The Asian Seller

Peter Chiang, originally from Australia and currently based in Shanghai is on track to generate $1 million in revenue on Amazon this year. Sounds amazing and this is what every seller aims to achieve.

But Peter's eCommerce journey over the last two years has not always been smooth. Not all his products have been successful, he has made costly mistakes, and learnt from trial and error.

In this episode, Peter shares some of the lessons he has learnt along the way, and what he would have done differently knowing what he knows now.

If you are thinking of starting an Amazon or eCommerce business, listen carefully and avoid the mistakes that Peter has made.

What Peter wishes he had known:

• It's better to focus on and launch one product when you're starting out
• Cash flow is critical for success
• Stay away from fad products
• Focus on packing dimensions of the product to keep storage costs in check
• Profitability is important but be ready to lose money initially to maintain rank
• Get your product tested and certified, especially if it's for kids
• Optimize your logistics to save on costs
• Talk with other sellers if you have a network to bounce off ideas and learn from them. Attend meetups, conferences and listen to podcasts to always keep learning
• If you want to do a course, choose one that will offer ongoing support after the course

How to reach Peter:

• Email: [email protected]

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"When you hit rock bottom, the only way is up," says Danny McMillan, host of Seller Sessions.

In this episode, Danny shares how he persevered in the face of tragedy and adversity, after sadly losing two of his children and almost going bankrupt.

Today, Danny runs one of the e-commerce industry's top podcasts, and helps and inspires thousands of Amazon sellers everyday. He has recently bought a grand family home "with a view" of beautiful farmland.

He shares how he was "stripped of everything" but that has made him an optimistic person who always looks on the bright side.

Having lost my husband to a heart attack two years ago, I can relate to Danny's experience and I feel his pain.

Losing a loved one or similar tragedies change our perspective of life. After such hardships we tend to be more humble and have more gratitude.

We also realize that we all have an inner strength within us that helps us move forward when tragedy strikes.

I hope you are inspired by Danny's resilience, perseverance and his positive outlook. I know I am.

Danny's inspiring quotes in the episode:

• When you hit rock bottom, the only way is up
• If you make meaning, you'll make money
• There's nothing worse than chasing money and being miserable
• If you enjoy what you do, you have the opportunity to excel
• You have to find your thing
• If you can do something that doesn't feel like a job, you've made it
• If you haven't got purpose in life, what do you have
• If you're just starting out on Amazon, take baby steps and don't go all in
• Find products that are differentiated
• Money amplifies who you are (from Rich Dad Poor Dad)

About Danny McMillan

Danny is the host of Seller Sessions, the largest podcast for advanced Amazon sellers.

A world renowned public speaker and veteran Amazon seller, Danny is also the co-founder of DATAbrill. Working alongside respected algorithm expert Dr. Ellis Whitehead, DATAbrill manages PPC and advertising automation for 6, 7 & 8 figure Amazon brands.

He also works with Amazon in the UK to provide webinar content for their 3rd party sellers.

How to reach Danny:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: www.sellersessions.com

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Rahul Chawla, Senior Business Development Manager, QIMA (formerly AsiaInspection) is a veteran when it comes to QC and inspections. You will see him at most eCommerce conferences and meetups in Hong Kong and China, and he is always quick to respond to quality control-related questions in Amazon FBA Facebook and Wechat groups. He is also the first to share articles and news affecting Amazon FBA sellers.

In this episode of The Asian Seller podcast, Rahul talks about the quality pitfalls Amazon sellers face when sourcing private label products from China or India. He also shares advice and tips on how to do QC and inspections effectively and avoid 1-star reviews on Amazon.

Episode highlights

• Common mistakes Amazon sellers make when it comes to product quality
• Differences between how Amazon sellers approach quality and how brands / retailers / importers manage quality
• Differences between how QC is managed by suppliers / buyers in India and China
• Product testing:
• • Difference between testing and getting certified
  • When should sellers do product testing
  • Which types of tests are mandatory and which are nice to have
  • Can sellers use test reports from suppliers
  • What's the process of doing product tests
  • How do sellers find out which certificates their product needs?
• Inspections:
• • Different types of inspections and when each is done
  • Types of inspections retailers / importers buying in large volumes usually do
  • Is there a minimum order value / volume for a pre-shipment inspection
  • Process of how a pre-shipment inspection is done
  • About QIMA: services, location, price, USP

About Rahul Chawla

Rahul is Senior Business Development Manager at QIMA (formerly AsiaInspection). He has been in the industry of Quality Control, Product Compliance, Certification & Supply Chain Audits for more than 11 years. Rahul serves and consults several global brands and retailers that source from multiple countries and in various product categories. ​He also assists Amazon FBA sellers and others for quality control and product compliance needs.

