The Opportunity Podcast

On this episode of the The Opportunity Podcast, we will be speaking with Troy De Ville, a recent buyer of a children's and education niche content business. In this episode, Troy gives us his thought process on acquiring his very first online business, and what others should keep in perspective as a first time buyer. Troy gives insight on the mindset needed for due diligence, how to use your individual skill sets, and how you can overcome the fear of investing a large amount of capital into your first acquisition. He explains how he was able to leverage the Empire Flippers team to help ease the process when first starting out in tandem with raising a family and working full-time at a brick and mortar company. Like many first time buyers who decide to acquire a digital asset, he was still on the fence whether he would go through with the whole process, and what had changed his mind was knowing our team was helping through every step along the way to ease the learning curve taking on this new venture. Sit back, grab a coffee, and get ready to learn how to to perform due diligence and better prepare yourself to acquire your very first business based on the skills you already have.

On this episode of the The Opportunity Podcast, we will be speaking with Chas Woodward, Head of Business Development at HeyDay, a platform accelerating consumer product brands on Amazon. Chas explores the branding and business essentials FBA owners need to stand out on the marketplace. In his interview Chas explains HeyDay's mission and how they aim to partner with FBA sellers in the acquisition process. He sought to give guidance to FBA sellers at all levels, and gave solid advice to how to build a brand on Amazon and why that would be so critical for being able to make the best exit possible. He challenged the idea of business expansion for simply the sake of scaling and put smart growth for entrepreneurs into perspective. Chas also discussed the intensity of changes in the FBA market in 2020 and predicts how the marketplace could very well change in 2021 and 2022. This is a great episode for those curious to know what a leading FBA acquirer looks for in stand-out FBA brands. Sit back, grab a coffee, and get ready to learn how to build the best version of your FBA brand.

On this episode of the The Opportunity Podcast, we will be speaking with Mark Ow who went from working as a computer engineer for companies like Apple, Dell, and Microsoft, to purchasing and growing two content businesses he recently acquired from our marketplace. Mark comes from a strong computer industry background which helped him scale his acquisitions, one of which he was able to 5x the monthly net profits. Mark had an 'ah-ha moment' when he realized the amount of time he could save purchasing an online business already generating cash flow. This realization gave him the inspiration to find and acquire two content businesses from our marketplace. With some help from his brother, Mark improved page load speeds, the UX on his sites, and improved the content to better serve results based on the searcher's intent, something Google has started to favor more and more when determining your sites ranking for keywords. Mark gives us his thoughts on what first time buyers should look for while performing due diligence on a business, and his strategy to grow content sites within evergreen niches to maintain stability. Sit back, grab a coffee, and get ready to discover how you can optimize your first digital asset to see returns after making some not so common improvements.

On this episode of the The Opportunity Podcast, we will be speaking with Renae Christine who manages a few different digital assets in the baby care and diet niches. Renae acquired a KDP business from our marketplace that she's been able to scale through her love of community building and successful ad spend. She's a passionate entrepreneur with several successful businesses and a large YouTube channel behind her. If you've ever imagined building a life charged by all your own businesses, personal projects, and a ton enthusiasm - you won't want to miss out on Renae's story. Renae breaks down many challenges that entrepreneurs face, everything from being able to manage a business truly hands off, building giveaways that covert, to picking the right platform to build a community on. Renae has used the power of community to grow her businesses and was able to do so through her love of ads. While most fear spending on ads, Renae's ad spend has been $400,000 and she's still been able to realize great ROI. She explains how she's tested her way to success and what others can learn from her experiences. Renae's passion for her businesses shines through and offers plenty of hope for others learning how to build a life they love in the online business space. Sit back, grab a coffee, and get ready to learn how to leverage community and ad spend to build your online empire.

On this episode of the The Opportunity Podcast, we will be speaking with Dom Wells, owner of Onfolio. With Onfolio, Dom acquires and manages a diversified portfolio of online businesses across a broad range of verticals, each with a niche content focus. As a seasoned expert, he shares his mindset and strategy on investing in content businesses. Dom really understands what the right opportunity in online business looks like. He describes how people commonly get caught up on price or what they think might be growth potential for a business only to miss out on more stable investment opportunities. He describes common pitfalls - like when to know an unmonetized email list is really good or not - and how to avoid them. Dom also explains the growing demand for online business investments and explains why it can be a worthwhile investment for others to pursue. Sit back, grab a coffee, and get ready to learn how to use content businesses as a stable investment strategy.

