Sales on Demand Show: Recent Episodes
Adam Schneider
It is with a little bit of sorrow, but also a lot of eager anticipation of my upcoming project, that I am closing this show out with a final "Good-bye" episode. This show has been quite fun, but I've lost the original vision that I had for this endeavor, and I'm been feeling for a while that I was just "phoning it in".
You are going to want to follow my next project...for I am writing a series of novels! You can listen to the first episode of my first book "Pursuit" by visiting the site Redpilledbooks.com and put your email in. The book will be released on a series of podcasts for you to enjoy!
Redpilledbooks.com
Thanks to all my listeners over the last 3 or so years, I greatly appreciate your support.
It's been about 2 1/2 years since I decided to leave my full time job in Law Enforcement and become a Stay at Home entrepreneur. I cannot deny that this was an improvement in my life for sure, but just because things are a bit better, doesn't mean that everything is absolutely perfect! In todays show, which was filmed on the road, I talk about the good parts and the bad parts of working from home.
This episode is Part 2 of the presentation that I did for Tom Woods School of Life in Florida.
This is part 1 of a two part series on how to build online income. I delivered this talk in Florida for Tom Wood's School of Life (a private mastermind group), and it was well received. I'm recreating here in Podcast format, and this will be Part 1 of 2!
Just pretend that I didn't call this episode 145...but I recently have had the great joy of looking at my spending for the last year, and when I stopped having a heart attack, I had to think about what exactly happened. These are the lessons that I've distilled from this experience!
The year is drawing to a close, and sales are flying! There's really no time left to do anything...except plan for next year. In this episode, I take some time to reflect on the success I had, and how I could have done better. Next year is going to be amazing, and it starts right now!
Sales are roaring on Amazon and Etsy, but that's not the only way to sell Print on Demand! In this episode, I discuss the Pros and Cons of opening a store using the Shopify platform, and then advertising with Facebook, Tiktok and Youtube ads. It's a challenge that I believe I am ready for, but what do you think?
Some of you might already know that I work for Gearbubble.com, but not many know the history of the platform, and how it has changed in the 7 years since it was founded by Don Wilson. I'm not just working for Gearbubble, I'm a seller as well, and I could not be more excited about the products that have been released this year on the Gearbubble platform. For more information on opening a Gearbubble account, check out my getting started series of videos, which you can get for free at salesondemandshow.com/start
It's vitally important when you are running a business to set personal goals for success. A goal has to be
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Achievable
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Measurable
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Something you've never done before
This Christmas season, I'm shooting for a revenue goal that I've never been able to get to, ever! This particular year however, I'm feeling very optimistic about this goal, and in this episode, I lay out the specific reasons that I think I'll be able to achieve this.
It's officially the 4th Quarter of the year, and this is traditionally the busiest time, and the most productive time as well!
As always, there are challenges with growth, and this year has some REAL mountains to climb, particularly with the insane cost of shipping and products.
What are your biggest hurdles for this year, and what are you doing to solve those?
With the passing of the Queen, I can't help myself but make a bit of a joke, but inflation is a pretty serious topic these days, and we need to take it seriously if we want to continue to have an economy in a few years.
You might have heard about the "student loan forgiveness" being pushed by President Joe Biden. In today's show, I talk about what really needs to happen to debt, don't miss it!
Entrepreneurs always want to say "Yes" to everything, but that doesn't always benefit them. If you've been struggling with focus and motivation, this episode is for you!
Happy midsummer to everyone in the Northern Hemisphere! For the rest of you, well, you probably still have pretty nice weather regardless (looking at you Australia)
If you aren't living on the surface of Mars, you probably know that a recession is looming on the horizon for the Unites States, and probably most other Western countries like Canada and the UK. This is a direct consequence of the need to stop inflation, which itself was a direct consequence of the massive government spending during the Pandemic. If you recall, I specifically predicted this two years ago, but that's ok, I'm not actually happy to be correct about this.
Nevertheless, business this year should remain strong, thanks to the need for people to still buy gifts for the people they care about.
In this episode, I talk about the Do's, and Don'ts for this year, and how you can keep yourself from sinking into the Recession muck. I also make some predictions, so if you are a betting person, go ahead and listen, and see if you agree with my predictions about the timing of the economic downturn coming.
It's been a great year so far, and it's only getting better!
In this episode, I talk about my efforts to keep my body fit, and how at age 40 (almost 41), I'm basically in the best shape of my life.
Yeah, things are getting ugly out there; inflation hit 9%, the US Federal Deficit for one year is higher than 8 of the previous 10 years put together, and we just witnessed the government trying their best to demolish the economy with lockdowns. It's natural to feel down when things look bleak, but this episode is all about why things aren't really as bad as they say, and how you can live independently of the people trying to destroy you!
In episode 130, I introduced this idea, and today, I'm here to expand on it significantly. I've been working with Gearbubble, running an "experiment" with advertising to try and duplicate the success of a company that just posted results of $100k per day in sales for 3 days in a row on Amazon. Listen to this episode to hear more, and make sure you sign up to my newsletter so that you'll be notified when this training is released again!
This episode was recorded while I was in Mexico, because I wanted to say that I recorded an episode in three different countries, but it also contains a lot of my observations about the state of the economy, how to save money, and protecting yourself from inflation.
Yes, that's a clickbait title, and no, I'm not even slightly embarrassed for using it. I suspect that a lot of people think about the "end of the world" scenario, and don't even realize it.
I'm not talking about the zombie apocalypse, as much as that would be entertaining, I'm just talking about the mundane things that can happen to anyone, anytime. Things like losing your job, or having a health crisis. Are you prepared for this? Find out by listening to this episode!
I'm interrupting my short series on building wealth to talk about something that I simply cannot wait to start implementing! I've been working with some high level sellers to learn and perfect a new strategy of running Amazon ads to get thousands of sales. The company that is running this strategy has already earned millions from it, with just 3 products over about 7 months, and we are going to be building some training on this for Gearbubble! Listen to this episode to get an overview of how the strategy works.
The News Cycle never sleeps! As many people feared, Russia finally invaded Ukraine, and this has caused massive upheaval in the world, which was already in serious turmoil from the effects of the government's massive spending during the pandemic. I have been a bit more concerned than I normally am, about the future of paper money. Now that I am earning quite a bit more "dollars" than ever before, it would be a real shame if the value of those dollars plummeted. To combat this, I've started making some investments of various kinds, and that's what I talk about in this episode.
You can join my email list and get a series of free videos showing you how I earn my money by visiting salesondemandshow.com/start
Welcome to My series on "Building a Resiliant Life" (or something like that)! This first chapter is talking about where you should live to maximize both happiness, and minimize cost of living.
Most people think that you need to live in a city, but I left the city years ago and never looked back!
Continuing with the "Become a Millionaire" series theme, I spend most of this episode talking about the 2 most vital things that every true FIRE (Financially Independant, Retired Early) Millionaire is doing to achieve the lifestyle that they enjoy.
Most western citizens would consider being a "millionaire" to be the status symbol of wealth, but what does that actually look like, and what does it really mean?
Today, I dive into the idea of being a millionaire, and pull apart the notion that having a million dollars of net worth actually makes you rich.
This is the first of a series where I want to look at how to structure your life in a way that you can live far below your means, and accumulate vast amounts of wealth at the same time, without sacrificing your standard of living.
Thanks for listening!
Join the bootcamp here: salesondemandshow.com/start
Every December I like to do a little bit of a review of the previous year's results, and then I sort of cast my "vision" for the upcoming year.
2021 was actually quite a good year for me, it had a slow rough start (thanks to the government lockdowns), but once the summer was over things picked up quite nicely, and Christmas was quite good this year!
2022 is going to introduce some new things that I've never done before, large cash investments in new businesses, and very likely, a much improved training program from me, where I teach some of the little secrets that made me over $100,000 this last year.
To get a preview of this upcoming year, join my email list here
There are people out there who would like to control everything around themselves, including other people. These people wish for you to conform to their worldview, and if you do not, they want the power to remove you from "society" as punishment. As we have witnessed in the last 24 months, this is a HUGE problem for any normal person who wants to control their own life, make decisions for themselves, or even run a regular business and make a lot of money.
It's become even more stark as we see that employers are wielding their power over employees, emboldened by the government's full support, and willing to simply cut you off if you do not "comply". Not every employer is doing this of course, and the ones who try are not always successful, but many are!
It's never been more important than it is right now for you to have the ability to earn a living on your own. In this episode, I talk about how to make that happen.
I've been guilty of approaching the world with a bit of a negative spirit sometimes. 2020 was a miserable time, and there is plenty to be irritated and upset with, including massive inflation that's already happened, and more inflation to come.
