Wizards of Ecom

Transitioning from wholesale to private label requires a new set of skills and considerations. Here to discuss his transition to private label is Ramon Gonzalez, a member of the Wizards of Amazon. Ramon started his sales journey as a rep selling distillation equipment for Captain Morgan rum. Due to the transient nature of the product, however, he decided to move into a more stable arena and found wholesales and wholesales online. Ramon has been dominating in wholesales for several years but recently had an experience that had him taking a second look at private label. As he was putting together a bundle for a wholesale product, one of his suppliers ran out of the product. Rather than waiting for over a month for the new supply to come in, he took a chance and sourced the product directly from China. He saved a considerable amount of money on each bundle and subsequently made significantly more than he was projected to initially.  Instead of diving directly into private label, Ramon has taken the time to build slowly. He’s looking to divert some of his wholesale profits and resources into private label and build it into his main source of income over time. His goal is to reduce the number of SKUs he has to manage without reducing his income.  Ramon is a relentless business owner who has taken the time to understand the changing operational and knowledge requirements needed for transitioning his business. Don’t miss out on the chance to learn from Ramon’s experience in both wholesale and the process of transitioning to private label.    In This Episode: [00:23] Welcome to the show Ramon Gonzalez, here to discuss going private label. [01:30] Learn more about Ramon and his experience before and after Amazon. [05:38] Listen as Ramon shares the biggest issue he is experiencing in his business right now. [07:09] Ramon shares his vision for his private label transition from wholesale. [08:01] Why private label?  [10:38] How is Ramon’s wholesale business structured and how does that influence his private label structure. [12:24] Ramon shares what caused him to look into sourcing directly.  [17:46] How does moving into private label change the operations of Ramon’s business?  [21:05] What is Ramon’s business superpower?  [22:10] Ramon shares his favorite book and why. [23:36] Connect with Ramon in the Wizards of Amazon Facebook group.   Links and Resources: Wizards of Amazon Wizards of Amazon Courses Wizards of Amazon Meetup Text “Amazon” to 69922 Wizards of Amazon on Facebook Wizards of Amazon on Instagram Wizards of Amazon on LinkedIn Wizards of Amazon on Twitter The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg Shoe Dog by Phil Knight

Doing business with factories and distributors overseas can leave you feeling out of control and wary, or you can enter into new relationships with trust and agreement. Carlos shares why he doesn’t work with any new factory without first having them checked out by a third party inspection service. Back in the early days of his online selling career, Carlos found a product that had a huge return on investment. After seeing his success in selling on E-Bay, his friends and family came together to build him a fund to get his business going quickly. When he went to the producer of his number one product however, they were not able to fulfill his demand. This led Carlos to seek a different supplier. With very little research and a whole ton of naivete, he found a supplier who appeared to be legit. He had pictures of the product, the address of a factory; it seemed like everything was in order. Alas, things were not as they seemed and the supplier he’d found was not on the up and up. After sending the supplier all of his money, the man ghosted. It was through this heartbreak that Carlos realized there had to be a better way to work with distributors.  Get ready to learn why third-party inspection services are so important when you’re developing new relationships with suppliers. Carlos shares his three favorite types of inspections, when you should use them, why you should use them, and his most trusted vendor for having them done. If you plan on doing business overseas, especially in China, then this is an episode you won’t want to miss. Propel your business success through the experience of the wizard of Amazon.   In This Episode: [00:32] What are third party inspection services and which is Carlos’s favorite?  [01:36] Learn what can happen if you DON’T use an inspection service through a terrible experience Carlos had early on. [08:08] Don’t forget to use your resources before sending someone money. [08:51] Once Carlos began building his capital back up, he searched for ways to avoid making the same mistake. [09:52] Learn which company Carlos likes most for third party inspections and why. [10:58] Carlos shares the three most important inspection types and when to use them. [11:19] First and foremost you need to deploy the full factory audit. Learn why! [15:34] Next you need to use random inspections and be sure this requirement is in your purchase agreement. [17:39] Last but not least of Carlos’s favorite inspections is the pre-shipment inspection. [19:35] Carlos shares an example of special instructions you can give to your inspection company for pre-shipment audits. [20:41] Learn one thing that you need to keep in mind when you’re reading inspection reports.   Links and Resources: Wizards of Amazon Wizards of Amazon Courses Wizards of Amazon Meetup Text “Amazon” to 69922 Wizards of Amazon on Facebook Wizards of Amazon on Instagram Wizards of Amazon on LinkedIn Wizards of Amazon on Twitter V-Trust Inspection ServicesAlibaba

This podcast is years in the making, but those years mean a more well-rounded host and a better understanding of the world of online selling. Carlos Alvarez has been building and growing his online selling business for over a decade and has a passion for sharing his earned knowledge with others. Listen in as he shares his vision of what you will learn from this podcast and how he intends to deliver his message.  First, learn more about the Wizards of Amazon Meetup group that Carlos started just over three years ago. It is now the largest Amazon sellers Meetup group in the world and has led to a variety of networking opportunities for the members. Each year the Meetup group members take a trip to China to gain first-hand experience and information about the factories and suppliers that they buy from. New this year is the Online Seller Cruise, which will allow online sellers the chance to network and learn in a very concentrated environment. This too will be a yearly event that you won’t want to miss! Next, Carlos shares the themes that the episodes will revolve around. There are so many important topics and ideas to cover for those looking to start a new online selling business and he doesn’t want to leave anything out. The six-central themes will be discussions on white-hat selling techniques, marketing, and advertising, learning outside-the-box tactics and strategy, learning from veterans and early adopters, exploring the process of transitioning your business, and learning Carlos’s takeaways from various conferences and events. There is so much to learn, so take a little bit of time each week to tap into Carlos’s extensive online selling knowledge.  Lastly, listen as Carlos gives a shout out to everyone who helped make this podcast possible. There have been so many people who have given their support and advice, knowingly and unknowingly, and without them, this show would still be a dream. The Wizards of Amazon podcast is a dream no more! Listen in each week to learn all the ins and outs of online selling.   In This Episode: [00:23] It’s official, the podcast is happening! [01:08] Learn all about Carlos and his Amazon journey. [03:55] Carlos shares why he founded a Meetup group for Amazon sellers and what it has grown to today. [06:33] Hear all about the yearly trip to China that the Meetup group participates in. [08:41] The last event that the Meetup group has led to is the Online Seller Cruise. [10:15] Why should you invest the time in this podcast?  [10:45] Learn the 6 themes that the podcast is going to follow for each episode. [12:12] Keep in mind that there is no one way to sell or market your business. [13:44] Get ready to learn some outside of the box strategies and tactics. [15:33] Transitioning is a very important piece of being a successful seller. [17:16] Carlos does a quick recap of the show’s themes:  White hat Marketing/Advertising Outside the box tactics Veterans/Early Adopters Transitions Conference takeaways [17:55] Learn the structure of the show and when you can expect to hear new shows. [18:24] Carlos thanks all of the people who have helped make the podcast possible.   Links and Resources: Wizards of Amazon Wizards of Amazon Courses Wizards of Amazon Meetup Text “Amazon” to 69922 Wizards of Amazon on Facebook Wizards of Amazon on Instagram Wizards of Amazon on LinkedIn Wizards of Amazon on Twitter Join the China TripOnline Seller Cruise The Amazon Entrepreneur  The Amazing Seller The AM/PM Podcast Serious Sellers Podcast Seller Sessions Smart Passive Income