E611: How He Became The Largest Amazon Seller Without Using FBA

Dave dives into the huge business of FilterBuy, one of the largest e-commerce companies on Amazon that actually does NOT use FBA. FilterBuy specializes in selling HVAC filters and is founded by David Heacock, a good friend of mine from way back in the day. We explore the company's impressive growth, why David chose to manufacture from the US and why logistics are the main business that David is in. With that being said, what business are we all in? 

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Amazon makes it really hard for sellers to avoid using FBA. 

FBA sellers get faster shipping times, better customer service and a nice badge that says “Prime Delivery” on your listing. 

With all of these things stacked against FBM Sellers, how do you succeed? 

To answer that question, we tell you about how Filterbuy became the biggest FBM seller on Amazon based on my interview with CEO and founder, David Heacock.

The Big Takeaway 

• FilterBuy is the largest seller on Amazon that does not use FBA.
• David Heacock kind of foresaw how important American manufacturing would be and was one of the first to adopt the strategy.
• The company's success is more than just product cost. David credits it mostly to efficient logistics.  
• Manufacturing in America allows for reduced freight costs and just-in-time inventory unlike manufacturing in China. 
• Pre-orders or Kickstarter launches are actually a viable strategy that most sellers sleep on. There's significant cash flow opportunities on Kickstarter and you also get to order the exact amount of opportunity for those pre-orders, which is a great strategy for the pre-launch period of new products.

Timestamps

• 00:00 – Introduction to FilterBuy and Its Success
• 05:52 – David Heacock's Vision and Strategy
• 12:27 – The Importance of Logistics and Manufacturing in America
• 20:16 – Long-Term Thinking in Business
• 24:08 – Conclusion and Key Takeaways

David, I apologize that we weren't able to get your actual interview up but we were really grateful for the opportunity to interview you nonetheless. 

If you're interested and want to follow David Heacock on social media, you can find him at his LinkedIn.

As always, if you have any questions or anything that you need help with, leave a comment down below if you're interested.

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Thanks for listening!

Until next time, happy selling!