Author: Kivo Daily Staff

Jonathan found himself in the jewelry industry by accident. He sold one of his companies in 2016 and was about to invest the bulk of that money into his marketing agency, Digital Age Business. One night Jonathan was randomly browsing online and came across a video discussing Shopify, print-on-demand, and e-commerce trends. His mind opened up to this new business model, and he immediately went to work on a parody website centered around the election. It was slow to take off, and he tried a variety of products, pricing, and offers, but nothing stuck. Just as he was about to walk away from the project, he tried one more offer, and then suddenly, things began to take off.

At the same time that Jonathan was polishing his marketing skills with his political parody website, he already had the wheels in motion to launch Aphrodite’s. When he was curating the first collection to be made available for purchase, he discovered a heart-shaped tree of life design that caught his eye. It did okay but not as well as he felt it should be doing. It wasn’t until he tweaked the offer, the pricing, and he doubled down on the exposure through eye-catching ads that things began to change. The heart-shaped tree of life design went viral, and that is when Aphrodite’s began to scale and get to where they are today.

Aphrodite’s features an array of necklaces, bracelets, rings, earrings, and anklets, along with select watches and sunglasses. The affordable luxury items are available in trendy sterling silver, gold-tone silver-tone, and natural semi-precious gemstone pieces. Retail prices range from $29.95 to $99.95, and there is complimentary worldwide shipping.

The brand was finally finding its stride when the pandemic hit. As the world was shutting down, so were the borders in the United States. This meant that Aphrodite’s could not get items out to nearly 40% of their customers who were international. Couple this, with over $1 million in inventory they had carried over from the last quarter of the previous year, and things begin to get tight. As big retailers and small shops started folding, it was hard for Jonathan to keep forging ahead and not let outside factors affect his inner focus.

When it felt like there were no more options to explore, there was a light at the end of the tunnel due to quick and smart thinking. Jonathan and his team quickly pivoted what they were selling into gifting and sentimental experiences, switching the business model that had brought them success thus far. Stimulus checks started hitting bank accounts, driving dollars into the economy. And more consumers were shopping online than ever before. According to Digital Commerce 360, Consumers spent $861.12 billion online with U.S. merchants in 2020, up an astounding 44% year over year. That’s the highest annual U.S. e-commerce growth in at least two decades.

As Mother’s Day began to near, these elements blended to create the perfect storm for the brand. In the first week of May, they were able to generate over $2 million in a single week, with one of the days having a company record-breaking 8,700 orders resulting in nearly $400,000 in sales. The leftover inventory from the previous year ended up being a huge blessing since borders were still closed, and the company could not get inventory into their warehouse. The massive sales from Mother’s Day led to over 75% of that merchandise to be sold.

When so many were losing their jobs, the exponential growth allowed Jonathan to hire many new team members to help meet the demand and new workload for all the orders. Another critical element for the increase in business was a much-needed influx in cash and a strategic partner to help the company capitalize on the moment of significant growth. After countless meetings and several months of due diligence, Aphrodite’s was acquired by Bergio International (OTC PINK: BRGO),a world-renowned fine jewelry brand with the highest standards of traditional craftsmanship launched in 2007. The company was founded by Berge Abajian, a 3rd generation jeweler with expansive knowledge around manufacturing and the jewelry industry as a whole. It created the perfect marriage of forward-thinking e-commerce technology and traditional tried-and-true experience.

From Aphrodite’s we can expect them to enhance the customer experience and keep producing higher quality products. They are taking a holistic approach to upgrading everything from the start to end of the consumer journey, including viral ads, high-converting landing pages, premium customer service, and redesigned packaging to continually enhance the emotional experience they provide.

Jonathan Foltz shared, “In the future, we look forward to collaboration and cross-promotions with our parent company, Bergio International. They bring an incredible amount of industry knowledge, particularly on the manufacturing side, which will allow us to elevate our designs while maintaining an accessible price point.”

Have you ever considered how big the role of alcohol is in our lives?  Americans never need much of a reason to drink, but statistically, our favorite occasions are birthdays (83%), engagements (78%), anniversaries (77%), promotions (62%), and graduations (59%).  Whether we drink a lot, drink socially, drink occasionally, or don’t drink at all, alcohol, or at least the topic of alcohol is a consistent presence in our lives, as it has been for the majority of human history.  For some it’s just a pleasant treat to enjoy on special occasions, or perhaps a glass of wine every night.  For others it’s a tormentor that causes compulsive behaviors we’d rather live without.  Still for others the mere idea of drinking is to be avoided at the least, and is occasionally a cause for passionate oratorials or rants. Whatever your personal stance, alcoholic beverages and humanity are stuck with each other and, as humans evolve, so do the drinks.  

