eric Bandholz

The year 2021 produced dramatic escalations in influencer marketing rates and upheaval in Facebook ad performance. Both are critical marketing channels for Ridge Wallet, the maker of metal-clad billfolds.
Shipping & Fulfillment
How to Offer Free Shipping without Going Broke

July 11, 2022 • Armando Roggio

Online consumers expect free shipping. But small and mid-size merchants sometimes struggle with the cost. Here are innovative approaches to meet shopper expectations without losing money.
Business
Guatemalan Entrepreneurs Are Gay, Married, Successful

July 8, 2022 • Eric Bandholz

Hans Schrei launched Wunderkeks, a direct-to-consumer cookie company, from his mom's kitchen in Guatemala in 2012. Amid obstacles, he immigrated to Austin, Texas, with his husband in 2019. Here's their story.
Payments
Does Ecommerce Need a New Payment System?

July 7, 2022 • Armando Roggio

Ecommerce payments in 2022 largely involve a Byzantine setup of intermediaries. Is now the time for a more efficient method of exchanging value?
Business
Ecommerce Product Releases: July 4, 2022

July 4, 2022 • Sig Ueland

Twice monthly we publish a rundown of new products, updates, and services that could help merchants. This installment includes updates on live stream shopping, sales analytics, social commerce, and more.
Business
Custom Teeth Guards Propel Online Dental Lab

July 1, 2022 • Eric Bandholz

Selling custom-fitted teeth guards would seemingly involve in-person visits from customers. But not for Pro Teeth Guard. It sells made-to-order guards online. Co-founder JP Ji explains.
Finance
For Global Unicorns, It’s Growth and Volatility

June 30, 2022 • Marcia Kaplan

The availability of private capital allows companies to delay going public. The result? More than 1,000 private companies worldwide are now valued in excess of $1 billion. But it's not always smooth sailing. We explain.
Business
5 Predictions for the 2022 Holiday Shopping Season

June 27, 2022 • Armando Roggio

Since 2013 senior contributor Armando Roggio has predicted ecommerce sales for the upcoming holiday season. His 2022 predictions consider inflation, which he believes could have multiple impacts.
Business
Lessons from Shopify 2.0 Upgrade, New Theme

June 24, 2022 • Eric Bandholz

Host Eric Bandholz's company, Beardbrand, recently migrated to Shopify 2.0. Jenny Durre, Beardbrand's in-house designer, managed the entire process. She describes it in this conversation.
Amazon & Marketplaces
SEO: Amazon Keyword Research Tools

June 23, 2022 • Ann Smarty

Consumers conduct more product searches on Amazon than on any other site, including Google. Hence understanding those search terms on Amazon informs merchants not just on that platform, but for Google optimization, too.
Shipping & Fulfillment
7 Reasons to Consider USPS Flat Rate Shipping

June 22, 2022 • Armando Roggio

Merchants in North America have many carrier choices for delivering goods to customers. The U.S. Postal Service's flat-rate shipping boxes can save money in certain instances. We compare prices in this post.
Amazon & Marketplaces
Ecommerce Briefs: Google Marketplace; Walmart; Drones

June 19, 2022 • Marcia Kaplan

This installment of "Ecommerce Briefs," an occasional series, includes developments on Google ecommerce, Walmart fulfillment and infrastructure, and drone deliveries.
Inventory
Supply Chain Bottlenecks from the Trenches

June 13, 2022 • Christopher Dobroth

Contributor Christoper Dobroth, a longtime ecommerce manager, purchases inventory for his employer, a seller of lighting and home decor items. He explains his reality of keeping goods in stock in mid-2022.
Business
PostPilot Is Klaviyo for Postcards

June 10, 2022 • Eric Bandholz

Apple's iOS 14 privacy changes have upended Facebook advertising performance, forcing merchants to seek alternative marketing channels. Direct mail is back.
Amazon & Marketplaces
Network Effects Drive Ecommerce Marketplace Growth

