Product Powerhouse

Now more than ever, product shops need to be looking at their pricing and adjusting them. Between the pandemic and supply chain issues, you are paying more for raw materials and packaging materials than you ever did before. Looking at the numbers and data will help you make better pricing decisions. This week, episode 127 of the Product Powerhouse Podcast is about how to increase your product profit margins! 

Build your Shopify store in just 14 days. This roadmap walks you through exactly what you need to do to design a strategic and beautiful Shopify store.

Proof to Product founder, Katie Hunt is a business strategist, podcaster, mentor to creative entrepreneurs, and mama to four. She’s helped thousands of brands get their products on the shelves of retail stores like Target, Anthropologies, Nordstrom, and independent boutiques around the world. Katie has taught classes for CreativeLive, and she’s been featured on Forbes, Buzzfeed, Brit + Co, and dozens of business podcasts. Her strengths lie in connecting people and bringing strategic ideas to life.

In this episode of the Product Powerhouse Podcast, Katie Hunt and I are sharing the importance of knowing your numbers to make better decisions around the pricing of your products. We also discuss actionable steps you can take right now to increase the profit for your products. 

Some of the talking points Katie and I go over in this episode include:

• Taking the temperature of your business so you can make better decisions.
• Four ways to increase your profit margins.
• Preparing our product businesses for the recession.

The quickest way to increase your profit margins is to increase your prices. Frankly, the market demands that you raise your prices to keep your business healthy.

Thank you for listening! Be sure to tune in to all the episodes to receive tons of practical tips on growing your product shop and to hear even more about the points outlined above. If you enjoyed this episode, take a screenshot of the episode to post in your stories and tag me!  And don’t forget to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!

Learn more about Product Powerhouse and Erin at https://productpowerhouse.co/podcast/ 

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We all need to remember to take care of ourselves, especially around the holiday season. With the holidays being the busiest time of the year for shop owners, it’s important that we don’t burn out or dread what could be a great season. This week, episode 126 of the Product Powerhouse Podcast is about self-care for show owners through the holiday season! 

Build your Shopify store in just 14 days. This roadmap walks you through exactly what you need to do to design a strategic and beautiful Shopify store.

In this episode of the Product Powerhouse Podcast, I’m sharing the importance of taking time for yourself during the holiday season and the beneficial things you can do right now to practice self-care. I know self-care can feel like a buzzword in the online business industry, but it’s so important to your own mental health and the growth of your business.

Some of the talking points I go over in this episode include:

• Taking care of yourself and prioritizing yourself is not a reward.
• How self-care helps us to have a more balanced.
• Creating structure with your schedule so that you can be productive while taking time for yourself.
• Some self-care things you can do not only during the holiday season but every day.

Thank you for listening! Be sure to tune in to all the episodes to receive tons of practical tips on growing your product shop and to hear even more about the points outlined above. If you enjoyed this episode, take a screenshot of the episode to post in your stories and tag me!  And don’t forget to follow, rate, and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!

Learn more about Product Powerhouse and Erin at https://productpowerhouse.co/podcast/ 

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LINKS MENTIONED:

Atomic Habits by James Clear

The No Show by Beth O’Leary

Books by Kate Quinn

Drunk on Love by Jasmine Guillory

Books by Abby Jimenez

Birds of California by Katie Cotugno

Thank You for Listening by Julia Whelan

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The number one question I get asked is how long does it actually take to DIY build and design your own Shopify Store? I have seen those Youtube videos that boost that they’ll show you how to launch your shop in just a few hours, but they end up lackluster. If you poured your heart and soul into creating an incredible product, why would you rush to build a place where customers can purchase that product? This week, episode 125 of the Product Powerhouse Podcast is about how to launch your Shopify store in just 14 days! 

Build your Shopify store in just 14 days. This roadmap walks you through exactly what you need to do to design a strategic and beautiful Shopify store.

In this episode of the Product Powerhouse Podcast, I’m sharing the importance of taking the time and effort to create a shop that you and your customers can enjoy. I also discuss actionable steps you can take right now to create a thoughtful website that helps you connect with your audience and sell your products. 

Some of the talking points I go over in this episode include:

• Why rushing through creating a Shopify site can negatively impact your store. 
• Creating excitement around the launch of your brand new Shopify website.
• Some of the things you need to prepare for building your product shop.

Thank you for listening! Be sure to tune in to all the episodes to receive tons of practical tips on growing your product shop and to hear even more about the points outlined above. If you enjoyed this episode, take a screenshot of the episode to post in your stories and tag me! And don’t forget to follow, rate, and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!

Learn more about Product Powerhouse and Erin at https://productpowerhouse.co/podcast/

LINKS MENTIONED:

Ep 53: Build Buzz around your Relaunch or Rebrand

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As a shop, you want to get your products in front of the right people this holiday season. This week's guest shares everything you need to know on the PR side to grow your sales by pitching to be featured by bloggers and influencers. Episode 124 of the Product Powerhouse Podcast is about getting your small business into gift guides for the holidays! 

