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https://awesomers.com/148 Steve shares his views about sourcing from China and the added complexity of the tariffs that have been imposed by President Trump. He goes into some topics about China, India, Vietnam, and other alternative countries. Steve asks you the listener to consider your options and plan for a dynamic future. Consider resources: www.empowery.com www.catalyst88.com www.stevensimonson.com Don't forget that the Empowery eCommerce co-op is there to help you cope with the ever changing market! Have you checked out KevinandSteve.com? https://awesomers.com/148 Thanks for being Awesomer! Do you agree with Steve's comments on today's show? Connect with us using the below or find Steve on Twitter or Instagram @stevesimonson and let him know just how wrong he is. ;) The audience will still be able to keep in touch with the team online through the website and the Facebook page.

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https://awesomers.com/145 --> Show page Since as a country we now seem to manage international policy on Twitter, the American President Donald Trump tweeted and escalated the Trade dispute recently. We think he did it just to make Steve look wrong. In today's show, Steve breaks down where we are now and what it means.As always, take a deep breath. There is a solution to every problem.But the enhanced rhetoric is a reason to pay close attention. Based on all of the facts we have we should pay close attention to the time frame of June 1, 2019, as a reference point. If both China and the USA start to smooth out the talk and especially if we have a "pause" button again then there is a real possibility we can ride out the storm. However, given the day to day escalation of this war of words, it does appear that Steve's assessment of this being a trade kerfuffle may have been wrong and that Trump is playing to win and the Chinese are playing to not lose. This means Trump has to come out with a full house to brag about it so he can be re-elected. President Xi just has to wait out Trump's term and put pressure points on Trump voters (farmers, blue collar, even some high tech, and USA manufacturers) and hope that someone else is elected President. That said, Xi will have to pull a straight flush to beat Trump if he remains in office because manufacturers are setting up all over the world outside of China. China faces the largest potential exit of capital in its history and the ongoing trade with other countries WILL impact China. Yes, China does have a rising consumer economy of its own but they can not service their massive off-balance sheet debts and shadow loans without continuous surplus from the USA. All of China knows this.There are a ton of factors in play that Steve talks about in the podcast today far beyond simple tariffs.If the winds are blowing negative after the first part of June Steve will start moving as much manufacturing as possible out of China. He estimates he can move 90-95% of product out of China over the next year.The risk is that this whole "trade war" could be a head fake. Trump and Xi could settle this suddenly one day and the cost and effort of moving will be a heavy burden to bear. The opportunity cost of moving and the risk of it being unnecessary are all part of the equation that Amazon Sellers, e-commerce importers, and brand builder must consider. Steve is preparing his team to start sourcing the same products outside of China for Empowery members as well. If you buy products from China and ship them anywhere you should pay attention. If you buy products from China and ship them to the USA you should subscribe, join our email list, and stay plugged into this information every single day. There is always opportunity in chaos! https://awesomers.com/145 --> Show page

https://awesomers.com/144 - Show Notes You can find sourcing opportunities no matter where you go in China. It's about your attitude and your own responsbilities to make good decisions AND to participate in the development process. The Canton Fair has massive scale and opportunities. China in general is a wonderful place to source and the Canton fair specifically is a great place to go to learn more about China. There are all kinds of different product opportunities. You can really accelerate your business in China by attending a fair like this. Other sourcing methods can work too - don't feel stuck if you didn't goto the Canton fair. For example Yuwi is sometimes called "Christmas City" because so much of that year round trade zone is focused on Christmas related items. That opportunity is also huge. The trade issues continue to make news between the United States and China, but an important thing to remember is to be patient and that you can't control it so don't put too much energy into worrying about it. Things are proceeding and there appears to be a general sense of optimism to see some progress that is pro-trade and helpful for Amazon sellers and e-commerce sourcing in general.And regardless of USA-China situation there are many other choices and more coming in the future if there is a failure to resolve this issue. Remember that dealing with China regarding pricing and everything else is an equation - not a single action step to win. You must learn the process over time. Taking care to balance the Ying and Yang of pricing and quality is an essential skill. The Empowery Seattle Summit is almost here. This small mastermind/conference is an unpredecented opportunity to get up close and personal with industry experts. Click on the Seattle Summit below. Kevin King and I are making a big reveal in Seattle at the Empowery Seattle Summit and it's EXCLUSIVE for attendees. Then we're going to do it again in Austin at the Billion Dollar Seller Summit. You must be an attendee to get that insider benefit. ;) FINAL THOUGHTS: Join Steve as well as a group of brilliant e-commerce entrepreneurs including Kevin King, Tim Francis, Erin Taylor, Steve Simonson, and many more at the Empowery Seattle Summit. This in person event will give you the chance to network in the most meaningful and productive way that you have ever experienced! (Speaking of Kevin King and Steve Simonson you should find out what the buzz is about over at --> https://kevinandsteve.com) Put this event on your calendar right now: https://www.empowery.org/2019-seattle-summit The Empowery 2019 Seattle Summit. This will be 3 intensive days with Steve with a surprise field trip! This is the most extraordinary value you will find for a hybrid between a conference, training session, and mastermind. IT WILL BE AWESOMER! Get your tickets before the low price goes away. https://www.empowery.org/2019-seattle-summit Thanks for being awesomer! https://awesomers.com/144

