In the world of business, it’s all about who you know. But how do you connect with influential entrepreneurs and mentors when you’re just starting out? Matt Holmes made it his mission to find the answer to this question, shaking hands with venture capitalists, members of congress, and billionaires, in an effort to learn how to create powerful business relationships.  Using the knowledge he gained from this experience, Matt went on to create handshaking.com, a service that helped entrepreneurs connect with movers and shakers within their industry. Matt then pivoted the business into building and selling lead generation websites in an effort to help business owners make connections on a grander scale. In this episode, Matt joins us to share the secret sauce to forming long-lasting professional relationships, and how entrepreneurs should approach networking and building their personal brands. Matt also reveals valuable insights into the lead generation websites that he has created and gives us a behind-the-scenes look at the site he recently sold on the Empire Flippers marketplace. According to Matt, “Each lead generation website needs to have a true brand. It needs a logo, it needs the same business name, and it needs proper social media everywhere, just like a real business would. It needs to be a complete brand.” As the world record holder for the longest handshake, Matt is bursting with knowledge on how to network like a pro, so listen in to learn how to form long-lasting professional relationships that will elevate your business! Topics Discussed in this episode: Matt’s entrepreneurial journey so far and the evolution of handshaking.com (03:00) The different chapters of networking that entrepreneurs need to work through (09:03) The secret to forming long-lasting professional relationships (11:05)  How Matt developed his own personal brand (12:37) How to make contact with the people you want to network with(15:32) Why Matt transitioned away from consulting into building lead generation sites (20:07) The framework Matt used to build his first lead generation website  (22:09) Matt’s experience selling his website through Empire Flippers (24:27) A behind-the-scenes look at how Matt's website has performed since the sale (26:40) Why investing in websites beats investing in real estate (31:28) Mentions: Empire Flippers Podcast Empire Flippers Marketplace Handshaking.com Boomerang Sit back, grab a coffee, and learn how to make professional connections that will take your business to the next level!

What is the secret to creating the fastest-growing startup in Canada before the age of 24? For Blair Forrest, the answer lay in identifying the nexus between a common pain point for FBA business owners, and an untapped gap in the logistics market.  While Amazon helps out by delivering products to consumers, the onus is on the seller to receive, store, label, and transport the inventory to Amazon fulfillment centers. It was here that Blair identified an opportunity. Blair is the founder of AMZ Prep, an end-to-end fulfillment solution for Amazon FBA sellers. AMZ Prep stores, preps, packs, and ships inventory to Amazon on behalf of sellers, saving them precious time and resources.   In this episode, Blair joins us to discuss the common logistical pitfalls that FBA sellers experience and outlines the various ways FBA sellers can optimize their logistics. According to Blair, “A lot of businesses have a fragmented approach to logistics, which is often why they don’t get the valuation that they want, or why they're not able to scale. What turns a good seller into a great seller is optimizing their fulfillment with a solid partner that has multiple warehouses, and can expand you to other marketplaces like Shopify and Walmart.”  Blair also shares insights into how he juggled starting and scaling a business while being a full-time student, and the various lessons he has learned along the way.  If you want to learn how to structure your logistics and inventory management like an FBA all-star, then this is the episode for you! Topics Discussed in This Episode: Blair walks us through his entrepreneurial journey so far (03:55) How Blair juggled running a business and being a full-time student (14:30) The gap in the market that inspired Blair to create AMZ Prep (18:28) Some common pain-points Amazon Sellers are experiencing today (22:17) How to streamline your Amazon logistics (29:16)  The common mistakes FBA sellers make when it comes to logistics(36:50) The secret to Blair's success(46:20) Mentions: Empire Flippers Podcast Empire Flippers Marketplace AMZ Prep Notion Minimalist journaling article Sit back, grab a coffee, and learn how to create a logistics strategy that will set you up for future success. 

