This week the United States passed the Families First Coronavirus Response Act. While it provides some much-needed support to workers it also has some scary cashflow implications for small businesses. We discuss: How employers are responsible for paying for up to 14 weeks of paid leave for workers The mechanics behind getting reimbursed by the government Why this could cause a huge strain on your company's cashflow and what to do about it
Mar 20, 2020•17 min
Coronavirus Concerns Prompt Widespread Cancellations, U.S. Limits Travel From Europe, Taps SBA and Tax Deferrals to Stimulate Economy, Amazon Blocks New Listings for Coronavirus Safety Gear Amid Price Gouging, New Bill Could Make Amazon, eBay Liable for Counterfeits, and more. You can see the full show notes for this episode at https://www.ecommercefuel.com/march-13-2020/ The News Cart features industry news, community discussions, compelling job opportunities and interesting content around the ...
Mar 13, 2020•13 min
Today I am going to be doing something I have not done in years; a round up of all the books I have been reading. Books can be extremely helpful in business, whether it is helping you to plan your next move or calm your mind after a long day of work. In this episode, I will be explaining my favorite educational books as well as fiction or just plain interesting books. If you want to find out my favorite books over the past few years or you are just a bookworm yourself, this is the episode for yo...
Mar 06, 2020•25 min
Coronavirus Hits Supply Chains and Deliveries, Congressional Hearing to Examine Wayfair‘s Effects on Small Businesses, DTC Brands Hit Rough Patch, Shopify Launches App Store Ads, Target Breaks Into Top 10 List of U.S. E-Commerce Retailers, and more. You can see the full show notes for this episode at https://www.ecommercefuel.com/february-28-2020/ The News Cart features industry news, community discussions, compelling job opportunities and interesting content around the web from the previous two...
Feb 28, 2020•7 min
Today on the show, I am going to be sharing a pretty big announcement for something I have been working on for quite a while now: eCommerceFuel Capital, a group that will be making investments in eCommerce companies. To help me discuss this exciting news is my good friend Bill D’Alessandro of ElementsBrands.com. Listen in to learn how eCF Capital came to be, who we are looking for to join, and how you can be involved in it. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://b...
Feb 21, 2020•22 min
eCommerceFuel Live 2020 is in the books! Now that we've had a few days to recover, I sit down with Bill D'Alessandro to recap the highlights of the event and our major takeaways from our 6th Annual Community Gathering. Listen in as we touch on the importance of investing in companies you truly understand, the ways Facebook marketing has changed over the last year, and more. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/2SDmkB0 Interested in our Private Community f...
Feb 14, 2020•39 min
Adam Callinan is the co-Founder and CEO of BottleKeeper, a specialty beverage accessory company on a mission to keep your drinks the perfect temperature. Adam grew his business to more than $8 million in sales before hiring his first employee, and now BottleKeeper is one of the leading retailers of beverage accessories on the market. In this episode, we discuss how he was able to grow so quickly without any employees, why he is obsessed with automation, and what it takes to scale your business i...
Feb 07, 2020•58 min
Shopify Will No Longer Refund Processing Fees for Return Payments, Trump Administration Cracks Down on Counterfeits, Chinese Outnumber U.S. Sellers on Amazon, Yotpo Acquires SMSBump, Amazon Smashes 4th Quarter Earnings Expectations, and more. You can see the full show notes for this episode at https://www.ecommercefuel.com/january-31-2020/ . The News Cart features industry news, community discussions, compelling job opportunities and interesting content around the web from the previous two weeks...
Jan 31, 2020•8 min
Greg Mercer is the founder and CEO of Jungle Scout, a company that provides various tools and resources to Amazon sellers. Today he joins the show to help me discuss the state of Amazon as we head into 2020. We talk about how to launch a product today, how that looks in comparison to several years ago, and more. If you’re thinking about getting on Amazon or you are selling on the site already, make sure to tune in. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/30K...
Jan 24, 2020•44 min
Google Plans to Nix Third-Party Cookies in Chrome by 2022, Google Introduces New Shopping Section in Search Results, Amazon Stopped Featuring Its Own Brands in Search Results, U.S., China Sign Trade Agreement, and more. You can see the full show notes for this episode at https://www.ecommercefuel.com/january-17-2020/ . The News Cart features industry news, community discussions, compelling job opportunities and interesting content around the web from the previous two weeks....
