Sebastian Funke is the Co-founder and CEO of The Stryze Group, a Berlin-based firm that builds and acquires direct-to-consumer brands from outside entrepreneurs. The team at Stryze takes brands to the next level using deep domain expertise, manpower, and capital. Prior to founding Stryze, Sebastian launched and led several firms, including five companies in the e-commerce space.

Many entrepreneurs start private label businesses on Amazon as a side hustle to make some extra cash. However, as they continue building their brand, they are faced with some difficult decisions: whether to hire employees, when to expand their product line, and, most importantly, how and if they should sell their businesses.

With more and more Amazon entrepreneurs choosing to exit their side hustles, it's becoming increasingly important for brand owners to prepare for a future sale. According to Sebastian Funke, the best way to position your business for an exit is to develop a consistent product portfolio and invest in your branding. So, what are some of his tips for successfully selling your private label brand?

In this episode of the Buy Box Experts podcast, James Thomson interviews Sebastian Funke, the Co-founder and CEO of The Stryze Group, about how to build and sell a successful brand on Amazon. Together, they discuss the future of FBA investments, Sebastian's tips for preparing a brand for sale, and what makes The Stryze Group different from other FBA investors. Stay tuned.

Gabi Bar is the Co-founder and Executive Vice President of Technology Commerce Management (TCM). TCM delivers the e-commerce aggregator industry's first predictive, AI-driven e-commerce performance optimization. Founded in 2016, TCM now operates e-commerce businesses on Amazon, Shopify, eBay, Walmart, WooCommerce, and more.

With thousands of new FBA private label brands hitting the market each year, there has never been more data and information available to both sellers and investors. However, many aggregators don't know how to leverage this data to accurately pinpoint and evaluate a profitable brand. So, how can you avoid getting lost in this influx of data on Amazon?

According to Gabi Bar, the key is to utilize artificial intelligence and machine learning. By leveraging this big data in the private label space, his company has successfully optimized the evaluation process and identified high-growth brands to invest in. Now, he's here to share his data-driven process and expert strategies with you.

In this episode of the Buy Box Experts podcast, James Thomson interviews Gabi Bar, the Co-founder and Executive Vice President of Technology Commerce Management (TCM), about the value of big data when acquiring private label brands. Gabi explains how his firm leverages machine learning and artificial intelligence to identify successful FBA private label brands to invest in. He also shares his tips for determining the right time to sell and effectively preparing for an exit. Stay tuned.

Sam Hörbye is the Co-founder of Olsam Group, a UK-based firm that buys and grows Amazon FBA brands. Olsam Group's mission is to be the first point of contact for Amazon sellers looking to achieve an amazing exit and continue to profit as their brand grows.

Before this, Sam was the Team Lead Manager at Amazon, where he managed some of the UK's largest third-party sellers on Amazon's worldwide marketplaces. He also started, scaled, and sold his own category-leading Amazon FBA business, Beechmore Books.

How do you know when it's the right time to sell your Amazon private label business? What steps can you take to ensure that your brand will achieve the most profitable exit possible?

According to Sam Hörbye, there are a few key actions that every FBA private label brand owner should take before trying to sell their business. Most importantly, they should prepare their finances. As Sam says, Amazon sellers need to know what their profit margins are and what their businesses are worth, as these will play a huge role in valuing their brand. So, what other steps can you take to boost the value of your private label brand before a sale?

Sam Hörbye, the Co-founder of Olsam Group, joins James Thomson on this episode of the Buy Box Experts podcast to talk about his process for investing in FBA private label brands on Amazon. Sam explains how he identifies and evaluates profitable businesses for sale, his best practices for partial exits, and the various ways he leverages his former Amazon experience at his current company. Stay tuned.

Nick Tuzenko is the Founder and Managing Director of Accel Club, a firm that acquires Amazon FBA businesses. With expertise in e-commerce, technology, and M&A, the team at Accel Club is disrupting the FBA industry and boosting brands to the next level.

Before founding Accel Club, Nick served as the Managing Director of Busfor, a company that streamlined the bus transportation industry by developing technological solutions to connect bus operators and carriers with travelers.

For FBA private label brands looking to sell their businesses, it can be difficult to know where or when to start in order to achieve the most profitable exit. Because of this, many brands choose to wait six to 12 months to put their business on the market with the hope that the value of their brand will increase.

However, this may not be the best strategy for current sellers. According to Nick Tuzenko, there are some timely factors that these brands should consider first. As Nick says, these include the current high demand for FBA businesses, the uncertain economic future, and any possible shifts that could change the market. So, what is Nick's advice to current private label brands who are thinking about making a sale?

Nick Tuzenko, the Founder and Managing Director of Accel Club, joins James Thomson on this episode of the Buy Box Experts podcast to explain why FBA private label brands should sell their businesses right now. Nick discusses how he evaluates brands looking to sell, the various ways his company helps brands with sourcing, and his predictions for the future of the FBA space. Stay tuned.