Download the FREE Holiday Website Checklist today. Download this checklist to make all the necessary updates or changes so that your website is running smoothly for the holiday season. 

In this episode of the Product Powerhouse Podcast, Allison Carter and I share the importance of creating authentic relationships when you want to partner with someone. We also chat about actionable steps you can take right now to get your business out there. 

Some of the talking points Allison and I go over in this episode include:

• When handmade business owners should think about getting press for the holiday season.
• Each step needed to get your products into gift guides that are actually going to drive traffic to your shop and result in sales.
• Using affiliates to maximize your press so that the influencers and bloggers are more likely to share your products.
• Using humanizing aspects in your pitch to help you stand out from the crowd.

Thank you for listening! Be sure to tune in to all the episodes to receive tons of practical tips on growing your product shop and to hear even more about the points outlined above. If you enjoyed this episode, take a screenshot of the episode to post in your stories and tag me!  And don’t forget to follow, rate, review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!

Learn more about Product Powerhouse and Erin at https://productpowerhouse.co/podcast/ 

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With the holiday season quickly approaching, I want to ensure you have everything you need for both business and personal success. Now is a great time to start testing and trying new things so you can collect the data at a quicker rate. This week, episode 123 of the Product Powerhouse Podcast is about using unique ads to boost profitability during the holidays! 

Download the FREE Holiday Website Checklist today. Download this checklist to make all the necessary updates or changes so that your website is running smoothly for the holiday season. 

In this episode of the Product Powerhouse Podcast, Hattie and I share the benefits of running paid ads to your shop during the holidays and actionable steps you can take right now to get started with Facebook ads. 

Some of the talking points Hattie and I go over in this episode include:

• When you should start thinking about ads and what you need to have in place before you begin.
• Three different and creative ways to use Facebook ads this holiday season to drive traffic to your website. 
• Ads are more than just sales. It’s also sales psychology.
• How ads can be run throughout the entire year to boost your shop sales.

Thank you for listening! Be sure to tune in to all the episodes to receive tons of practical tips on growing your product shop and to hear even more about the points outlined above. If you enjoyed this episode, take a screenshot of the episode to post in your stories and tag me! And don’t forget to follow, rate, and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!

Learn more about Product Powerhouse and Erin at https://productpowerhouse.co/podcast/ 

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5-Day Ads Class use the code yourspecial75 

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If you’re like me, you are probably cringing every time you pull up to the gas station. Prices are increasing everywhere, and you probably feel this inflation in the costs of the materials used to create, design, and ship your products. This week, episode 121 of the Product Powerhouse Podcast is about how to keep your product business afloat through economic changes! 

DIY Shopify is the self-study program to help you create an amazing website, without spending hours on Google or learning code, so you can focus on the parts of your business that you love.

In this episode of the Product Powerhouse Podcast, I’m sharing the basics of inflation, how it works, and how we can navigate this in our product-based business. 

Some of the talking points I go over in this episode include:

• Things you can control during this time of economic change. 
• How to protect yourself from inflation now and in the future. 
• Using methods as a baseline so you can take what works for you and leave the rest.
• The importance of learning new skills and taking time to improve your business during slower seasons.

Remember, inflation isn’t new. It is always happening, and there are always ups and downs. So whether or not you are seeing direct impacts of inflation right now or not, you want to make a plan to review this information quarterly or yearly. 

Thank you for listening! Be sure to tune in to all the episodes to receive tons of practical tips on growing your product shop and to hear more about the above points.

 If you enjoyed this episode, take a screenshot of the episode to post in your stories and tag me!  And don’t forget to follow, rate, and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!

Learn more about Product Powerhouse and Erin at https://productpowerhouse.co/podcast/ 

CONNECT WITH ERIN ALEXANDER:

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LINKS MENTIONED:

Profit First

Shopify Learn

Skillshare

Grow with Google

eCommerce Badassery Podcast

Crickets to Cha-Chings Podcast

The 6 Figure Product Business Podcast

Smart Passive Income Podcast

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As you probably know, I use Shopify when building out an eCommerce website, but we all know that there are other options out there that might be a better fit, depending on the business. This week, episode 120 of the Product Powerhouse Podcast is about building your eCommerce website on WordPress! 

Get ready for the only virtual summit that will help you prepare for the holiday season. The Handmade Holiday Prep Summit is a free online event to help handmade business owners prepare for the most profitable holiday season with less stress and more time for pie.

In this episode of the Product Powerhouse Podcast, Rebecca Inkrote and I share the importance of picking a website builder that works best for your business and needs. We also chat about actionable steps you can take right now to ensure that your website converts, whether it’s on WordPress, Shopify, or something else. 