Despite that, I still feel confident that we are living in one of the greatest ages that this planet has ever seen. The average living person now has more scientific knowledge than all of the world put together 150 years ago!
In today's show I talk about the good things to come, and hopefully you will agree, despite the hardships and foolishness of governments and angry mobs, the future looks pretty amazing.
Get 5 free videos when you join my bootcamp session here:
salesondemandshow.com/start
Making money is awesome, and most of my podcast episodes focus on how to maximize your profits, using print on demand and other types of businesses, but that's really just the beginning of being financially independent.
Today's show focuses on the major principles that you should be leaning into, if you truly want to create and preserve wealth in the "New Normal"!
This episode is the story of my visit to Orlando Florida, where I attended the Tom Woods Show 2000th episode live event.
I owe pretty much my entire "career" as an entrepreneur to one person, and that would be the inimitable Tom Woods, of the Tom Woods Show. No one has done more to push me through this journey than Tom, and he really didn't even know about me until a few years ago!
I began listening to Tom's show almost 10 years ago, after hearing him speak through the Mises University program. I knew about the many problems caused by government, but I was still working through how to apply the principles of liberty in my own life.
Tom promoted the Low Hanging system in 2017, and I joined that training, forever setting me on this path to the point today where I teach the program as the lead person, and I work full time as an entrepreneur and coach!
This event was one of the most memorable things I've ever done, and the 10 days I spent travelling and working in the US were unforgettable. I'm now basically addicted to travel, so now I have to start planning my next trip!
Please enjoy my stories from the road, and hopefully someday, I will be able to plan a live event for the many listeners I have who know me, but whom I have never met myself.
This episode is a little special, I recorded it while travelling in the US for 10 days, so the audio quality might be a bit worse than normal.
I was honored to be the host and one of the speakers for an in person event in Las Vegas, and it was an amazing time, on both a personal level, and as an entrepreneur and coach!
In today's episode I share some of my insights from the conference, as well as some thoughts on being in Las Vegas.
Part two of this series is going to be released tomorrow, so don't miss that episode either, where you'll hear about my time seeing Tom Woods and thousands of other Libertarians at the 2000th Episode of the Tom Woods show in Orlando Florida!
It may be "officially" the last 3 months of the year, which most people refer to as "Q4" or "Quarter 4", but the real buying rush is still a little ways off.
In this episode, I talk about my predictions for 2021, based on what I am seeing happen in the news, and what happened for Christmas last year. I do expect a great selling season, but there are some potential pitfalls to try and dodge, and I talk about that in today's show.
Join my email list here and get 5 free videos on how to make your own print on demand business!
I hope that I don't have to remind you of this, but time is getting short for you to be ready for Q4, and the rush of Christmas sales that come through in November and December!
Today's topic is something that I've been playing around with in what little spare time I have: building an actual print shop that I can make and ship my own products.
I recently made some expensive purchases that will go a long way to helping me build a nice little local print shop, and I've got big plans for how to expand my business with branding and Amazon FBA!
As always, you can join my email list and get 5 free videos that will teach you how to start your POD business here.
Summer is over, and the whirlwind that is Q4 is rapidly approaching!
*First, let me confess that when you listen to this episode, you're going to hear me say the wrong episode number, because I'm not so good at counting past 20 (I run out of fingers and toes)
Despite that, I can count to 3, and that's how many months you have to get ready for Christmas!
Between now and December, do you have a gameplan? The people who make crap-tons of money with Print on Demand start planning their Christmas long before flakes of snow fall from the sky. If you want to be one of those people, you should imitate what they do, and start your planning right now!
In this episode, I give three tips on what you should focus on to make the most of limited time and resources.
Getting started? Join my email list and get a 5 free bootcamp videos sent right to your inbox here.
Did you know that 42% of Americans gained 29 lbs on average in 2020? Aside from this being a hugely consequential impact of lockdowns, this is also a consequence of the "work from home" movement that has started more recently.
More people than ever are working from home, and the results are in: sitting down all day long is really, really bad for your body.
How do we balance the obvious benefits of working from home, with the drawbacks of sitting in an office chair all day long?
In this episode, I talk about some ways to keep yourself healthy while getting the work done.
Check out the Bootcamp I created, and learn how to start your own Print on demand business with 5 free videos here.
I have a special treat for all of you today!
Will Haimerl of ppc-coach.com joins me for an interview all about the future of Print on Demand on Facebook ads, and how he is shifting his strategy to make sales even when things stop working.
It's important for all Entrepreneurs to realize that markets do change, and something that works today might stop working tomorrow, or 5 years from now. This is why building multiple income streams is a vital part of making a strong long lasting business!
Join my email list at salesondemandshow.com/start, and get 5 free videos to help you start building your Print on Demand empire, free of charge!
Last episode, I talked about managing cash flow, and now this episode I'll talk about the other resource, time!
For most new sellers, you've got time to spare, but that doesn't last forever. Once you reach a certain level of success in anything, your time becomes quite a bit more valuable than even money, because you can leverage time to MAKE money!
In this episode, I talk about the ways that time can slip away, and how you can wrestle the most value from a limited amount of time.
Join the bootcamp! Get 5 free videos that will show you how to start a print on demand store from start to finish by clicking here
One of the biggest hurdles to starting, running, and scaling up a physical products business is the cash flow management side of things. Depending where you sell the most, you may end up having to invest thousands of dollars into inventory on Amazon, and have it sit there for a few months. Of course, this money will be doubled or tripled, but it's still a challenge for most people who are accustomed to living paycheck to paycheck.
In this episode, I talk about the practical things you can do to preserve and increase your cashflow, which is the best way to create a long term resiliant business!
Want to start your own business for free? Watch my free bootcamp series now by joining my email list here.
Imagine a situation where you could press a few buttons and have a fully automated Print on Demand business built for you...
Normally saying that would make me cringe so hard, because I really DON'T believe that there is such thing as a "Business in a Box", or "Push button Profits" or any other stupid sales-y over exaggeration. Building long term value usually takes some work, even if it's not a lot!
A friend of mine has been putting this to the test however, and he created a program that is literally "hands off", and is making me a decent number of sales just in the first few weeks, and I'm quite impressed! In this episode, I review the program and I'm happy to say that I think it's worth the price, so I'm recommending it to my listeners, especially for those who have very limited time to build their own listings. This tool has already added 4,000 listings to my Amazon store and made me a decent number of sales (16 to date). It's literally hands off, meaning you don't do ANYTHING except connect it to your store!
You can find out more about this software right here (this is an affiliate link): https://evercardia--pod.thrivecart.com/podtomatic-early-bird-promo/
The first 5 episodes of the Bootcamp series were concerned with the basics: How to open accounts, get things connected, get your first few listings up, make a few sales, and so on. Now, we are going to Level Up...
This episode is not for the weak of heart, the Casuals, or the part timers. This is a show all about building the EMPIRE of business, scaling up to hundreds of dollars in sales per day, and $100,000+ per year!
Serious business requires actions that few are willing to perform, and yet those few who make it often dominate the marketplace, making sometimes a million or more in sales! At that level, an entrepreneur find that his time and attention are at a premium, and the things that matter are so much different than a new seller.
The question remains: How do we get to that level, and how do we sustain it?
I answer those questions and more in this episode!
Watch the rest of the Bootcamp series here: salesondemandshow.com/start
The final installment of the Jumpstart series is here! This episode is all about the benefits, as well as some of the challenges of selling on Amazon.
If you would like to watch the Jumpstart videos, make sure you subscribe at salesondemandshow.com/start, you'll get the entire series in your inbox.
To join my training program, click here
Today's Bootcamp is all about putting your designs onto Etsy!
Now, you need to pick a supplier, put the product onto a mockup, and put the listing into your store. In this episode, I talk about some of the details of selling on Etsy, and the video will have a sample of how to actually launch your product onto your store so that people can buy it.
You can join the bootcamp video series right here!
You can also skip straight to my advanced paid training
In this episode, I run through the details of creating the designs that you will be putting onto your products.
Most beginners are quite intimidated by this step, because they incorrectly believe that they need some kind of "talent" for graphic design in order to make acceptable products. This belief in incorrect, and I am living proof of that.
There are three basic types of designs, and in this episode I break them down into Basic, Intermediate, and Advanced, along with the tools I use to make each type, and where I would use it.
Want to get this episode as a video? You can get this entire series sent to your inbox now by clicking here.
Click here to see the tool I use to make profits from Crypto
The Bootcamp series continues with today's show, all about finding the phrases that turn your Print on demand product from a plain piece of fabric or boring old mug, into a delightful gift that you can charge $20 or more for.