In this episode of The Opportunity Podcast we will be mixing things up. Branden and I host today's episode to discuss our 2021 State of the Industry Report and all the juicy data insights we've gathered over the past year. We dig up some of our favorite data that highlights the growth on the marketplace we are most excited about - everything from the numbers that show how wildly FBA is growing to the increased multiples content sites are demanding. This episode explores the growth of our marketplace and gives a data-driven snapshot of how buying and selling digital assets has changed up until now. For those looking to refine their strategy for the year, understand where their great opportunities lie, and discover how much money they could make in the current marketplace environment - this is the episode for you. Sit back, grab a coffee, and get ready to uncover real insights behind the online business industry as a whole.

In this episode of The Opportunity Podcast, we will be speaking with Adam Smith, the co-owner of Niche Website Builders, a company that helps affiliate marketers grow and optimize their content and backlink profiles. He explains how he has spent that past few years focusing on buying and flipping niche sites, and how to use what you know to succeed in flipping content sites. Adam explains the benefits to purchasing an established content site from our marketplace, and the typical road map he takes to scale a new acquisition prior to flipping it for a profit. He dives deep into what improvements you can make from day one after closing on a deal to see the most ROI, and where most content site owners fail when optimizing their business prior to listing it for sale on the market. Adam gives us his approach to finding quality content writers, how you can build out your content creation process, and how he has been able to scale his backlink email campaigns to send over one million emails per month for his clients. Sit back, grab a coffee, and get ready to discover how you can scale your content empire and start flipping websites full-time (and even leave your day job behind!)

In this episode of The Opportunity Podcast, we will be speaking with Mark Soberman, a managing partner at Netpicks and portfolio owner who has acquired several assets from our marketplace. He explains his mindset behind buying and selling digital assets, and how he has used email lists to scale his acquisitions. Mark explains the benefits of acquiring a business that is within a niche you are already familiar with and how to incorporate the assets into your existing portfolio. He dives deep into the value an email list holds, and how to perform due diligence on an acquisition to uncover the true value in the list. Mark describes how business owners can diversify their email service provider (ESP) to backup their lists, and how you can mitigate risk through traffic diversification. We also take a look at adding personality to your email campaigns and when you should be developing a relationship versus selling your product to subscribers. Sit back, grab a coffee, and get ready to discover tips to improve your email marketing strategy and keep your email list engaged.

In this episode of The Opportunity Podcast, we will be speaking with Jim Barton, a Senior Seller Advisor with Empire Flippers. Jim takes a deep dive on exiting FBA businesses and the changes of Amazon's marketplace as a whole. Amazon never seems to stand still and that certainly applies to the growth the platform has seen in the past year. Jim opens up as to why that matters to the sellers he mentors at Empire Flippers. He explains how this is a moment in time that FBA sellers should consider where they are with their businesses and walks us through the steps sellers should take early to best position themselves for an exit. Jim also compares the changing landscape of Amazon to the changes to our marketplace and shares updates to deal making that will hit home with those who are looking to buy or sell in the near future. Sit back, grab a coffee, and get ready to hear from an M&A expert what's new and unfolding in the FBA acquisition space.

In this episode of The Opportunity Podcast, we will be speaking with Nate Jackson, the Head of Acquisitions for Perch, one of the leading acquirers and operators of Amazon Private Label brands. Nate explores the ins and outs of the fast-growing world of mergers and acquisitions (M&A) of FBA businesses. Nate has had quite the career change once he stepped into the world of FBA, saying he "went from a mechanical engineer in the navy to selling women's leggings on the internet". In between these two very different roles, Nate had worked for some of the biggest names in M&A. Upon seeing the growing emergence of Amazon and the difficulty of other businesses to compete against the giant, he decided to not swim against the current and dive into the world of FBA acquisitions. He now heads M&A at Perch and has helped grow their portfolio to 23 brands across 10 categories. In his interview he uncovers everything he looks for in an acquisition and the levers Perch pulls to take businesses to their next phase of growth. He also shares his views on growing their current brands on Shopify, his favorite types of deal structures, and why this is an incredible time to exit an FBA business. Sit back, grab a coffee, and get read to hear from an M&A expert what's new and unfolding in the FBA acquisition space.