https://awesomers.com/143 - Show Notes Page TOP 6 Canton Fair Tips 1) Make sure you know which phase is relevant to your business or product sourcing requirements! Don't plan your trip until you know the dates for each phase. The three phases are very different: Phase 1: Electronics & Household Electrical Appliances, Lighting Equipment, Vehicles & Spare Parts, Machinery, Hardware & Tools, Energy + Resources, Chemical Products, Building Materials, International Pavilion Phase 2: Consumer Goods, Gifts, Home Decorations Phase 3: Office Supplies, Cases & Bags, and Recreation Products, Medical Devices and Health Products, Food, Shoes, Textiles & Garments, International Pavilion 2) Register Online Ahead of time and don't ever lose your badge. The process, even online, is a pain, but it sure beats waiting in long lines at the fair. If you value your time you will heed my advice. 3) Your attire will define you so dress the part. If you don't have a fortune 500 business card or a long established history of trading in China the factories will often decide who they should work the hardest to "earn" the business based on the impression you make. In a face culture how you dress can make a difference. 4) We use evernote with photos to capute event details so we can refer back and share as well. Capture all of your photos, business cards, product photos, catalog photos, selfies with the sales person and the boss on one Evernote that is specific to that single visit. It's free and it's easy to share.  5) Negotiating is a normal part of the buying process. Don't forget to qualify the source so you know who you are buying from. If you don't feel comfortable negotiating then learn how to live outside your comfort zone. Don't over negotiate the price without clear specifications or you will find the factory will engineer the product quality down without you noticing it just to say yes to your price. That never works in the long run. 6) Bring a bag or backpack if you want to collect the product catalogs or other information. There are opportunities to get catalogs, cards, sometimes even samples, or other little takeaways and a backpack is the easiest. Especially if you take the subway back and forth to the show. Although the success of your mission shouldn't be the gross weight of what your brought back it can be helpful to have good reference materials later. Also note that in an ironic twist the catalogs are often superior to the factory websites for product selection. This is due in part to the factories not wanting their competition to see all of their products. So it's time to go old school. Kevin King and I are making a big reveal in Seattle at the Empowery Seattle Summit and it's EXCLUSIVE for attendees. Then we're going to do it again in Austin at the Billion Dollar Seller Summit. You must be an attendee to get that insider benefit. ;) KevinandSteve.com - https://www.kevinandsteve.com/home The Seattle Summit - https://www.empowery.org/2019-seattle-summit Billion Dollar Seller Summit - http://www.billiondollarsellersummit.com https://awesomers.com/143 - Show Notes Page Youtube Video Version: https://youtu.be/PulgilNjHvs