With Google algorithm updates regularly changing the game, what is the secret to a consistent, long-lasting SEO strategy? Perrin Carrel believes the answer lies in providing true value to your readers. Perrin is an SEO expert and co-founder of RANQ.io, a boutique SEO agency that offers a holistic approach to boosting organic traffic.  In this episode, prepare to get swept up in the highs and lows of Perrins epic SEO comeback story. He shares details of his run-ins with PBNs and the resulting fallout that crippled his first big site. He then describes the SEO techniques that allowed him to rise from the ashes and reclaim success by building his first supersite in the pet niche. According to Perrin, “The core building blocks of white hat SEO are keeping the user in mind and making link building mutually beneficial. All of the content on your site should truly serve the user and make their life a millimeter better rather than a millimeter worse.”  Perrin also talks about his personal exit strategies and sets the record straight on the various myths and misconceptions that plague the SEO industry.  Settle in for a masterclass on how to create a holistic SEO strategy that’ll keep readers coming back for more! Topics Discussed in This Episode: How Perrin got involved in the crazy world of SEO (03:20) The lessons Perrin learned from the downfall of his first content site (08:50) Perrin’s experience with black & gray hat link building tactics in today’s industry (15:10) The core building blocks of a white hat SEO strategy (18:57) The link building approach that led to the most growth on Perrin’s sites (22:32) How Perrin identified the right time to sell his previous sites (25:56) Building a content site with a future exit in mind (30:04) Why Perrin transitioned away from building sites into running his own agency (33:17) Common myths and misconceptions in the SEO industry (42:12) Mentions: Empire Flippers Podcast Empire Flippers Marketplace Ranq.io Niche Pursuits Authority Hacker Sit back, grab a coffee, and learn how to build an SEO strategy that will benefit you and your readers! 

Losing money due to lost or damaged Amazon inventory is never a good feeling. The good news is, there are reimbursement systems in place to turn this negative experience into a positive for your business.  Few people know the ins and out of the reimbursement and claims process better than Yoni Mazor. Yoni is the CGO & Co-Founder of GETIDA, an auditing platform that helps Amazon FBA sellers identify and manage financial and inventory-related discrepancies. Yoni joins us to explain the reimbursement process from start to finish. He gives us a rundown of the different types of reimbursements, how to claim for a discrepancy, and the timelines associated with each type of claim.  Yoni reveals that around 50% of Amazon sellers are not even aware that the reimbursement system exists, and are missing out on important benefits as a result. According to Yoni, “For every 100 units that you ship to Amazon's fulfillment centers, 1 to 3 units will experience a discrepancy. Claiming for a reimbursement on lost or damaged inventory gives you cash flow that you can invest back into advertising, sourcing, launching new products, etc. It's an opportunity for you to take action and help your business to get what it's owed.” Yoni also gives us insights into the current Amazon FBA landscape and the changes and trends that he predicts for the coming year. As an added bonus, Yoni has generously offered our listeners $400 in free reimbursements! All you have to do is register on the GETIDA website using the link below. Topics Discussed in This Episode: Yoni’s entrepreneurial journey and how it led him to co-found GETIDA (03:00) How Yoni scaled his previous FBA business to $100 million in annual revenue (07:52) How GETIDA built a good relationship with Amazon seller support (12:26) The benefits of seeking out reimbursements from Amazon (17:12) The different types of reimbursements that FBA sellers can claim for (25:23) The steps that Amazon sellers need to follow in order to apply for reimbursement (29:26) How claiming for reimbursements can benefit your business in the long run (33:20) The biggest pain points that FBA sellers should be aware of today (37:49) Yoni discusses his future plans for GETIDA (40:56) Mentions: Empire Flippers Podcast Empire Flippers Marketplace GETIDA Get $400 in reimbursements from GETIDA Sit back, grab a coffee, and learn how to recoup lost revenue on missing or damaged inventory.

