How do you keep orders shipping during a global pandemic, possibly amid shelter-in-place orders from the government? Today I talk with Aaron Rubin of ShipHero about how to navigate the complexities of ensuring your products get out the door in a COVID-19 world.
We discuss:
Sales and shipping numbers – how bad have merchants been hit?
How to understand if your warehouse can continue to run if your state or county has been locked down
Using FBM and 3PLs to hedge and continue shipping when your primary fulfillment source becomes unavailable
This week the United States passed the Families First Coronavirus Response Act. While it provides some much-needed support to workers it also has some scary cashflow implications for small businesses.
You'll learn:
How employers are responsible for paying for up to 14 weeks of paid leave for workers
The mechanics behind getting reimbursed by the government
Why this could cause a huge strain on your company's cashflow and what to do about it
Starting midnight Friday, the U.S. will restrict travel from most European countries for 30 days, with exceptions for U.S. citizens, legal residents and a few other groups
Goods and cargo are not subject to the ban, Trump later clarified
Trump instructed the SBA to issue low-interest loans and the Treasury to defer tax payments for businesses affected by COVID-19
Amazon no longer accepting applications to sell “disposable face masks, hand sanitizers, disinfecting wipes/sprays, isopropyl alcohol or related products”
Existing listings will be removed if they appear to gouge shoppers in violation of the fair pricing policy
The bipartisan SHOP SAFE Act, co-sponsored by four House members, would crack down on e-commerce companies that don't do enough to police counterfeit sellers
Requires sites to adopt “best practices,” such as improved seller verification and faster takedown processes, or face contributory liability under trademark law
A copy of the full bill text can be found here, with a section-by-section analysis here
If you're interested in long-term funding from a team that also has the skills, eCommerce rolodex and battle-tested knowledge to help you grow, you need to check out eCommerceFuel Capital.
Top Jobs
(Compelling opportunities from the eCommerceFuel Job Board. Find your dream job or post your own job opening right here.)
Today I am going to be doing something I have not done in years; a round up of all the books I have been reading. Books can be extremely helpful in business, whether it is helping you to plan your next move or calm your mind after a long day of work. In this episode, I will be explaining my favorite educational books as well as fiction or just plain interesting books. If you want to find out my favorite books over the past few years or you are just a bookworm yourself, this is the episode for you.
You'll learn:
My favorite books over the past few years
The best books to grow your business
Several books about adventure
The importance of training your team members the way you want them to work