https://awesomers.com/141 - Show Page PODCAST SHOW NOTES eCommerce Launch Summit - FREE training - https://rebrand.ly/ELSsimonson 1. It's FREE to particitpate! That makes this summit a no-brainer. 2. It's virtual so you don't need to travel anywhere. Travel sucks - so skip the pain and enjoy in the comfort of your own home or office. 3. This can accelerate your entreprenuerial journey. The experts share their knowledge so that you can skip some of the pain! 4. Network with other like minded entrepreneurs The a community of ambitious individuals working towards the same goal. 5. Participate in Workshops Take action by paying close attention to the workshops with step by step instructions. 6. Browse the Marketplace Special offers to some limited time opportunities to create instant wins! 7. Free during LIVE presentations You can watch without any cost, but you'll probably want the lifetime pass to get the most value and playback ALL of the content anytime. 8. Discover Money and Time Saving Tactics The speakers and vendor partners will reveal some of the best techniques and tools to save you time and money on this ecommerce journey. 9. Learn how to balance mindset with delivery. This laser focused summit gives you the chance to talk through the exact steps of private label selling. 10. It's built for YOU If you are just starting out or even if you are an advanced seller there are many lessons about how to simplify, scale, and leverage your time and business for more profit. Kevin King will share 6 mind blowing strategies on how to pick products that will WIN on Amazon's marketplace. Elana Saris will share 5 biggest mistakes people make when sourcing from China Steve Simonson will share 5 Supply Chain Secrets Michael Bitler will talk about how to create an optimized Amazon listing Bradley Sutton will dive into keyword research and listing optimization strategies on steroids Philip Jepsen will talk about using Amazon Data to exapnd your business Paul Harvey will share his insider tips for facebook messenger specifically for Amazon Sellers! And Many More... REGISTER NOW FOR THE SUMMIT https://rebrand.ly/ELSsimonson https://awesomers.com/141 - Show Page

https://awesomers.com/140 show page Steve talked about several news items. 1) Jeff Bezos claims Amazon is getting beat by 3rd party sellers, so stop saying Amazon needs broken up. Steve shares his views on why that arguement is absolute

https://Awesomers.com/139 Show Page What if you could be in business in Europe in less than 30 days with no European entity, no VAT tax headaches, no forms, no employess, and almost no risk? What if you could prove that your product has value on new European marketplaces without the pain of entering? What if there was a resource that could create the listings in 5 languages, monitor those listings day to day, manage your sponsored products ads ALL for less money than a strong VA? What if you could solve this nagging problem of European expansion immediately with no hassle and virtually no risk? Empowery is in the process of vetting a resource that we believe can be the tip of the spear for your entry into Europe. The idea is innovative, affordable, and highly attractive from an ROI perspective. Here's what they will do: 1) They WILL help you get your product imported and they will manage all of the incoming VAT and they are the importer of record. 2) They WILL create your optimized listings for the 5 main languages for all EU marketplaces. 3) They WILL oversee the FBA inbound process to get the products live ASAP. 4) They WILL deal with any BREXIT headaches so you don't have to. 5) They WILL manage and monitor the listings to be sure they are optimized and set to sell for each country. 6) They WILL manage your sponsored products ads within the base contract. 7) They WILL report and pay all NET proceeds after Amazon expenses and VAT to you on a regular basis with full transparency. 8) They WILL monitor your inventory across the PAN EU FBA fulfillment centers to be sure your product or products are properly positioned. 9) They will communicate regularly about the strategic needs of the product(s) to be sure you are able to sell more products. AND.... 1) They will design a compensation structure that is 100% aligned with the brand owner. 2) They WILL NOT compete against you. They will sign a non-compete on your item, but that doesn't exclude other brands from selling similiar items through this concept. 3) They WILL NOT going to bring on products they don't believe are viable or are otherwise potential problems in the EU. They always have first right of refusal because their success is tied to your success. THIS IS A LIMITED BETA program by application only. However, the Empowery eCommerce Co-Op is currently vetting this resource before sharing the details, but we want to know what you think? Please feel free to comment with your views of this concept. Do you like the idea? Why?Do you hate it? Why?Do you like it, but you want to know how much it costs? It appears to be very unique solution for non-EU sellers to test a product a several products in the EU before jumping off the cliff of PAN EU registration. This concept could be the tip of the spear to help you get into Europe. Once the idea is validated there are ways to help it scale and other resources that Empowery has to help with ranking and scaling in Europe. We're anxious to hear your feedback...GO! https://Awesomers.com/139 Show Page

