Escape the Borg! - My Journey to Freedom, Ecommerce

[PTP]

Finally bought that product from the US manufacture. Bought over the phone which was a new experience.

Briefly talked to another company (over the phone) about licensing their patent. Sounded like a complete buffoon. That was fun.

Its a freely licensed thing but I just need to make sure I limit any potential liabilities if I accidentally violate the terms. (More concerned about my Chinese manufacture breaking terms.)

Trying to make my adwords campaign profitable.

Slowly overcoming my aversion to talking on the phone. But not without a few hiccups first.

Edit: Also got a new shipment in.

 

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[PTP]

So today I got angry at my AdWords account because the budget had been constantly running out. I was like "screw it lets ramp this baby up!" Set it to $140 and...hit new highs again in daily website sales with 8. (My budget ran out again)



I basically broke even on this daily spend (in terms of revenue generated by PPC) but am learning a ton in the process.

The campaign is slowly being optimized, but it definitely is a learning process. Recently I tried adding a ton of negative keywords based on queries with high bounce rates but my traffic dried up.

Also, i'm finding keywords with higher bid prices (about $2-$3) which i'm thrilled about. This means i'm getting closer to better traffic.

Instagram 7.3k.

Talked with my supplier because there were some potential issues with the products we're selling. Basically said i'm unhappy with the issues and do not feel comfortable selling those products if they're not changed.

We're now working on improvements to the entire product line which could potentially make them as good as the higher quality brands that sell for $175+. And because we have a good relationship, and the issue is in both our best interests to fix, I dont think i'm going to have to pay for the improvements.

AZ product is slowly chugging along. Im finishing up the label with Amazons FNSKU # added. The manufacture is finishing up the product. Finally decided on a "theme" for this brands Instagram.

Going to generate buzz a few months in advance so I can have a nice launch/pre orders. Its a very unique product and people instantly think/say that its a pretty neat idea when they see it. (I didnt invent the product, only improved it)

*** I hate how "me me me" centric these posts/thread seem(s). While i'm not in any ways an expert, please ask questions if you feel inclined. I want to help! ***

 

[PTP]

After 2 week vacation i'm finally back with an update.

Hired a friend to ship out labels while I was gone. Sales picked up and now I average 6-7+ sales to my site per day.

Discovered location targeting with adwords and turned it on yesterday heavily attacking certain areas.

The results...



Visitor high, sales high (13), revenue high.

Instagram almost 10k.

Starting to grow my email list with popups yesterday. Thanks to @AllenCrawley for his guide on the inside! I definitely suggest you check it out if given the opportunity

Added an extra 25 people to my list in 2 days. I know I need to start sending out emails but to be honest im a little daunted by the task and have been procrastinating.

Got AZ product samples/prototype.

They are really nice but dont have all the improvements I want. The final will though.

Instagram 450ish people.

Reading up on shipping by freight. A little daunting but I will figure it out.

Downloading a bunch of social media platforms to learn how to use and then apply to business.

Will start a separate AZ thread on the inside tomorrow.

Edit: A lot happened in 1 hour.

2 new sales.

Negative review trying to work out.

Maybe break $1000 revenue in a day?

 

[Evil_Jester]

What is your method of shipping to customers?
How fast is your shipping?
How did you initially validate your products before importing from manufacturer?

 

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[PTP]

Quick update:

My supplier was on vacation since end of July/early August. I had made a large order in advance but I was not expecting the increase in volume and ran out. So that basically means a month a wasted sales. More products are now finally en route.

Let this be a lesson to all. If you supplier stops producing, plan for it. I failed to do so and lost out on likely a few thousand dollars in profit.

Testing out a completely new adwords techniques. Taking data and focusing only on keywords that convert and only on my 2 main selling products. One I get those profitable (my goal is <$10 per conversion) I will use what I learned to advertise for the rest of my products.

Instagram almost 12k. I have been getting a few posts landing in the "top post." Testing out a few things and will let you know if I can consistently get top post posts.

 

[PTP]

What is your method of shipping to customers?
How fast is your shipping?
How did you initially validate your products before importing from manufacturer?

I ship using USPS expedite shipping for items >16 ounces as recommended by @Ecom man . For things less than that I use first class mail.

Both USPS expedite and First class ship in 1-3 days.

