quick update

Hey folks, Happy Monday.

Blair here. It's been a BIG week at AMZ Prep.

Consider this my internal diary to myself - the behind-the-scenes look I wish I had when starting…

We've hit major milestones, but we're also facing real challenges. Our global expansion is taking off, and we need beta testers for UK and EU markets.

I've got big wins to share, new warehouse tours, insights from Jimmy DeCicco's masterclass, and an exciting meetup I’m hosting for Canadian eCommerce entrepreneurs next Friday…

P.S. Are you going to Amazon Accelerate in Seattle this week? Let me know so we can meet.

Let’s get into it!

BIG WINS!

My goal? Be the most transparent founder, so let me share two huge wins we just landed:

WIN #1: Signed a $1B/year Amazon reseller

Picture this: 4-6 million items per month flowing through our Ohio warehouses. That's what we're doing for a top 10 Amazon seller.

We're talking:

• Transparency labels
• FNSKU labels
• Poly bagging
• A bunch of other ad-hoc work

The best part? We slashed their labeling & placement fees by 50% with our consolidation program. That's millions back in their pocket.

If you have questions about how we are avoiding placement fees, just reply to this email and will throw you the playbook I built.

WIN #2: Partnered with 2nd biggest US Amazon aggregator

These guys operate 120 brands. And now? They're using our US and Canadian facilities. They’ve been with us in Canada for the past 2 years, but we live in the US.

We're not just warehousing. We're their growth partner:

• Expanding to DTC
• Setting up Shopify stores
• Helping ship orders to Costco & Walmart

But here's the kicker: We're setting them up with Amazon SFP. That means a Prime badge without FBA fees or placement fees inbound. We're talking 15-20%+ saving for their oversized items.

I’ll actually be down in Houston, Texas end of this month touring our warehouse if anyone is down there?

Every win gets us closer to that $100M goal. And trust me, there's more coming.

SUPER COFFEE MASTERCLASS RECAP

Jimmy DeCicco . Super Coffee co-founder. $100M+ raised. Now a VC.

He joined us for a masterclass on Tuesday on our bi-weekly series, and wow, did he deliver…

TAKEAWAYS FROM THE EVENT:

• Don't raise unless you need to: Jimmy emphasized bootstrapping as long as possible. VC money isn't always the answer…
• Retail rush can break you: Slow down before diving into retail stores. It's not always the golden ticket it seems to be.
• Profitability > Growth at all costs: The days of burning cash for growth are over. Grow slower, focus on profits.

Missed it? Don't sweat. A full recap hitting my LinkedIn next week!

I'm hosting these events bi-weekly on Zoom with big-time founders, so keep an eye out.

WE NEED BETA TESTERS FOR THE UK! ????

Big news: We're making headlines!

Last week, we were featured in Business Inside, Forbes, and Yahoo on our PR tour.

Why the buzz? We're formally launching in the UK and EU!

This hasn't been an easy journey….its been hectic.

For 12 months, we've been navigating the complex web of international regulations, tax structures, and logistical challenges. But we're finally ready to make our mark across the pond.

We've set up two fully operational warehouses:

1. United Kingdom
2. Netherlands
3. (Germany and Belgium early next year)

BOTH are equipped to handle:

• FBA prep
• DTC fulfillment
• Seller Fulfilled Prime

Getting these facilities up and running has been a rollercoaster. From dealing with Brexit fallout to adapting to EU-specific regulations, we've faced it all. But that's what makes this launch so sweet.

Here's what we're offering to brands looking to expand:

• Compliance help (trust me, you'll need it)
• Tax guidance (because no one likes surprise tax bills)
• Label advisory (small details, big impact)

Now, here's where you come in. We NEED beta customers to give feedback and be a part of the initial clients.

Expanding to Europe or the UK? MSG me….

I’ll also keep ya’ll updated on progress.

AMZ PREP APP UPDATE! ???

Remember our AMZ Prep App? The one we've been pouring our hearts (and over $1.5M+) into for the past 12 months for our clients? It's getting a major facelift.

For those who don't know, we've been building this beast of a client WMS portal for Amazon merchants. It's fully integrated with all our warehouses, and Amazon, in the US and Canada that handle the FBA Prep work.

Next year, we're expanding this monster to handle all our DTC clients too so the client has 1 dashboard tracking inventory and orders in real time across all our fulfillment centers!!

WHAT WE ARE WORKING ON:

• Next UI upgrade
• Adapting to Amazon's new API (deadline for later this month)
• Our 7-person dev team is working overtime

We're small but mighty. And we're moving fast.

MEETUP THIS WEEK DOWNTOWN TORONTO ????

Canadian entrepreneurship needs a boost. We're bringing it back to life.

Hosting a meetup next Friday in downtown Toronto for eComm founders, brand owners, and Amazon sellers.

Join us:

• This Friday, Sept 20th
• 5pm in downtown Toronto
• 2 hours that'll change your DTC business

Who's coming?

• Jake Karls (Mid-Day Squares Co-Founder)
• Mike Fata (Manitoba Harvest Founder)
• Karen Danudjaja (Blume CEO)
• Mystery guests
• And yours truly

What you'll learn:

• Turn your story into your superpower for your eComm brand
• Crack the code on brand-building in 2024
• Raising $$ playbook from founders who've raised millions

Plus: Uncensored Q&A. Nothing's off limits.

Bonus: I’m providing a shuttle to and from the CHFA Expo (yeah, it was expensive but all for the love of entrepreneurship).

All food and drink on me. Just bring the energy. Click here to get reserve a ticket (it will sell out).

Want in? Reply "MEETUP" and I'll send details.

LETS MEETUP! (MY TRAVEL SCHEDULE)

My travel schedule is packed this month:

1. Sept 16th-18th: Seattle for Amazon Accelerate
2. Sept 20th: Toronto Meetup (link above to get tix)
3. Sept 21st: CHFA Expo
4. Sept 30th: Houston, Texas
5. Oct 17th: London, UK
6. Nov 1st: New York

If you're in any of these spots and want to grab a coffee or talk shop, hit me up.

Always good to put faces to names and learn what's happening on the ground.

As always, if you made it this far, thanks for reading!!

Feedback is always welcome, and I do love it when people say “I made it to the end”, so if you feel like brightening my day, shoot me that back.

Have a great week, and keep building!