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It’s no secret that Amazon’s marketplace is growing incredibly quickly. With so many new brands entering the fray, how can sellers make their listings stand out in such a saturated market? For Mina Elias, a 7-figure Amazon seller, the answer lay in making efficient use of Amazon’s advertising platforms. As his expertise in this area grew, so did requests from fellow sellers asking Mina to optimize their advertising campaigns.  This inspired Mina to create Trivium Group, an Amazon advertising agency that specializes in PPC and DSP advertising campaigns, helping sellers get their products in front of shoppers, earn more money, and grow their businesses. In this episode, Mina joins us to discuss Amazon DSP campaigns, an often overlooked advertising option. He guides us through the differences between DSP and PPC campaigns, the best time for businesses to start making use of DSP, and the risks and rewards of using this promotional tool. We also dive into the secrets behind Mina’s entrepreneurial success, including how he grew his business from 3 employees to 30 in one year and the systems he uses to help him manage his team. According to Mina,  “The number one hack I’ve figured out as a business owner is that using consultants is a great time-saving shortcut that can help you grow your business incredibly fast. For example, I can learn how to do Google Ads in three months, but with just six one-hour consultations with a Google Ads consultant, I can be just as good.” If you want the inside scoop on how to create a winning Amazon DSP strategy, then this is an episode you don’t want to miss out on!  Want a free PPC audit from Trivium? Follow the link below to learn more. Topics Discussed in This Episode: Mina discusses his background and how he became involved with Amazon (02:55) The benefits of attending business conferences (11:14) An explanation of Amazon DSP and how it differs from PPC (19:05) The criteria sellers need to meet in order to use Amazon DSP (24:35) How long do you need to run DSP ad campaigns before they become profitable? (30:26) How to segment your DSP marketing funnel (33:40) The success stories Mina has witnessed DSP have on Amazon brands (38:40) Why Mina grew his team from 3 people to 30 in one year (41:44) The key to hiring the right person for the job (46:04) The lessons Mina wishes he know when first starting out on Amazon (55:14) Mentions: Empire Flippers Podcast Empire Flippers Marketplace Schedule a call with our expert sales advisors  Trivium Group Free PPC audit from Trivium CXL Digital Marketing Courses Zoom Slack Notion Salesforce Helium 10 Data Dive Sit back, grab a coffee, and learn how to grow your Amazon business using DSP campaigns.

International expansion is a great way to scale your Amazon business, but many sellers don’t speak the local language of the market they are trying to infiltrate.  To solve this problem, sellers use software like Google Translate to help them translate their existing sales copy, but according to Jana Krekic, this approach often hurts sellers more than it helps them.   Jana is the founder and CEO of YLT Translations, an agency that helps Amazon sellers translate their listings, sales copy, and keyword research to suit various foreign markets. Jana believes that human-based translations help sellers to better navigate the nuances of foreign languages in a way that software cannot.  In this episode, we discuss the language differences that often trip sellers up, the pros and cons of using AI to generate your sales copy, and the international rules and regulations sellers should be aware of. We also discuss the risks and rewards of international expansion, which countries to expand into first, and the steps sellers should take to ensure a smooth transition into foreign marketplaces. According to Jana, “If you want to enter an international Amazon marketplace, the number one thing you should do is market research. That is crucial. After that, you should focus on creating keyword-driven content. The Amazon content rules are less strict in Europe than in the US, so you can use that to your advantage.”  Lastly, Jana shares some insights into Amazon's expansion plans, including the new countries they will be launching marketplaces in, and the opportunities this creates for Amazon sellers around the world.  If you have set your sights on global expansion, then listen in to this conversation to find out how to conquer foreign Amazon marketplaces. Topics Discussed in This Episode: The services that YLT Translations offers Amazon sellers (03:22) Jana walks us through her background and entrepreneurial journey so far (05:34) How AI competes with human-based translations (11:13) The opportunities Amazon sellers can tap into by expanding internationally (16:55) Nuances other than languages differences that sellers should be aware of (28:39) International rules and regulations that often trip sellers up (34:14) New Amazon marketplaces that will be opening in the coming year (39:14) The foundation's sellers should have in place before they expand internationally (40:34) Risks sellers should be aware of when moving into foreign FBA marketplaces (44:43) The European countries you should expand into first (48:21) Mentions: Empire Flippers Podcast Empire Flippers Marketplace YLT Translations Helium 10 Data Dive Tools Sit back, grab a coffee, and learn how to adjust your Amazon listings to suit international marketplaces.