Some of the highlights from this show include
Researching on Etsy, Google, Pinterest and other search platforms.
How to "spy" on your competition
The types of phrases that people LOVE
Join the video bootcamp for FREE by signing up for my email list!
Other interesting links from this episode:
CryptoHopper
My interview with Tom Woods
The last 12 months has absolutely proven beyond any doubt...you don't matter to the government. It doesn't matter how much money you invest in your business, how many of the "old" rules you followed, and how many people wanted to patronize your business. If you happened to pick one of the "non-essential" businesses, the government will crush you into the ground, take your job away, and give you a paltry few months of money so you can hopefully pay a few bills and not get evicted.
Folks, this is NOT how I want to live my life, living in fear of someone being able to "shut the taps off" and take away my income. Even in ordinary times, you can lose your job, which means that you lose ALL of the income from that source!
This is why it's VITAL to have multiple income streams, and to pick ones that can't be easily shut down.
Print on Demand is a huge income stream for me, and I build on my income every single year, without working any "harder" than the year before. My business is portable, sustainable, and scalable. I can travel, work from home, delegate parts of the business, and go on long vacations without losing money.
One of the things that I'm quite good at, is helping people start their own Print on Demand business.
This week is the beginning of my free Bootcamp series. To join, all you need to do is this: Get on my email list, and I'll send you a series of 4 videos, each week, which will show you how to get your first Print on Demand store up and running! Click this link to start.
If you've ever looked at the chaotic culture around you and wondered "I wonder if I could make some money from this?", well, I've got your answer in this episode of the Sales on Demand Show!
In this episode, I'll go through my 5 favorite topics that inspire me to create designs, and some of the great results that I've had looking around me to find "trends" that I can piggyback onto.
Find out more by joining my email list, I send out great tips that you can't get just from the podcast.
As many marketers know, an email list is probably one of the most valuable assets that you can create in almost any business.
With an email list, you have a permanent source of customers that you can use to test new ideas, ramp up holiday sales, or rank your products on other platforms.
Building a list is possible on Etsy, and Amazon, and in today's episode, I go through how to do this!
You can get on MY email list by clicking this link right here - salesondemandshow.com/az
This episode has no business content whatsoever, it is PURELY about the thing that is currently causing me more stress than I've felt in 20 years.
The lockdowns are killing people, both right now, and into the future. Alberta, as well as Ontario and Quebec have enacted very very strict lockdowns, which flies in the face of the overwhelming evidence that these interventions not only don't work, but cause MASSIVE harm to our society.
In this fairly long episode, I go through some of the data, but I do end on a positive note, so don't think that I'm sitting in my office feeling sorry for myself, because I'm not!
It's time for an update! We've gotten through the first 3 months of the year, which are the quietest months, and we are rolling up on Mother and Father's day.
Today's episode is an update on exactly what I've earned this year, as well as some interesting info about how I am buying Crypto, such as Bitcoin with a special program called Cryptohopper www.cryptohopper.com
Join the email list at salesondemandshow.com/az for more great tips!
The greatest thing about running a business is that your effort multiplies over time!
There's nothing at all wrong with working for wages, most of us have done it, and many entrepreneurs still do have a job that provides valuable and needed income.
However, there is something wonderful about seeing your efforts pay off over and over again, without having to actually repeat the work! This is ONLY possible with a business, and never with a job. Once you leave the job, the value vanishes, but a business is an asset that keeps paying you, and from which you can never be FIRED.
Building that momentum is a challenge, and today, I talk about how momentum has brought me to a tremendous place, where I can work for a couple hours a day, and still make more money than I earned working a full time job!
Learn more by joining my email list here: salesondemandshow.com/az
Can you really build Print on Demand into 7+ figures in sales per year?
This is a year of some tremendous growth for my business, ever since I decided to retire and go full time with Print on Demand in 2020!
Most people, including myself, start doing Print on Demand as a way to make a couple bucks on the side. It's the easiest way to start, and there is nothing at all wrong with keeping your business small, light, and profitable with just your own extra time.
In the last couple of years, I've decided that I'm not happy with being "small time", I want to build this business into a million dollar per year enterprise! This means a drastic shift in mindset, and a different strategy from what I've been doing up to now.
In this episode, I run through what is a proven strategy for scaling your business, which involves building a team, and leveraging the time of your workers to maximize your own value. Essentially, you end up spending most of your time managing your workers, and less time doing the actual work.
Learn more by joining my email list at salesondemandshow.com/az
The best part of selling on marketplaces like Etsy and Amazon, is that EVERY sale has built in profit!
Welcome to my 100th episode, and thank you so much for being loyal listeners. To celebrate this milestone, I've reactivated my discount code for the Print on Demand A-Z training, and I'm throwing in a very valuable bonus - 2 hours of personalized coaching time! I've coached well over 65 students with their Print on Demand business, and every single one of them has told me that the coaching was the thing that they found the MOST valuable!
I'm not keeping this open for long, so don't wait to act.
"Yes, I want a discount code"
I picked a very interesting topic today, and I hope you also find it interesting. I've got 4 things that I put my profits into, and I think you should too!
It's time for an update about sublimating your own products!
I have been running my "experiment" for over two months now, and I have to say that it is quite successful!
At the end of 2020, I purchased some equipment to see if it was worth printing my own mugs. At this point, I've printed around 350, and I'm making adjustments as I go.
I also talk about some of my frustrations regarding the current political situation, the lockdowns, and the failure of government to follow it's own reopening plan.
Next week I'll have a great update to my training, and a sweet bonus for anyone who decides to join!
Get notified about new episodes here: salesondemandshow.com/start
Do you really have the "right stuff" to be an entrepreneur?
Here is the uncomfortable truth about starting your own business. Not everyone is cut out for success in entrepreneurship, and that's actually ok. We do need people to be workers, and those people do contribute to the world by doing their job. Entrepreneurs are the pointy end of the "spear", innovating and creating, but they also take the risks if what they create isn't accepted in the marketplace.
In today's episode, I run through what I consider to be the 3 top traits of successful Print on Demand sellers.
Do you think you have what it takes to be successful?
Get more tips when you join my email list at salesondemandshow.com/start
Winter storms, politics, riots, and political censorship. Can a new seller still make it selling Print on Demand?
Thousands of people are STILL without power, and not just in Texas, which obviously saw the worst of the biggest winter storm to hit the US in a very long time. Oregon still has 54,000 people without power, and other states will be cleaning up the expensive mess caused by frozen water falling from the sky.
Here in Canada, we just call that "Tuesday", but I'm not saying that we would fare better if we got 100F temperatures like they do in the south. Everyone has a weak point!
In today's show, I discuss my thoughts about the unpredictability of selling online, and how you should structure your business to weather the uncertainty that has already come, and the upheaval that is certain to follow thanks to the continuing insanity of printing trillions of dollars.
If you have been thinking about getting started with Print on Demand, or you want to take your business to the next level, I have a training program designed to teach you the "A - Z" of Print on Demand. I will be making a special offer on my 100th show, coming up in a few weeks, so jump on my email list here to hear about that when it happens!
Today I interview a couple of fantastic sellers from the P.O.D.Cast!
On today's show, I have Travis Ross, and Josiah Sifuentes from the Print on Demand Cast (P.O.D. Cast), and we talk about some very interesting and unique things, topics that I myself am interested in learning more about.
Have a listen, and if you have never done Print on Demand before, be sure to get started with my free video at salesondemandshow.com/start
Talking about the "how" of hiring and onboarding an assistant in your business.
Last episode, I talked about the "why" of adding a team member, so today we'll talk about the how.
There are many ways to do this, but I've broken this down into 3 levels of complexity for you, beginner, intermediate and advanced. This means that, no matter where you are in your business, you can benefit from adding a virtual assistant!
As always, I teach these concepts in much greater detail in my training and mentorship program, the Print on Demand A-Z.
Learn more right here.
Today's show is all about the WHY of hiring someone to work for you!
After talking about it for the better part of a year, I've at last gone and done it, I've hired a VA to help me with my work. It's been a necessity for a long time, but I suppose that late is better than "never".
In this episode, I talk about the real value that exists in hiring a person to perform some work for you. For many entrepreneurs, it really makes the difference in their business, and it's part of building resiliance and longevity into your business.
As always, find out more by joining my email list at
salesondemandshow.com/start
I have been experimenting, it is true! I talked about doing this for almost a full year, and around Christmas, I finally pulled the trigger and bought the equipment I needed to print my own 11oz white coffee mugs right at home.
I didn't need to do this, but I knew that in order to break new ground, and build a very massive business, sometimes you have to do crazy things!