I looked around for a solid month before I found anything. I looked at products that I thought would sell then I looked at their sales data on eBay. Also, I looked to see what else the seller of that product was selling and thats how I stumbled upon my first product.

To test demand I just ordered small. 15 units for the very first order. They sold out in a few days and my very first order from a customer was for 3 units.

 

[Evil_Jester]

I ship using USPS expedite shipping for items >16 ounces as recommended by @Ecom man . For things less than that I use first class mail.

Both USPS expedite and First class ship in 1-3 days.

I looked around for a solid month before I found anything. I looked at products that I thought would sell then I looked at their sales data on eBay. Also, I looked to see what else the seller of that product was selling and thats how I stumbled upon my first product.

To test demand I just ordered small. 15 units for the very first order. They sold out in a few days and my very first order from a customer was for 3 units.

Good deal. How long does it take to ship average orders to you from overseas?
I'm ordering samples from a couple sources on aliexpress. Takes 12-20 days via epacket. Then if the product is in demand, i'll order more in bulk, so another 12-20 days.

 

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[PTP]

Good deal. How long does it take to ship average orders to you from overseas?
I'm ordering samples from a couple sources on aliexpress. Takes 12-20 days via epacket. Then if the product is in demand, i'll order more in bulk, so another 12-20 days.

One of my suppliers takes about 5-10 days to get it to me using DHL from China.

The supplier that I buy the bulk of my goods from actually has a way point set up in the US. He ships to me using UPS and the rate is much lower.

 

[Walter Hay]

Good deal. How long does it take to ship average orders to you from overseas?
I'm ordering samples from a couple sources on aliexpress. Takes 12-20 days via epacket. Then if the product is in demand, i'll order more in bulk, so another 12-20 days.

If you are buying from a supplier on Aliexpress you are paying retail. Even if the price seems low, it's nowhere near as low as you can get if you buy from the manufacturer.

Walter

 

[Evil_Jester]

If you are buying from a supplier on Aliexpress you are paying retail. Even if the price seems low, it's nowhere near as low as you can get if you buy from the manufacturer.

Walter

Yes I'm aware. I'm doing this so I can get a cheap couple of samples without having to worry about method of payment. Funds are held in escrow by Aliexpress. I've read some of your AMA thread, and will purchase your book when it comes time. Thanks sir!

 

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[Walter Hay]

Yes I'm aware. I'm doing this so I can get a cheap couple of samples without having to worry about method of payment. Funds are held in escrow by Aliexpress. I've read some of your AMA thread, and will purchase your book when it comes time. Thanks sir!

When you receive your samples, don't open the package until you have read this post: Sharing my lifetime experience in export/import. Product sourcing specialist.

Walter

 

[Evil_Jester]

When you receive your samples, don't open the package until you have read this post: Sharing my lifetime experience in export/import. Product sourcing specialist.

Walter

Damn that's crazy. How do these people learn how to scam people for a trade? It's like there's a fastlane forum for scammers somewhere.
Lately I've been wondering how scammers behave in real life. And then I remembered, my previous mentor scammed for pleasure. He was a CIA politician in my city (recently passed away). Newspapers reported that his IQ was off the charts. He was a grade A sociopath. These people have severe entitlement issues

 

[KingWing26]

@PTP Thanks for the progress thread! As someone looking to start an e-commerce venture, it's very interesting to see what the future might hold and what the possible roadblocks could be and how to overcome them. Keep up the good work and good luck!

 

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[PTP]

Well.... that escalated quickly.

Finally got inventory from my supplier, only to find that he has a shortage of my main product. Couldnt under stand why until I checked eBay.

Hadn't looked at eBay for the month that I was out of inventory. Checked back today to find my worst nightmare. The place is frickn FLOODED with new sellers. When I first started selling, there were only about 60-100 listings in each niche. Only 1 other seller had the same product as me.

I priced $2 below him and neither of us changed prices and we both split sales (he still sold a little more than me).

Now, however, there are 600-800 listings for the same keywords. People have found my supplier and now multiple people are selling the exact same stuff as me. The worst part, they have started a price war and started it at $10 below my price.

My listings that used to be on the first page have fallen to the third and sales have also dried up.

Let this be a lesson to other people. ALWAYS DIFFERENTIATE YOUR PRODUCT. It may work for a while undifferentiated, but it is not conducive to long term success.