It’s been a tough year for the online business industry. Competition remains steep, aggregators are battening down the hatches, and Google algorithm updates continue to plague entrepreneurs.   But Greg Elfrink, the Director of Marketing at Empire Flippers, believes that these challenges hide a plethora of golden opportunities just waiting to be seized by eagle-eyed entrepreneurs.  In this episode, Greg explains how online business owners can build a moat around their businesses to help them ride out the storm and outlast the competition. He discusses how AI will impact marketing and content creation moving forward, and the best way to shield your business from pesky algorithm updates. According to Greg, “The number one thing you can do to protect your business from Google algorithm updates is to build an audience you retain. So, whether you’re growing an affiliate site or an eCommerce store - build an email list. That is your biggest asset that the algorithms can’t do anything about.” Greg also shares his expert marketing knowledge, revealing the latest clever marketing trick that caught his attention, the bad marketing advice you should avoid, and some quick wins that will take your marketing efforts from good to great. If you're looking for the inside scoop on the current state of the online business industry, then this is the episode for you. We close out the show with an exciting announcement about the future of the podcast, so be sure to listen to the end of the episode! Topics Discussed in This Episode: The events that impacted the online business industry in 2022 (04:24) The opportunities to be found in the doom and gloom (08:17) What the online business landscape looks like for sellers (10:37) How to protect your business from Google algorithm updates (17:56) How AI will impact content creation (22:28) The most recent clever marketing strategy that caught Greg’s attention (27:20) The challenges online entrepreneurs are facing at the moment (30:20) The quick marketing wins business owners can use to move the needle (33:54) Bad marketing advice you should avoid (38:23) An exciting change to The Opportunity podcast (48:28) Mentions: Empire Flippers Podcast Empire Flippers Marketplace Descript SparkToro Affiliate World Conferences Sit back, grab a coffee, and learn about the latest industry opportunities you can take advantage of!

On the surface, discounts may seem like a great way to boost sales, but over time they erode your profits and can have a negative effect on consumers’ perception of your brand. So, if not discounts, what tool can you use to entice consumers to increase their average spend? Andrew Forman believes donations are the ideal incentive. Andrew is the founder and CEO of Givz, a tool that gives eCommerce sellers instant access to hundreds of different charitable donation incentives without the endless red tape and paperwork.  In this episode, Andrew explains how replacing discounts with donations increases conversion rates and boosts average order value. It also enhances customer loyalty by helping brands to be more authentic and socially conscious. According to Andrew,   “Discounts hurt growth and come straight off your bottom line. More importantly, you run the risk of becoming known as a “discount brand” or becoming reliant on discounts to drive sales. Alternatively, donation incentives help to increase your average order value and drive social impact in a genuine and authentic way.” Andrew shares insights into the challenges brands previously faced when partnering with charitable organizations and how this inspired him to create Givz. We also discuss how the growing demand for social impact will affect the future of eCommerce, and the various tools and techniques brands can use to meet this demand.  If you want to learn how to bounce back from your discount dependency, then this is a conversation you can afford to miss out on! Topics Discussed in This Episode: Andrew walks us through his entrepreneurial journey so far (02:36) What inspired Andrew to create Givz (06:23) Andrew explains the service that Givz provides (08:17) How Givz helps businesses increase engagement, ROI, and more (16:57) The “discount drug” and why brands should move away from discounts (21:39) Various ways eCommerce brands can be more socially conscious (23:50) How the growing demand for social impact will affect the future of eCommerce (25:45) The advice Andrew wished he had when starting out as an entrepreneur (27:46) How creating Givz has changed Andrew’s life (33:25) Real-world examples of how Givz has benefited businesses (38:39) Mentions: Empire Flippers Podcast Empire Flippers Marketplace Givz Inveterate Sit back, grab a coffee, and learn how to attract new sales and increase your bottom line through the use of donation incentives!