In today's episode, I talk at length about my new "print shop", how much it cost, and the exact equipment I have. I also discuss the best reasons to try printing your own products at home, and some drawbacks.
I will be including this as a segment in my training program, Print on Demand A-Z, which is available now here.
It's over.
2020 has slipped under the waves, with a small stream of bubbles the only sign that it was ever there.
If you have been listening to the podcast for any length of time, you'll probably know that 2020 was a WILD rollercoaster for me, both in my personal life, and in the Print on Demand world. The end of the year was so different from the beginning, that it's almost like I was living a completely different life!
In this episode, I walk through the challenges, and the wins of 2020, as well as a little bit of an update on a little "experiment" that I've been running.
I can TEACH you how to sell Print on Demand with my POD A-Z training course!
You have 4 more days to sign up at the $297 price...after that, it goes up in price forever! Join here
The entire shipping system has practically run into a brick wall, and I've been fielding around 6-10 messages every day asking where a product is. It's not hard to answer these, but they are annoying, a necessary irritation of the Christmas rush.
In today's episode, I talk about how to deal with the customer questions, and how to manage the fact that many, many items are moving at a snails pace through the system, and yet, I'm still getting a decent number of sales every single day!
As always, you can get a free video when you sign up with my email list, and start learning how to make $100,000 a year in sales with the Print on Demand methods that I teach in my new course.
Join at salesondemandshow.com/az
Two years ago, I bought the domain name "salesondemandshow.com" and thus, this is the second birthday of the show.
A lot has changed since the beginning of the show, and a lot more changes are still on the horizon! In today's episode, I talk about the future of the podcast, and a few of the big projects I'm working towards for the coming year.
As always, I give selling tips in every episode of the show, to help you make the best decisions for your business right now.
If you are thirsting to grow your business, you should know that I teach everything I know in an expansive training program called "Print on Demand A-Z", available at a discount till the end of the year at
salesondemandshow.com/az.
This is it, the middle of the Christmas rush! You should be seeing some sales by this time, if you have been diligent in listing your products on the platforms. Remember, people can't buy products that don't exist, so if you are concerned that you aren't getting any sales, it's because you don't have enough listings!
Next week is the 2nd Anniversary of the Sales on Demand Show, so I will be eating a small piece of cake to celebrate that. I'd share with all of you listeners, but it's really a very small cake, not enough to share...
I might offer one last discount on the training as a special gift, just before the end of the year. Make sure you tune in next week!
Getting started - salesondemandshow.com/start
Join my training program - salesondemandshow.com/az
Here we are, counting down the days to Black Friday, pushing orders out the door, and hoping that all the effort that we put in for the last 6 months is going to pay off with a nice rush of sales!
No one really knows exactly what is going to happen, except that we know the shoppers are out there! Maybe they are "locked down" or maybe not, but they are shopping online, and you could be selling to them already!
I'm already seeing 40+ orders per day, and I'm expecting to see around 150+ per day by December. It's going to get CRAZY, but this is where we make the big $$$!
In today's episode, I talk about your mindset. Are you thinking big or are you thinking tiny?
A tiny thinker can't risk spending money, they can't cope with long hard days, and they don't like learning new things. The world is filled with these people, and most of them are wearing masks alone in their cars...
A big thinker knows that measured risk brings reward, and that saving is better than spending. They put themselves around more successful people to try and pull themselves higher, and they dive into hard projects with energy and focus!
Which are you?
If you want to build a sustainable business that can grow 200 or 300% every single year, I can teach you!
Find my training here, and listen to this episode for a special discount code to get this training for $297, but only till the end of the year!
What do new sellers do that costs them time and money? Why are we locking down the economy AGAIN? In today's episode, I go through this and more!
Resources for this episode
https://tomwoods.com/ep-1775-the-covid-cult/
Tom Woods has collected a lot of information concerning the damage that lockdowns cause. Have a listen!
Want to make the most of your sales this Christmas?
Join my training program at
salesondemandshow.com/az
Getting started? You need to get your store stocked!
Now that the election has ended, sort of, people are going to be shopping for their family and friends, and if you don't have products in your store, you won't make the sales!
In this episode, I go through 3 time tested ways to quickly get dozens or even hundreds of designs loaded onto products and ready to sell on Amazon and Etsy.
Don't wait even just one more day, get started with your Print on Demand business NOW!
Ready to take your business to the next level? My training program will take you from "complete noob" to "advanced seller" in NO time! Find out more at
salesondemandshow.com/az
"tHiS iS thE moST iMpOrtAnt eLecTiOn eVer"
If I had a nickel every time I've heard this, I'd be retired on an island in the Bahamas. Nevertheless, this election does indeed seem to be much more contentious than anything we've seen in the past, certainly anything I've seen in my lifetime.
The country is clearly divided, and each side believes that it holds the key to the future prosperity of the nation, and almost by proxy, the globe itself.
While I feel more inclined towards the conservative side, personally I feel that Donald Trump has failed to keep many of his important promises, the very things he ran on in 2016. He failed to end the enormously destructive wars, and he presided over the largest federal budget deficit EVER, and that's not even counting the Pandemic spending, which has been absolutely unreal.
The Office of the President has become a Monarchy in all but the name, with literally every word, action, and personality flaw of the person holding this office becoming exaggerated beyond comprehension. It should really just be abolished, but that's probably not going to happen.
One of these two people is going to win the seat, and there will be some consequences, no matter who wins it!
In this episode, I talk about what I think might happen when the dust settles, not that the dust ever really settles from elections these days. The truth is, the winner of this election really doesn't affect you as much as you might think, and you should continue to build your business regardless of these pointless (albeit entertaining) distractions!
Did you know that I can teach you how to build your own Print on Demand business? Find out more at
salesondemandshow.com/az
Etsy once told me that over a quarter of the sales on their platform were customized items. It might be even higher than that, judging by the success I've been having with customization!
A customized item is typically a template with part of a phrase that allows customers to insert their own text into it, or add an image or graphical element, or even all three.
The simplest type of customized item will just be someone's name added to the bottom or top, but even these are highly desirable items, and I have sold PLENTY of them!
I first noticed that customized items were doing very well back in 2018, on Amazon. I listed one customized item, which took some time, and it ended up making 85 sales over time. That's just ONE listing! I added several more, and they also made sales, and in 2020 I added some customizable items to Etsy for Mother and Father's Day. These items were very very popular, and I ended up spending a lot of time sending these orders out, which was a little bit more annoying, but I've now discovered a method of shipping these orders that takes MUCH less time!
A very successful seller once told me that you could basically have a full time income with "90 highly targeted personalized listings" on Etsy. Even if you needed twice that number of listings, it is still a very small number! I have been seeing a dramatic increase in sales from about 20-25 listings that I've added just in the last two weeks, and I've set a goal of adding around 5 per day, along with any other non-customized listings I can manage. In all likelihood, this could end up being almost overwhelming for me once November hits, but I have a couple of options to save myself time.
First, I will be using a program called "Orderdesk" that will handle the customer address and tracking numbers. All I will need to do is create the design, and drop it into a folder!
Second, I can actually hire someone to perform the artwork creation, and that will leave me free to focus on other things while the order pour in (which they have already begun to do!) This could easily continue all year long, leaving me with a permanent income stream where most of the work is done by other people.
In today's episode, I talk about 5 specific things you need to know about customization to get started! Have a listen, and don't forget that I do teach all of these things in tremendous detail in my training program, which is still available right here.
In today's episode, I give away a discount code that will get you $200 off the full price of this training.
You can also get that discount code right here.
Even though I am now full time working from home, I still have to manage my time quite carefully. In fact, I need to be even more rigorous than ever before, since my livelihood now depends on my productivity!
In this episode, I talk about 5 essential elements that any entrepreneur needs to make the most of your time. Otherwise, you will sit at your computer, and have no idea what to do!
There is 48 hours left to get my training course at the low price of $197, using the promo code contained in this episode.
You can find that training at this link
Well, the dog and pony show that is 2020 continues without interruption, but while the rest of the world is debating which of the old senile men to elect as Supreme Chancellor of the World, you and I can actually improve our lives by making and selling products that people want to buy!
Today, I talk about how I'm going to dominate Amazon in 2020, and to be honest, there isn't a lot of time left to get moving on this. If you have been sitting on the fence about selling online, or adding Amazon to your selling platforms, don't hesitate even one more second! There is a lot of money to be made this quarter, and you could be a part of the elite group of people who will end 2020 with MORE money than you started with!