How to reach Rahul to book an inspection:

• Email: [email protected]
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rahulchawla20

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Emma Schermer shares strategies to enhance your Amazon listing to boost sales and conversions. She talks about mistakes people make when it comes to copy, and how to add emotion and psychology to enhance copy.

Other topics covered in the podcast are how to optimize EBC or A1 Content, keyword research, infographics, and tips to write the listing title and bullet points.

Episode highlights

• Emma's background and how she helps Amazon sellers
• How important is listing copy for increasing sales and conversions
• Some of the no-no's of copy
• How to add emotion and use psychology to enhance copy
• Best practices for the title, bullet points, and EBC or A+ Content
• Tips on keyword research
• Importance of infographics, and tips to optimize infographics
• Services Emma offers

About Emma Schermer

Emma transforms her insatiable curiosity into conversion-spiking copy. As co-founder of Marketing by Emma, she's helped over 650 businesses from around the world boost their sales and build their brands through authentic, compelling copy.

How to Reach Emma

• Website: www.marketingbyemma.com
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/marketingbyemma
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emma-schermer-tamir-85899166/
• Email: [email protected]

Special offers for The Asian Seller community

• Free listing review: Send an email to [email protected] with a link to your listing, and mention "The Asian Seller"
• 2 free photo texts: Buy any Amazon listing optimization service at www.marketingbyemma.com (basic listing, EBC listing, or one of their packages), and get 2 photo texts free. Use the promo code: TAS2PHOTOS

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What does it take to build an Amazon private label brand from scratch and then sell it for 30 or 40 times the monthly profit?

In this episode, Peter Luxenburg, an eCommerce seller and consultant from Hong Kong shares his story about how he created and then sold his home products brand. Peter talks about how he selected the product category, what are the key criteria buyers are looking for, how sale price is determined and more.

Episode highlights

• Peter's background and how and why he decided to sell his Amazon business.
• How Peter chose and sourced products for his brand.
• What are some of the must-haves of an Amazon business if a seller sets it up with the intention of selling it.
• Product categories that are more likely to be bought.
• How the sale price is determined.
• Who is buying Amazon businesses.
• The mistakes Peter made when building his brand, and what he would do differently if he had to do it again.
• Sourcing from Yiwu.
• Peter's plans for the next 12 months and the services he offers.

About Peter Luxenburg

Peter is the Founder & CEO of Frost Limited. He is a serial entrepreneur and eCommerce consultant based in Hong Kong. He has worked in China since 2007 when he managed a mid-size machining company with production, sourcing and assembly services catering to companies in the west.

In 2013, he got into selling on Amazon and soon created an online private label brand of quality bar accessories. In 2014 he founded Frost Ltd, a consulting firm that helps clients plan, launch and cultivate business online in general and on Amazon in particular.

With years of hands-on and strategic experience, Frost supports its clients with everything from product selection and brand creation to online sales and supply-chain planning.

Special offer for The Asian Seller community

• FREE 20-minute call with Peter for The Asian Seller community members. Talk to him to ask for help and guidance what to do next with your business or simply bounce of your ideas.
• Book a time with him here: https://calendly.com/peter-luxenburg/theasiansellerpodcast
• Website: https://www.frostlimited.com

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With the uncertainty around the ongoing US-China trade war, many Amazon sellers are looking to source their products from alternative markets, and India is one of the key contenders.

But there isn't a lot of information available online on how to import from India, what products to source, how to search for suppliers.

In this episode, Meghla Bhardwaj, Founder of India Sourcing Trip and The Asian Seller gives an overview of how sourcing works in India.

Episode highlights

• What are the advantages of importing private label products from India
• How sourcing from India is different from importing from China
• Which products are produced competitively
• Tips for effective sourcing including whether or not to negotiate, and cultural sensitivities to be aware of
• How to find suppliers including online and at trade shows
• About India Sourcing Trip

Find out more about India sourcing

• India Sourcing Trip: www.indiasourcingtrip.com
• Sourcing from India Facebook Group: www.facebook.com/groups/IndiaSourcing/
• Download free "The eCommerce Seller's Guide to Sourcing from India": www.indiasourcingtrip.com/ebook

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In this episode, we talk about everything Amazon sellers need to know about filing patents for their innovative products.

Rich Goldstein, Principal Patent Attorney at Goldstein Patent Law explains in simple terms the differences between a patent, trademark and copyright. He talks about the different types of patents, when and where you should file for one, how to prepare for filing, and how the process varies from one country to another.