Online businesses are a great investment, but many people haven’t been able to cash in on this opportunity because they lack the time or skills needed to effectively manage an online business. The creation of Empire Flippers Capital provided a solution to this problem, allowing investors to buy fractional shares of online businesses and gain access to this unique asset class without any of the work associated with running a business.  Now, EF Capital is offering you a one-time opportunity to own a piece of EFC itself and benefit from the company’s first-mover advantage. In this episode, Mike Vranjkovic, the Managing Partner of Empire Flippers Capital, joins us to discuss the rise of the online business industry, what makes it such a powerful asset class, and the inspiration behind the creation of EF Capital. According to Mike, “Our goal is to make online businesses an accessible asset class for individual investors. Empire Flippers Capital gives you online business exposure without the need for a specialized skill set, you don’t need to spend time running the business, and it’s an easy way to build a diversified portfolio.” Mike also discusses why EF Capital is splitting from Empire Flippers, how EFC plans to spend the growth capital raised, and the rewards investors can expect to receive from investing in EFC directly. After you’ve listened to the podcast, check out this webinar where Mike and Empire Flippers co-founder Justin Cooke dive deeper into the EF Capital story and the details of the direct raise. Topics Discussed in This Episode: How the online business industry has changed over the last few years (05:51) Empire Flippers Capital explained (08:30) The benefits of investing in online businesses over other asset classes (09:09) The barriers to entry that EF Capital seeks to remove for investors and entrepreneurs (12:39) The results achieved from EFC’s first three rounds of investments (16:36) How long investors will have to wait before seeing a return on their investment (19:09) Why EF Capital is splitting from Empire Flippers (21:56) The risks and rewards of investing in Empire Flippers Capital (28:11) Details of the raise and how EFC aims to spend the growth capital raised (31:47) The type of investors that would benefit from this investment (40:04) The effect EF Capital may have on the online business industry moving forward (43:26) Mentions: Empire Flippers Podcasts Empire Flippers Marketplace Empire Flippers Capital Direct Raise Investor Interest Form Direct Raise Deal Page Direct Raise Sales Presentation Operator Interest Form EFC Investor Relations Call Link Sit back, grab a coffee, and learn how you can own a piece of EF Capital and profit from its future growth!

Big brands have large budgets that allow them to harness the power of multiple marketing channels, from digital marketing to mass media. Small businesses rarely have this same advantage, so how can they leverage their limited budgets to compete with industry giants? Ian Barnard believes the answer lies in targeting future customers.  Ian is an experienced marketing strategist and the Strategy Director at Creative Business Company, a marketing agency that helps businesses accelerate growth through the power of brand marketing.   In this episode, Ian explains how big brands succeed by targeting both current and future customers, ensuring they maintain consistent demand for their products. Small businesses, on the other hand, tend to focus solely on in-market consumers. Ian reveals how small businesses can restructure their budgets to mimic the marketing strategies of big brands. According to Ian,  “The optimal split for your marketing budget is to spend 60% of your money on online video brand-building campaigns. These are wide-reaching campaigns with broad messages that target future customers. Spend the other 40% on digital marketing campaigns targeting existing customers who are in-market.” We also discuss how to create effective storytelling in modern advertising campaigns, how to maintain authenticity on social media, and the changes Ian foresees in the marketing landscape in the coming years. If you want to level up your marketing without breaking the bank, then this is an episode you don’t afford to miss out on! Topics Discussed in This Episode: Ian walks us through his marketing journey and what he’s working on today (02:42) The main marketing advantage that big brands have over smaller businesses (04:20) How small businesses can chase future customers on a limited budget (07:45) Ian walks us through the 2-4-5 digital media framework (11:41) How to create great storytelling in a modern advertising campaign (15:48) Do consumers have lower attention spans or is advertising not entertaining enough? (18:38) Why focusing on organic social media is a waste of time for small businesses (22:13) How people can leverage paid ads to boost sales (25:25) Marketing elements small businesses can put in place on a small budget (30:50) How Creative Business Company helps small businesses with their marketing (33:32) The changes Ian foresees in the marketing industry over the next few years (35:30) Mentions: Empire Flippers Podcast Empire Flippers Marketplace Creative Business Company Creative Business Company whitepapers Born Social whitepaper Ogilvy on Advertising, David Ogilvy (1986) JWT Planning Guide, Stephen King (1974) Scientific Advertising, Claude Hopkins (1923) Good Strategy, Bad Strategy, Richard Rumelt (2011) Sit back, grab a coffee, and learn how to build a big brand on a small marketing budget.