Find out how to do this, and more in my training program, POD A-Z, which you can join for less than $200 with the special discount code at
www.salesondemandshow.com/az
A bit more personal in this episode, inspired by another podcaster, Tom Woods, who interviewed Donald Wilson of Gearbubble. Both of these amazing people are mentors to me, and I aspire to reach their level of success every day!
While I reach up, I also reach across to my listeners, some of who may just be starting their own journey as online sellers. I want to provide hope, encouragement, and inspiration to anyone who is looking to join me selling online in the greatest year ever!
Have a listen, and remember, you are writing your own story right now
www.tomwoods.com/1744
www.salesondemandshow.com/az - Join my training for just $197, using the code provided in today's episode! This special price is only available for 14 more days.
It might not 'technically' be Quarter 4 (it starts October 1st), but the busiest selling time of the year is so close that you can smell it!
In this episode, I lay out some of the very specific steps that I am taking to be successful this year, which include
- Launching 100 customized listings on Etsy (and Amazon)
- Building my FBA listings on Amazon to 50
- Spend 10% of my time learning and growing personally and professionally.
I also talk about the things I want to aim for in 2021 (assuming the government allows the calendar to roll past December 31st)
There is a VERY short time left to take advantage of my newly launched training program! It is currently on sale for a huge discount ($300 off), but the clock is ticking...
Find out more at www.salesondemandshow.com/az
Get your discount code to get that training at $197, and get a HUGE advantage over anyone else during the busiest time of year.
I want to learn how to make money from home
CLICK HERE TO GET MY DISCOUNTED TRAINING
Welcome to the year 2030! Not much has changed, Trump is now on his 8th term in office, and every single city has been burned to the ground in riots. The only people are roving bands of scavengers who run around infecting each other with covid.
In all seriousness, we HAVE in fact moved into the future! The slow decline of physical stores that sell goods to people has turned into a fast decline. We are now 10 years ahead in terms of online shopping, which means that we are about to enter the Christmas shopping season, at a time when more people will be shopping for gifts online than EVER before!
In this episode, I give some predictions about the next few years, and of course, I talk about the training I just released that will help you take advantage of the millions of people who will be staying home from the mall and shopping on Amazon and Etsy instead.
Time is running out to get the INSANE $300 discount off the training using the discount code that I reveal in this episode.
You can join the training here! www.salesondemandshow.com/az
This is it...the long awaited, and often promised training course that I have talked about for nearly a year, is now LIVE!
If you already have your discount code, click here to redeem it and join the training!
If you missed getting your $100 instant discount, click here to get it sent by email!
Today's episode is all about commitment. If you truly want to be successful in anything, and I mean literally ANYTHING, it has to cost you 'something'. Nothing comes free, but some things certainly cost less than others.
Right now, the training I offer costs as little as it ever will. It will never be this inexpensive ever again, for lifetime access to a massive training regimen that will take you through every step to create your own Amazon and Etsy store, and start making sales right before Christmas!
Get the most out of your 2020 Christmas season with 3 very predictions and pieces of advice for all of us who are hoping to make the best of what has turned out to be an "interesting" year.
In this episode, I talk about one of my favorite applications, Mug Samurai. This software, created by another Print on Demand seller Leonardo Schwartz, takes any text phrase and turns it into a design on a coffee mug. You don't need anything else!
You can find that application right here:
https://app.mugsamurai.com/45 Don't forget to get onto the SOD Show email list, which you can find at
www.salesondemandshow.com/start
The Enneagram test is a (non-scientific) test that can help you figure out what really "motivates" you, how much risk you prefer, and some aspects of your personality. Although it isn't perfect, it is quite interesting to see, and I certainly noticed that my results seemed to match up with the "real world" quite a bit!
In this episode, I've broken down some of the different personalities of entrepreneurs, by risk tolerance, and by experience level, and I've given some specific advice for both. The more you know about yourself, the better you can plan for the future, and the better you can build your business!
Find the Enneagram test here - https://www.truity.com/test/enneagram-personality-test
Join the email list here! - www.salesondemandshow.com/start
Having success in 2020 with any business might seem to be like climbing a waterfall, but as many of us know, there has never been a better time to start selling Print on Demand products than this year!
One of the most common complaints is a lack of sales, which is particularly frustrating when a seller has put a lot of effort into opening up accounts on Etsy and Amazon, creating new designs and listing them, and it seems like no one is interested.
In today's episode I talk about the 3 basic ways that I create new designs, and one particularly excellent software program that I use (Mug Samurai) in my day to day work.
Mug Samurai Link -https://app.mugsamurai.com/45
Etsy Rank - www.etsyrank.com
Get on my email list - www.salesondemandshow.com/start
Join the Low Hanging System - www.salesondemandshow.com/lhs
Last week, I talked at length about the major problems facing the US economy. The massive amount of debt at every single level of government, the unfunded liabilities, and the history of every nation that has done the same thing in the past, or even the present. The end result is always the same; massive inflation.
Today, I talk about the ways to mitigate the impact of that coming disaster, and how you can protect at least some of your hard earned purchasing power.
Don't forget, you can join my email list and get notified when a new episode is released, PLUS get bonus information that is not included in the weekly podcast! Sign up at www.salesondemandshow.com/start
Just when you thought the news couldn't get better, well I figured I should tell you about the inevitable financial trouble that the US, and indeed many "modern" economies will be put through, likely in the next 10 years.
The US National Debt is going to pass 25 Trillion
Personal Debt is 13 Trillion
Unfunded liabilities for the US Federal Gov't are 45+ Trillion
All of this means a few things: Price inflation will be coming, Asset prices will rise (and fall), and the purchasing power of your Profits will be severely eroded. Wages will rise, but prices will rise faster. Your standard of living will have to adjust, or you will need to decouple from some of the expenses that most people make a standard part of their life (more on that next week!)
If this is depressing, don't fret, I've got better news and some great strategies coming next week!
Boost your business by joining my email list
www.salesondemandshow.com/start
In today's episode, I share some interesting personal news, which I won't elaborate here (you'll have to listen!)
I recently did a guest spot on the Side Hustle Bookkeeper podcast with Tony Price. It will probably be released in a week, but you can find that podcast at:
www.sidehustlebookkeeper.com
Wearing masks is one of those rare, once in a hundred years things that our society seems to have adopted (by force or willingly) as something we will be doing for the next few months.
You can profit greatly from this trend by listing your own mask designs on Etsy! Many sellers are getting 15-25 mask orders per DAY, which during the summer is a very welcome stream of extra income.
In this episode, I talk about how to create designs, and how to manage customer expectations for a product that will take a while to arrive to a customer.
I HAVE AN EMAIL LIST! Join my email list at www.salesondemandshow.com/start - Get a free video when you join!
Watch my review of the Low Hanging System at www.salesondemandshow.com/lhs
There was a time when college was the far-flung hope of every parent, especially the poor and marginalized. Sending a child to college became the stepping stone to a successful life, particularly when only 5% of the population had a college degree.
Now, nearly 35% of the US adult population has a degree, and the value has been largely diluted. Student debt is a $1.3 trillion dollar house of cards, and many students are drowning, with few good prospects for rescue.
In this episode, I take a hard, but fair look at the North American post secondary education system, and I discuss some of the pros, cons, as well as what I see as being the future of employment and success in our world.
Links:
Statistics Canada - Prospects for a college degree
Student Debt in the US
Average wage of a Tradesperson
Students are failing College at alarming rates
With Socialism becoming an almost mainstream ideology in 2020, I thought it would be great to talk about the real MVP of our society, Free Market Capitalism.
This will be the first in a series of training sessions that will have a more broad approach.
I'm a busy guy. Some people look at my life and say "You might be too busy my friend", and perhaps that might be a tiny bit true, but I sure love everything that's going on in my life!
Being busy doesn't have to mean neglecting your business however! Today, I talk about how to make time for growing your print on demand business, whether you are part time or full time.
COMING SOON - My all in one course is nearly ready! In a month or so, I will be offering a soup-to-nuts, A to Z training guide to get you started with Print on Demand. I haven't decided how much I will charge for it, but it will be WELL worth the cost, and I'll probably offer a discount for listeners to the show!
A short vacation was had, and it was good, very good indeed! As promised, I bring the value today with a primer on using Amazon's PPC (Pay per Click) advertising to improve sales. This is a relatively advanced technique that is only available to Amazon Pro users who also have the Buy Box, but it is very effective, and has helped me reach sales volumes that I could not have achieved otherwise!
Mother's Day and Father's Day are nearly at an end, and this year has seen record sales!
I sell on both Etsy and Amazon, but my favorite platform is very much Amazon, and in today's episode I go through three reasons why that is so. Naturally, many or even most sellers would perhaps disagree, and that's ok, we all have our preferences.
