In this week’s episode, I share the ways that I can support you and your small business. 

I specialise in promoting small businesses on Amazon. I know Amazon is not for everyone. So I wanted to share why I work on this platform, and the advantages I believe it offers small businesses. I am not affiliated in any way with Amazon, these are just my honest, professional opinions.

Listen in to hear me share:

• An introduction to the topic (00:39)
• Why Amazon is a good opportunity for your small business (02:02)
• The advantages of selling on Amazon vs your own website (04:10)
• How using Amazon FBA can save you time and space! (05:24)
• How Amazon can give you an easy global reach (06:15)
• My strategy sessions (08:17)
• Getting in touch with me (09:44)

USEFUL RESOURCES:

My Free Resources 

Is Amazon Right For You? Mini Strategy Session

Amazon Account Audit

Amazon Launch Package

Amazon Training Q&A Hour

Book a Power Hour with me

LET’S CONNECT

Join my free Facebook group for product makers and creators

Find me on Instagram

Work with me 

Mentioned in this episode:

Amazon Made Easy is now open

My membership, Amazon Made Easy is now open.

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This week my guest on the podcast is Laura Seago from Futliit. Futliit makes LED backpacks that use tech to make you properly visible. Our smart light-up backpacks are ideal for kids walking to school, commuters and in fact anyone who needs to be seen at night. 

Laura is a wonderful example of someone who saw a problem, and created a product to overcome this. Once she started looking into road safety stats she found that the majority of pedestrian accidents were between 3-6pm, when people are walking home from school and work. 

Laura worked with her family and carefully assembled team of teen testers and parents to develop the Futliit LED backpack. Laura shares the challenges and rewards of designing a product for teens, sourcing suppliers, dealing with covid delays, and marketing a new product that people do not know to look for.

We also cover the specific mindset challenges of setting up your own business in mid-life, and navigating new technology and marketing platforms.

Listen in to hear Laura share:

• An introduction to herself and her business (01:14)
• The inspiration for creating Futliit (01:44)
• The seriousness of the problem (04:31)
• Researching the market to see if there was anything else that solved the problem (07:09)
• Putting together a test group of teens and parents (09:01)
• Finding a manufacturer (15:55)
• Dealing with delays in getting hold of samples (18:36)
• Teaching herself the skills to run the business (22:12)
• The challenges and rewards of creating a product for teenagers (26:08)
• Marketing a product which people don’t know to look for (31:06)
• Learning about SEO (32:32)
• Choosing the right social media platforms to be on  (33:56)
• Using your network (39:11)
• The importance of mindset and confidence when running your own product business (42:42)
• Her number one piece of advice for other product creators (51:48)

USEFUL RESOURCES:

Futliit Website

Futlitt Facebook

Futliit Instagram

Laura Seago Linked In

Coventry & Warwickshire Chamber Of Commerce

LET’S CONNECT

Join my free Facebook group for product makers and creators

Find me on Instagram

Work with me

Mentioned in this episode:

Amazon Made Easy is now open

My membership, Amazon Made Easy is now open.

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Have you considered wholesaling your products? Or are you looking for a fresh take on how to do this?

Today’s podcast guest is perfectly positioned to share a wealth of knowledge on this topic.

Ami Rabheru is the founder of The Retail Business Hub and Scale with Wholesale® Academy. Ami is a Retail business consultant and product strategist.  She specialises in teaching productpreneurs® how to  build retail brands, and the strategic action steps to approach, pitch and sell products to retailers, whilst empowering them with the knowledge of the big business skills they need to start, grow and scale a successful product brand.

Ami shares everything you need to know from how to ensure you are retail ready, to what sort of retailers to approach, and how to make a successful pitch. If scaling your business through wholesale selling is on your business plan this year, this is the episode for you.

Listen in to hear Ami share:

• An introduction to herself and her business (01:33)
• Why you might want to sell your product via wholesale (01:49)
• What your product needs to be retail ready (03:55)
• What to use to approach retailers if you have just started out (07:10)
• What makes a successful pitch (08:49)
• Practical steps you will need to take to ensure you are retail ready, and can scale production (11:34)
• What pitching is actually like (14:39)
• How to approach retailers (17:14)
• Which sort of retailers to approach first (18:53)
• Things to be aware of (21:32)
• Making sure you approach the right retailers for your product (23:49)
• Pop-Up Shops (25:46)
• Her number one piece of advice for anyone wanting to get started with wholesaling their products (34:00)

USEFUL RESOURCES:

The Retail Business Hub Website

The Retail Business Hub Instagram

The Retail Business Hub Facebook

Ami Rabheru Linked In

LET’S CONNECT

Join my free Facebook group for product makers and creators

Find me on Instagram

Work with me

Mentioned in this episode:

Amazon Made Easy is now open

My membership, Amazon Made Easy is now open.

