Ecommerce Conversations The Good, Bad, and Ugly of 2025
Dec 19, 2025
Reflecting on the ups and downs of 2025, a business owner shares his company's financial recovery and strategies that revived profitability. He highlights a significant boost in subscription growth and the shift to lean inventory for better efficiency. Amid challenges like market stagnation and tough staffing decisions, he embraces customer-driven product launches. Personal insights reveal a touching father-daughter trip and the closure of a long infertility journey, emphasizing the importance of aligning business goals with life priorities.
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Conservative Finances Enabled Survival
- Conservative finances helped Beardbrand survive multi-year downturns and return to profitability in 2025.
- Eric Bandholz credits conservative strategy with enabling payroll support and weathering market volatility.
Prioritize Subscription Growth
- Focus on subscription growth to build predictable recurring revenue and stabilize cashflow.
- Eric scaled subscriptions from about 1,500 to over 11,000 active subscriptions to improve predictability.
Switching To A White-Glove 3PL
- Beardbrand switched 3PL partners twice and settled on a small Austin 3PL that provides white-glove service.
- The new 3PL improved packaging, sizing, and quickly owned up to mistakes, reducing fulfillment headaches.