Some of the talking points Rebecca and I go over in this episode include:

• The benefits of building an eCommerce site on a platform like WordPress
• Which businesses and business models make good candidates for WordPress stores. 
• The differences between WordPress and Shopify. 
• Understanding some of the plugins and themes that may be available on WordPress and why you have to be strategic with the ones you choose.  
• Being strategic with your website 

Be sure to tune in to all the episodes to receive tons of practical tips on growing your product shop and to hear even more about the points outlined above.

Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, take a screenshot of the episode to post in your stories and tag me!  And don’t forget to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!

Learn more about Product Powerhouse and Erin at https://productpowerhouse.co/podcast/ 

CONNECT WITH REBECCA INKROTE:

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The holiday sales season is so busy! November and December are the two most significant months in retail. In 2021, retailers brought in 33.9 Billion dollars in online sales between Thanksgiving Day and Cyber Monday. Generally speaking, the holiday sales season can account for up to 30% of a business’s revenue for the entire year. As crazy as those statistics are, there’s a lot of pressure for small product businesses to make the most of the holiday season. This week, episode 119 of the Product Powerhouse Podcast is about the holiday sales stress, the mistakes that can happen, and how to fix them! 

Get ready for the only virtual summit that will help you prepare for the holiday season. The Handmade Holiday Prep Summit is a free online event to help handmade business owners prepare for the most profitable holiday season with less stress and more time for pie.

In this episode of the Product Powerhouse Podcast, I’m sharing the importance of preparing early for the holiday sales season and actionable steps you can take right now to have less stress around the holiday sales. 

Some of the talking points I go over in this episode include:

• The three mistakes that keep handmade business owners stressed during the holidays
• How to plan ahead for the holiday season. 
• The importance of doubling down on the things that work rather than trying new strategies.
• How selfcare is a nonnegotiable during the holiday season and how to make time for it.

Remember, even though I mention the Handmade Holiday Prep Summit, these principles are important when preparing for those holiday sales.

Thank you for listening! Be sure to tune in to all the episodes to receive tons of practical tips on growing your product shop and to hear more about the above points. If you enjoyed this episode, take a screenshot of the episode to post in your stories and tag me!  And don’t forget to follow, rate, and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!

Learn more about Product Powerhouse and Erin at https://productpowerhouse.co/podcast/ 

CONNECT WITH ERIN ALEXANDER:

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When you are starting an eCommerce product-based business, it sounds really simple and seems fun during the planning. Once you need to set up the storefront, it doesn’t always line up with the fun of dreaming up your product business. We get it. This week, episode 118 of the Product Powerhouse Podcast is about three things you need to set up your eCommerce website! 

In this episode of the Product Powerhouse Podcast, I’m sharing the behind-the-scenes of our Shopify Style and Setup Experience along with the things that you definitely need in order to set up your eCommerce website to start selling. I also give three things you want on your home page and how to create that cohesive brand.

Here are the three things you need to get your eCommerce website up and running: 

• Shopify - is the best eCommerce platform in the current market.
• A cohesive brand - you’ll want to ensure that from page to page, your brand is clear.
• A strong home page that will convert and look good 

Thank you for listening! Be sure to tune in to all the episodes to receive tons of practical tips on growing your product shop and to hear even more about the points outlined above.

Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, take a screenshot of the episode to post in your stories and tag me!  And don’t forget to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!

Learn more about Product Powerhouse and Erin at https://productpowerhouse.co/podcast/ 

CONNECT WITH ERIN ALEXANDER:

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LINKS MENTIONED:

Ep 112 - Conversion Based Design

Ep 6 - 9 Things your Shop Must Include

Ep 2 - Give Your Shop a Visibility Boost

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As handmade business owners, it can be scary to consider hiring help in our business. The hesitation comes from feeling like we shouldn’t need help in our business. Or that by hiring someone, we are giving control of our company over to someone else. This week episode 117 of the Product Powerhouse Podcast is about hiring a virtual assistant for your product business! 

In this episode of the Product Powerhouse Podcast, Carmen Williams is sharing the importance of hiring support in your business and the actionable steps you can take right now to determine what you can take off your plate. That way, you have more time to be creative or plan long-term strategies for your business.

Some of the talking points Carmen and I go over in this episode include:

• What business owners can do to get started in using a VA in their business.
• Fears around hiring a VA when you are the one pouring your heart and soul into creating a product.
• Figuring out what a virtual assistant can help you within your product business.
• Behind the scenes of what a virtual assistant matchmaking service like Global Teams can look like and how there’s continued support for both parties.
• Understanding that even though you might work with someone from a different culture, they are still a person beneath it all.

Don’t forget–it doesn’t have to be all or nothing when you are hiring support for your business. You can start small.

Be sure to tune in to all the episodes to receive tons of practical tips on growing your product shop and to hear even more about the points outlined above. Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, take a screenshot of the episode to post in your stories and tag me!  And don’t forget to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!

Learn more about Product Powerhouse and Erin at https://productpowerhouse.co/podcast/ 

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Shop

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