How to Make Money (or lose a mint) in the E-Commerce Game - Acquisitions Anonymous Episode 105

Don't miss part 2! Signup for our weekly newsletter:https://landing-newsletter.acquanon.com/-----Michael Girdley (@Girdley) and Mills Snell (@thegeneralmills) turned the tables on Bill D’Alessandro (@BillDA) for this special eCommerce episode. We talk about the day-to-day operations of eCommerce businesses. Product types, 3PL vs in-house fulfillment, customer acquisition, favorable attributes for products, and much more!-----Thanks to our sponsors!* CloudBookkeeping offers adaptable solutions to businesses that want to focus on growth with a “client service first” approach. They offer a full suite of accounting services, including sophisticated reporting, QuickBooks software solutions, and full-service payroll options.-----* Do you love Acquanon and want to see our smiling faces? Subscribe to our Youtube channel.* Do you enjoy our content? Rate our show!* Follow us on Twitter @acquanon Learnings about small business acquisitions and operations.-----Show Notes:(0:00) - Intro(1:36) - Cloudbookkeeping.com(3:30) - How to operate an eCommerce business?(5:50) - Let’s talk about product size: Must-haves and hell nos!(8:00) - The power of scale: Home run swing models(8:50) - How to pick a great product?(11:17) - Pricepoints breakdown and the sweet spot zone(14:50) - Where does intellectual propriety play a role?(16:30) - Let’s go into dimensions, weight, shipping costs and the evaluations to be made there(18:35) - In-house fulfillment vs 3PL - Where are the breaks along the scale?(20:20) - How unique is your process?(22:01) - What’s the pricing structure like for a 3PL?(23:27) - Negotiation points(25:36) - What about in-house? Advantages & disadvantages(27:20) - What made you switch from a 3PL to your own?(29:46) - The flexibility of in-house logistics(31:23) - How does geography come into play?(34:01) - How do you think about customer relationships?(38:40) - Have you seen any other interesting distribution models? What are the challenges of influencer businesses?(41:29) - One of Bill’s favorite businesses.(45:00) - What is the holy grail of metrics?Additional episodes you might enjoy:#96 From W-2 to Business Owner - Patrick Dichter tells us how to cold reach seller and we discuss 2 Deals#92 Wait... what? You laid-off 90% of your staff?!? - Pete Erickson joined us for an exciting WarStories episode!#87 Yelp is not evil! Building a business using digital CAC - Featuring Johnny Robinson from Orange Window Cleaning#75 SBA Loan Secrets with Heather Endresen, expertise from a Billion-Dollar LoanerSubscribe to  weekly our Newsletter and get curated deals in your inboxAdvertise with us by clicking hereDo you love Acquanon and want to see our smiling faces? Subscribe to our Youtube channel.Do you enjoy our content? Rate our show!Follow us on Twitter @acquanon Learnings about small business acquisitions and operations.For inquiries or suggestions, email us at [email protected]