In this episode of The Opportunity Podcast, we will be speaking with Matt Diggity, the owner of Diggity marketing, Lead Spring, Search Initiative, Authority Builders, the Affiliate Lab, and host of the Chaing Mai SEO conference in Thailand. This is a value-packed episode where Matt shares his roadmap for buying, scaling, and selling sites successfully. Like many in online business, Matt got his inspiration to leave his grueling long hours career from the 4 Hour Workweek. The world of SEO sparked his interest and Matt devoted himself to learning everything he could about SEO and affiliate websites. He's now a leader in SEO who has taught countless people how to create their own income online. In this episode, Matt breaks down many of the core tactics he teaches his students to stay on top of ever-changing SEO techniques. He explores what is no longer working in the eyes of Google and little known tactics that work wonders for creating the kind of links Google really wants to see. He also shares the nitty gritty of his own internal deal flow and how he approaches buying, building, holding and selling within his portfolio. Sit back, grab a coffee, and get ready to take a deep dive on SEO for newly acquired businesses.

In this episode of The Opportunity Podcast, we will be speaking with Brad Costanzo of The Bacon Wrapped Business Podcast. In his interview Brad shares his many entrepreneurial adventures and the lessons he's learned along the way. He also reveals his current portfolio strategy and how he's taken an unusual route of mainly minority investment in digital assets. Brad has been in just about every business role out there and in a wide range of niches. He's sold info products to teach magic tricks, runs his own consulting business, and has created a portfolio strategy that strikes a balance in his life. He shares how he's never raised capital for an acquisition and instead looks for unique negotiation opportunities and deal structures when he acquires. He currently has minority investment in several businesses across various niches and he breaks down how he balances his investments and how that has played out for him. Brad shares everything from the things he wished he'd known when he first started out to the various insights he's gained from his own experiences and from guests on his podcast. Sit back, grab a coffee, and get ready to learn how to create your own opportunities and an investment style that suits your goals.

In this episode of The Opportunity Podcast, we will be speaking with Jimmy Hourin, Senior Business Analyst with the Empire Flippers sales team. Jimmy works on some of the largest deals to hit our marketplace, and he's here to explain how demand from institutional investors is driving a buying spree for Amazon FBA businesses and creating a market in favor of sellers. Jimmy explains how our marketplace has drastically changed in less than a year. Multiples have risen sharply for FBA and across the marketplace sellers are enjoying their best multiples and deal structures yet. Buyers are fiercely competitive for top FBA assets and it's an indicator of investor acceptance of digital acquisitions as a solid investment strategy. Jimmy helps buyers and sellers understand how they can navigate the new market environment to get their best possible deal. Sit back, grab a coffee, and get ready to learn how you can cash out during this unique season for sellers.

In this episode of The Opportunity Podcast, we will be highlighting a new investment opportunity called EF Capital. The program was born in 2014 over discussions about an age-old problem where skilled entrepreneurs don't have the capital to buy bigger listings, and investors don't want to buy an entire business or learn a brand new skill set. In a nutshell, the program helps investors turn an active investment into a passive one by partnering with operators who will help manage acquisitions. And the program helps operators gain leverage in buying online businesses that aren't available through traditional financing (like SBA loans) without having to learn new skills like investor relations or how to set up an investment fund. Instead, operators stick to what they know best—fixing and scaling digital assets. We'll go into much more detail about how it all works and how you can get started with EF Capital. Sit back, grab a coffee, and get ready to learn how we are changing the digital acquisitions space yet again with this great new investment opportunity.