For many years, an inability to code has held aspiring SaaS founders back from success. Now, no-code and low-code tools are lowering the barriers to entry for entrepreneurs looking to enter the software and tech industries.  But what exactly are no-code and low-code solutions? In this episode, Lola Ojabowale gives us a thorough overview of this exciting technology. Lola is the founder of Lunch Pail Labs, a full-service digital product studio that helps clients research, build, and maintain platforms and apps using no or low-code solutions.  Lola provides a definition of what no-code and low-code actually refer to, and outlines the skills and experience entrepreneurs will need in order to use no-code tools. We discuss the various projects no-code can be used for and the limitations and downsides of choosing no-code over traditional coding solutions.  Lola also explains why she is so passionate about economic equity, and how no-code applications help to further the pursuit of this goal. According to Lola, “What’s so interesting about no-code and low-code is this “permissionlessness” that it enables. Even as a non-technical founder, you don’t have to have anybody’s say-so or permission. And that enables more folks to empower themselves and build solutions that are authentic to themselves.” If you want to dive deeper into the world of no-code, listen carefully to this conversation as Lola shares a long list of tools, educational platforms, and communities that you can use to further your no-code journey. Topics Discussed in This Episode: Lola shares insights into how she became involved with no-code platforms (03:58) An explanation of what no-code and low-code really mean (06:42) The type of projects that no code solutions could be used for (08:06) The skills and requirements needed to build no-code platforms (12:26) How LunchPail Labs assists businesses in creating no-code solutions (14:41) The downsides and limitations of no-code (18:31) Changes within the no-code space that are exciting Lola right now (23:34) The best no-code communities for beginners (26:26) The catalyst that inspired Lola to start her own business (28:10) The unique way that Lola approaches risk (33:20) Lola explains why she is so passionate about economic equity (37:43) Mentions: Empire Flippers Podcast Empire Flippers Marketplace Lunch Pail Labs Shoutout Atlanta interview Webflow Zapier Airtable No Code Founders 100 Days of No Code  No Code Family No-Code Cheat Sheet Bubble GitHub CoPilot Makerpad On Deck No-Code Sit back, grab a coffee, and discover the many benefits of no-code and low-code solutions!

Many eCommerce sellers would argue that quality products are the key to success. This may be true, but if you don’t have enough products in stock, or are overstocked with products that aren’t selling, you will struggle to achieve the success you were hoping for.  For these reasons, Fabricio Miranda believes that inventory and supply chain optimization should a business's top priority. Fabricio is the CEO and co-founder of Flieber, a business that helps eCommerce sellers maximize sales through demand planning and inventory optimization. In this episode, Fabricio walks us through the most important aspects of a well-optimized supply chain and explains the importance of a holistic approach to inventory management. According to Fabricio, “Many retailers make the mistake of having a disconnected structure between inventory and sales. Sales teams operate blind to the future inventory impact of their actions, while inventory plays the catch-up game to keep up with what sales is doing. Every sale decision that you make has to be connected with the inventory impact of that decision.” We also discuss Fabricio’s past success as an FBA seller, including how he was able to make $10 million in sales in his first few years on Amazon. Fabricio sheds light on some of the biggest mistakes sellers make when scaling their businesses, and reveals the systems sellers can put in place to help them navigate changes in the eCommerce industry. If stock-outs are holding your business back from its full potential, then take a listen to Fabricio’s expert advice on how to solve your supply chain woes.  Topics Discussed in This Episode: Fabricio walks us through his entrepreneurial history and what he’s up to today (02:35) The secret to Fabricio’s early success as an Amazon seller (06:47) The gap in the supply chain market that inspired Fabricio to create Flieber (14:11) The consequences of poor inventory optimization (16:08) The core pillars of a well-optimized inventory and supply chain system (19:02) How eCommerce sellers can leverage real-time data to prevent future problems (24:16) The importance of a holistic approach to inventory management (27:17) The biggest mistakes sellers make when scaling their businesses (29:43) The systems sellers can put in place to navigate changes in the industry (31:33) Mentions: Empire Flippers Podcast Empire Flippers Marketplace Flieber Anvyl Flexport  Convoy Deliverr Sit back, grab a coffee, and learn how to maximize your sales and profit margins through optimized inventory management.

With over 200 Google search engine ranking factors to take into consideration, it’s important to focus on the SEO strategies that will actually move the needle for your business.  Moon Hussain and Marie Ysais believe that on-site SEO will provide you with the best bang for your buck. Moon and Marie are the co-founders of Rule Your Rankings, an SEO agency that specializes in on-site and technical SEO to help website owners boost their rankings and reduce their reliance on backlinks. In this episode, Moon and Marie walk us through their 80/20 on-site and off-site SEO policy and reveal what they believe are the pillars of a good SEO strategy. We discuss the various reasons why a site may become ‘stuck” and the techniques Moon and Marie use to get these sites moving again.  The dynamic duo shares their predictions on where the SEO industry is headed and how business owners can future-proof their sites. They also shed some light on the biggest myths and misconceptions in SEO today, including false promises about instant results. According to Marie, “If you want to be successful in SEO, you need to learn how to be patient. The truth is, SEO doesn’t pay off in a week. It’s definitely a long-term strategy. Depending on how big your site is, it can take a few months to see results really kick in. Setting realistic timelines is key.” If you’re struggling to move up the rankings, or are spreading yourself thin with too many SEO techniques, then this is the episode for you. Topics Discussed in This Episode: How Moon and Marie ended working in the SEO industry (02:20) The story behind the creation of Rule Your Rankings (06:58) The philosophy behind Moon and Marie’s 80/20 approach to on-site SEO (10:20) The pillars of good on-site and technical SEO (13:40) The definition of a “stuck site” and the challenges these sites face (16:10) An example of a stuck site that Moon and Marie fixed (21:09) How Moon and Marie minimize the risk of being affected by algorithm updates (27:50) What good content building looks like with on-site optimization in mind (33:11) Moon and Marie reveal the biggest myths and misconceptions in SEO today (39:10) Moon and Marie’s predictions on where the SEO industry is headed (44:32) Mentions: Empire Flippers Podcast Empire Flippers Marketplace Rule Your Rankings On-page.ai Sit back, grab a coffee, and learn how to climb the Google rankings using on-site SEO.