June 9, 2022 • Armando Roggio

The collective value buyers and sellers provide to a marketplace is known as the network effect. Longtime contributor Armando Roggio discusses.
Staffing
Feeling Stuck or Burned Out? Get a Fresh Start

June 6, 2022 • Armando Roggio

When work performance is down, a fresh start might be just the thing to spark a breakthrough. Take Major League Baseball, for example.
Business
Cocktail Syrup Manufacturer Pivots to DTC

June 3, 2022 • Eric Bandholz

Liber & Co., a maker of cocktail syrups, thrived by selling to bars and restaurants. Then Covid hit, decimating revenue. Co-founder Chris Harrison explains what happened next.
Finance
9 Europe-based Ecommerce Unicorns

May 29, 2022 • Marcia Kaplan

Post-pandemic investments soar for many European startups. Here are nine notable ecommerce-related companies valued at more than $1 billion.
Business
‘Impossible Sleep’ Makes Sleep Possible

May 27, 2022 • Eric Bandholz

Struggling to sleep, the founder of "Impossible" launched a nutritional supplement to help high-performing individuals improve rest and recovery.
Amazon & Marketplaces
Will Amazon Convert Shipping Expense into Profit?

May 26, 2022 • Armando Roggio

Amazon is on the brink of becoming the second-largest parcel delivery service in the U.S. Its shipping cost may become a profit center.
Amazon & Marketplaces
Fed-up Toy Company Responds to Knock-offs

May 20, 2022 • Eric Bandholz

Viahart is a manufacturer of educational toys. Having experienced repeated intellectual property theft, its owner, Molson Hart, responded with a new company, Edison Litigation Financing.
Shipping & Fulfillment
Shopify Buys Logistics Company Deliverr

May 16, 2022 • Marcia Kaplan

Shopify's acquisition of fulfillment company Deliverr will help it compete with Amazon and will otherwise jumpstart stalled growth.
Staffing
Efficiency Pro: Happy People Are More Productive

May 13, 2022 • Eric Bandholz

Thanh Pham is the founder of Asian Efficiency, a productivity training company. He believes building in-person connections and nurturing relationships naturally enhances productivity.
Staffing
Employee Compensation Options, Near and Long-term

May 10, 2022 • Armando Roggio

A good employee compensation plan will provide near and long-term value to workers. The plan could have components that are guaranteed and performance-based.
Amazon & Marketplaces
Rivian Write-down Moves Amazon to Q1 2022 Net Loss

May 10, 2022 • Marcia Kaplan

Amazon posted a Q1 2022 net loss, its first since 2015. Contributor and financial guru Marcia Kaplan looks at the numbers.
Business
Needing Deodorant, Curie Founder Made Her Own

May 6, 2022 • Eric Bandholz

In 2018 Sarah Moret, an accountant and athlete, couldn't find a suitable aluminum-free deodorant. So she made her own. Fast forward to 2022 and that deodorant business is now Curie, a thriving direct-to-consumer seller.
Finance
Secondary Markets Offer Pre-IPO Liquidity

May 2, 2022 • Marcia Kaplan

Many startups are refraining from going public amid market uncertainty, putting early-stage stakeholders wanting to cash out in a bind. Here are alternative ways to achieve liquidity.
Business
For Supply.co, EOS Is A-OK

April 29, 2022 • Eric Bandholz

By late 2021, Patrick Coddou, the founder of Supply.co, was exhausted and burned out, having endured a harsh year for the business and himself. He turned to the Entrepreneurial Operating System.
Finance
Q&A: Alyona Mysko of Ukraine-based Fuel Finance

April 25, 2022 • Kerry Murdock

Fuel Finance is a Ukraine-based "financial department in the cloud." Alyona Myskyo launched the company two and a half years ago to provide easy-to-follow info to help merchants with quick decision-making.
Staffing
‘Embrace Growth’ Is Core to Atlas Staffing

April 22, 2022 • Eric Bandholz

Joshua McKee founded Atlas Staffing 11 years ago. The company has grown. He advocates core values and communicates them to employees. "Embrace growth" is his favorite.