We are now coming into the summer season, but there is still a ton of opportunity to sell, so don't miss this episode, and the ones to come!
It's not quite official, but the bulk of Mother and Father's day sales are pretty much done. Most orders won't likely arrive in time, although customers will continue to buy even up to the very day itself, which is June 21st.
This leaves the summer, which can be a bit slower, but not if you are taking the strategies I talk about in this episode! I outline a bunch of excellent and effective niches to target all year round, and I also talk about some important changes that Amazon has made to the title's of listings.
Join me and thousands of other sellers on the only mentorship group that matters for Print on Demand - The Low Hanging System!
The gong show that is 2020 continues, and in this episode I discuss some insane changes that Amazon has made, and the fallout from looting and rioting in America.
With all of the uncertainty right now, it constantly amazes me that an online business like selling Print on Demand could survive, never mind thrive, but, here we are in the best selling season that I've seen in 3 years!
This won't last forever, life has to return to something resembling "normal" at some point, and in this episode I make some predictions about the months, and years to come.
Today, we are still in the middle of the greatest selling season since Christmas, but I tackle the hard question: what comes next? Also, I review a listener's store, and discuss some mistakes that new sellers tend to make, and how to correct those missteps.
This episode is all about sending items to far flung destinations, like Saskatchewan, where about 1,000,000 people live, believe it or not. I also talk about how to sell on Amazon and Etsy, if you don't already live in the US. This episode is long, and packed with information, so don't miss it!
Today, I talk about a VERY popular new product that is available to sell on Etsy, some tips on making designs for this item, and some tips to manage customer service requests during the holiday season.
Today, I talk about the possibility of running an Etsy store full time, and I give some ideas of how to make that work. I also discuss how to manage customer messages and expectations, since products do ship out more slowly as the number of sales increases.
As always, you can join me and thousands of others in the Low Hanging System here! Learn everything I did and become a Print on Demand seller this year.
Happy 1 monthaversary of the Quarantine! Spring has sprung here in Alberta, so my mood has brightened considerably.
It's not just the weather that has improved either...this is shaping up to be my best (non Christmas) month EVER selling print on demand!
Find out how I did this by joining my in the Low Hanging System!
It might be the 394th of March, but the countdown to Mother's day has begun! This holiday is going to be big, and sales are already rolling! Today I talk about how to make the most of this holiday season, especially on Etsy, where the sales in 2020 seem to be better than ever.
It's time to put aside your fears, anxieties, and focus on the future! Today, I talk about the ins and outs of running Facebook ads right to a Gearbubble product campaign. Right now, Facebook ads are nice and cheap, and there is still a lot of buyers out there, since, literally EVERYONE is on the Internet practically all day.
For more training, join me in the PPC Coach forums at
ppc-coach.com ($1 for two more days!)
See you there!
Whether you are Netflix and hiding with family members, or you just changed your relationship status to "Isolationship", you probably are looking at the future and feeling bleak about the prospects of making any kind of business work.
This type of event is a once-in-a-lifetime happening, and millions of people are going to lose, jobs, homes, small businesses, and even their lives.
However, you aren't powerless! Today I talk about 5 things you can do right now to fight against the feelings of panic, anxiety and hopelessness.
It's 2020, and I was expecting a lot from the future. I wished for a self-driving car, and what I got was the entire year is cancelled. Well, at least the first half, and the second half don't look great!
I sincerely hope that none of you are lining up in the parking lot of Costco to buy toilet paper, because, well...that's just sad.
Even if you aren't joining the Orcish Hordes at the meat counter, you still might be feeling some anxiety about how the year is going to go in terms of business. A LOT of companies are just bleeding money right now, and not just from the stock market crash. This event has triggered a mini recession, at least in some industries.
What about gift? Are people still buying? Will they keep buying? Tune in to find out!
Winter is breaking, and spring is coming! If that doesn't excite you, then you must live somewhere warm...
Today's episode is a bit of a few different topics, but mostly what has been on my mind lately is how I want this business to grow, and how I've been slacking on doing the things that produce growth...
However, I've been taking the "bull by the horns" so to speak, and I'm working hard, adding new listings, and getting ready to grow!
I'm back! I missed last week's show, as I was on a Military training exercise, which essential means I was sleeping in the cold for two day, but that's all good because I've got some great value for you in this episode!!
I was recently made aware of a brand new piece of software that is meant to create designs automatically, and upload them to Gearbubble as a coffee mug. Since coffee mugs are the top selling item on Amazon, this is a great way to expand your product offerings without taking a lot of time.
I discuss two different programs in this episode, and I've included links to both of them below:
www.mugsamurai.com
www.gbbulklister.com
As always, you can join me and thousand of sellers in the Low Hanging System training program, the only all in one training/software combo in the Print on Demand universe!
Despite being sick with the flu, I'm still hitting that mic and providing you with the latest and greatest tips for selling Print on Demand products!
Today's episode is all about Etsy, and a couple of very interesting things that I've learned, even in just the past few months.
Check it out, and remember, getting started with Print on Demand is as easy as joining the Low Hanging System, the only one-stop training program that includes everything you need to get your foot in the door selling POD!
One of the most common things that new sellers tell me is that they would be doing better, if only they had more cash!
I was one of those cash strapped sellers, only a few years ago, but now I save everything that my business generates, and more. Today, I talk about how to find "room" in your budget to scale up your business, pay off debt, and have cash saved for emergencies.
Today's episode is sponsored by the Low Hanging System, the only online training program devoted to Print on Demand, and the easiest way I've ever seen to get started selling on Amazon, Etsy, and Ebay.
Today's episode is all about debt, and in this episode I share my family's personal fight against the crushing debt that nearly resulted in bankruptcy.
I can't sugarcoat this for you...debt can crush you, and it is very very easy to get yourself into more debt than you can handle!
It doesn't matter how much money you earn, if you lose all of it to debt repayments, you are no better off than a person working minimum wage, but who has no debt at all.
On the next episode, you will hear the final resolution of our debt journey, and how I am using my Print on Demand business to lift my family past the debt than nearly crushed us just a few years before!
This episode's sponsor message is devoted to the Libertarian Party Mises Caucus. If you are concerned about how much debt the US government is getting into (22 Trillion and rising FAST), you should be aware that neither the Republicans nor the Democrats are really serious about paying off or even slowing down the debt. The only political party that is dedicated to reducing and eliminating the debt, ending the wars, and crushing the government's overreach is the Libertarian Party.
Join the Mises Caucus today, and help fund the freedom that you will need to keep the money you earn in your business!
It's now January the 943rd (seriously, does this month EVER END??) and by now, most of the people who committed to make 2020 the "Best year ever!" are probably fading into the old habits they had from before.
All, except you, of course, because you're made of something a bit stronger. You're the tempered steel of the current generation, and it's all because you listen to this show!
Now that I've really laid it on thick, let's get serious. So many people start selling online, find a little bit of success, only to quit a little while later when they don't see the results that they want or expect.
In this episode, I talk about my personal workflow, which allows me to just keep pushing forward, no matter what is happening around me. I don't build this business into my life. I built my life around this business.
If you still want more motivation, join me and thousands of other sellers on the Low Hanging System Facebook group, only available to paid students. This is the only reason I have Facebook anymore, and I'm not joking at all.
Well I did it finally, I got a guest on the show, and what a guest too! Travis is a top level seller on Amazon, selling up to hundreds of units per day at peak times. He recently entered the Etsy selling field as well, with pretty good results.
Today we talked about how Travis got started in selling mugs, the success that he's enjoyed, and why he just sold all of his mug printing equipment (hint: he's NOT quitting).
I certainly found this interview to be extremely valuable, and I'm ready to implement some new tactics!
Welcome to the year 2020. There are no flying cars. You can't live on Mars. Robot servants are not cleaning my bathroom. You can however, put your pronouns on Twitter, and that apparently means something...
Regardless of how you feel about the new decade, it's a new opportunity to build your business!
Today, I scraped together a lot of listener questions, gave my answer to those, and then I went over my personal vision for 2020, both with my Print on Demand selling, and the Sales on Demand Show podcast!
I challenge you to step out this year, don't just spin your wheels in the sand, really look at what you are doing and ask yourself "Is this going to build my business?"
As always, you can join me and thousands of other sellers in the Low Hanging System, the Greatest Print on Demand training program ever created!
Last episode of 2019! Ok, you got me, it's actually 2020, but I meant to record this in 2019, so we're gonna pretend that it's December 31st, you're drunk on Eggnog, fireworks are flying, and you're about to hear an endless number of "2020 vision" jokes.