In order to be successful, eCommerce sellers need to have the ability to be flexible and pivot to meet new trends head-on.  In this episode, Kasey Luck explains how Shopify merchants can take advantage of the hype surrounding NFTs by minting and selling them through their Shopify stores. Kasey is the founder of Luck & Co, an agency that specializes in increasing eCommerce conversion and retention rates through SMS and email marketing. She also has a YouTube channel, where she teaches valuable industry advice, helping eCommerce sellers to boost their sales.  Kasey walks us through the various use-cases for NFTs in eCommerce, the risks and rewards of branching out into NFTs, and how the crossover between eCommerce and blockchain will affect the industry in the coming years.  We also discuss what drew Kasey to the eCommerce industry, and her passion for email and SMS marketing. She explains the power that these marketing channels can provide to business owners, and reveals the most common marketing mistakes she sees sellers make. According to Kasey, “When you start a new brand, the first thing that you should be thinking about and setting up is your traffic. If you don’t have traffic, you don't have anything else. It’s too soon to be focusing on things like email and SMS marketing if you don’t have any idea how you’re going to drive traffic to your site.” If you’re ready to step into the future of eCommerce and learn more about NFTs and the metaverse, then this is a conversation you don’t want to miss out on! Topics Discussed in This Episode: Kasey walks us through her entrepreneurial journey so far (03:28) Why Kasey decided to start her own marketing agency (06:30) Why working in the eCommerce industry really resonates with Kasey (09:26) The common marketing mistakes that trip eCommerce sellers up (13:36) Kasey explains what exactly an NFT is(18:51) How NFTs are crossing over into the eCommerce world (23:45) The fundamentals Shopify owners should have in place before launching NFTs (29:15) The biggest risks associated with selling NFTs on Shopify (32:01) The advantages available to sellers who get into the NFT game early on (33:37) The changes Kasey predicts in the eCommerce industry over the next few years (34:39) Mentions: Empire Flippers Podcast Empire Flippers Marketplace Luck & Co ReallyGoodEmails.com Mailed.com Mailcharts.com Sit back, grab a coffee, and learn how to take your eCommerce business to the next level by minting and selling  NFTs through your Shopify store.

Successfully scaling your business is a great achievement, but as the size of your business grows, so does the importance of accurately tracking your financials.  Having learned the problems caused by disorganized bookkeeping the hard way, Nathan Hirsch set about co-creating EcomBalance, a service designed to simplify the way eCommerce businesses conduct their bookkeeping.  In this episode, Nathan sheds some light on the most important financial metrics to keep track of as an eCommerce seller as well as some of the biggest bookkeeping mistakes sellers make. According to Nathan, “If you want to be a successful entrepreneur, you can’t be in a position where your books are not caught up, you’re not receiving monthly reports, or you’re falling three months behind on your financials. You have to get that financial reporting system set up, and the time to do it is now, not when you’re going to sell your business.” We also dive into Nathan’s previous business FreeUp, a freelancer and virtual assistant sourcing platform. We discuss the challenges Nathan faced when scaling FreeUp, the secrets to hiring the right people for your business, and Nathan’s experience selling FreeUp for a whopping 8-figures.  As an added bonus, Nathan is offering 2 free months of bookkeeping to our podcast listeners! Simply go to the EcomBalance website and mention Empire Flippers or The Opportunity podcast to take advantage of this generous offer.  Listen in to this conversation if you want to learn how to master your financials to set your business up for future success. Topics Discussed in This Episode: Nathan walks us through his entrepreneurial journey so far (03:09) The unique gap in the market that Nathan addressed through FreeUp (07:45) The secrets to hiring the best person for the job (09:33) The challenges Nathan faced when scaling FreeUp (16:55) Nathan’s experience exiting FreeUp (19:15) The most important due diligence steps to follow when selling your business (21:27) Nathan’s secret to keeping his company’s books in order (24:53) The gap in the market that inspired Nathan to create EcomBalance(27:53) The crucial financial metrics to keep track of as an eCommerce seller (29:34) The biggest bookkeeping mistakes eCommerce sellers make (30:59) The key lessons Nathan has learned along his entrepreneurial journey (35:09) Mentions: Empire Flippers Podcast Empire Flippers Marketplace EcomBalance FreeUp Outsource School A2X Accounting Quickbooks Xero Accounting ClickUp Sit back, grab a coffee, and listen to Nathan’s expert advice on how to stay on top of your financial reporting.