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See more at https://awesomers.com/137 1) What is Amazon Project Zero? Amazon Services, which is responsible for the marketplace and all Amazon FBA Sellers has developed the Amazon Project Zero in response to the ongoing epidemic of counterfeit items and brand hijackers. Using the word epidemic is our own characterization of the wild west situation that is often at play on the Amazon marketplace which can devastate sellers and negatively impact the shopping experience at Amazon.com. In fairness, here is Amazon's official declaration about Amazon Project Zero:"We are excited to announce Project Zero, a new program that empowers brands to drive counterfeits to zero. Project Zero combines Amazon's advanced technology, machine learning, and innovation with sophisticated knowledge that brands have of their own intellectual property and how best to detect counterfeits of their products." 2) How can I join the Amazon Project Zero program? Right now Amazon is limited the program to certain brands that were invited. Although this is common in the beta phase to be sure the flow of the concept and services offered are working, you do have to wonder why the big PR push about it if most sellers don't have access. The project starts in the U.S. only, but there are counterfeits worldwide. One argument is that Amazon is trying to send a strong signal to the bad actors who perpetrate this fraud on the Amazon marketplace on a regular basis, basically telling them their time is up. Another perspective is that this is only a PR stunt to reduce the bad publicity that Amazon has been getting in recent months related to the rampant sales of counterfeit items. Here is the official statement from Amazon: "Project Zero is currently an invite-only experience available in the U.S. We are adding brands as quickly as we can, while ensuring a high quality experience. Brands that are not yet enrolled should join the wait list and we will let them know as soon as we are ready to add them. See more at https://awesomers.com/137

https://www.awesomers.com/136 Top 8 ChatBot Questions for Amazon FBA Sellers 1) What are chatbots? Chatbots are pieces of technology that help respond LIVE to customer interactions. The engagement between a chatbot and a user is very high and the opportunity to create unique and wonderful experiences exist right now. 2) How can chatbots improve customer service? Chatbots will be able to answer basic customer inquiries and even supply transaction related data on a LIVE and INTERACTIVE basis. Additionally chatbots can be triggered using marketing flows to help qualify and segment customers which brings higher custom experiences to each user which can then lead to more sales and happy customers. 3) What are the best chatbot tools? For Amazon FBA Sellers the clear advantage goes to SellerChatBot with ManyChat also offering some high functionality. A specialized, yet unlimited solution can be had for less than 70USD per month.There are other platforms including chatfuel, Aivo, Botsify, ChattPeople, Flow XO, Imperson, and more.. Before you know what the best solution is you must first ask yourself what is the purpose of your chatbot. If you need AI features or NLP (Natural Language Processing) to help manage large volume on your own website you should look for more specialty types of solutions. Enterprise level chatbots can cost 2,000 - 20,000+ per month for the highest levels of volume and technology. 4) Do Chatbots work with Zapier? Manychat is one example of using the zapier integration to help it bridge data gaps that may exist. For example if you are an Amazon seller and you want to launch a new product using chatbots you may choose to distribute one time use coupons so that customers can get a special offer. Manychat does not have this function built in so you must use zapier to connect to a google spreadsheet and then past the codes into the spreadsheet and let zapier distribute those back to manychat. SellerChatBot which offers Amazon FBA Seller features has coupon code distribution and keyword distrbution built in. 5) Do Chatbots work for eCommerce? Some livechat driven software that allow customer service agents to chat with customers also have a programmable chatbot mode to allow some questions to be answered automatically. The best systems integrate with the CRM to track all customer correspondence with the chatbot so that your marketing and sales teams can see the interactions between customers and humans or artificial intelligence. 6) What are some chatbot examples? For the super secret KevinandSteve.com project we created a bot flow that allows customers to get into the bot list so they can stay informed as we start to share the details about this important project. To check out that facebook messenger bot flow go here: https://m.me/2511879378853219?ref=5c8831a52d74ce0a039e6db9 7) What can ChatBots do? 8) What is the best chatbot for an Amazon Seller (or FBA marketplace seller)?

Steve shared this Awesomers podcast with an emphasis from an insider's perspective on why Empowery is an important part of the ecommerce eco-system.  Steve shared the philosophy for Empowery being a catalyst for positive change within the eCommerce industry and why the concept of leveling the playing field is important for ecommerce entrepreneurs everywhere. The co-op is something that is special, unique, and built for YOU. Join Steve as well as a group of brilliant e-commerce entrepreneurs including Kevin King and many more at the Empowery Seattle Summit. (Speaking of Kevin King and Steve Simonson you should find out what the buzz is about over at kevinandsteve.com) Put this event on your calendar right now: The Empowery 2019 Seattle Summit. This will be 3 intensive days with Steve with a surprise field trip! This is the most extraordinary value you will find for a hybrid between a conference, training session, and mastermind. IT WILL BE AWESOMER! Get your tickets before the early bird goes away. https://www.empowery.org/2019-seattle-summit June brings a MASSIVE Amazon Seller event now called SELLERCON. Right now there is a huge discounted rate on the tickets so you should grab that bargain right now. It is predicted that over 3000 sellers will converge on Vegas for an unforgettable event. It's possible Steve may even speak there again...although nothing is planned right now. ;) To see a past speech go here: https://youtu.be/rxSOgx579Rk As a bonus, if you use this link -->> SELLERCON