Jan 17, 2020•13 min
Kristi Soomer is the founder and CEO of Encircled.co, an ethical fashion brand designed to help women travel lighter. Today she joins the show to talk about the concept of a B-corporation, which is something I have been wanting to learn more about for a while. Listen in as she shares what it's like to own a B-corporation, what that actually means for the business, and more. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/2N10Qf4 Interested in our Private Community f...
Jan 10, 2020•49 min
TOMS Shoes Creditors to Take Over the Company, California’s Landmark Gig-Work Law Takes Effect Amid Controversy, California Consumer Privacy Act Officially Takes Effect, Fedex and UPS Raise Fees on Oversized Packages, Volusion Debuts SMB Financing, and more. You can see the full show notes for this episode at https://www.ecommercefuel.com/january-3-2020/ . The News Cart features industry news, community discussions, compelling job opportunities and interesting content around the web from the pre...
Jan 03, 2020•14 min
Today's episode is a replay of one of our most well-received episodes from 2019, where Kevin Stecko from 80sTees.com joins the show to discuss how he improved his business by making it smaller. Kevin has undergone the evolution from having a massive warehouse with a huge amount of inventory to scaling back and pricing his products at a premium. Listen in as he shares how he managed that change and how downsizing can help save a business. You can find show notes and more information by clicking h...
Dec 27, 2019•37 min
Today we are doing a replay of one of my favorite episodes from 2019 with Eric Bandholz from Beardbrand.com. Eric won the ECF 5 award for the most upvoted thread of 2018, and in this episode, he shares what made that year such a great one for his company. He talks about what made them decide to leave Amazon, how they’ve changed up their strategy, and more. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/2stIxrH Interested in our Private Community for 7-Figure Store ...
Dec 20, 2019•41 min
Amazon Vine Rolls Out to Third-Party Sellers, ‘Jingle Bots’ Jam Online Shopping Carts to Use Up Stock and Frustrate Customers, What Is Actually in the U.S.-China ‘Phase One’ Trade Deal?, Amazon Blocks Sellers From Using FedEx Ground for Prime Shipments, Craigslist Launches App for iPhone, and more. You can see the full show notes for this episode at https://www.ecommercefuel.com/december-19-2019/ . The News Cart features industry news, community discussions, compelling job opportunities and inte...
Dec 19, 2019•16 min
Today we have Bill D’Alessandro from ElementsBrands.com joining the show to discuss our eCommerce predictions for the coming year. We will be sharing how our predictions for 2019 held up now that we are approaching the end of the year, as well as if any of our ideas came to fruition. You’ll learn whether we think America is heading toward a recession in 2020, our thoughts on the coming election, and more. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/2Lysgbz Inter...
Dec 13, 2019•34 min
Today on the show, I am joined by Alex Banys, the man behind Specialized mountain bikes. We discuss how to sell a brand worldwide, including places as far as Africa or Latin America, as well as why you need to create country-specific websites. Listen in to learn how to sell direct to consumers while not alienating your retailers, how to nurture your relationship with customers, and more. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/2YbcmJx Interested in our Priva...
Dec 06, 2019•48 min
E-commerce Killed It on Black Friday/Cyber Monday, Mastercard Bans Automatic Billing After Free Trials, Amazon Adds ‘Request a Review’ Button, Allbirds Calls Out Amazon for Mimicking $95 Wool Sneaker, Tesla Rolls Out Electric ‘Cybertruck’, and more. You can see the full show notes for this episode at https://www.ecommercefuel.com/december-4-2019/ . The News Cart features industry news, community discussions, compelling job opportunities and interesting content around the web from the previous tw...
Dec 04, 2019•8 min
Today Steve Chou from MyWifeQuitHerJob.com joins the show to help me discuss how to do an audit for your website or blog, as well as the benefits you will see if you take some time to clear out old content. Steve and I share how we keep our sites up to date to guarantee that new listeners and viewers are seeing our best work and so much more. Listen in to learn the importance of unique and secure links, focused keywords, and post consolidation. You can find show notes and more information by cli...
Nov 29, 2019•41 min
Joining me on the show today is one of the top new members of our private online community, Dustin Chaffin from ProluxCleaners.com. In this episode, he and I discuss the amazing framework he uses in his business, as well as where he spends time examining problems he's having and trying to isolate and identify the core symptoms of the issues. Listen in to learn why you should also be setting aside time every day to take a look at problems in your business, how to make your web page more appealing...