How do you turn a humble content site into a multi-platform, globally recognized brand? For Kevin Espiritu, the answer lay in producing human-focused, genuinely useful content instead of churning out articles for profit. Kevin is the founder of Epic Gardening, a gardening brand with a relatively simple mission: to teach 10,000,000 people around the world how to grow plants and food. What started as just a website, is now a multi-faceted content and eCommerce brand with millions of followers on social media.  In this episode, Kevin walks us through the things he wished he had known when he first started building his business, including outsourcing labor to free up valuable time. According to Kevin, “When it comes to growing your business, knowing where your time is most valuable as the founder is the most important thing. If you have the resources, what you should be doing is either automating, delegating, hiring, or deleting things that are not as valuable as your leveraged time.” We dive into the ins and outs of Kevin’s content creation strategy, discussing the techniques and approaches that helped him attract over 10 million readers to his website last year, and over 3 million followers on his various social media channels.  Kevin also shares some insights into the future of Epic Gardening, including how he plans to use the $17.5 million in growth capital he recently raised.  Kevin’s success story is a wonderful example of the merits of a human-focused, instead of profit-driven, business strategy. Listen in to learn how to grow your brand across multiple sales and social media platforms while maintaining a cohesive brand identity.  Topics Discussed in This Episode: Kevin shares how his entrepreneurial journey started and where he is today (02:22) The origins and inspiration behind Epic Gardening (06:25) The secret sauce behind Epic Gardening’s enduring success (08:45) How Kevin approaches creating content across various channels and platforms (16:25) The biggest setbacks and challenges Kevin faced while building Epic Gardening (22:46) How Kevin identified the right time to expand into eCommerce (27:41) Why and how Kevin raised $17.5 million in growth capital  (34:53) How Kevin plans to use this growth capital to scale Epic Gardening (38:07) Why websites make such a good investment vehicle (41:09) What Kevin would do differently if he had to start Epic Gardening all over again (43:06) Kevin’s dreams for the future of Epic Gardening (49:26) Mentions: Empire Flippers Podcast Empire Flippers Marketplace Epic Gardening Epic Homesteading   Authority Hacker Backlinko Sit back, grab a coffee, and learn how to successfully scale your business while remaining true to your brand identity.

One of the first lessons website owners learn is that content is the key to success. But how do you identify which topics and keywords to target to help your website gain authority? Finding the answer to this question is what Chima Mmeje, an experienced SEO copywriter and content strategist, does best. Through her company, Zenith Copy, she helps SaaS businesses rank for their target keywords and dominate the search results.  In this episode, Chima gives us the low-down on her favorite SEO content strategy - topic clusters. Topic clusters help website owners comprehensively cover their targeted topic, helping them to become an authority in their niche. Chima walks us through how to conduct research for a topic cluster, how to integrate backlinks into topic clusters and how long it takes to see measurable results from this strategy. She also discusses the power of high-quality content and the rewards of investing in a good content strategy. According to Chima, “Content can do more than just get your website to rank for a few keywords. Content can help you to build authority in the mind of your audience so that even when they're offline and are thinking of a problem, your brand name is the first thing that comes to mind.” Chima also walks us through the struggles she faced trying to break into the big leagues as a BIPOC content writer from Nigeria. She describes how the obstacles she overcame inspired her to create The Freelance Coalition for Developing Countries, an organization that provides free mentorship and training for BIPOC freelancers living in developing countries. If you’re tired of lackluster SEO results, listen in to this episode to learn how to create a comprehensive content strategy that’ll help you climb the SERPS and capture customer attention. Topics Discussed in This Episode: Chima guides us through her back story and entrepreneurial journey so far (02:07) Chima explains why not all traffic is created equally (09:20) The biggest challenges new domains face when trying to become established (10:53) The benefits of using topic clusters (13:55) The foundations you should have in place before implementing topic clusters (17:39) How to conduct research for a topic cluster (18:40) How to integrate backlinks into a topic cluster strategy (22:55) The common mistakes that entrepreneurs make when building topic clusters (25:02) How long do topic clusters take to start producing measurable results? (29:22) The challenges Chima faced when striking out on her own as a business owner (32:14) Chima explains why she started the Freelance Coalition for developing countries (34:12)  Mentions: Empire Flippers Podcast Empire Flippers Marketplace Zenith Copy The Freelance Coalition for Developing Countries  Ahrefs Semrush Sapphire SEO Market Muse Phrase Screaming Frog Sit back, grab a coffee, and learn how to drive significantly more traffic to your site through the use of topic clusters!