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Helen Barker is the co-founder of Fika. Helen’s aim is to create a positive impact in the fashion industry through my slower paced, sustainably conscious brand.

We talked about the fashion industry as a whole, and some of the issues that Helen sees with the industry. We discussed how Helen is trying to change this Fika focusing on slow and sustainable fashion. From how she sources material sustainably, to her first trade show, Helen shares lots of fascinating details about setting up and launching a fashion brand.

Listen in to hear Helen share:

• An introduction to herself and her business (01:17)
• The current issues with the fashion industry, and how Fika is addressing these (01:41)
• What slow fashion is (05:04)
• How to source and produce clothes responsibly (07:51)
• Finding suppliers (11:00)
• Their design process (13:43)
• How they do true to fit sizing for their clothes (14:46)
• Why true to fit clothing matters (16:07)
• Launching a fashion brand (18:38)
• Doing their first show (23:32)
• Getting stocked in shops (25:47)
• Finding stockists at Trade Shows (26:47)
• Setting up a website (30:11)
• Her number one piece of advice for anyone looking to set up a fashion brand (32:57)

USEFUL RESOURCES:

Fika Edit Website

Fika Edit Instagram

Fika Edit TikTok

Fika Edit Pinterest

Moda

LET’S CONNECT

Join my free Facebook group for product makers and creators

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Mentioned in this episode:

Amazon Made Easy is now open

My membership, Amazon Made Easy is now open.

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This week I thought I'd re-release one of my very favourite ever episodes. If you’re a regular listener you’ll know I ask all product creators who join me on the show for their number 1 piece of advice. For episode 50, I put together a compilation of 20 of the best tips I'd heard from product creators. If you want to launch your own product or are just in need of a friendly boost this is the episode to listen to!

Listen in to hear top tips from:

• Silke Thistlewood, Raise Up Mums (02:08)
• Lauren Hampshire, the Milky Tee Company (03:54)
• Lynsey Pollard, Little Box of Books (04:46)
• Kate Tompsett, Happy & Glorious (06:02)
• Keisha Shah, Teddo Play (08:24)
• Suzanne Hemming, Thea Chops Books (10:54)
• Bee Veronica Moore, Witty Ditty Designs (12:10)
• Lau Morrachini, the Creative Upcycler (15:02)
• Alice Clover, Author (18:10)
• Dawn Friday, Girl Friday Embroidery (18:48)
• Sophie Lilley, Munchkin and Bear (19:49)
• Harjit Sohotey-Khan, Jewelled Buddha (20:48)
• Ruth Bradford, the Little Black and White Book Project (21:55)
• Becky Perry, Paper Pattern Scissors (24:44)
• Priya Khan, Little Crystal Minds (26:23)
• Monique Horrigan, The Dou-Douds (27:40)
• Catherine Marche (28:52)
• Natalia Bolek, Naboso Handmade (31:37)
• Christina Pickworth, This Mama Does (33:26)
• Ruth Bussey, Ink and Scribbles (35:22)

USEFUL RESOURCES:

Listen to the episodes in full: 

Episode 4 - How Silke created her resilience cards (and a new revenue stream)

Episode 7 - The reality of a 'successful' products business - with Lauren Hampshire, The Milky Tee Company

Episode 13 - Creating a products business by sourcing and curating - with Lynsey Pollard

Episode 15 - How to open a shop - with Kate Tompsett

Episode 17 - A family-run products business - with Keisha Shah, Teddo Play

Episode 19 - How to write and publish your own books - with Suzanne Hemming, Thea Chops Books

Episode 21 - Turning a passion into a business - with Bee Veronica Moore

Episode 23 - Creating Upcycled products - with Lau Moracchini

Episode 27 - How to Self Publish Your Book - with Alice Clover

Episode 29 - Selling handmade items on Etsy - with Dawn Friday

Episode 31 - Going into business with a friend - with Sophie Lilley, Munchkin & Bear

Episode 33 - Giving up the 9-to-5 to sell Artisan products - with Harjit Sohotey-Khan

Episode 35 - The importance of ‘ just going for it’ - with Ruth Bradford, the Little Black and White Book Project

Episode 37 - Selling Both Physical and Digital Products - with Becky Perry, Pattern, Paper, Scissors

Episode 38 - Adding products to your service business - with Priya Khan, Little Crystal Minds

Episode 39 - From making products by hand to outsourcing production - with Monique Horrigan, the Dou-Doods

Episode 40 - From selling on Etsy to a permanent showroom - With Catherine Marche

Episode 42 - Making every product to order - with Natalia Bolek, Naboso Handmade

Episode 45 - Selling products as a side business - with Christina Pickworth, THIS MAMA DOES

Episode 47 - Selling printables - with Ruth Bussey, Ink & Scribbles

LET’S CONNECT

Join my free Facebook group for product makers and creators

Find me on Instagram

Work with me

Mentioned in this episode:

Amazon Made Easy is now open

My membership, Amazon Made Easy is now open.