Read this: https://www.thefastlaneforum.com/co...-to-do-it-the-easy-way-or-the-hard-way.64808/. This is what i'm doing from now on.

My plans moving forward. Continue to heavily target my website. Ebay was always just a side thing. Ive been focusing on my website which looks like it has been a smart move. I suggest you do the same.

Also i'm going to continue to grow my Instagram and start growing my Facebook. Have been also growing my email list but have not been marketing to it.

Instagram 12.5k.

Started coaching with @biophase.

We discovered that my Amazon product was a bust. Killing the project.

This experience has caused me to now believe wholeheartedly in his selling ideology. Looking for a new product to sell on AZ with his help.

Found a patented product that is selling well but absolutely SUCKS! Low stars on AZ. Something I'm thinking of tackling after I get something up and running on AZ.

 

[PTP]

Testing something out. Focusing on learning adwords. Intentionally getting lower sales but slightly lower/ similar profits as before. Once I refine adwords, I will ramp up sales again this time with more profit.

Instagram 13k.

 

[Niptuck MD]

New website unit sales high (6 in 1 day) and total sales high $400+. I contribute this to my new product launch.

View attachment 12834

Ordered 100 more units of the product I just order because I only have 4 left. A little nerve racking b/c this is the most money I have ever spent on anything in my life.

Launched a new product. I hyped it up on Instagram and emphasized the limited quantity. Launched at midnight and when I woke up 4 people bought, and another person bought later because he asked me to reserve him one up front. (1 other item still on reserve for another potential customer)

Even though I have 10 remaining, I cut the sale and said that the item was sold out. I wanted to have a little bit of fun and play with buyer psychology. Its fun to experiment and play around by creating hype and demand etc...

Hopefully next time I launch people feel the need to buy RIGHT NOW because they think "last time they ran out so I need it now."

Finally got a picture of my mold from my AZ product manufacture. It looks awesome! My logo is in it and everything.

HOWEVER, due to a mix up, it is going to cost more than double what I had originally planned. Despite this, im taking it as a blessing because it only increases the barrier to entry.

Just did my first icebreaker speech at Toastmasters. It was extremely nerve wracking at first but got a lot better as I got going. Public speaking is just one of those skills every entrepreneur MUST be proficient at.

First learned about toastmasters from @Envision in his thread here. I really appreciate it man

awesome man good luck

 

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[PTP]

Update (Long post ahead):

Sorry for the hiatus. It has been rough month+.

Sales almost all of October had been extremely slow. A few intermittent decent days but generally not very good to say the least.

My number one product is still out of stock. Looking back at sales data, whenever this product was in stock all my other products sold better. Just having it in stock caused people to buy more of my other stuff.

Ive been adding more products to my website in order to increase variety and upsells. It seems to be working because whenever people do buy, they buy more items which is a step in the right direction.

My supplier has been pissing me off. Been telling me they will have more in stock of my #1 item for months now. He keeps saying its still "in production." Did something to make me lose complete trust today. I will get back to that.

Found another supplier on Alibaba supplying my #1 product for $15 cheaper. I ordered 25 to test the quality. Stupidly added stock to my website 1 day before it was supposed to arrive(10/26/16) to presell them. All around website sales skyrocketed. Hadnt seen sales like that in a while and was stoked! Continued to sell them for a few days. Sales numbers were steadily high.

Was getting concerned that my order wasnt moving. Stopped preselling. Called DHL and they told me customs pulled it aside to check it over. Its now (11/6/16) and havent heard a thing. Im calling customs in the morning. Anyone dealt with anything like this?

In order to fulfill the orders, I had to buy from an ebay seller who sold them at a reduced price of $60. I sell them for $80 with about $10 shipping. Not accounting for adspend which means im going to be breaking even/loosing money on these orders.

A lot of customers were concerned with the delays and ive been reassuring them. The extremely concerned ones I gave 10% off their order.

I dont know whats going on with my supplier. Really made me angry today. Lets say there are 2 material types called A and B. B is the preferred material quality . My items are made from material A, the less preferred type. I wanted them made from B but my supplier said they could not be treated a certain way if made from material B. This was a few months ago.

Earlier today I asked If he made a product I wanted to sell. He said yes, and he said it was made from material B. I asked if it had the treatment I wanted and he said it did. Then I confronted him and said that I thought B couldnt be treated in that way.

