From Cart to Customer: How to Optimize Your eCommerce Logistics with Taylor Smits [The Opportunity Ep.158]

Expanding into omnichannel sales is a great way to grow your eCommerce business, but it also results in a more complicated supply chain. That’s why working with a logistics partner who has their finger on the pulse of the industry is so important.  In this episode, we chat with Taylor Smits, co-founder of MyFBAPrep, the largest Amazon prep and eCommerce fulfillment network in the US. Taylor joins us to explain how to optimize your supply chain without hindering growth and expansion. He outlines the common logistics pain points Amazon sellers face, how to ace your inventory forecasting, and how to remove redundancies in your supply chain to boost your bottom line. Taylor also reveals the best growth opportunities emerging in the eCommerce industry today. According to Taylor,  “We're seeing a halo effect from TikTok shop. For every sale you make on TikTok shop, you can assume two or three increased sales on Amazon, because people go to Amazon to check if the brand is legitimate. Now, you can use your FBA inventory to fulfill TikTok. That's one more reason to get on TikTok as a seller and get that halo effect.” Whether you sell on one platform or many, this episode is packed with practical tips to help you streamline your logistics and grow your eCommerce business. Topics Discussed in This Episode: A brief overview of MyFBAPrep and its origins (01:58) How the Airbnb model of logistics works (05:39) The common supply chain bottlenecks for Amazon sellers (15:20) The current state of Amazon fees (19:48) How TikTok Shop is shaking up the eCommerce industry (25:26) The core pillars of an optimized supply chain (31:29) The best approach to inventory forecasting (36:53) The easiest way to boost your bottom line (42:21) An inside look at Taylor’s Preptopia platform (47:09) Mentions: Empire Flippers Podcasts Empire Flippers Marketplace Create an Empire Flippers account Subscribe to our weekly newsletter MyFBAPrep Podcast with Roland Frazier Sit back, grab a coffee, and learn how to optimize your eCommerce logistics to boost your bottom line!

Most digital agency owners start their own businesses to be their own bosses and have more control over their time. However, they often find themselves overwhelmed with sales calls and meetings, working harder than ever. After falling prey to this pitfall himself, Frankie Fihn noticed that most sales calls and meetings follow the same script, with clients asking the same questions over and over. To solve the problem, Frankie created a system of pre-recorded videos that address common questions and issues that clients raise, eliminating the need for most meetings. In this episode, Frankie joins us to explain his framework for a phoneless, meetingless digital agency. Frankie highlights common obstacles agency owners face and shares the key steps they need to take to stop trading time for money. According to Frankie, “A common pain point agency owners struggle with is being too wide. They believe anybody with a credit card is a good fit. This dilutes both your messaging and your ability to deliver at scale because you're just doing too much. Just because you can do it for everybody doesn't mean you should.” By renting out their services, most agency owners are the product. Instead, they should create leverageable assets out of their existing tools and systems. This mindset shift will save you time and allow you to grow your agency exponentially. If you want to learn how to create a streamlined and profitable digital agency without being tethered to a phone, then this episode is for you. Topics Discussed in This Episode: Frankie's background and his approach to building an agency (02:00) The common pain points agency owners experience (04:00) The importance of streamlining your work and building repeatable systems (10:27) How Frankie automates sales calls (13:41) Frankie’s tips on tasks that should and shouldn’t take up your time in an agency (27:07) Identifying when to use white-label partners to help you grow (32:57) When to outsource and when to bring services in-house (39:19) The key to not trading time for money (48:10) The best piece of business advice Frankie has ever received (1:01:29) Mentions: Empire Flippers Podcasts Empire Flippers Marketplace Create an Empire Flippers account Subscribe to our weekly newsletter Beyond the Agency Box (Frankie’s book) Beyond Agency Profits Facebook Community Sit back, grab a coffee, and learn how to build a phoneless, meetingless digital marketing agency!

When running an online business it’s easy to fall prey to the mindset that everything should happen online. But sometimes, to really grow your online business, you need to step away from the screen and connect with people face-to-face. Take Steven Khanna, for example. He’s the Head of English Markets at White Press, a global link-building and marketing agency. Steven used in-person networking to skyrocket his success, generating over $500K per month for White Press.In this episode, Steven shares how attending conferences and actively networking played a crucial role in his success. Attending just one conference helped Steven grow his monthly recurring revenue (MRR) from $5K to $50K!Steven also dives into the important role that link-building plays in a modern SEO strategy. According to Steven, “People keep saying that links are not an important ranking factor, but if you look at the backlink profiles of big, successful websites, they’re still building links. Even in troubled times, link-building will never lose its value. Links will always be one of the most important ranking factors for driving traffic and leads.” Steven goes on to provide useful tips, tricks, and advice on how to optimize your link-building to ensure you are generating the right kind of traffic. This conversation with Steven shows the power of adaptability and perseverance in online business. It’s a reminder that it’s never too late to make your mark! Topics Discussed in This Episode: An introduction to White Press and its rapid growth (02:46) Steven’s background and how he ended up in SEO (05:49) The benefits of international expansion (12:26) Behavioral differences across different countries and cultures (17:33) How Steven builds trust with his clients (22:04) The important role conferences play in Steven’s acquisition strategy (29:23) How Steven uses affiliates to grow White Press (41:50) The most common myths people believe about link building (50:53) Mentions: Empire Flippers Podcasts Empire Flippers Marketplace Create an Empire Flippers account Subscribe to our weekly newsletter White Press Senuto Steven’s LinkedIn Sit back, grab a coffee, and learn the power of in-person networking and the importance of link-building in modern SEO!