Stefan Haney is the CTO and Strategic Advisor for Foundry, a firm that specializes in buying and building incredible Amazon businesses. Before joining Foundry, Stefan was a 16-year veteran at Amazon, where he led several executive teams and contributed to the strategy and innovation behind the platform's product shopping pages, checkout, navigation, and more.

With over two decades of experience in e-commerce, Stefan has a proven track record of launching new technology, delivering business results, and implementing mission-critical programs.

As more FBA private label brand owners exit their businesses, the demand for aggregators continues to rise. This, in turn, increases demand for more entrepreneurs looking to build and sell FBA businesses on Amazon — creating a rapidly growing Amazon flywheel. 

However, with the increase in private label brands on Amazon, it's vital that aggregators effectively evaluate a business before purchase. For Stefan Haney, this means thoroughly analyzing their growth potential, conversions, and the general state of the Amazon marketplace. Stefan also considers how each new investment will fit into his growing portfolio. So, what is his advice to aggregators looking to build a successful acquisition strategy?

In this episode of the Buy Box Experts podcast, James Thomson is joined by Stefan Haney, the CTO and Strategic Advisor for Foundry, to discuss his company's acquisition and portfolio management strategy. Together, they talk about how Stefan evaluates FBA brands before a purchase, what differentiates Foundry from other aggregators in the market, and the future of private label businesses on Amazon. Stay tuned.

Victor Elmann is the Vice President of Vendor Management at Circuit City, a consumer electronics retailer. In this role, Victor leads the team responsible for vendor relationship management, negotiations, product management, and customer experience.

Prior to joining Circuit City, Victor was the Director of e-Commerce at Omnicom and the Director of SMB Merchandising at Gogotech. With years of experience in merchandising, buying, and e-commerce, he is an expert at digital strategy and marketing.

With the rapid growth of e-commerce, it's becoming more and more important for sellers to have a presence across multiple channels. To do this successfully, they must understand their customers' buying behaviors and build consistent customer relationships in every marketplace.

However, for brand owners who are just starting out, it can be difficult to manage customer support across multiple e-commerce channels. That's why Victor Elmann and his team at Circuit City represent these sellers on Amazon and other marketplaces. By giving them the support of an established retailer, Victor and his team help sellers provide a better customer experience and successfully grow their businesses. 

In this episode of the Buy Box Experts podcast, James Thomson is joined by Victor Elmann, the Vice President of Vendor Management at Circuit City, to talk about the benefits of working with an established retailer to maximize your direct-to-consumer sales. Victor talks about optimizing your brand on and off of Amazon, how to build successful sourcing partnerships, and the importance of creating a consistent customer experience across multiple channels. Stay tuned.

Chris McCabe is the Founder and CEO of ecommerceChris, a firm that specializes in helping Amazon sellers reinstate their accounts and save their businesses. Chris and his team are all former Amazonians with long histories of helping people on the marketplace. At ecommerceChris, they teach sellers how to think like Amazon, protect their accounts, and appeal listing restrictions and suspensions.

Prior to founding ecommerceChris, Chris was an Investigation Specialist at Amazon for several years. He has appeared on many podcasts and YouTube channels and his work has been featured in The New York Times, Forbes, and The Wall Street Journal.

Due to fierce competition on the Amazon marketplace, some unscrupulous third-party sellers engage in bad practices to get their competitors suspended from the marketplace. Also known as brand abuse, these practices—such as black hat techniques, fake reviews, and listing abuse—can be detrimental to the success of your business.

Because of this, it is critical that third-party sellers learn how to protect themselves from such attacks. According to Amazon consultant Chris McCabe, while sellers may be able to handle some brand abuse issues themselves, there may be cases when they need to bring the problem to Amazon, engage a lawyer, or reach out to a consultant. That's why he created his firm, ecommerceChris: to help Amazon sellers successfully protect and save their businesses.

In this week's episode of the Buy Box Experts podcast, James Thomson interviews Chris McCabe, the Founder and CEO of ecommerceChris, about his strategies for identifying and handling brand abuse on Amazon. They discuss the types of brand abuse you should be aware of, how to effectively resolve issues on your own, and Chris' tips for preventing future attacks. Stay tuned.

Yoni Mazor is the Co-founder and Chief Operating Officer of GETIDA, a company that provides state-of-the-art reimbursement recovery solutions for FBA sellers. Utilizing GETIDA's unique auditing technology, Amazon sellers can have peace of mind that all their funds and inventories are properly accounted for and audited.

In addition to this, Yoni is a former Amazon seller and a Board Member for The Ecom Cooperative, a powerful network of top e-commerce experts and service providers.