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Kresse Wesling, CBE, is a multi-award winning environmental entrepreneur. After first meeting the London Fire Brigade in 2005, Kresse launched Elvis & Kresse, which rescues and transforms decommissioned fire hose into innovative lifestyle products and returns 50% of profits to the Fire Fighters Charity.The company now collects 12 different waste streams and has several charitable partnerships and collaborations across industries. In 2021 Elvis & Kresse also took on a farm in order to establish a regenerative agriculture project, generate their own renewables and implement a host of environmental initiatives. Kresse loves to help people build businesses which solve environmental and social problems. 

I’m so pleased to have Kresse on the podcast to find out more about how they started their business, and the work that they are doing now to improve the world around them and the way that we are all doing business.

It is a really inspiring podcast, and I am sure it will inspire you to see how you make the world a better place.

Listen in to hear Kresse share:

• An introduction to herself and her business (01:22)
• The inspiration for setting up Elvis & Kresse (01:55)
• Her background and prior experience (03:05)
• The process of turning decommissioned fire hoses into beautiful products (05:58)
• Why the fire hoses are decommissioned and were ending up in landfill (09:48)
• The process of designing beautiful products from the fire hoses (11:27)
• Creating your own path when you have a business doing something no one has done before (14:11)
• The impact Elvis & Kresse has had, and the businesses following in their footsteps (15:40)
• Being a living wage employer, and donating 50% or profits to charity (18:06)
• Why their impact matters more than business growth (21:29)
• How their range has grown, and new Elvis & Kresse products (23:03)
• Working with the Burberry Foundation, and training women as solar engineers (23:52)
• Why they decided being sustainable wasn’t enough, and are aiming to be net regenerative (26:16)
• Maintaining their independence (29:35)
• Her number one tip for how to make your business more sustainable (30:20)

USEFUL RESOURCES:

Elvis & Kresse Website

Elvis & Kresse Facebook

Elvis & Kresse Instagram

Elvis & Kresse Twitter

LET’S CONNECT

Join my free Facebook group for product makers and creators

Find me on Instagram

Work with me

Mentioned in this episode:

Amazon Made Easy is now open

My membership, Amazon Made Easy is now open.

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Today on the podcast, I'm delighted to have Shona Chambers join me. Shona is a returning guest, who first appeared on the podcast 2 years ago. Um, Shona is a marketing consultant and she's here today to talk specifically about how to grow your email list. She talks about why it's important for small businesses to have a list, how you might grow it, and if you do have an email list of people on, you know, what sort of things should you be sending to them. I found it incredibly useful, and we have included tips specifically for product based businesses, and those of you selling on Amazon.

Listen in to hear Shona share:

• An introduction to herself and her business (01:26)
• What email marketing is (02:00)
• Why it is important to have an email marketing list (03:29)
• Some good ways to get people to join your list (06:19)
• What sort of content to send to your email list to keep them engaged (10:47)
• How often to email your list (12:53)
• What to do if you have a healthy email list, but haven’t sent an email for a while (17:27)
• Ideas for the sort of content product businesses can send out (19:31)
• Her number one tip for how to market your products via email (21:33)

USEFUL RESOURCES:

Shona Chambers Website

Shona’s Book 100 Marketing Tips for Small Business Owners

Shona Chambers Instagram

Shona Chambers Facebook

Shona Chambers Linked In

Episode 44 Launching & Marketing Your Product -  with Shona Chambers

LET’S CONNECT

Join my free Facebook group for product makers and creators

Find me on Instagram

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Mentioned in this episode:

Amazon Made Easy is now open

My membership, Amazon Made Easy is now open.

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My guest on the podcast today is Simon Fineman, who together with his wife, Dr. Evie Kemp runs Haspaka, a company selling nutritious products made from the little known but amazing haskap berry.

In a previous life, Simon ran a large timbering court importing company pioneering the use of sustainable timbers for industry and construction. A lifelong vegetarian. Simon is passionate about the environment and believes in the power of healthy eating in order to improve oneself and the world around us.

We discussed how Simon discovered the haskap berry and created a business selling products made from it. It was particularly interesting to discuss the nuances of marketing a product where you have to educate the audience of its value but ensure you don't make health benefit claims to follow industry regulations. 

Simon also has some great advice on the realities of running a business, and how to keep going when things get tough.