There are roughly 88,000 digital marketing agencies in the US and Hawke Media is the fastest-growing amongst them. What is the secret sauce to this kind of growth? Well, according to Erik Huberman, Hawke’s founder and CEO, it all boils down to working harder than everyone else and actually delivering on your promises. In this episode, Erik walks us through the origin story of Hawke Media, from its almost accidental beginnings, to how he scaled the business to its current value of over $150 million. He reveals the challenges he faced while growing the business, how he sustains Hawke’s rapid growth, and how he motivates his team to keep innovating. According to Erik, “Most people won't push themselves to the limit versus getting pushed. That’s why every major athlete wants a coach and trainer. It's not like Kobe didn't know how to do a workout. But having that outside push and that outside perspective is really helpful. And as the owner of the business, that extra push has to come from you." Erik also sheds light on one of his key growth strategies; acquiring other agencies. He explains the benefits of this strategy, and how he integrates those agencies and their owners into Hawke’s existing ecosystem. If you’re looking for first-hand knowledge on how to scale an agency to a 9-figure valuation, then look no further. Topics Discussed in This Episode: Erik’s background and what led him to create Hawke Media (02:05) What Erik did to help Hawke Media become the fastest-growing consultancy (10:02) How Erik sustains his agency’s rapid growth (14:30) The biggest challenges Erik faced when growing Hawke Media (16:23) Why Erik started acquiring other agencies (20:11) There’s always a deal to be made (27:46) Mentions: Empire Flippers Podcasts Empire Flippers Marketplace Create an Empire Flippers account Subscribe to our weekly newsletter  Hawke Media Sit back, grab a coffee, and learn what it takes to scale your digital agency to the moon.  

Why start from scratch when you can leverage an existing business’s traction and capitalize on its untapped potential? That is the power of entrepreneurship through acquisition.  Mike Swigunski, a skilled entrepreneur and globe-trotting author, discovered this for himself while building his portfolio of profitable online businesses. In this episode, he walks us through one of his most profitable acquisitions, a SaaS business that he grew to 4x in revenue in just a year. Mike walks us through the acquisition from start to finish, from uncovering the business’s rare potential to the creative deal structure he negotiated and seizing low-hanging fruits for post-acquisition growth. Mike also shares his expert insights into the online business industry, including the lucrative gap in the market he spotted when it comes to acquisitions. According to Mike, “The 500K - 750K range of online businesses seems to be like no man's land. It’s often too big for solopreneurs, and too small for portfolio buyers. It’s a sweet spot that can offer buyers a bit of strategic leverage to negotiate a good deal. Sellers are often more motivated and more open to seller financing and creative deal structures.” Mike’s firsthand experience and expert knowledge offer a roadmap to successfully acquiring and scaling online businesses. Don’t miss a minute of this insightful episode! Topics Discussed in This Episode: Mike shares his background and his entrepreneurial journey (02:17) A look at of one Mike’s most successful acquisitions - a $500K SaaS business (07:47) The creative deal structure that Mike negotiated (13:57) The dynamics of buying a business in partnership with another entrepreneur (16:36) Finding the right developer to work on a new SaaS acquisition (18:22) Mike's unique due diligence process for this acquisition (24:42) How Mike 4x’d his revenue by capitalizing on low-hanging fruit post-acquisition (26:59) Mike's growth strategies and future goals for his SaaS acquisition (37:57) An overview of Mike’s business portfolio (45:52) Mike’s productivity tips for digital entrepreneurs (51:06) Mentions: Empire Flippers Podcasts Empire Flippers Marketplace Create an Empire Flippers account Subscribe to our weekly newsletter  Mike’s site (with links to his socials) Copy Sharks Fast Food Spaghetti blog post  Rize productivity app Trello Sit back, grab a coffee, and get the inside scoop on how to source and scale a SaaS acquisition!