One of the most frustrating aspects of using FBA for your business is dealing with mistakes on the part of Amazon. There are a number of different mistakes that Amazon can make during fulfillment—including mishandled or lost inventory, incorrect shipping, or bad packaging. In these cases, third-party sellers can seek reimbursements from Amazon, but it's not always as easy as it sounds.

Although Amazon's software is able to detect some mistakes and reimburse sellers automatically, a few tend to slip through the cracks. However, if sellers fail to reach out to Amazon about these discrepancies, they may end up losing their inventory and money. This is where GETIDA, a state-of-the-art reimbursement recovery solution, comes in. GETIDA helps Amazon sellers achieve maximum profitability by ensuring that all of their funds and inventory are properly accounted for.

Yoni Mazor, the Co-founder and Chief Operating Officer of GETIDA, joins James Thomson on this episode of the Buy Box Experts podcast to share what third-party sellers need to know about FBA reimbursements. Yoni explains what inspired him to create his Amazon reimbursement solution, how his company differs from other players in the industry, and the common mistakes both sellers and Amazon make during fulfillment. Stay tuned.

Matt Snyder is the Senior Director of Amazon at Vari, a workspace innovation company and active office furniture manufacturer. Matt is also a consultant who specializes in helping Amazon sellers with Seller Fulfilled Prime setup, Amazon APIs, and omni-channel integrations.

Prior to joining Vari, Matt was the e-Commerce Account Executive at Woot.com, where he managed multi-channel daily deal promotions. He is also currently the Co-founder and President of Lovepacs, a nonprofit that provides meals to students who would otherwise go hungry during school holidays.

Upon joining the Amazon marketplace, third-party sellers have the option to either fulfill their own orders or to use Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA). With FBA, your products are stored in an Amazon fulfillment center and shipped by the Amazon team. However, due to complications in 2020, FBA orders have experienced shipping delays, causing major problems for Amazon sellers.

Because of this, it may be time to consider another option: the Seller Fulfilled Prime (SFP) program. SFP was recently introduced into the Amazon marketplace, and it lets sellers fulfill their own orders to Prime customers. With this program, you have more control over your shipping logistics, meaning you don't have to wait for Amazon to replenish inventory. So, what do you need to know in order to get started with SFP in 2021?

In this week's episode of the Buy Box Experts podcast, James Thomson is joined by Matt Snyder, the Senior Director of Amazon at Vari, to discuss the ins and outs of Amazon's Seller Fulfilled Prime (SFP) program. Matt explains why his company joined the program and how it has benefited the business on and off of Amazon. He also talks about the new SFP requirements, how he evaluates 3PL partners, and his advice for finding the right fulfillment software for your company. Stay tuned.

Sanjay Chandiram is the CEO and Co-founder of Kaliber Global, a premier brand collective and one of the top 50 private label sellers on Amazon. He is also the CEO of ProMark, an e-commerce brand management firm. Sanjay holds an MBA in Operations, Finance, and Systems from the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore. His specialties include brand management, e-commerce strategy consulting, importing, and more.

Chuck Gregorich is the Co-founder of Net Health Shops LLC and Net Pet Shops LLC, multi-channel home decor and pet product e-commerce companies that import from several countries and sell on over 20 marketplaces in the US, Canada, and Mexico. Before this, Chuck was the CEO of Lorman Education Services, a national leader of continuing education seminars in North America. He holds a degree in Accounting from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire.

Jerry Kavesh is the CEO of Western Outlets and an Amazon seller of both branded and private label apparel and footwear. He is also the Founder and CEO of 3P Marketplace Solutions, a third-party marketplace retail company that helps apparel and footwear manufacturers achieve marketplace exposure and sales. Jerry has a BA in Finance & Marketing from the University of Washington's Michael G. Foster School of Business.

Over the last year, many e-commerce businesses in the US have experienced delays in products being shipped from Asia. This, in addition to an exponential increase in importation costs, has had a negative impact on their businesses, revenue, and brand reputation. So, what is causing these delays and high costs, and what can you do about it?

According to Amazon experts Sanjay Chandiram, Chuck Gregorich, and Jerry Kavesh, the delays at the ports can be traced back to an increase in demand for products, a shortage of containers, and delayed customs clearance. As they say, the effects of these shipping issues have been felt not just by sellers but also by retail stores, buyers, and customers. Luckily, they have some tried-and-true strategies for working around these disruptions and making the most out of the current shipping situation.

In this week's episode of the Buy Box Experts podcast, James Thomson is joined by Amazon experts Sanjay Chandiram, Chuck Gregorich, and Jerry Kavesh to talk about the shipping delays and high importation costs of products coming out of Asia. They discuss what has caused these disruptions, how they have affected business operations on Amazon, and the strategies sellers can take to ensure that their products get shipped on time. Stay tuned.