This episode is a recap of my 2019 year selling Print on Demand on Etsy. The Good, the Bad, and the Mediocre are all laid out for you here.
Here are the show notes!
Amazon in 2018 and 2019 was fantastic. Etsy was...well, it was what it was, and in some ways, I'm ok with that.
2018 Review - New trending products, about 10k in sales for Christmas
Lots of messages, some screw ups, some refunds, Canada Post made my life a living hell
Did well for M & F day
2019 Review - About half of 2018. Quite a bit fewer messages, again, Canada Post was so slow that I'm debating not selling to Canadians any longer...because I live in Canada, they think that I'm shipping direct.
I asked the real question: What does Etsy hold for me in 2020? Should I stay? There are some benefits to Etsy that go beyond just making money ON Etsy.
Benefit 1 - Finding Amazon winners - I've found a few from Etsy sales, sending to FBA
Benefit 2 - Double the results from designing - Selling on two platforms is easy and you get more results from the same (sort of) effort.
Benefit 3 - Research on Etsy is easy and effective. Trends appear first here (also on Merch by Amazon and TeeSpring)
Benefit 4 - Customers make requests, which turn into new (and sometimes HOT) products.
Goals for 2020 - Add 400 designs by Christmas (good ones). These will come from the 1500 designs I have planned for Amazon this year.
Turn off all customization. It's a waste of my time.
Delete anything that hasn't sold more than once.
The great thing about Etsy is that you can make a decent amount of money without spending a bunch, or tying up cash with "stock". The bad thing is that it's easy and so there is a lot of competition. You actually have to work at it with considerably more effort than Amazon! No "cheat code" like FBA to get a jump on other items.
Join me and thousands of other sellers in the Low Hanging System, a training program that will supercharge your knowledge. It's a great time to join!
Sure it's nearly midnight on Christmas Eve, and I'm filled up with cookies and eggnog, but why not post my latest episode?
DO NOT miss this episode. Today, I'm talking about everything I did wrong, and everything I did right on Amazon, and you do not want to miss this!
Join me next episode, and I'll talk about Etsy...where the news wasn't quite so good.
Perhaps I am just that good, but this year I am not seeing anywhere near the number of customer messages that I did last year. It is still a bit early, so perhaps there is a long line of angry customers just waiting to message me.
Regardless, I am fully prepared for any customer, the Good, the Bad, and the Angry. Are you prepared to deal with customer messages? It is often quite a shock for new sellers when they receive their first truly unreasonable customer, and it is natural to sort of "get angry" at a person who is making unreasonable or impossible demands on you.
I've compiled a list of the most common issues that you will deal with, and a roadmap for you to follow in dealing with them in a way that will make both you and the buyer happy.
Handling Customers for Noobs: How to turn "Karen" into "Grace"
1. Make sure that you have your shipping times clearly posted, and your return policies are available (on Etsy) Amazon tells you that you must accept returns, and it's not negotiable.
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Don't promise anything that you can't deliver. It's ok to say "I think that could arrive in time, but I can't guarantee it". Shoppers are actually pretty ok with this, and will often order anyway.
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When you get a crazy, demanding, and unreasonable person, it's totally find to refund, cancel, and block them. Don't get sucked into long conversations about anything.
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Sometimes a refund will solve a problem, even if it's not really your fault. You might even get a nice review out of it.
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Custom requests: Your time is worth a lot. Charge accordingly.
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Be prepared to get a lot of messages about the tracking info, since Etsy does not update or even give the tracking number. I just find the link and send it, and boom, problem solved.
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Some people's items will be stolen by trolls and orcs, but mostly of the time a "stolen" item is actually delivered fine, but gets misplaced.
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If (when) you screw up, own it and make it right immediately. See below for some message templates.
Customer demands faster turnaround than you can deliver: "Hi! I apologize but I cannot get that item to you within that time frame. I could offer you a printable mockup that you could give as a "placeholder" gift until the actual item is delivered. Let me know, and I'll do everything in my power to speed up the production.
Customer can't find the tracking info: "Your tracking number is xxxxxx, and here is a link to track your item. It looks like the predicted delivery is (day). Have a good day!"
Customer asks you to make an item that you can't or don't feel comfortable making. "I'm very sorry, but due to the extreme volume of orders, I cannot offer that service for you right now. I do have a number of other types of products and customizations that you might consider, have a look in my shop and see if anything catches your eye."
Customer is crazy/rude/possibly insane: "I regret that I will be unable to provide any products or services for you at this time, or any time in the future." BLOCK THEM
Customer does something stupid, loses, breaks, or gives you the wrong shipping address: "I'm sorry to hear about what happened. Looking at the shipping information, I shipped this item to the address you gave, and it was marked delivered. If something went wrong, I could offer you a replacement at cost, please let me know"
Wrong item, broken item: "I apologize for that! Can you please send me a picture of the item (or damage)? This will allow me to contact my insurance and get you a replacement right away. Thank you for bringing this to my attention."
Want more coaching and training? Join me in the Low Hanging system, a true Mastermind group of the top sellers in Print on Demand.
Are you in the US? Consider joining the Libertarian Party, the only Political group that is truely committed to real, genuine freedom!
https://www.lp.org/tomwoodsshow (If you join through this link, a friend of mine makes $5, another good reason to join!)
In the US, people are now diligently and carefully prepping turkeys, pies, and other delicious treats to eat, while us Canadians are prepping our cars, and dressing our kids in 48 layers so they don't freeze to death as they walk to school. At least we don't have hurricanes...I guess.
Black Friday is sometimes called the biggest shopping day of the entire year, and it's bigger than people hitting each other over the head with toasters at Walmart. Online shoppers, you know, the smart ones, are taking advantage of Black Friday to get a head start on Christmas presents, and YOU can take advantage of this!
Not gonna do a lot of typing, I have a very busy day ahead of me, driving around in the snow, but I think this episode title speaks for itself. What do you think? Let me know on the Facebook page!
https://www.facebook.com/salesondemandshow
This episode should be sung to the tune of "The 12 Days of Christmas"
It. Has. Begun. Or at least, the beginning is within sight! Today, I talk about the 3 different phases that you find find during the Christmas rush, and how to manage your time during each one.
If you have been following this podcast for the almost-one-year, you know that this is the prime time for sales coming up. Many sellers make 70-80% of their sales during this time period! If you've also been following the advice I've been giving you, you should be well placed to have a nice Christmas season!
You can only learn so much from a half hour per week podcast. You need more training, and the best place to get that is from the Low Hanging System. Join me and thousands of others to make the most of this years busiest buying season!
This is a follow up episode to episode 35, where I mercilessly dismantled the "business model" that some people call "Direct Marketing, Multi level marketing or Social Marketing", but more honest and jaded people like me call "Pyramid schemes".
The facts are incontrovertable, and devastating. Over 99% of people (predominantly women) who get involved with an MLM end up losing money. A tiny fraction of 1% of people make money, and the median income is $2400 per YEAR, an amount that is laughably small.
Despite these facts, there are still literally millions of people who fall into these quasi-religious organizations every year, throwing over a billion dollars into a black hole where nothing returns.
In this episode, I specifically address two "defenses" of MLMs, both of which are completely absurd. Please consider sharing this episode with anyone that is contemplating joining up with an MLM, such as Arbonne, Epicure, Young Living, Scentsy or Primerica.
Hello, today we're talking about something a little bit different from the ordinary track. This episode is focussed on organizations that would like to integrate printed merchandise in a way that both makes money, and helps spread their message.
Here are the 7 points discussed in this episode:
- Start with your core message, the "why". What sets you apart from other organizations? Why do you exist?
- Cut your message down to a few key phrases (Hope and Change, MAGA)
- Put those key messages on all kinds of merchandise, t-shirts and hoodies are primary, but drinkware and other wearables are good as well
- Market this to your followers using your social media accounts, email lists, and word of mouth.
- Link them to your store built using Shopify (Wix can work as well, using Printful). Wordpress stores are more difficult to manage.
- Don't: Offer discounts, beg for help, or oversell. You are selling a message and a cause, not a physical product. Always make the message the primary selling point, not the money raised. People will be more inspired by the desire to be part of the message, than the potential to raise money, plus it is a more "pure" motivation.
- Don't make POD your primary funding source, because it has limits. You can also offer the merchandise as a perk for those who sign up to fund (Best option)
To learn more about the core philosophy of Libertarianism, visit Mises.org.
To learn more about the Libertarian party, and the inspiration for this episode, visit takehumanaction.com
To learn how to use Print on Demand to make real profit, click here to learn about the Low Hanging System
Today's episode was an interesting journey for me, because I actually didn't know what I was going to find out when I did the research!