How do you get consumers to sit up and pay attention to your brand on social media?  You could hire an influencer to promote your product to their followers, but how do you track down the right influencer for your specific brand? As an Amazon seller himself, this frustrating problem inspired William Gasner to co-create Stack Influence. Stack Influence is an online platform that connects Amazon FBA brands with micro-influencers. Receiving the brand's product as payment, the micro-influencers spread the word about FBA brands through social media posts, product feedback, and video testimonials.  William joins us to discuss the challenges Amazon sellers face when building a recognizable brand identity and the many benefits of marketing through micro-influencers. He dives into the core elements that make up a strong brand identity, and some of the common mistakes FBA sellers make when promoting their products on social media. We also discuss the difficulties of marketing visually unappealing products, and Wiliam shares some clever tips and tricks for how to work around this problem. According to William, “When it comes to social media marketing, I usually recommend to brands whose products aren't the most exciting or visually appealing to get creative with adding extra value to your product. Basically, add something to your product that is universally valued and exciting to promote.” William also sheds some light on his journey as a founder, including some of the obstacles he faced when co-creating Stack Influence and the rather unconventional method he used to raise growth capital. If you want to learn how to light a fire under your brand’s social media presence, then you’re in the right place! Topics Discussed in this episode: William sheds light on Stack Influence, and the problems it solves for FBA sellers (05:00) What is a micro-influencer? (09:08) The core elements of a strong brand identity(12:18) Why a micro-influencer strategy can be effective for businesses of all sizes (15:27) How to create a winning social media strategy for a visually unappealing product (18:40) The common mistakes sellers make when marketing on social media (21:59) Why a micro-influencer strategy is a great solution on all ecommerce platforms (24:55) How the growing social commerce trend has affected social media marketing (27:09) The obstacles William faced in getting Stack Influence off the ground (29:43) How William raised growth capital through Clubhouse (30:58) Sit back, grab a coffee, and learn how to spread the word about your FBA brand through the power of micro-influencers!

Wouldn’t it be great to get a sneak peek into the future to gain insights into who your most loyal customers will be, which products they’ll buy, and how much profit you’ll make as a result? Metrics like customer lifetime value (LTV) and customer acquisition costs (CAC) can help you to predict these outcomes, if you can find a way to access this precious data, that is.  Amazon is notorious for safeguarding customer data, but Rael Cline has found a way to access and interpret this information on behalf of Amazon sellers. Rael is the co-founder and CEO of Nozzle, a tech platform that helps FBA sellers unlock deep insights about their brand performance. In this episode, Rael discusses the difficulties that Amazon sellers face in trying to build a brand identity without fully understanding their audience. We walk through why an AI-based platform is the ideal solution to gathering and interpreting Amazon data, and how FBA sellers can use this information to get ahead of their competition. He also reveals how to use these metrics to grow your business. According to Rael,  “There are three levers you can use to help increase your customer lifetime value. Getting customers to buy again is the biggest thing. Increasing the average order value is another way of increasing your LTV, and another way of doing it is getting them to buy more frequently.” Rael also shares insights into the data that Amazon aggregators find most valuable, and how they use that information to inform their buying decisions. Whether you’re looking to enhance your customer experience, optimize your product offering, or simply learn more about the nuances of AI, this episode has it all! Topics Discussed in this episode: How Rael made his way into the world of online business (02:23) The challenges Amazon sellers face when trying to access their customer data (09:24) How Rael created Nozzle to help FBA sellers overcome these challenges (12:05) The various ways Amazon sellers can optimize their LTV and CAC (16:00) The Amazon data sets that FBA sellers are most surprised by (21:54) How Rael harnessed AI to create a unique solution for gathering and interpreting Amazon data (25:14) The Amazon data sets that aggregators hone in on when eyeing a new acquisition (34:04) Rael’s predictions on the upcoming Amazon trends in 2022 (38:31) Sit back, grab a coffee, and learn how to leverage your customer data to maximize your business.