Two of the fastest ways to grow your business are to increase your customer base and improve your offering to attract higher-value customers. What if I told you there was a way to expand your customer base exponentially and enhance your offering in one clever move? That is what Josh Springer does through the power of acquisitions. Josh is the Head of Corporate Development at Hawke Media, a powerhouse marketing agency.Josh specializes in acquiring other agencies and merging them into Hawke’s existing ecosystem. This not only enhances Hawke's services but also brings in a ready-made customer base overnight. Now they have a more powerful team and a larger pool of clients.  In this episode, Josh joins us to explain his approach to acquisitions, from sourcing potential targets to sealing the deal. He explains the different types of deal structures he negotiates, his growth strategies post-acquisition, and the key to smoothly merging a new agency into Hawke Media’s framework.One of the key areas that Josh prioritizes is employee retention. According to Josh, “The value behind an agency is the people that it comes with. If you start cutting people, you start losing clients, you start messing with culture, then all of a sudden you're left with a shell that doesn't really resemble what you were trying to buy in the first place.” If you're hungry for rapid business expansion, this episode lays out the blueprint for scaling up through strategic bolt-on acquisitions. Don’t miss it! Topics Discussed in This Episode: Josh’s background and how he ended up working in M&A (02:26) Assessing the right time to acquire a new agency as a growth play (05:10) The key to employee retention during an acquisition (08:15) How Josh integrates acquisitions into Hawke Media’s existing structure (10:46) How Josh sources his acquisitions (14:36) The profit margins agencies should aim for at different valuation levels (23:36) The quick growth levers that Josh has learned to pull on his agency acquisitions (25:48) The types of deals Josh negotiates and structures  (30:03) How Josh measures the success of his acquisitions (38:38) The lessons Josh has learned from all of the acquisitions he has overseen (42:55) Mentions: Empire Flippers Podcasts Empire Flippers Marketplace Create an Empire Flippers account Subscribe to our weekly newsletter  Hawke Media Josh’s LinkedIn Sit back, grab a coffee, and learn how to scale your business through mergers and bolt-on acquisitions!

The customer is always right. If this is true, then understanding consumer’s opinions and preferences is the secret sauce to success. But how do you ask the right questions to the right people in order to gather this feedback?That’s where John Li comes in. John and his co-founder Justin were scratching their heads over this very question while trying to get feedback for their own business. Being savvy software developers, they created PickFu – a market research and consumer feedback platform that allows businesses to gather in-depth feedback from real people in minutes. In this episode, John joins us to discuss how conducting meaningful consumer feedback can drastically improve your business. He explains that it is never too early to start communicating with your audience.  Gathering feedback can help you pre-validate your products before they’ve even launched by testing logos, packaging, mottos, etc. This can be the difference between a lukewarm introduction to the market, and a rocket-fueled burst onto the scene.  In fact, John helped a business 10x their profits by doing just this. But collecting feedback isn’t all you should be doing. According to John, “It's so important to connect with and listen to your audience. Run surveys, bounce ideas, have conversations, etc. But it’s also important to do market research. There might be a whole different set of people that you aren’t targeting that could open up an entirely new area of the market for you. So it's important to get feedback from both sides.” Of course, there's an art to asking for feedback. John explains which types of questions you should ask, the different types of experiments you can conduct, and the ideal audience size for collecting usable feedback. You don’t have to fly blind. This episode will light the way and teach you how to use feedback to fuel your business growth. Topics Discussed in This Episode: John’s background and the origins of PickFu (02:20) The importance of market research and collecting consumer feedback (06:03) How often should you be doing market research? (10:31) The different types of consumer research experiments you can run on PickFu (15:54) How to encourage feedback and gather the best feedback from consumers (18:05) The most common myths about consumer feedback (25:28) The ideal audience size for meaningful consumer feedback (27:34) Managing negative feedback from consumers (30:23) How consumer feedback can save a business from failure (35:18) John’s goals for PickFu moving forward (37:44) Mentions: Empire Flippers Podcasts Empire Flippers Marketplace Create an Empire Flippers account Subscribe to our weekly newsletter  PickFu Sit back, grab a coffee, and learn how to gather consumer feedback that will elevate your business to new heights.

