Learn to Make a Product

Expert Consulting for Product Entrepreneurs

  • LAUNCH YOUR PRODUCT IDEA IN 6 MONTHS! JOIN BUSINESS BUILDERS
  • Maker’s Digest
  • My Account
  • HOW IT WORKS
  • PRICING
  • FREE CONSULT
  • Client Login

Archives for January 2022

Jan 17 2022

Funding Options For Product Entrepreneurs

Most e-commerce businesses are self-funded, meaning people take out loans, draw from their savings, or use a portion of their regular income to fund a project.

Bootstrapping has a less glamorous reputation than say, getting venture capital or joining a fancy accelerator program. But if you are someone who wants to maintain complete control over your business and lifestyle, it’s entirely possible to grow a successful e-comm business on your own.

Here are three platforms that will help finance your growth (without taking any equity in your business):

  • ClearCo offers funding (between $10K and $10M) to businesses with at least 6 months of revenue history. You can use the funds to buy inventory, run ads or anything else you want to do. Funding decisions are made quickly (about 24 hours).
  • Kick Further gives you funds to pay suppliers (including factories), with repayments due after the inventory is sold. This is a good alternative to crowd-funding.
  • If you use Shopify you can apply for Shopify Capital. Approval is based on your store’s average monthly sales, which do not need to be high. The funds are deposited into the account connected to your store, and repayments are simply deducted from your sales deposits.

Best of luck!
Liz

 
None of these companies have asked us to promote their products. While some pay an affiliate commission, all of these resources are suggestions we would share with clients regardless. We hope this list helps you grow your business!

Written by Liz Long · Categorized: Manufacturing

Jan 17 2022

Tips For Building Your E-Commerce Store


Here are my favorite tools for building a great e-commerce store:

1. Shopify has always been my preferred platform e-comm. This is because it has excellent functionality, a ton of flexibility in terms of how your store is laid out, and connects easily with thousands of apps and tools.

2. No matter how DIY a website builder claims to be, most people need at least some custom coding to get a professional-looking store. If you need affordable, task-based developers for your Shopify store try Hey Carson and Storetasker. And check out Fiverr if you are using another platform.

3. Images are everything! Find a solution like Soona that offers stylish product photography and videos at reasonable prices.

4. Clear, persuasive messaging is also key. I recommend reading the book Building A Storybrand by Donald Miller. The “storybrand” framework is helpful when crafting your messaging. We also have an e-commerce copywriting template here you can use for inspiration.

5. Packing and shipping your own orders is fine in the beginning. It should be outsourced ASAP as your business grows though! Shipmonk, Easyship, and Deliverr are all companies who offer order fulfillment, freeing up your time to focus on other things.

6. Automated email sequences will supercharge your store. Examples include a welcome sequence to educate new customers about your brand, an abandoned checkout flow to get people to complete their purchase, and review request emails to build social proof. Klaviyo is the best software for e-commerce entrepreneurs because of it’s focus on physical products.

I hope you find this list useful!

Liz

None of these companies have asked us to promote their products. While some pay an affiliate commission, all of these resources are suggestions we would share with clients regardless. We hope this list helps you grow your business!

Written by Liz Long · Categorized: Branding

GET STARTED

  • Choose Plan
  • Book A Free Consult
  • Sign-Up For Business Builders
  • Join Mailing List
  • Client Login

RESOURCES

  • Maker’s Digest
  • How To Find A Factory
  • Must-Have Tools & Apps for Product Entrepreneurs
  • Blog Articles & How-To’s

ABOUT

  • FAQ
  • Contact
  • Affiliate Program
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin
  • Email

© Copyright - Learn to Make a Product. Privacy Policy / Terms & Conditions

Copyright © 2019 • Learn to Make a Product. All Rights Reserved.