In this episode, I discuss a few products that can be done with Print on Demand, and these are items that I don't currently sell, or at least not very extensively, but they are huge sellers, and you should consider branching out down the line to add these to your line up!
The top products are:
1. Necklaces - from Gearbubble.com
2. Greeting cards - Gooten.com
3. Throw pillows - Printful (and others)
I also talk about the kinds of phrases and designs that I see on the top selling items, so have a listen!
Last week there was no episode, and the reason was that I was parachuting into Etsy headquarters, on a mission to infiltrate and obtain the secrets to selling a million dollars a year on the Etsy platform.
I got a little lost though, and I ended up at West Edmonton mall, so I just stayed for the weekend. Those parachutes are hard to control in the Alberta winds!
Despite my failure to gain entry to Etsy's secret mountaintop lair, I do have a number of fantastic tips for you to use this Christmas season, whether you are a new seller, or a seasoned grizzled Etsy veteran.
Get out there, and take action!
Welcome to the Sales on Demand Show!
Today's episode is all about the current political climate in North America, and how it affects your business.
Canada is just a few weeks away from a contentious federal election, and millions of people are waiting to see how things will play out at the voting booth.
Voting has been described as the "most important feature of any society", but to be perfectly honest, I've never been able to agree with that. Choosing someone that you think is going to make the country "successful" is a losing proposition, because no matter who you chose, they always spend more than the last guy, start more wars, drop more bombs, and put the government into more debt.
The system can't save you. Donald Trump won't save you, and he won't destroy you. It's true, the government does have the power to make it almost impossible to run a successful business, but smart and determined entrepreneurs can make their business profitable even in the most dire political climate!
The only person who can truly make or break your business life is you.
Take action today, and join me in getting ready for the upcoming Christmas season!
To learn more about how I started my business and scaled it into a 6 figure per year enterprise, join me and thousands of other sellers in the Low Hanging System, a start to finish training program for Print on Demand.
Today marks the beginning of Quarter 4, the time of the year that all of us sellers spend our days dreaming of! 70-80% of your sales will occur in this 3 months, and most of that will fall in the last month before Christmas.
In this episode, I'm giving you the steps to get started selling on Etsy:
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Etsy still remains the best platform to start selling on, especially for new sellers or anyone with limited funds
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Creating a store is simple, you need a buyer account first, credit card, and bank account to have funds sent to. Put your store in US dollars, because everyone else does and it makes your price seem normal (Cdn $$ would seem MUCH more expensive)
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In order to "open" your store, you need to launch one manual listing. Create a design on Gearbubble, download the picture once it's launched, and list it. Once your store is "open", you can use any integration you like. Printful good, but expensive, gearbubble good price, but integration costs money monthly.
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Start listing a variety of ideas using the basic research methods I've mentioned. Add a few customizeable listings if you want. For research methods, please see Episode 13.
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Don't bother with ads, they aren't currently profitable.
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Create a good title with short phrases like "Nurse Mom Gift" and repeat those in the tags.
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Try Etsy Rank to do a bit of research, free is ok, paid is better. Marmalead is not useful.
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List 5-10 per day or week for best results. Better to list continuously than all at once, Etsy rewards shops that have consistent activity.
I am part of a training program that can help you accelerate your Print on Demand business. It is the ONLY training that I've ever taken that I recommend to others! Have a look here, and if you feel like it might be worth it, join me and hundreds of other sellers making good money this year.
Today I'm taking a little bit of a diversion, but believe me, it's for the greater good of humanity!
So, you are sitting there minding your own business, smiling at pictures of your niece on Facebook (or Instagram), when BAM, you see that your aunt is looking for "10 people who want to lose weight by drinking coffee!".
Multilevel Marketing (MLM) has been around for a very, very long time, probably longer than any of us have been alive. I would not be surprised to hear that Pharoah's daughter was found in one of the pyramids, clutching a "Scentsy" brochure in her mummified hand.
The reason that this type of company is so popular is quite easy to identify; people want to make money, and they are intrigued by the possibility of "working from home" and "making money by posting on social media", which is the main selling point of every MLM company. Is it a scam, or is it a viable work from home business opportunity? Every MLM company is promoting a real product, something you can touch, share and use. It all comes down to the structure of these companies, the audience that they are selling to, and the amount of control that each person has over their "business".
If you or someone you love has been effected by an MLM, you should listen to this episode and share it with your friend. Not only could you save them months of wasted time, but you might be able to point them down the path to a truly viable work-from-home business opportunity (Spoiler alert: It's Print on Demand).
Articles Mentioned in the episode:
https://www.thebalancesmb.com/the-likelihood-of-mlm-success-1794500
https://www.thebalancesmb.com/business-is-an-mlm-scam-1794756
If you would like to learn more about a REAL, thriving and growing business opportunity, click here to join me and thousands of sellers in the Low Hanging System! This is how I got started selling, and it is currently the ONLY training program that I endorse.
Keep listening, and join us on the Facebook page to discuss what you've heard and learned. https://www.facebook.com/salesondemandshow
So far, we've talked a LOT about making that cash register ring with a new sale. If you have the Amazon, Etsy or Shopify app, you already know that it chimes whenever you sell a product, which can be a hugely satisfying and addicting sound.
However, what matter most is not the cash that you earn, but the cash that you KEEP. Today, I discuss the vital importance of cost management, and how you can maximize the amount of money you actually keep after the fees and costs are deducted.
Some Highlights include:
1. Advice for new sellers, what expenses are vital, and which ones aren't? Don't just slash every cost without considering the long term consequences.
2. Experienced sellers - We often chase shiny objects, special software, or we allow profits to "bleed" away by not managing our banking properly.
Join me and hundreds of other sellers in the Low Hanging System, the training and mentorship program that got me started with my own business! Click here to sign up (I get a commission if you do sign up, which helps pay for the cost of running this here podcast!)
Summer is over, and I have returned! 10 days of hiking and running around in the mountains, and they loved me so much, they gave me a parting gift of Teen Plague (tm), which robbed me of my voice for another week.
Nevertheless, that's all done and over with, and I've got a very important topic to discuss on this episode, so be sure to have a listen!
Join me as I talk about how to build your business up without going completely broke! As we approach Christmas, it's quite important for you to think about how you are going to fill the orders you will (hopefully) be getting. Since many sellers are basically bootstrapping themselves without any outside assistance, this is a real issue that many of us face.
I also talk about some options that more advanced sellers can use to get faster access to their money, which can be used to reinvest and grow your business.
As soon as this episode launches, your host will be disappearing into the mountain for 10 days of amazingness, hiking, sleeping outdoors, canoeing, singing, and being totally dirty and unshowered, but not caring a tiny bit about any of it!
I couldn't bear to leave you without a weekly episode, so here it is!
Hope you all had a great summer!
A lot of new sellers dive right into their businesses, and are very concerned with doing things properly and legally. We all know that sales tax is a thing, since we seem to pay it on every purchase, but we've never been on the "collection" end of that equation. Today, I've sorted through pages of articles to bring you the straight skinny on how to deal with sales taxes in both the US and Canada.
The bottom line: Until you are making over $30,000 in sales to Canadians, or $100,000+ in sales per year in the US, sales tax is not something you need to worry about. If you are already registered, then go ahead and file for whatever states you are registered for sales tax, but don't rush out and start paying thousands of dollars to find out if you need to pay a couple dollars of tax.
Taxjar.com - The best resource I've seen for dealing with sales taxes in the US
A great article about sales taxes
More info about sales tax for Canadians selling to the US
Get a Canadian GST number here
I have a goal for my business: I want to get to $1,000,000 in sales at some point! I'm nowhere near that goal yet, but I've realized over time that there are 5 phases that every Print on Demand business goes through, each with it's own set of challenges.
Phase 1 - Open accounts, learn, launch products, get a few sales
Phase 2 - Continue scaling, learning, and developing products, send winners for FBA, expand to new platforms.
Phase 3 - Create a team, develop processes. Create legal corporation, banking, Trademarks etc.
Phase 4 - Hard scaling to $1,000,000 in sales per year, building customer list and refining team.
Phase 5 - Sell, or continue to scale.
Many entrepreneurs have been able to go to $1,000,000 in sales, and then sold out, earning as much as $500,000 from selling, or even more if their business has excellent processes and long term stability.
Even if you are still a new seller, you should begin to visualize the potential of your business, and start setting goals that will get you there!
In this episode, I talk about how incorporation can move your business into the Phase 3 zone, and begin to scale up to 7 figures in sales.
Incorporate online (costs about $500) - www.ownr.co
Join me on the Low Hanging System training here!