Buying an existing online business is great in theory, but what is the experience actually like in reality?In this week's episode, we chat with Landon Greenhalgh, an entrepreneur who recently took the plunge and acquired his first eCommerce business.Landon walks us through his eCommerce journey so far, from tracking down the ideal business and doing his due diligence to identifying and pouncing on post-acquisition growth opportunities.  Landon sheds light on common pitfalls that often catch first-time buyers off guard, such as fixating on the 'perfect' opportunity or overlooking the value of existing employees. According to Landon, “You can make or break an acquisition by how you treat the [existing] employees. If you come in with a ‘my way or the highway’ type mentality, it can ruin a lot of what made that company great. Humility, and recognizing that the employees probably know way more about the company than you do, is a very important aspect of an acquisition.” The journey from acquiring an existing business to turning it into a thriving brand isn't just for the Bransons and Musks of the world. As Landon's story shows, everyday people like him – and like you – can achieve remarkable success in the online business arena by simply purchasing a scalable business.  Topics Discussed in This Episode: Landon shares his background and entrepreneurial journey (01:42) Why Landon decided to purchase an existing eCommerce business (03:09) Landon’s due diligence tips for first-time buyers (09:29)  Alerting existing employees about the acquisition (15:37) How Landon has capitalized on growth opportunities in his acquisition (19:39) Landon explains how his high-ticket business model works (22:32) The top strategies that have helped Landon grow his brand (24:15) Time management and avoiding burning out (30:18) Landon’s supply chain and forecasting demand (32:15) Landon’s take on the future of eCommerce (36:28) Mentions: Empire Flippers Podcasts Empire Flippers Marketplace Create an Empire Flippers account Subscribe to our weekly newsletter  Landon’s LinkedIn page Sit back, grab a coffee, and learn what it takes to buy and scale an existing eCommerce business.  

Unlocking success on Facebook goes beyond the simple act of launching an ad campaign and hoping for sales to flood in. It’s an art. A magic that only a few Facebook advertising wizards know how to truly unlock.Vincent Nguyen is one of those wizards. As the founder of Growth Ninja, Vincent manages a solo-run, multi-six-figure Facebook ads agency. He works his magic on a carefully selected group of clients, having breathed life back into three seemingly doomed multi-million dollar ad campaigns in just the past few months alone. In this episode, Vincent joins us to reveal the secrets to crafting Facebook ads that can catapult your business to new heights. He shares some interesting case studies from his client, busts common advertising myths, and breaks down the anatomy of a successful Facebook advertising campaign. He also explains the rookie mistakes that many people make when setting up their campaigns. According to Vincent, “Step one when setting up your Facebook ads is to set up some sort of attribution system because Facebook ads reporting is not very accurate. If you can't trust your data, then you shouldn't spend money at all. That's just throwing money away and you're going to scale things that shouldn't be scaled.” If transforming your Facebook ads from average to utterly ad-dictive is your goal, then every moment of this episode is a must-listen! Topics Discussed in This Episode: Vincent's background and how he grew his own Facebook Ad agency (01:56) How Vincent successfully revived and scaled a million-dollar ad campaign (07:17)  The anatomy of a high-converting sales page (13:55) Why Vincent is selective about his clients as a solopreneur (17:32) Vincent’s go-to formula for ad campaign success (29:30) Adding the right images, copy, and create elements to ad campaigns (35:38) Common Facebook Ad myths that people still fall for (45:11) Vincent’s winning bidding strategies (56:01) Why this metric is the most important measurement of your success  (57:42) Vincent’s predictions for the future of Facebook advertising (1:05:33) Mentions: Empire Flippers Podcasts Empire Flippers Marketplace Create an Empire Flippers account Subscribe to our weekly newsletter  Growth Ninja Sit back, grab a coffee, and learn how to create Facebook ads that actually convert!

2023 was a whirlwind year for Amazon FBA industry as the ripple effects of the 2020-2021 bubble bursting were felt by sellers and consumers alike.Perhaps the largest of these ripple effects was the demise of the Amazon FBA aggregators whose rampant spending and operational shortcomings finally caught up with them.  In this week’s episode, Amazon expert Mina Elias is back to help us unpack the rollercoaster of changes, surprises, and hurdles faced by Amazon FBA sellers throughout 2023. Mina provides a snapshot of the current state of the Amazon FBA industry before walking us through the chain of events that led to the downfall of industry giants like the aggregators.Then, Mina puts his Amazon advertising knowledge on display, revealing the top advertising and brand-building strategies of 2023, as well as tips on how to stand out in the crowded Amazon marketplace as a new seller.Mina also reveals some juicy information about how Amazon is making gathering customer data that much easier for sellers. This episode is jam-packed with all the information you need to elevate your FBA business in 2024! Topics Discussed in This Episode: A quick overview of Mina’s entrepreneurial journey (02:24) A look into Mina’s recent first-ever business exit (03:35) A snapshot of the FBA industry today vs the 202-2021 bubble (05:51) What caused the demise of the FBA aggregators (12:14) Clever new advertising strategies Mina has spotted in the last year (25:00) Gathering customer data as an FBA seller (31:21) How to stand out in the crowded Amazon marketplace as a new seller (36:59) Mina’s predictions on the future of the FBA industry (45:00) Mentions: Empire Flippers Podcasts Empire Flippers Marketplace Create an Empire Flippers account Subscribe to our weekly newsletter  Trivium Group Sit back, grab a coffee, and learn how to ramp up your Amazon FBA business in 2024!