In this episode of The Opportunity Podcast, we will be speaking with John Hefter, Senior Vice President of Creative and Brand Strategy at Thrasio. John's interview explores the mindset, strategy, and journey of a company that became the fastest profitable US company to ever reach a $1B valuation. John explains how Thrasio became the household name it is today in the online business world. In his words, Thrasio "started out with the thesis that we'd be top, world class operators first". Wanting to be the best operators in Amazon FBA and actually executing on that thesis catapulted Thrasio to hundreds of millions in raised capital and over 500 employees in less than two years. While John explores the approach that helped Thrasio reach the top of Amazon, he shares how Amazon sellers at any level can learn from their strategy and carve out their own piece of the Amazon pie. Sit back, grab a coffee, and get ready to learn how you can invest on Amazon like a unicorn operator.

In this episode of The Opportunity Podcast, we will be speaking with Michael Frew, who leveraged his first content site acquisition to grow into larger SaaS acquisitions. Michael found our marketplace when looking for something to commit his free time to during his early retirement at the young age of 40. Michael explains how we went from following the financial independence retire early (FIRE) path with traditional investments, and shifted into the more profitable world of digital assets. He made a full ROI in less than two years with his first acquisition and the experience gave him the power to expand into six-figure SaaS acquisitions. Michael tells us how he has used the asset flywheel to grow in the online business space and what others should look for in acquiring their first online asset. Sit back, grab a coffee, and get ready to learn how even small acquisitions can help you take large leaps in a just a few short years.Listen to This Episode.

In this episode of The Opportunity Podcast, we will be speaking with Andrew Voda, the Lead Seller Advisor at Empire Flippers. Andrew guides sellers everyday on how to best exit their business. He's here to clue our listeners in on what key actions can be taken today to prep your business for its highest valuation. Tune in as Andrew digs deep on exit planning, the preparation all sellers are able to take for free with Empire Flippers when shaping their business for an exit. Andrew shares stories of the companies who have transformed from this process and walked away with seven-figure exits and more. He lays out what mistakes to avoid when preparing for an exit, what kinds of steps to take early on, and how the right exit planning will grow your return on investment (ROI) in the digital acquisition space. Sit back, grab a coffee, and get ready to learn how to create your own windfall through exit planning.

In this episode of The Opportunity Podcast, we will be speaking with Viraj Patel, an Amazon FBA buyer who purchased his business from our marketplace for $60k at the end of 2018. Viraj shares his story in how he went from heading down the law firm path, to establishing a better future in online business acquisitions that have given him a better work to life balance. Viraj takes us on a journey through what Amazon FBA was like five years ago compared to what it takes to be successful in the space today. He breaks down how he was able to double his money back from his acquisition in less than a year, and how FBA sellers can grow their businesses to the same level. Viraj explains why building his "Amazon FBA Real Estate" has set himself up to earn great money from anyplace in the world, and what FBA sellers can do to help spread the gap between their products and the competitions. This is one episode that Amazon FBA sellers should not miss out on. Sit back, grab a coffee, and get ready to learn the hidden growth secrets that most Amazon FBA sellers are missing in terms of growth and scaling.

In this episode of The Opportunity Podcast, we will be speaking with Mike Jackness, co-founder of EcomCrew, a community, podcast, and resource for ecommerce entrepreneurs. Mike's a 7-figure ecommerce expert here to share everything in the ecom world and how he makes acquisitions. Mike takes a deep dive in his interview on the challenges, wins, and businesses that have shaped his ecommerce knowledge. He takes us step by step through his process of acquiring a new ecommerce business, from raising capital, due diligence, negotiations, to a successful close. Mike's calling for a breakout year for ecommerce sales and goes over how to navigate the changes in ecommerce and still build a future proof business. As a trusted voice in the ecommerce community with a powerful portfolio to back him up, Mike's interview is one you won't want to miss if you're an ecommerce entrepreneur. Sit back, grab a coffee, and get ready to learn the building blocks of acquiring and succeeding in the ecommerce space.

In this episode of The Opportunity Podcast, we will be speaking with Alex Renaud, CEO of Nolk.com, and a portfolio buyer of multiple Amazon FBA businesses from our marketplace. Alex has systematized his deal flow and acquisition process, enabling him to make 4 successful acquisitions in a year. In his interview, Alex explores the ins and outs of multiple acquisitions in a relatively short amount of time. He breaks down what levers to pull to grow a newly acquired asset, when to improve your product versus improve your brand, and how to leverage a broker for deal flow. He's managed to grow all of his acquisitions to date and looks to continue growing his portfolio. Beyond just return on investment, he talks about the importance of buying for the future and building a philosophy you believe in into your portfolio. Sit back, grab a coffee, and get ready to learn how to make quick acquisitions and boost their cashflow.