Well-written content alone isn’t enough to draw customers to your website. Backlinks lend authority to your site, helping it rank higher on Google, boosting your organic traffic as a result.  The problem is that many business owners battle to source quality backlinks for their websites. Farzad Rashidi struggled with this process himself. Fortunately, in every challenge lies an opportunity, and his quest to optimize his own link-building efforts led Farzad to co-create Respona. Respona is an all-in-one platform that helps entrepreneurs automate the link-building process and generate personalized outreach campaigns, removing a bottleneck from their SEO strategy.   In this episode, Farzad discusses the importance of building a strong backlink profile and how to balance content creation with link-building to drive more traffic to your site. He guides us through his three-step link-building process and explains how to differentiate a good backlink from a bad one. According to Farzad, “When soucing backlinks, the relevancy of the webpage you're getting your link from is so important. It doesn't matter if you have a ton of links from a lot of websites if none of the backlinks make contextual sense. Second, consider the quality of the website you're getting your link from. The authority of that website along with the relevancy of the webpage play a vital role in building high-quality backlinks.” Farzad also dives into the different elements that make up an effective outreach campaign, and the clever strategies and channels that entrepreneurs can use to stand out from the crowd. If you're keen to get more eyes on your content and climb those search results then this is a conversation you don’t want to miss! Topics Discussed in This Episode: Farzad guides us through his backstory and the inspiration behind Respona (02:27) The challenges people face when building a content strategy (05:29) The common mistakes people make when trying to build quality backlinks (20:25) Farzad walks us through how he goes about acquiring backlinks (22:20) Farzad’s three-step process for link-building (29:23) How to adapt your backlink strategy to suit your business model (34:20) The backlink acquisition strategy that surprised Farzad the most (35:56) How Farzad differentiates a good backlink from a bad one (40:17) How Farzad plans to scale Respona going forward (43:05) Mentions: Empire Flippers Podcast Empire Flippers Marketplace Respona Ahrefs Semrush Clearscope Visme Marketing Strategy eBook Backlinko Sit back, grab a coffee, and learn how to create a powerful backlink profile that will help you dominate the Google search results.

We’ve all read stories and news articles about multi-million dollar businesses that have been sold and the ripple effects these acquisitions have on their respective industries.  But an exit doesn’t have to involve enormous sums of money to be meaningful.  When Alexis Grant realized that there were important acquisition stories going untold, she created They Got Acquired, a media agency seeking to redefine startup success by sharing the acquisition stories of underrepresented founders.  In this episode, Alexis joins us to discuss the inspiration behind They Got Acquired, and the ways in which she hopes to educate entrepreneurs who are preparing to sell their businesses. She also reveals the obstacles she faced building a media company from the ground up and how she has structured her business to provide value to her audience. According to Alexis, “When building a media brand, the place that I always start from is creating really high-quality content. Think about how you can create something that's valuable, because if people don't want to read it, or listen to it, or consume it, then you're not really doing yourself or them a favor.” Alexis also shares insights into her own acquisition stories, discussing the differences between an acqui-hire and an asset sale, and the lesson she learned from both experiences.  Whether you are a first-time seller or an experienced entrepreneur, this is an episode you don’t want to miss! Topics Discussed in This Episode: Alexis walks us through her entrepreneurial journey so far (02:26) The lessons Alexis learned from her own businesses being acquired (07:57) What inspired Alexis to create They Got Acquired (12:47) The types of success stories Alexis wants to shine a light on with They Got Acquired (15:24) The obstacles Alexis faced building a media company from the ground up (19:01) Interesting tidbits Alexis has picked up from the businesses she’s covered so far (26:03) Alexis’s advice to entrepreneurs looking to start their own media brand (31:44) How Alexis maintains efficiency to maximize her ROI (34:42) How Alexis aims to help women founders find a place at the table (37:19) Alexis’s goals for the future of They Got Acquired (39:55) Mentions: Empire Flippers Podcast Empire Flippers Marketplace They Got Acquired Typefully Sit back, grab a coffee, and learn how to successfully navigate the acquisition process.