He then said the product didnt have the treatment after all. Told me not to worry about the quality and quickly changed the subject to my most recent order which he initially told me was shipped out last Friday but isnt going to be sent out until this Monday.

Next he tries to get me to increase my order size( he will send 90 pieces and we pay as we go initially putting down $ for 30 pieces), starts saying hes going to be in Texas next week and wants to meet, asks how much of the new product I want to buy, and finishes it up by saying hes going on vacation for 2 months and I should order a lot. This was all in less than 5 mins.

I cant trust him anymore.

Last time he was on vacation I was out of stock for a month. Needless to say Im looking for a new supplier ASAP. Problem is, it appears he is the only one to have the products and variations that I am selling. His products account for over 50% of all my products, and almost 90% of my sales.

So now im frantically looking for someone to supply products heading into my first Christmas season.

Lesson learned: Control is one important SOB.

For the immediate future my first thought is to get someone to reverse engineer my current products and give me the cads. Then I will have control over my supplier.

Instagram: 15.9k

Az product slowly coming together. Got samples sent over and have decided on my suppliers. Now its a matter of getting the products made to my specs.

If anyone can provide any guidance at all with customs as well as my supplier situation I would be extremely appreciative.

To everyone that made it this far, thanks for taking to read the post

 

[OldFaithful]

If this is such a good seller and the supply chain is so problematic, why not design your own version and have it made at the supplier of your choosing? You really don't need to have the current product "reverse engineered" if you can find some technical talent on a freelance website. You can make the improvements you want and improve your control over the production...sounds like it might have potential!

 

[PTP]

If this is such a good seller and the supply chain is so problematic, why not design your own version and have it made at the supplier of your choosing? You really don't need to have the current product "reverse engineered" if you can find some technical talent on a freelance website. You can make the improvements you want and improve your control over the production...sounds like it might have potential!

Great idea! Im going to take your advice and do something very similar to that. Theres a kid at my school who is really good at CAD design. Ive been talking to him and im going to hire him to take my current product and put it into CAD. Weve set up this Sunday to meet and well go over everything.

From there im going to 3D print the design and make sure everything is working properly. Then ill find a manufacture and see if they can produce it. Depending on how well the product turns out, I will get this guy to convert the rest of my products into CAD. And then I will have control over my supply chain.

My next step after that will be to start innovating my product line. I will start making improvements to the base products that I know will add value and that ive been wanting to implement for a while now. Also, I would like to get the products made in the USA which will add more credibility to my brand.

Instagram 16.1k

Decided on the majority of suppliers for my AZ product after checking through their samples. Still waiting on samples from a few of them.

Finishing up the designs for the products. Then I will get them produced.

For black Friday/cyber monday, has anyone ever tried to increase your prices a few weeks before so that you can claim a larger discount on those days?

 

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[OldFaithful]

Theres a kid at my school who is really good at CAD design. Ive been talking to him and im going to hire him to take my current product and put it into CAD. Weve set up this Sunday to meet and well go over everything.

From there im going to 3D print the design and make sure everything is working properly. Then ill find a manufacture and see if they can produce it. Depending on how well the product turns out, I will get this guy to convert the rest of my products into CAD. And then I will have control over my supply chain.

My next step after that will be to start innovating my product line. I will start making improvements to the base products that I know will add value and that ive been wanting to implement for a while now. Also, I would like to get the products made in the USA which will add more credibility to my brand.

Great plan! There will be headaches & mis-steps, but don't give up. Thousands, maybe millions, of people have done this before and you can too. I wish you all the best and look forward to hearing about the process.

 

[PTP]

And so it begins...

I dropped the product off at the guys house and will get the CADs back on Wednesday.

If the design works out im going to find a manufacture and get an idea of what the costs of USA manufacturing are going to look like.

There is a different style of this product that one of the bigger players in the industry makes that looks absolutely gorgeous. They're selling it for about $250. It comes with a proprietary component that is patent pending which while looks cool, does not function as it should.

People were saying how they liked the look of it but functionally it sucks. If the guy with the CADs comes through, Im going to design a new product with the appealing aesthetics to this product from the large player. If I can get the design right AND sell it at a my current product price range...

My mind is literally racing with ideas for new products. I really hope the designer works out!

