Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in business development but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Jon Elder, Founder of Black Label Advisor, located in Dallas, TX, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

I run Black Label Advisor, a boutique consulting agency for Amazon sellers. My clients range from beginners to 8 figure brand owners on the platform. I specialize in helping entrepreneurs launch new products, scale their existing ones, and exit their businesses for multiple 7 figures!

Tell us about yourself

My story goes back to 2014, when I first started selling on Amazon. At the time, I was working as a Project Manager in the construction industry. I was interested in building out a new revenue stream for my wife and me. Fast forward a few years to 2017, and I'm working full-time on Amazon! By then, I had over 100 unique products and doing multiple millions a year on Amazon. It was motivating to keep going for my family and give it my all. There is nothing like having kids to inspire you to work harder, haha.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

This one's easy! When I exited my Amazon business for mid-7 figures in late 2019. This was my main goal from day 1 of starting on Amazon, and I hit it under 5 years! This is also the inherent beauty of selling a physical product. You are building a brand that is a sellable asset!

What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?

Definitely finances! This especially applies to inventory-heavy businesses like E-commerce brands. Juggling, staying in stock, ramping up production, and managing air and sea shipments is quite the struggle. Thankfully, there are plenty of software solutions out there to ease the burden.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

  1. Follow your passion! There is nothing worse than going into a space in which you have little to no interest. Pursue something you love, and you will wake up early to work on your business when others aren't!
  2. Delight the customer! Make this your chief goal. Everything from the opening experience to your customer service needs to be a shining example of excellence. Social media is a brutal accountability partner. If you make your customer a central focal point in your business, everything else falls in line.
  3. Start small and grow sustainably! I see business owners make this mistake far too often. Don't like to be the hare, be the tortoise! Avoid cash crunch issues, launch new products methodically, and don't get in over your head. Avoid the feelings of FOMO. Let others suffer under those consequences.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.blacklabeladvisor.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/AmazonPPCGrowthExperts
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BlackLabelAdvsr
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonelder/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

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