Welcome – Episode 25 Ecommerce Gladiator here at Global From Asia.
There is lot of updates get some of the sadder news done at the beginning – combined with a battery too. New products, listeners and friends helping us along way and more!
Will be doing these every other Friday – now Enjoy
Topics Covered in this Episode
Order Status
Current smaller coffee set order status
Battery
AGG
Jack leaving
Mugs
(did we mention those yet?)
Zack
help, and input
Chinese New Year
Preparing for Chinese New Year
People / Companies / Resources Mentioned in this Episode
√ Insight-Quality.com
√ MSDS report for battery
Episode Length 12:18
Thanks for listening everyone – we are keeping these E-commerce Gladiator shows RAW as we promised. Some sadder news, some newer news, it is all hanging out!
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Podcast Transcription
Welcome to the Global from Asia Ecommerce Gladiator Series where you can follow along the progress of setting up a Cross Border Ecommerce business from start to finish. Hear insights of real product research, Amazon FBA, China manufacturing, branding, marketing, and all the blood, sweat, and tears of building a global business from Asia. Now let’s tune in.
Mike : Episode 25, the Global From Asia sub-series here of e-commerce gladiator. Thank you everybody for listening. We are doing this every other week. We decided we’d rather give you guys more insights every couple of weeks on this dedicated show about the progress of our Amazon business and our e-commerce business. We have some good news. We also share some of the downs, that’s what we promised, we promised to be transparent. We’re talking about also some products on early stage. So know that’s the promise I made or we made and the team made. So we are sharing with you today and as Roland and I going through some of the updates. Enjoy!
Enjoying the Global From Asia podcast. Wanna meet with other listeners, podcast guests, and business experts? Then you’re in luck. Every year we have our Annual Cross Border Summit. This year is our Third Annual in Shenzhen, China Cross Border Summit. It’s a 2-day conference. Mark your calendars April 20th and 21st of 2018. It’s a great time to get together and learn about import and export, Amazon FBA, e-commerce importing into China and global business. So we hope to catch you there www.crossbordersummit.com/2018.
Mike : Okay everybody another e-commerce gladiator series, me and Roland. Roland, what’s up?
Roland : Hey guys, how’s it going?
Mike : So we’ve been pushing hard even, you tell me you’re up til like past midnight and up before like 6, squeezing in, so it’s been great. We got a lot of update today.
Roland : A lot of updates. A lot of has been going down.
Mike : Maybe we’ll start with some like some of the how do I say.
Roland : Rougher parts.
Mike : Rougher parts and then focus on move on to some of the smaller updates.
Roland : As we go along.
Mike : Yeah so alright. Let’s just put out there. Jack is stepping down. He sent us a noticed and he will not be with the company anymore. He says no hard feelings, something personal, he likes us, he’s focusing on real estate and cash flow from real estates. So we reviewed the shareholders agreement which we all sign, which is always good ‘coz we all have an agreement. So we have about 60 days to come back to him as a company to workout buying his shares back and we’ll keep everybody updated. We’ll get some opportunities for new partners to come in or within the company, well the company has the first option to get in.
Roland : I feel like as we have this open shares, we treated as like a golden nuggets because they are so valuable as we all see how the company is deal a lot of things that I feel like we want to go shares in order to keep the company as valuable as we can. On the other hand we’re still trying to find some people that do execute and ready to hustle. And we might be up for some negotiations in case someone is interested. But that person really has, have to bringing a value to our company. As right now, we are hustlers in here, working around the clock. Making them move pretty much.
Mike : Exactly. Speaking of hustling we are diversifying our products. We got to get Zack on the show in the future. Zack Franklin, he is a friend and experienced marketer, consultant in Amazon, speaker on our previous events at Global From Asia. He is also kind of reinforces okay to do multiple products or categories. So Roland do you wanna share about the product.
Roland : Sure basically Mike has received and shoutout to one of our listeners.
Mike : Yeah Fredrick of chinaimportal.com.