Successfully scaling one online business is hard enough, but building out an entire portfolio of businesses is a challenge few entrepreneurs are able to overcome.  Not only did Simon Treulle knock this challenge out of the park, but he achieved this entrepreneurial milestone before the age of 24!  Simon is the founder of Pangolia, a business with multiple high-value brands and content sites under its umbrella. In this episode, Simon explains how building a strong network of mentors and fellow entrepreneurs helped him accelerate his success, and why maintaining good relationships with suppliers is key. According to Simon, “If you want to grow your content site, build good relationships with your affiliate managers. They are humans and they are in the business of relationships. Talk, help each other, and you’ll see your business grow.” Simon gives us insights into his entrepreneurial journey, including what inspired him to move from Denmark to Chaing Mai, the epicenter of SEO, when he was just 19. He walk us through the hard work and sacrifice that helped him achieve success, and why he chose to hone in on the pet niche when building out his portfolio. Speaking of his portfolio, Simon also discusses how he transitioned from building sites into buying them, what he looks for in new business acquisitions, and the benefits of consolidating multiple small websites into one big site. He also explains why he made the jump into eCommerce through his latest acquisition, Hepper, and reveals how he grew Hepper from 100 visitors per day to 40.000 readers per day.  If you want to know how to make the leap from owning one business to owning several, this episode is the perfect place to start! Topics Discussed in this episode: Simon walks us through his experience entering the world of online business (02:14) Why Simon decided to build a portfolio of businesses in the pet niche (12:14) How Simon transitioned from owning one business to running several (14:17) The benefits of running eCommerce and content site businesses in synergy (16:36) What qualities Simon looks for in a new business acquisition (18:46) How Simon adapted to running an eCommerce business alongside his content sites (23:53) How Simon grew the traffic on his eCommerce site from 100 daily visitors to 40,0000 (27:11) The key to successfully running multiple businesses simultaneously (31:22) Simon’s advice to entrepreneurs looking to replicate his success (32:04) Simon reveals what’s next, and his plans for growing his businesses further (37:23) Mentions: Empire Flippers Podcast Empire Flippers Marketplace Pangolia Hepper Ahrefs Sit back, grab a coffee, and learn how to grow one content site into a powerful portfolio of online businesses. 

Creating a quality product is the first step to achieving Shopify success. But generating a base of loyal, engaged customers through an effective marketing strategy, is what will take your Shopify store from good to great. As the founders of Chelsea & Rachel Co, one of only five woman-owned Shopify-Plus Preferred Partners in the world, Chelsea Jones and Rachel Saul are experts in this arena. With a combined 30+ years of experience between them, they create powerful development and marketing strategies that accelerate the growth of Shopify stores. Chelsea and Rachel discuss how Shopify differs from other eCommerce platforms, and how to leverage these nuances to create a marketing strategy that will set you apart from your competitors. They reveal the common mistakes sellers make when marketing on Shopify and explain how to deepen customer engagement when growing a Shopify brand. According to Rachel, “The most important piece of an eCommerce marketing strategy is to make sure that your customer experience is seamless. A lot of times brands are looking at KPIs, growth numbers, and revenue. All of those things are critically important, but you cannot neglect the number one most important metric  - customer experience.”  Chelsea and Rachel also share insights into how they’ve carved out a space for themselves in the eCommerce industry as women-led founders, and walk us through how they’ve helped well-known food and wellness brands scale their customer base and solidify their brand identity. Topics Discussed in this episode: What inspired Chelsea and Rachel to start a digital marketing agency together (02:19) How Ecommerce marketing has changed and evolved over time (04:42) The nuances of Shopify versus other eCommerce platforms (10:31) Chelsea explains which Shopify marketing channels have the best ROI (14:52) How to implement an effective Shopify marketing strategy(20:05) How to deepen customer engagement when growing a Shopify brand (27:55) Common pitfalls Shopify sellers should avoid (31:29) The real-world results Chelsea and Rachel’s marketing strategies have achieved (34:47) Why Chelsea and Rachel decided to focus on food and wellness brands (38:58) How Chelsea and Rachel have carved a space for themselves in Ecommerce as women-led founders (42:17) Sit back, grab a coffee, and learn how to accelerate your Shopify sales using a well-crafted marketing strategy.