In this episode of The Opportunity Podcast, we will be speaking with Josh Mitchell, a buyer of two Amazon Associates, affiliate, and display advertising businesses from our marketplace. Josh reinvented his career from footballer to full-blown online business portfolio owner and explains how he rapidly scaled his businesses in a few short years. In this interview, Josh highlights how he overcame common challenges in the content space - from one page dominating traffic to buying a site with PBNs. With time and many lessons learned along the way, Josh has managed to double one of his acquisitions and scaled the other to a seven-figure valuation from just a $90K initial investment. He lays out a roadmap for how he's done it and what others can learn from his experience. Sit back, grab a coffee, and get ready to learn how to reshape your life and career through online business acquisitions.

In this episode of The Opportunity Podcast, we will be speaking with Lucas Carlson, the buyer of an Amazon Associates business and CEO of craftsmanfounder.com. Lucas successfully raised $9.8M for his start-up which went on to be exited to a Fortune 150 company. He used his windfall to invest long-term in online assets. Despite his successful exit, Lucas had a problem: "There's very little literature on what to do with your money once you have a windfall". Wanting to maximize his money, he turned towards buying online businesses. Lucas' path is unconventional but his wisdom on investing is tired and true. He explains why he rallies against "safe" investments like index funds for a more active, creative, and fun source of wealth generation. He breaks down his long term investment strategy with online businesses and how the cash flow he reaps from his online assets outpaces the money he had from his initial windfall. Lucas explores how anyone can change their finances through online assets and why now is the perfect time to start investing online. Sit back, grab a coffee, and get ready to learn everything you need to know on rethinking your long-term investment strategy with online business assets.

In this episode of The Opportunity Podcast, we will be speaking with Jason Collins, a buyer of an Amazon Associates, display advertising, and affiliate business from our marketplace. He discusses how he and his wife leveraged an online asset to help them reach their dream retirement lifestyle. In Jason's journey of building a retirement investment, he's learned to surround himself with the best in the industry. He's taken his own path to grow the business, from implementing an SEO audit, to adding a storefront to his content site. These growth implementations have even given Jason enough confidence now to venture into additional acquisitions. Jason's story highlights what it takes to turn an online business into a dream retirement scenario, something that is not often discussed within the FI/RE community. Sit back, grab a coffee, and get ready to discover how to hack your dream retirement through online assets.

In this episode of The Opportunity Podcast, we will be speaking with Henry Marcacci the owner of two successful businesses on Amazon in the KDP and FBA spaces. In his story, he shares how he leveraged his expertise in supply chain management and his passion for writing indie novels on KDP to break into Amazon FBA ownership. Henry used his FBA acquisition as a learning tool for online businesses and managed to 5-6x his business in the process. He advocates for finding businesses that are "blessings in disguise", the kind you can fix up and make it stand out in the crowd. Henry highlights how anyone can turn their passion and skills into a successful venture with the right strategy and work ethic in place.

In this episode of The Opportunity Podcast, we will be speaking with Alex Champagne, the Director of Sales here at Empire Flippers. Alex sat down with us to discuss the rapid-fire changes private equity (PE) is bringing to the online business space. Alex goes over the earliest days of Empire Flippers and PE and how we went from fear of getting burned on early deals to transacting easily with the influx of PE buyers. Around 15-20% of our deals are currently with PE buyers, meaning they're a force to be reckoned with. Alex lays out how sellers can best prepare if they want to catch the attention of PE, why private equity is making huge gains in the online space, and how an "overnight" market shift is going to dictate how we do business moving forward.