Roland : Yeah to Fredrick that brought out this contact, he’s really cool guy Danny, who is a founder of a new startup. He’s doing and developing natural, well microgreens and sprouts and he had some own designs product in this niche. So he’s basically, our agreement right now, we just sign the MBA and we are receiving extra firmline of online sales of his product throughout the entire United States and this is what we are working on right now. We are in the very, very beginning phase. We just wanted to make sure that we stays transparent and we let you guys know that we also up to some plans and we’re very excited about this, to be honest. We studied about this.
Mike : Totally excited. And of course we’re still going Sisitano and the coffee. Lorenzo has got us some great pictures with the Hangzhou photographer for his Philippines trip. And we’re working on notes and we have a new graphic designer, artist also helping.
Roland : Let’s give a shoutout to Darko. He’s been actually like a good lesson. There are designers we hired before, let’s not name them, right now. And basically some designers, I don’t know if it’s their our fault or our fault. They might have got tired of us because well let’s face it, we had some repetitive tests, Amazon listing photos, some content creation, stuff like that and we really require and want you involved in our daily, well not discussions but more like mindset and you have them like make sure to have them and let them know what we are thinking what we’re going through, what thoughts arising in our minds. And this previous designer just stop responding. His task was in Asana. And then he would be lacking finishing any product, I mean picture and days and weeks would go by and we decided that we’re not gonna wait on him. We gave him notice several times and he never replied or when he replied he said that yeah he’s working on it (beep) and right now we found the new designer that is really engaged. As of now, let’s still be cautious with him but he’s been doing some great work.
Mike : Yeah I mean in all defense of freelancers and consultants, I think there’s call the feast and famine. Sometimes you don’t have many clients and he’ll do anything and they work extra hard and then all of a sudden you get too many clients or projects and they can’t keep up so.
Roland : Yeah and then it becomes comfortable.
Mike : That’s always a challenge like this kind of as a service based business here. Balancing, getting enough clients or projects to get money and also then keeping them all happy. So, I understand the challenges that they have. It’s always honestly my career, design has always been the harder part. Because they are creative. Sometimes they are not, they might be very talented but they’re not always, can always be the best in managing the business part. But so far we’re happy with Darko.
Roland : He’s amazing guy.
Mike : Yeah so we are making moves. You gotta share a picture maybe we could take it from the Slack and of the kit like we finally see it. Like Eno has been great from Insight Quality and Andy Church and they pushing forward. I think the big challenge with that small bundle is the batteries, right. And even pushing forward.
Roland : Yeah let’s give the audience a quick update on that. So basically, one of these tools for the coffee decorator or what the art set that we’re doing is that, it has a battery 2 button or buttons says or button batteries and basically since the button from the data sheet like an Amazon MSDS report and Amazon requires this so-called MSDS report for all of their products that ship into FBA. Well we’re kind of aware of this. I feel like we just want it, get everything done and then worry about this later. Well now is later. So we hire the laboratory. Again thanks to Ino and Andy from Insight Quality that is rechecking on off on our batteries and creating the MSDS report for us to make sure that the batteries are safe and they can be accepted by Amazon. At the moment, our status of our bundle is on the hazmat which means its a dangerous goods. The only reason why it’s dangerous right now is because we did not provide the MSDS report just yet. But I believed today or tomorrow, we should be getting from the laboratory and then we will be able to move on.
Mike : Yeah and then of course Meir, he’s always been saying this batteries or electronics. I remember Brian always said that’s why I did the bar supplies before are not electronics ‘coz this is always tricky. And we’re learning.
Roland : On the other hand, tricky, tricky but once you go through it, You are way your in and everything is a great lesson. I know we’re super impatient but in a couple of years looking back. We will be happy that we went through this because we will be exactly aware of what status are and what needs to be done.
Mike : Agreed. Well, that’s our attitude, right. It’s good attitude. And yeah we’re gonna, I mean as long as it get up before Chinese New Year but definitely seems possible.
Roland : And one good thing about this other business that the new business that Mike is really excited about. Is that the manufacture is in Vietnam and not in China. And we have some stock already. And basically the Chinese New Year is not gonna be in between us right now. So that project we’ll be able to move on anytime even though when Chinese New Year is on in China and our coffee set is being stop or being delayed a little bit.
