Vicki Weinberg is a consultant who specialises in selling on Amazon. Vicki is also the host of the award-winning weekly podcast “Bring Your Product Idea to Life” where she interviews product-based entrepreneurs, discussing their experiences, common challenges they face, strategies for success and advice for aspiring product creators. She’s also the author of a book by the same name, which takes aspiring entrepreneurs through the process of creating a product, step-by-step.
Can you tell us a little about your background and the company?
In early 2016 I’d just had my second child. Prior to that I’d been running my own children’s yoga classes, but I hadn’t been able to teach for months, due to a few issues in pregnancy. By the time my daughter was a few weeks I was getting a little restless and looking for something I could do, that would work around my young family.
After listening to a podcast episode about creating products to sell, I decided to give it a try. It genuinely felt like something I could do from home and in my own time.
I found the whole process of creating my first product really overwhelming and time consuming, but I somehow muddled through. My products (after the first, each subsequent one was quicker and easier to launch) sold on my own website, but much of my success was in selling them on Amazon, which is what led to what I do today.
How did the idea come to you for the company?
When I first started my brand I set up a blog alongside it, detailing what I was doing, the progress I was making and what I was learning. I really hoped that doing that would help anyone else who was looking to do something similar and happened to stumble across it.
After some time, people did begin to find and read my posts and I started getting requests for help, with either some aspect of creating a product, or with selling their products on Amazon.
Initially I wasn’t charging anything, and would help anyone who asked. I had a lot of imposter syndrome at this stage. I didn’t feel like an expert and I certainly didn’t feel that I could charge for my expertise. However, I started to realise there might actually be a business there and that I didn’t need to be the expert in everything, I just needed to be able to genuinely add value to the person I was helping.
How did you achieve awareness?
I initially set myself up on freelancing sites and advertised the ways in which I could help people with creating products, or selling them online. I did get a lot of my first clients through those – and work with many of those businesses still today.
However, more recently, I think a lot of people find me via my podcast. I started it 4 years ago, as a way for small businesses and entrepreneurs to share advice and learn from each other. It’s my favourite part of my business and, while it doesn’t make any direct income, I think it’s been great for raising my profile, and that of my guests too.
How have you been able to gain funding and grow?
I haven’t had any funding to date. My growth has been slow and steady and has mainly come via happy clients who want to work with me again and / or refer me to others. I work really hard to form good relationships with my clients. I work really hard for them, and they’re then happy to recommend me.
Over the years I’ve also simplified the services I offer, as well as increased my prices to reflect my growing experience. Simplifying has made a big difference, as I’m now really clear on what I will and won’t do.
What are the key successes?
In 2023 I published my first book, which takes readers through the process of creating a product, step-by-step. The idea is it makes it really simple for anyone, even with little time to spare, to work through the steps in order and create their own physical product.
It also ties in with my podcast, by featuring guests as case studies to illustrate different points.
I’m so proud of this, as writing a book was always on my list to do ‘some day’. Writing one is no mean feat and I’m still amazed that it’s finished!
What are your plans now/for the future?
I want to continue supporting as many small businesses as I can, to grow visibility and sales online. I meet so many amazing people, selling fantastic products, and I love to see them do well. I have no real plans to change anything to do with that side of my business.
My immediate plans are all about my podcast and increasing the reach of every episode, to get more visibility for the guests I speak with. I also want to start offering sponsorship, to give small service businesses the opportunity to advertise on a podcast, getting infront of relevant people, at an affordable price. Connecting people is my favourite thing to do!
What would you like to share with others to encourage them to start their own entrepreneurship journey?
I’d say just go for it. Yes, it can be hard and scary, but you won’t believe how amazing you’ll feel every time you achieve something. And that can be anything from working out how to register a domain, to getting your first sale! Every step is an achievement and it’s always good to look at how far you’ve come and celebrate that.
Can you share your top tips for entrepreneurial success?
I’d say invest in help if you need it. You won’t be the expert in everything, nor do you need to be. If possible, I suggest investing in support for the things you know nothing about.
That might mean hiring someone to help you, or it may mean taking a course. It might even be investing your time in learning a skill. (You can get lots of free advice videos, on all kinds of topics, online.)
You do need to watch where you’re spending money when you’re starting out, but remember there’s a cost to your time too. If it takes you half a day to do something that you could pay someone to do in half the time, is it worth the trade-off?
I’d give the same advice for growing your business too. Outsourcing what you can, when you can, frees up your time to do the things that only you can do. This might not be everyone’s take, but I don’t want to be working every hour and, where I can, I outsource the tasks I don’t want to do, to allow me to spend more time with my family.
What are your favourite inspirational /motivational quotes?
Done is better than perfect
What are your Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn social handles and also website links so our readers can connect with you?
https://www.linkedin.com/in/vicki-weinberg-amazon-seller-support/
https://www.instagram.com/vickiweinberguk/
https://vickiweinberg.com/
