This transcript was generated from the episode audio and may contain minor errors.
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Crossing borders, boosting orders. Hey friends, what's up? Welcome to Side Hustle School. This is Throwback Thursday. Every week we take an in-depth look at someone whose story has evolved considerably since we first featured them.
Now what do I mean by crossing borders, boosting orders? Well, in this particular segment, we're gonna learn how a Canadian e-commerce expert turned his experience running a fulfillment by Amazon shop into a consulting business. He's helping fellow Canadian sellers break into the lucrative US market. Canadian market is I believe about 10% the size of the US market. So some savvy Canadian side hustlers, entrepreneurs, small business owners focus a lot on the US market.
Now there are of course various trade issues that come up, tariffs and so on, geopolitical conflicts that interfere with this whole thing. And most of us just wanna like run our business, right? So that's a whole topic of another episode. But let's hear this update in the series as mentioned Throwback Thursday. Last week it was about a third grade teacher who grew her creative lawn sign business into a go-to source for wedding decor.
I believe that was in the Midwest somewhere. This week we'll go a bit North. Let's hear from Aaron, this e-commerce consultant based in Calgary, Alberta. I'm gonna pass the mic to Aaron. I'll be back at the end to wrap it up.
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I'm Aaron, an e-commerce consultant based in Calgary, Alberta. My business, it started from my own trial and error experience running a fulfilled by Amazon store. A few years ago, I managed a small shop selling kitchen gadgets mostly within Canada. Now it did okay. I realized the real potential though lay in the US market with a much larger customer base, a favorable exchange rate and the power of platforms like Amazon and Shopify.
Scaling south of the border became a game changer. I learned the ropes, overcame challenges like customs and cross border taxes and tripled my revenue in less than a year. Soon after, fellow Canadian sellers began reaching out for advice from me. They wanted to know how to replicate my results and that's when I pivoted into consulting. Open small businesses navigate the complexities of selling to US customers.
At first, I offered one-off strategy sessions for $200 each, walking sellers through the basics, how to set up US listings, comply with state sales tax laws and optimize shipping logistics. But I quickly realized that clients needed ongoing guidance, not just a single meeting. So I transitioned into a retainer model offering monthly packages for $1,500 to $3,000, depending on the level of support they wanted. Most clients commit to a three to six month contract which gives us time to build momentum and see measurable results. A typical engagement would begin with a deep dive onboarding session where I reviewed their existing store, target market and shipping setup.
Then I'd create a personalized roadmap. For example, a recent client, a Toronto-based seller of artisanal soaps needed help figuring out how to handle US distribution without raising their prices. We mapped out a strategy to use a third-party fulfillment center in Buffalo, reducing shipping times and costs while avoiding the complexities of shipping directly from Canada. I conduct most sessions over Zoom and it's supported by detailed Google Docs and spreadsheets that I prepare in advance. Each client gets a dashboard where we track key metrics like US sales growth, conversion rates and shipping times.
Our biweekly calls focus on troubleshooting and fine tuning strategies, whether that's improving ad targeting, finding better fulfillment partners or navigating Amazon's complicated roles. For clients who need extra support, I also offer Slack access so they can message me with quick questions throughout the week. This flexibility is especially helpful for those scaling rapidly and encountering unexpected issues. The advantages for Canadian sellers entering the US market are huge. With like 10 times the population and a strong exchange rate, even modest US sales can significantly boost our profits.
But the process can be intimidating, especially when it comes to cross-border logistics, legal compliance and understanding US buyer preferences. That's where I step in, acting as both a guide and a problem solver. Today, I work with eight to 10 clients at a time, earning a good income while helping fellow Canadians tap into the massive potential of the US market. My own e-commerce store is still active, but consulting has become my main focus. Looking ahead, I plan to develop a digital course and group coaching program, making my expertise accessible to even more sellers.
[Music]
Big thanks to Aaron for sharing those updates with us. Definitely a market to be made if you live in Canada or outside the US. I've done some events in the UK and heard from lots of side-off sellers who are focused specifically on selling to the American market, just 'cause it is the largest e-commerce market in the world, aside from China, and that's a whole different thing. So it makes sense that this guy, Aaron, has been successful in helping people kind of navigate the process and be more successful. It's a pretty clear value proposition.
If you're like, hey, I can help you get started, or if you're already doing this, I can help you be more successful, it's very easy to kind of tie your fee to whatever value increase that you can promise. So I see how this works well. Anyway, listeners, let me know what you think, who you'd like to see featured from our archives of now thousands of episodes. So excited to make the podcast for you. This was episode 3,057, 3-0-5-7.
There's a wealth of archives, completely free, all at sidehustleschool.com. And of course, new episodes drop every single day. Find, subscribe, follow, wherever you like to listen. My name is Chris Guillebeau. You're listening to Side Hustle School.
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From the Onward Project.