In this episode of The Opportunity Podcast, we will be speaking with Rick Baxter, an Amazon FBA and Amazon Merch buyer who owns a diverse portfolio of online businesses. Rick got his start in entrepreneurship in the brick and mortar world and was looking for location independent opportunities that built off his skillsets. He stumbled into the online space and felt like he could jump in knowing he'd be trained by the seller. He found an FBA business that ended up being a gem - it had the right problems he knew how to fix and had a great seller willing to train him properly. With the help of the seller he went from excitement over making $500 in sales a day to getting comfortable with an average of $4-5K a day. Rick reaped his ROI in six months and this year he will cross a million in sales - something he never anticipated when he got started. As Rick's grown into his FBA expertise he's learned a lot of valuable lessons along the way. He shares the importance of just getting started when launching products, letting the market give you the feedback you need on what works, and how to have a team of VA's do most of the work on your business. He also shares his journey in buying an Amazon Merch business and how he's integrated that asset into his portfolio.

In this episode of The Opportunity Podcast we will be speaking with Andy Allaway the Director of Operations here at Empire Flippers. In Andy's interview, he explains his belief in operational systems that are "strong processes, loosely held". He explains the balance between sticking to an operational framework and knowing when to let go of the wheel. Though he believes in the absolute importance of the right processes in place, he explains why it's important to challenge those very processes to grow as a company. Andy shares what buyers and sellers can learn from Empire Flippers' operational challenges and the operational improvements to put in place for a more profitable deal. While most entrepreneurs are out to scale quickly, that doesn't mean fast is best. Andy explains how operations can be a pivotal tool for the smartest, most efficient growth.

In this episode of The Opportunity Podcast, we will be speaking with Bill Szabrak owner of BillSzabrak.com, a coaching and consulting agency that helps online publishers. Bill sits down with us today to discuss his journey through purchasing and building multiple display advertising and affiliate business while maintaining a full-time job. Bill discusses how he went from being the "quintessential corporate cog" to building his lifestyle as an online entrepreneur. He shares the ups and downs of his journey, everything from weathering Google updates, Amazon Associates commission changes, and the global pandemic. This episode is perfect for those looking to find out their right path in online business and to get started running their own business while still maintaining a full-time job. Tune in as Bill discusses the secrets to buying your first online business and so much more!

In this episode of The Opportunity Podcast, we will be speaking with Kevin Bastoul, Silicon Valley native and Vetting Advisor for Empire Flippers. Kevin sits down with us to explore the connection between SaaS, Silicon Valley, and online business. Kevin discusses how he grew up around Silicon Valley and found himself at a SaaS startup in his first working role. It was location independence and hearing about the growth of the online business space that drew him away from the Valley and to Empire Flippers. Kevin's background and Vetting experience come together as he gives great insight on SaaS trends in the industry, how to get a better valuation for a SaaS business, and where the real opportunity is for SaaS businesses to grow faster than any Silicon Valley behemoth startup.

In this episode of The Opportunity Podcast, we will be speaking with Caleb Page, the CEO of Propertyscout.io and the buyer of a SaaS business from our marketplace. Caleb discusses how he performs due diligence on SaaS business acquisitions, and what it means to be a savvy SaaS buyer. We also cover the mindset necessary for true entrepreneurship, and how Caleb was able to overcome challenges after his acquisition to better reposition his SaaS business for greater success.

In this episode, we speak with Gregory Elfrink — the Director of Marketing here at Empire Flippers. Greg discusses how to use content to scale your own empire and create a full-fledged media site, complete with a timeline and roadmap. Greg will also cover how to use content to scale your own empire in this episode along with how you can grow beyond content and create a full-fledged media site. The roadmap and timeline for implementing a content strategy on a newly acquired business will also be covered as well as how you can connect with your audience so they buy from you forever.

In this episode of The Opportunity Podcast, we will be speaking with Barry Dean the CEO of ProductAdvisor.com and the owner of a large portfolio of Amazon Associates business'. Barry will be going over how to successfully build and run a portfolio of Amazon Associates and affiliate assets, as well as how you can lead operations for your own content team. In this episode, Barry will cover how to start small and scale a growth-focused portfolio along with the secret sauce to finding great Amazon Associates acquisitions.

The opportunity podcast is finally here to uncover hidden growth opportunities throughout online businesses - whether that be insider tips from online business owners or little known insights straight from us here at Empire Flippers. In this episode, we introduce you to the hosts of The Opportunity Podcast — Sarah Nuttycombe and Branden Schmidt. Listen in to learn more about their journeys and what to expect from this series.