Mike : Yup and we also still have money in the bank by far. And we’re being really conservative. We’ve got now few different products and we’re, I’ve talked to other Amazon sellers and e-commerce friends and even Meir and this is normal. This is the hardships, especially private label.
Roland : Not to spend money and have too much in the bank.
Mike : I mean this loan.
Roland : But I think this loan is only at the beginning. If you take a look at what we’re doing in the first bundle or the second bundle and then what we’re doing with the new business right now. I feel like the new business is pretty much ready to ship. We’re waiting for some pictures and content from the guys in Vietnam, from Danny. And then you’re pretty much, Cadrian has started working on the keywords. He’s planning them, working on listing and description. So, we’re good and crazy but this is gonna be an FBA sooner than our big bundle. I’m not sure about the small bundle but this will be a great turnaround. ‘Coz we start negotiating 2 weeks ago and within 2 weeks we’re pretty much ready to ship and waiting for the backup supplier. And that’s good. So this loan is right here, I feel that it’s only at the beginning and it was some lack of experience and of course the complexity of the bundle. Because we’re putting like 4 or 5 products in there. Meanwhile this new product is only 8 products per package.
Mike : I agree. I just said I had lunch with the pretty big seller and explain the story, caught them up. And he says this is normal, it’s only been 6 months which sounds like a long time but when we step back and then of course once we’re going, we’re gonna be reordering and we’re gonna be adding new SKU’s and making systems and we got the team together. So I think the hard part is the beginning like anything in life.
Roland : Exactly. One of the update that we’re working on is hiring a marketing expert. As Cadrian is head of department, he will be managing a new VA, who will not really be a VA but more like a group of a team that’s gonna be working closely together on our marketing related test. We’re going to outsource the social media, inept campaigns, and possibly some SEO. Even though we’re outsourcing them, we will be keeping, look at it all the times, and we’ll be grabbing it by its sales to make sure that it’s going to good direction.
Mike : Great and also we talked to, we have our weekly call with the team and Meir and we’ve been listening to some podcast. Lorenzo has creative insights. He’s listening to a lot of podcasts and content online. And we we’re getting some ideas and we have to go fast when we launch for some strategies that we’ve been looking at. But actually Meir say we don’t got to stress too much. Even if this is slower start. You can always improve the listing, improve the product just because, they don’t, the initial launch doesn’t too well. It’s not like hurt you forever.
Roland : Right. And this is make us more comforting but we don’t have to, we shouldn’t forget that we still have to be keep pushing.
Mike : Yeah of course.
Roland : I’d love that we have to drive and wake up everyday and I get to work like there’s not tomorrow.
Mike : Yeah we’re really get momentum now and I think this is good enough update that e-commerce gladiator, I think for 2 weeks is better than every week. And we’ll update everybody in the progress. And I think by next update we’ll have product live on Amazon and we’ll have at least. We’ll see we’re gonna place the order with Danny at Vietnam or we got the order already almost out the door in China for the smaller coffee bundle, accessory bundle. And thanks listeners and friends for help and just keep on grinding in a gladiator arena.
Roland : Yeah show some support. Follow us everywhere. We’re about to have our Facebook page starting soon. So make sure to give us a like, also once our Instagram account is setup. And give us some support. We love you.
Mike : Yeah thanks everybody and thanks for sticking with us and we’re pushing hard.
Roland : Let’s keep rocking. Bye man.
Mike : Alright, there you have it. Keeping pushing forward and sweet. We do always have our Tuesday interview series with experts and the entrepreneurs and e-commerce and cross border business world. This one’s more raw. I don’t wanna make it perfect. It’s some people like this style because it’s feeling like you’re in the business, listening to business conversation and the team. That’s what we’re doing and I’d love always feedback. We’re grinding hard and take us some hits and moving forward and doing what we’re gonna do. Thank you again for listening everybody and stay tuned. This will be every other week, Fridays. Cheers.
Global from Asia Ecommerce Gladiator Series where you can follow along the progress of setting up a Cross Border Ecommerce business from start to finish. Hear insights of real product research, Amazon FBA, China manufacturing, branding, marketing, and all the blood, sweat, and tears of building a global business from Asia.
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