What if I told you that there’s a secret ingredient that can help you sell almost any business (yes, even the declining ones) in a fraction of the time?  I’m not referring to huge discounts or expert-level negotiation tactics. I’m talking about the often underestimated element of trust.  Doron Wolffberg, SEO expert and co-founder of Cliverse, has built and sold many content sites and has made buyer-seller trust the central focus of these deals.  In this week’s episode, Doron shares how transparency and trust helped him sell a content site at full listing price to a first-time buyer in just one day! He explains how this tactic not only preserves your reputation as a seller but also equips the buyer with the necessary information to take your business to the next level. Doron also dives into the key focus areas for building a successful content site and reveals how to prepare your site for a speedy and profitable sale. According to Doron, “Before you sell your site, make sure that you fix any faults from a technical standpoint. When buyers look at your site, they look at things like page speed. So even though it's not a huge ranking factor, if buyers see your site has a low score, it might turn them down a bit.” If you’re looking for ways to scale your content site or tips on how to market your site to sellers, this is the episode for you! Topics Discussed in this episode: How Doron got his start in the online business world (01:58) Doron breaks down the sites in his portfolio and his current projects (03:11) The benefits of being in the content site industry (04:12) Details about the business Doron recently sold on Empire Flippers (06:08)  The importance of seller transparency during an acquisition (11:54) How to market a flawed business fairly (16:09) A common factor that buyers neglect to think of during the sales process (19:22) Why quality should be the core focus for content site owners in 2022 (22:03) Sit back, grab a coffee, and learn how to set your content site up for a profitable, and fair, sale.  

How do you make the leap from identifying a great business opportunity, to forging a path for yourself in that particular industry? As a young entrepreneur, Sujan Patel quickly identified that SaaS businesses were growing at an astonishing rate, and made it his mission to break into the space. Fast forward to today, Sujan is the founder and owner of multiple SaaS businesses, including Mailshake, an email outreach tool that helps turn cold prospects into warm leads. In this episode, Sujan guides us through the ups and downs of his entrepreneurial journey and shares the inspiration behind Mailshake, the catalyst for his SaaS success. He shares his expert insights and growth tactics for how to stay competitive in an ever-evolving industry. According to Sujan, “Everyone talks about this silver bullet of growth, but there's no one silver bullet. It's all compounding effort. You find one lever and you pull it and it works. Then you find ways to scale it and keep trying to find more. It's just consistency, time, and testing.” As a veteran marketer, Sujan dives into how to build a moat around your business to protect it from competitors, and how to build a word-of-mouth engine that will boost your sales and brand identity. He also explains why he moved away from building businesses into buying established businesses instead. If you’re an aspiring SaaS entrepreneur, you don’t want to miss out on this roadmap to creating a sustainable and scalable SaaS business! Topics Discussed in this episode: Sujan walks us through how he ended up becoming a SaaS founder (02:16) The evolution of the Saas industry and where it’s headed (07:25) The inspiration behind Mailshake (12:09) The obstacles Sujan faced when trying to get Mailshake off the ground (16:31) The framework Sujan developed to successfully launch new SaaS ventures (19:57) Why Sujan transitioned into buying SaaS businesses instead of building them (23:13)  Why a word-of-mouth engine is such a powerful marketing tool (28:14) The biggest myths and misconceptions within the SaaS industry (35:55)  How to navigate the future of the SaaS industry safely (39:47) The lessons Sujan learned while writing his book, 100 days of Growth (43:59) Sit back, grab a coffee, and discover the framework for building a powerful SaaS portfolio.