When used correctly, PPC is a powerful tool in an Amazon seller’s arsenal. But, as a newcomer to the FBA game, it’s often hard to find the time to research and implement optimized PPC campaigns while simultaneously ensuring your business runs smoothly.  When Mina Elias first entered the Amazon marketplace, he struggled with this challenge himself. Determined to master PPC, Mina put in the hard yards and absorbed all the information he could find about advertising on Amazon.  His thirst for knowledge paid off, with Mina scaling his supplement brand, MMA Nutrition, to over seven figures. Now, Mina puts his PPC expertise to work as the founder of Trivium Group, an Amazon advertising agency that manages PPC campaigns on behalf of FBA sellers, giving business owners one less thing to worry about. In this episode, Mina discusses how his passion for PPC led him to create both Trivium Group and The PPC University, an educational platform that teaches FBA sellers how to create cost-effective and automated PPC campaigns. He reveals the core principles that make up a good Amazon PPC strategy and explains why PPC is a solid investment for businesses of all sizes.  Mina walks us through the challenges and doubts he overcame after quitting his corporate job to become an FBA seller and explains why so many entrepreneurs are attracted to the supplement niche. He also reveals the qualities that help his brand stay relevant in such a highly-competitive niche and shares the advice and tips he wishes he was given when starting out as an FBA seller. According to Mina, “Building accurate profit & loss statements is incredibly important. I wish I had done it earlier. If you're not building accurate P&Ls, it's putting you at a severe disadvantage, especially when you try to sell your business. So, find someone who is familiar with A2X and QuickBooks, hire them to teach you how everything works, and then just hire a bookkeeper to manage the whole process.” If you want to avoid common FBA stumbling blocks and learn the shortcuts to Amazon success, then this is a conversation you don’t want to miss out on! Topics Discussed in This Episode: Mina walks us through his entrepreneurial journey so far (01:15) How Mina broke into the supplements niche and remained competitive (10:31) What makes the supplements niche so attractive to Amazon sellers (15:21) How Mina juggles selling on Shopify and Amazon (17:17) The problems Mina encountered getting to grips with PPC as a new seller (22:18) The core principles that make up a good Amazon PPC strategy (26:18) Mina’s motivations behind starting PPC University (31:23) The advice Mina wishes he was given when starting out as an Amazon seller (39:52) Mina shares insights into his future plans (42:37) Mentions: Empire Flippers Podcast Empire Flippers Marketplace Trivium Group  The PPC University  RankBell Helium10 DataDrive A2X  Quickbooks Sit back, grab a coffee, and learn how to create PPC campaigns that will move the needle for your FBA business!

How would you like to make money from buying and selling online businesses without having to purchase or operate an online business of your own? This exciting prospect is now within your reach thanks to the launch of the Empire Flippers referral program. By becoming a referral partner, you can earn 20% of our commission by referring businesses that are then successfully bought or sold on the Empire Flippers marketplace. Having spearheaded the creation of the referral program, Jim Barton, the Partnerships Manager at Empire Flippers, joins us to explain the many opportunities that the referral program offers to interested entrepreneurs.  Jim provides a step-by-step guide on the different types of referrals, how referrals partners are paid, what the process of making a referral actually looks like, and the qualities we look for in a good referral. Jim explains, “The Empire Flippers referral program works in two ways. We have seller referrals where you refer somebody who wants to sell their business and buy-side referrals where you refer somebody who wants to purchase a business.  As a referral partner, you will get paid for everything your referral does with us from our two-year cookie, meaning if they buy or sell multiple businesses, you would collect referral commission on all of those.” Jim also gives us a peek behind the curtain of what it takes to create a referral program from scratch, and shares stories of the enormous success the entrepreneurs who joined our pilot program have already experienced. Whether you’re looking for a way to diversify your income, cash in on your large professional network, or leverage the traffic coming to your site, listen closely because this episode will tell you everything you need to know about the Empire Flippers referral program. Topics Discussed in This Episode: Jim walks us through how he ended up running the referral program (03:52) The motivation behind starting the Empire Flippers referral program (06:15) How our referral program differs from affiliate contracts and other payout projects (07:51) The nuts and bolts of how the Empire Flippers referral program works (11:15) The process of making a successful referral (13:08) What does, and does not, qualify as a valid referral (16:32) The different kinds of people who could benefit from the referral program (18:40) The various tools available to referral partners to track their referrals (24:16) The benefits of using the Empire Flippers referral program (27:04) The success stories Jim has already witnessed from the referral program (28:56) Jim describes his experience starting a referral program from scratch (33:23) Mentions: Empire Flippers Podcast Empire Flippers Marketplace Sign up for the Empire Flippers referral program Sit back, grab a coffee, and discover the many advantages of Empire Flippers’ groundbreaking new referral program!

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!