Nov 22, 2019•50 min
Nike Pulling Its Products From Amazon, Alibaba Has a Record-Breaking Singles Day, Facebook Launches Facebook Pay, TikTok Tests an eCommerce Feature, Tidying Guru Marie Kondo Launches eCommerce Site, and more. You can see the full show notes for this episode at https://www.ecommercefuel.com/november-21-2019/ . The News Cart features industry news, community discussions, compelling job opportunities and interesting content around the web from the previous two weeks....
Nov 21, 2019•7 min
Today Drew Sanocki of NerdMarketing.com is back on the show, this time to discuss a company he has recently become the owner of called PostPilot. Designed to help eCommerce businesses sell more products through post card marketing, PostPilot helps users create automated post card campaigns to build up loyalty and sales. Listen in as Drew explains how to leverage post cards in your business, how his companies are gearing up for Black Friday, and more. You can find show notes and more information ...
Nov 15, 2019•45 min
Penalty Box is a private Facebook group that was created completely from word of mouth, with no paid advertisements or paid marketing. Here to discuss the fascinating story of how this community came to be is founder Drew Laine. Listen in as he shares interesting aspects of the business, including the metrics they track, how they are successfully using SMS-based marketing, and the tactics they used to grow to where they are today. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: ht...
Nov 08, 2019•45 min
Google’s BERT Update Improves Search Results, Impacts 10% of Rankings, Shopify Announces “Shopify Email”, Seller Labs Acquires X-Cart, Amazon Adds New Pickup Locations and Makes Grocery Delivery Free With Prime, and more. You can see the full show notes for this episode at https://www.ecommercefuel.com/november-6-2019/ The News Cart features industry news, community discussions, compelling job opportunities and interesting content around the web from the previous two weeks....
Nov 06, 2019•8 min
Today I am going to be talking about something I have been trying to grow in recently: leadership. Over time, I have realized that if you want to do anything meaningful, you really have to invest in and lead a team well. So in this episode, I will be sharing four books on the topic that stood out to me and explaining some of the key concepts I was able to incorporate into my company and culture. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/36j2W1V Interested in o...
Nov 01, 2019•26 min
What’s the difference between a $5 mug and a $15 mug? Generally, it’s all about the branding and packaging. Today Miriam Brafman, founder and CEO of Packlane.com, joins the show to give us a crash course on custom packaging and how it impacts customer experience. Listen in as she explains how her company customizes packaging for ecommerce sellers and how you can get started on improving your own packaging. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/2pOMBBq Inte...
Oct 25, 2019•29 min
Hackers Breach Volusion and Start Collecting Card Details From Thousands of Sites, UPS Partners With Stamps.com, Snapchat Introduces Dynamic Ads, Walmart Spending at a Loss to Buy Grocery, e-Commerce Market Share, and more. You can see the full show notes for this episode at https://www.ecommercefuel.com/october-23-2019/ The News Cart features industry news, community discussions, compelling job opportunities and interesting content around the web from the previous two weeks....
Oct 23, 2019•7 min
Today I've got our community manager, Padraic Ryan, back on the show to talk about everything we learned while at the Klaviyo:BOS event. We discuss how switching out imagery and text can make a massive difference in the number of people that buy from your site and all kinds of other good stuff. Listen in to hear our key takeaways, from the importance of getting to know your customers to what you should not do at a conference. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https:/...
Oct 18, 2019•20 min
Today our not-so-new community manager, Patrick Ryan, joins me at the Klaviyo:BOS event to give us an inside look at what goes on behind the scenes of our private online community. He explains what it was like going from a community member to joining the team and what surprised him most about the transition. Listen in as he shares why we have an ‘online community guide’, how we choose who is right for our online community, and more. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: ...
Oct 11, 2019•26 min
U.S. Avoids Postal ‘Brexit’ as Universal Postal Union Reaches a Deal, Supreme Court Rejects Domino’s Bid to Avoid Disabilities Lawsuit, Amazon Rolls Out A/B Testing Tool to Some Sellers, Toys R Us Relaunches Website, Powered by Target, Walmart Sells ModCloth, Bonobos Trims Job in Effort to Cut E-commerce Losses, and more. You can see the full show notes for this episode at https://www.ecommercefuel.com/october-9-2019/ The News Cart features industry news, community discussions, compelling job op...
Oct 09, 2019•9 min
