“Find a hot trend and piggyback on it,” Toni Anderson told me.
And that’s exactly what she did in launching her ecommerce business last year in the jewelry niche. It’s not just generic jewelry, but jewelry designed to specifically ride on the “essential oils” trend.
Toni said 90% of her business comes through Amazon vs. her own storefront, but that she and her partner did $190k in sales in their first 7 months!
Pretty crazy for $15-30 products!
I first met Toni last spring, at a FinCon meetup in Las Vegas, and she’s a serious hustler. Her main gig–if you could call it that–is her blog, TheHappyHousewife.com, which is a 6-figure business on its own. She’s also a mom of 7, homeschooling, and helps run a conference with Steve Chou called The Seller Summit.
When we spoke, she mentioned she’s no longer consulting at least, with that portion of the business replaced by the jewelry operation.
Tune in to hear how she came up with her product ideas, where she and her partner sourced their inventory, and how much they invested upfront to get the business off the ground. She also shares how she made her first sales without tapping into her existing audience, some manufacturing challenges and hiccups along the way, and her plans for growth this holiday season.
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Learn:
- How Toni and her partner came up with their original product idea.
- Where they sourced their initial inventory.
- How they got “ungated” in the jewelry category on Amazon.
- How she got her initial sales and reviews, without tapping into her existing blog audience or email list.
- How they dealt with drama along the way, like manufacturing problems and a Chinese seller piggybacking on their listing on Amazon.
- How to use a product warranty / registration card in your packaging to get buyers on your email list.
- How Toni plans to grow the business off Amazon.
- Toni’s #1 tip for Side Hustle Nation.
Links:
- TheOilCollection.com
- TheHappyHousewife.com
- Google Trends
- Steve Chou on the Side Hustle Show | My Wife Quit Her Job
- Jane.com
- Alibaba
- Etsy
- SalesBacker
- FeedbackGenius
- Shopify
- AWeber
- Klayvio
- The Piggyback Principal
Download the Free PDF "Highlight Reel" from this Episode
With all of my guest's top tips and resources included.
Enter your email to access it now:
You'll also receive my best side hustle tips and weekly-ish newsletter. Opt-out anytime.
“Find a hot trend and piggyback on it” Makes sense!
I know for sure in the world of side-hustles or lifestyle businesses, a proven model beats out originality any day.
I sent this podcast to a number of people I know including my mother-in-law! Thanks Nick (and Toni)!
Sweet! Thanks Sean!
I agree that it could be intimidating to deal directly with a Chinese supplier when you’re a rookie and just starting out. I like the idea of paying a little more per unit to a middle man for a smaller order to validate the idea before going directly to the supplier.
I see that you got your site up, Dan :)
Yep. Sometimes a deadline is what’s needed to get people moving. It’s a work in progress. Thanks for that kick in the pants that I needed!
Thanks for sharing this! I love reading other people’s success stories. Very inspiring and motivating! I’m sharing this with my FB page. Thanks!
Lol time to piggy back on that Donald Trump trend while it’s still got! Thanks for the great share! :)