Also, earlier I said I received licensing from another larger company to use their patented system. I will be able get the designer to add this attachment to my current products and essentially double the product line.

I was looking at the industry data and the patented attachment sells 2-4x more than the current one that I am selling! This could be huge.

Being made in the USA will give my brand a lot more legitimacy. Right now people on forums have been bashing my brand because of the fact that it is made in China. As a result I have been hesitant to reach out to influencers/youtubers/bloggers in my market. Once I get everything made in the USA I will start heavily adverting and do everything to get my company name out there.

Instagram 16.5k.

 

[FastDave]

Love this topic . I can see progress in every post you've published. It motivates me because I will do the same thing, but in very different country. Good Luck, and sorry for my English

 

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[PTP]

Control. Control. Control.

Let me say it again.

CONTROL CONTROL CONTROL!

My supplier is screwing with me again. Its really starting to get annoying.

He starts by asking me what I am selling my current products for. I tell him (a price that is not accurate but close) and then he starts telling me how I need to raise prices. Apparently other people have been complaining to him about my lower prices and how they cant sell. At least i'm getting noticed

He said I have to raise prices or else he cant continue supplying me anymore because it "ruining the market." He is telling me how to run my own company? Yes but uh no thank you.

I bought a new model from him and ran a giveaway on facebook. Grew my facebook page by about 200 likes during the contest which is awesome!

IMHO Facebook>Instagram for business. Facebook is more geared to business than insta. However, insta is slowly moving in the right direction (blend of insta and snapchat) so I suggest you grow both.

Giveaways are the easiest way to build a facebook page that I have discovered.

Generated a lot of hype in this new product through the contest and now have the product on my site. While it doesn't technically launch until Black Friday starts, 4 people have bought it. (Put listing up today with countdown launch timer).

Running a Black Friday promotion although not providing discounts because I feel as though it degrades your brands value.

Sales were slow the week leading up to Black Friday. My promotion hasnt started yet but they have picked up today.

Im super stoked for the CAD design. Im going to convert all my products into CADs. Although we are working on a brand new item that has the special attachments because we figure it is better to attack the bigger market first instead of the smaller market. (More details later)

Insta: 17.3k
Facebook: 200ish

AZ product progress has been slow. Other niche is picking up. I have really found a demand that is not being met and need to jump on the opportunity.

I will update soon. I have a lot more to say.

 

[ZF Lee]

Speaking of Black Friday, here's a quote from some of my Slowlane FB friends:

'Black Friday sales are here! Empty your wallets! Do you have organs to sell?"


We are going to have a good day!

 

[stealth09]

Great work man! Great read, keep up the updates.

 

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[PTP]

Great work man! Great read, keep up the updates.

I appreciate it! Also, thank you for the rep$

 

[Lanefaster]

It's nice to see you are gaining back control!

One lesson of your thread should be that trust nobody but yourself, do proper and deep research and investigate everyone you work with (suppliers).

Doesn't it feel good that you started this path, have learnt so much and have progressed so much further? Oh yeah!

Keep it up, man

 

[PTP]

Sales the past 4 days have spiked.

Today's sales managed to outdo Black Friday's.

New sales high and 2 days over $1k revenue.

Have been engraving my products with my company logo as suggested by @biophase. Recently put the pictures up on the site. This definitely makes my company look more official and trustworthy. It cuts into margins at about $6-$8 per unit. However, it makes the brand more put together and is probably helping in improving sales.

I will let you know after this black Friday - cyber Monday sales frenzy is over if volume maintains.

CAD design coming along. Designer needs to get cleared to view and use the patented design. Will be talking with some manufactures this week as well as people who know about manufacturing.

The funny thing is, my Black Friday- Cyber Monday promotion was not really taken advantage of. Maybe 3 people increased their order prices to get the teird prize. Everyone else bought how sales are normally.

 

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[PTP]

It's nice to see you are gaining back control!

One lesson of your thread should be that trust nobody but yourself, do proper and deep research and investigate everyone you work with (suppliers).

Doesn't it feel good that you started this path, have learnt so much and have progressed so much further? Oh yeah!

Keep it up, man

Thanks for the rep!

 

[PTP]

Talked to a manufacture today. Emailed him the CAD design an am waiting on a price quote.

This manufacture lives literally 5 mins away so im really hoping the price is reasonable!