Episode highlights

• What are the differences between a patent, trademark and copyright?
• When should Amazon sellers patent a product?
• When is a product patent-worthy?
• How design patents are different from utility patents. What is trade dress
• Differences in patent laws in U.S., U.K. and China. If a seller wants to sell their product in multiple markets, do they need to patent the product in each market?
• The process of patenting a product, how much does it cost and how long it takes.
• Prior Art and other preparation you need to do before filing a patent.
• Can a patent be filed directly by a seller or do they need a patent attorney / agency.
• Types of products Amazon sellers are patenting.
• How can sellers ensure they're not inadvertently infringing on someone else's patents or copyright.
• One piece of advice to someone who's just starting their eCommerce business.
• About ABA Consumer Guide to Obtaining a Patent

About Rich Goldstein

Rich has built a career on working with both individual inventors and start-up companies. He has given critical advice to more than 10,000 inventors, and has obtained nearly 2,000 patents for his clients.

He has educated thousands more about the patent process through his seminars, educational videos, and best selling book: The ABA Consumer Guide to Obtaining a Patent.

He also works directly with executives to help them make effective decisions to protect their IP, meet their business goals, and leverage the value of what they have already created.

How to reach Rich

• Website: https://goldsteinpatentlaw.com
• Learn more about the patent process: https://goldsteinpatentlaw.com/the-patent-process/

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In this episode, Refael Elbaz, CEO of Unicargo, goes over logistics and shipping basics for Amazon FBA sellers.

He explains in clear terms essential information every Amazon seller should be familiar with when it comes to logistics. He talks about the shipping process to FBA, the different ways of calculating weight, incoterms, mistakes to avoid, the impact of tariffs, and much more.

This episode is a must-listen if you are new to Amazon FBA.

Episode highlights

• About Refael. How and when Unicargo started focusing on eCommerce shipments.
• The process of shipping once an Amazon FBA seller has confirmed an order with a supplier.
• Impact of US tariffs - 10% to 20% of their clients are shifting to alternative markets.
• Dimensions - difference between volumetric weight and dimensional weight, and how this affects shipping costs and methods.
• Incoterms - Most commonly used incoterms for Amazon sellers and when should they use which.
• Common mistakes Amazon FBA sellers make with regards to shipping:
  • Sellers amending their importing invoices
  • Asking the supplier for import requirements
  • Amazon shipping plan manipulation
  • Sellers going for the cheapest shipping price instead of what meets their business needs
  • Asking your supplier to manage your logistics especially as you scale
• Unicargo's consolidation services for Amazon FBA.

How to get a quote from Unicargo

• Website: www.unicargo.com
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Unicargo.International/ (they have a chatbot to help you get quotes)

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In this episode, Baptiste Porzier, an Amazon seller from France and based in China talks about China sourcing arbitrage.

He shares his experience buying products from local Chinese wholesale website 1688 and markets such as Kunming and Yiwu.

Episode highlights

• What is China sourcing arbitrage
• Benefits of sourcing arbitrage
• How it is different from sourcing online on B2B marketplaces such as Global Sources or at trade shows such as Canton Fair
• Product quality and safety issues when buying from these sources
• Types of products and suppliers you can find in wholesale markets
• Kunming wholesale market, and how it is different from Yiwu
• Finding manufacturers of products on 1688
• How to source from 1688 if you don't know Chinese
• How to manage shipping when buying from 1688
• Baptiste's tips on product selection
• One piece of advice to someone who's just starting out with eCommerce - Don't get discouraged and don't give up!

How to reach Baptiste

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/baptisteporzier
• Join Baptiste's Seller Supreme Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/612626839163857/

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In this episode, top Amazon seller from Singapore, Jason Tay shares his story about how he started selling on Amazon and built a 6-figure business. He also gives wide-ranging advice for new sellers just starting their eCommerce journey.

Jason is the first ever Singapore seller to be featured on Amazon's Seller Success Story series, and is regularly invited by Amazon and other institutions to talk about eCommerce.

Episode highlights

• Jason's background and how he started with eCommerce
• How he started with his flagship brand
• Common mistakes people make when they start selling on Amazon
• What does it take to succeed in eCommerce
• What sort of investment is required to start an eCommerce business
• Jason's advice for product selection
• Why people should develop their with private label brands
• Why some drop shipping methods may be considered illegitimate by Amazon and eBay
• Should you start with selling with Amazon or sell on your own website too
• What does it take to create and rank your own eCommerce website
• Best ways to source products from China
• Why you should not limit your sourcing to China
• Jason's experience sourcing from India and the challenges he had with shipping
• What's next for Jason's eCommerce business

How to reach Jason

• Jason Tay Online: https://www.jasontayonline.com/
• Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/jasontayonline/
• Jason's Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/MySilentTeamSG/

Jason's course

• Amazon Seller - Singapore Training: https://www.jasontayonline.com/singapore-training.html

Mention "The Asian Seller" when registering for the course to receive a bonus one-on-one session with Jason

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