Steve opened with a couple stories about dealing with China based companies and their lack of understanding about the normal risk vs. reward profile. Steve shared examples of failures of risk and the recognition that the riskier the idea the higher potential reward. Steve encouraged risk mitigation and ongoing management to stay sane and safe, but overall to follow your gut feel. Join Steve as well as a group of brilliant ecommerce entrepreneurs including Kevin King and many more at the Empowery Seattle Summit. (Speaking of Kevin King and Steve Simonson you should find out what the buzz is about over at kevinandsteve.com) You should put this on your calendar right now! The Empowery 2019 Seattle Summit. This will be 3 intensive days with Steve with a surprise field trip! This is the most extraordinary value you will find for a hybrid between a conference, training session, and mastermind. IT WILL BE AWESOMER! Get your tickets before the early bird goes away. https://www.empowery.org/2019-seattle-summit June brings a MASSIVE Amazon Seller event now called SELLERCON. Right now there is a huge discounted rate on the tickets so you should grab that bargain right now. It is predicted that over 3000 sellers will converge on Vegas for an unforgettable event. It's possible Steve may even speak there again... ;) To see a past speech go here: https://youtu.be/rxSOgx579Rk As a bonus, if you use this link -->> SELLERCON

Steve opened the show talking about the Chinese New Year and pointed out that there is no reason to get too worked up about those who are in the fear mongering businesses who talk about Chinese factories shutting down or 40% of factory workers not returning to the factory. This is normal and this kind of talk happens every year. Although the economic headwinds are strong in China we do not see any signs of massive issues there today. Steve talked about some of the good news for Amazon Sellers which includes the idea that some FBA fees are being lowered. He went on to suggest that prices will remain elastic and bend with the supply demand curve as it always has. It is welcome to see these fees lowered, but Steve pointed out that using 3PLs or other inventory staging ideas is a smart way to prepare yourself for future unanticipated price hikes which are inevitable. If you are interested in hanging out with Steve he will be in Costa Rica from Feb 13th-20 at a mastermind event. It will be fun and although that event is exclusive and closed, he is happy to hangout and have a drink when he is not otherwise tied up with the event for any awesomers out there. https://www.amzandbeyond.com/ How about Traffic and Conversion? Steve will be headed down to San Diego on Feb 22nd and if you are down at T&C go ahead and reach out to Steve on twitter, facebook, linkedin, or your favorite social media and he can tell you where he is going to be each evening after the show. There will be thousands of AWESOMERS in one place. https://www.trafficandconversionsummit.com In March come to Vegas and hang out with Steve at the Prosper Show. He will be on a panel with other Amazon Sellers and talk about some of the challenges selling on Amazon, especially at scale. https://www.prospershow.com There will be tons of opportunities to hang out all around the Vegas area! Don't forget to use the discount code SPEAKER19 to save $100.00. If you are in or around Prague in the Czech Republic March 28, and March 29 you should consider coming to the European Seller Conference. Steve will join a panel to help talk about the best ways sellers can grow their business. https://amzsummits.com In April Steve will likely pop over to the Canton Fair, probably around Phase 2. It is an extraordinary event and China is now of Steve's favorite places to find the VERY BEST meals on the planet. Yes, for those who haven't dined well in China - you are doing it wrong! http://www.cantonfair.org.cn/en/index.aspx In May you should put this on your calendar right now. The Empowery 2019 Seattle Summit. This will be 3 intensive days with Steve with a surprise field trip! This is the most extraordinary value you will find for a hybrid between a conference, training session, and mastermind. IT WILL BE AWESOMER! Get your tickets before the early bird goes away. https://www.empowery.org/2019-seattle-summit June brings a MASSIVE Amazon Seller event now called SELLERCON. Right now there is a huge discounted rate on the tickets so you should grab that bargain right now. It is predicted that over 3000 sellers will converge on Vegas for an unforgettable event. It's possible Steve may even speak there again... ;) To see a past speech go here: https://youtu.be/rxSOgx579Rk As a bonus, if you use this -->> SELLERCON