Listen in to hear Simon share:

• An introduction to himself and his business (01:21)
• How he discovered the haskap berry (02:12)
• How the haskap berry is good for us (04:00)
• Working out how to turn it into a product (06:35)
• Why they moved the business from Canada to the UK (10:25)
• Finding factories to process small amounts of the berries (14:51)
• Selling his product in Canada, the USA and the UK (16:59)
• The challenges of selling a product where you have to educate the consumer (18:27)
• How they are reaching consumers via Trade Events (20:14)
• The nuances and frustrations of having to make sure you don’t make health benefit claims in your marketing (25:48)
• Selling a nutritional product on Amazon (28:38)
• Keeping going when faced with challenges (34:25)
• Working as a team with his wife (37:08)
• His number one piece of advice for other product creators (39:25)

USEFUL RESOURCES:

Haskapa Website

Haskapa Facebook

Haskapa Instagram

Haskapa Pinterest

Haskapa Twitter

Sports Research at Northumbria University Video

LET’S CONNECT

Join my free Facebook group for product makers and creators

Find me on Instagram

Work with me

Mentioned in this episode:

Amazon Made Easy is now open

My membership, Amazon Made Easy is now open.

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So you’ve got a great idea for a product. What do you do next?

One of the single most important things you can do is to validate your product idea before you go ahead and start creating or manufacturing your product.

I want you to have to be confident that your product will sell before you start investing in creating it. So today I am going to share 5 free ways to validate your product idea. All they're going to cost you is time, which in my opinion is time well spent. 

Listen in to hear me share:

• An introduction to the topic (00:31)
• Considering who your potential customers are (03:06)
• Speaking to potential customers, and the sort of things to ask them (03:59)
• Why it is important to read Amazon reviews! (12:09)
• Use the Jungle Scout sales estimator (16:18)
• Buy other products (and then return them) (20:14)
• Using crowdfunding to validate your product idea

USEFUL RESOURCES:

My accompanying Blog Post: 5 Quick (and free) ways to validate your product ideas

Jungle Scout Sales Estimator

Jungle Scout Paid Software - Affiliate Link

Blog post on how to use JungleScout

Podcast Episode 103: How to run a successful crowdfunding campaign - with Jes Baily, Crowdfund 360

Free guide, 7 free ways to validate your product idea

Should I sell my product on Amazon mini strategy session

Book a Power Hour with me

LET’S CONNECT

Join my free Facebook group for product makers and creators

Find me on Instagram

Work with me 

Mentioned in this episode:

Amazon Made Easy is now open

My membership, Amazon Made Easy is now open.

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Today I'm talking with Vic Wood from Greener Beauty. Greener Beauty is an online store where you can find all the ethical, vegan and cruelty-free and natural beauty products that you love all in one place. 

Vic shares how she went about sourcing products for her business, ensuring that they meet her ethical standards and how the business has grown rapidly over the past few years. Vic now has a small team so shares the tasks she now outsources, and I was particularly interested to learn about the success she has had with Google Ads & Shopping.

We also talked about Vic’s Advent Calendar, which was recently featured on This Morning, her success at industry awards, and a cautionary tale about what happened when a larger company wanted to get involved. 

Listen in to hear Vic share:

• An introduction to herself and her business (01:18)
• Her inspiration for setting up Greener Beauty (01:43)
• Researching and choosing what brands to include (03:30)
• Sourcing products and working with distributors (04:06)
• Navigating Minimum Order Quantities as a start up (04:59)
• How she manages holding thousands of product lines (06:09)
• The differences with finding new brands to stock now as an established business rather than a start up (07:03)
• Making sure that all the products meet their ethical standards, are vegan, cruelty free and not tested on animals (08:59)
• Creating the Greener Beauty Advent Calendar and ensuring it is plastic free (11:42)
• Replacing Black Friday with Greener Friday (14:57)
• Planting a tree with every order (15:52)
• Her experiences with Feel Unique - a cautionary tale (16:09)
• Her award wins (22:45)
• Her process for entering awards (24:50)
• How she publicises Greener Beauty, what has worked and what hasn’t worked (27:07)
• Using Google Shopping (27:42)
• Growing her team, and the areas that she outsources (29:52)
• Managing and packing stock (31:25)
• His number one piece of advice for other product creators (32:14)

USEFUL RESOURCES:

Greener Beauty Website

Greener Beauty Advent Calendar

Greener Beauty Facebook

Greener Beauty Instagram

Vic Wood Linked In

Awards Mentioned:

Natural & Organic Beauty Awards 2022

Who's Who In Natural Beauty

Health and Beauty Great British Entrepreneur of the Year

LET’S CONNECT

Join my free Facebook group for product makers and creators

Find me on Instagram

Work with me

Mentioned in this episode:

Amazon Made Easy is now open

My membership, Amazon Made Easy is now open.

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