This past year has given the whole world extra incentives to consume cocktails with the COVID pandemic.  Even though we spent much of 2020 in quarantine and isolation, with closed bars, alcohol consumption still grew by 14% from 2019 to 2020, with the highest growth demographics being millennials/Gen X’ers at 19%, and among women at 17%.  (Read into those statistics what you will.)  Forty-four percent of Americans began buying alcohol online, which meant that online alcohol purchases grew by 243% in 2020, and instacart orders containing alcohol grew by 75%.  

The COVID pandemic also seemed to be cause for the creation of new cocktails to commemorate our collective pandemic experiences.  Some of these cocktails, dubbed “Quarantinis” are the Spring is Here; a mix of white vinegar, gin, mint, snap pea syrup, and green chartreuse; and the Kumquarantini with rye whiskey, kumquat syrup, lemon juice, saffron liquor, and egg white.   The Kombucha Quarantini mixes gin, kombucha, and blackberries; and the Charmin Quarantini contains vodka, cointreau, lime juice, simple syrup, and cranberry liqueur.  These cocktails might be an even tastier alternative to those to come out of the previous pandemic, the Spanish Flu. 

The Spanish Flu brought us such cocktails as the Corpse Reviver, which is a blend of gin, cointreau, Lillet Blonde, lemon juice, and absinthe; the Penicillin Cocktail with blended Scotch whisky, lemon juice, honey syrup, ginger, and Islay single malt Scotch; and the Medicina Latina of Mezcal, honey ginger syrup, and lime juice. 

Cocktails have an interesting place in our history, for sure.  There have been so many occasions for new cocktail creativity and it seems new creations will never be in short supply.  One of the newest forms for cocktails is the ready-to-drink cocktail.  These drinks were perfect for being in quarantine.  Being our own bartender is nice, but sometimes you just want to drink your favorite cocktail without the prep, mess, and clean up.  Even though bars are starting to reopen, ready-to-drink is still a perfect option and a growing trend.  In fact, ready-to-drink cocktail purchases grew by 43% worldwide in 2020, but they’re also expected to make up 20% of all alcoholic ecommerce by 2024.  

So, if your appetite for your favorite alcoholic beverage is still at COVID levels, but you’re tired of mixing your own drinks, the ready-to-drink cocktail is the perfect solution.  Cheers! 

 

<a href=”https://cooloo.com/ready-to-drink-cocktails”><img src=”https://static.wixstatic.com/media/6ce412_d728709d9f7c444f8320e88f7c5c9b08~mv2.jpg” width=”500″ alt=”Ready To Drink Cocktails” border=”0″ /><BR>Via <a href=”https://cooloo.com/ready-to-drink-cocktails”>Cooloo.com</a>

Sharon Champagne Terry is a multifaceted woman who has proved her mettle as an author, screenwriter, screenwriter, actress, motivational speaker, model, entrepreneur, and executive producer. She has quite a decent lineup of acting roles on her resume, and she aims to keep ramping it up till she becomes a household name in the entertainment industry. Her most recent acting credits include playing the role of Vanessa in a comedy titled “I’ll Drink to That” by Unc Trent. She also played a role in the film Living the Dream and a web series.

Sharon Champagne Terry wrote an urban fiction release titled “The Goddess of Lust, Love & Infatuation Part 1,” “Blissful Lust Part 2,” and “Anthologies: Dark Memories,” and “The Crossover.” Popularly called Champagne, she has been nominated two times in the Ricoawards as Author of the Year. She has also been nominated as Top Female Author of 2019 and the Author Academy Awards. She launched her publishing company called “Champagne Books LLC, where she plans to publish her works to the public.

Champagne has extensive radio presence featuring in interviews on shows such as The DJ Gatsby Show, The Beautiful Butterfly Radio program, Vibration Radio, Good Deeds Radio, On the Rise Radio, Highly Unique Radio, Face the Reality Radio, The Authors Show, African Online Broadcasting, Big Body Broadcasting, The Situation Room, WXIR 100.9, HOT914 and TPN Live. She has worked with notable personalities like Seleah Simone and Nikki Rich and a host of other notable media personalities. Beyond all these, she also worked as a runway and print model for Hass Entertainment and featured on different publications and fashion shows like The Night of Elegance and The Summit in New York.  

She recently advanced her career, taking up the role of an executive producer in producing a new television show titled The Goddess, which will be aired this fall on MJOWN Network on Roku. Sharon Champagne Terry’s brand is an umbrella brand for various products, services, and brands. Building her brand is solely motivated by the rewards and legacy she can potentially leave behind. “It is important that we all make impacts on earth no matter how little. It is what we do that the generations coming after us will enjoy, leverage, and use as a stepping stone in their lives. I am striving to build the Sharon Champagne Terry name for those coming behind so they can reap the benefits and be proud to take things up from where I leave them,” she said.

Her five-year goal is to continue putting out great work as a content creator and becoming a household name that inspires thousands of people globally. She has embraced hard work and consistency all her life, and she’s all about passing down those values. In her words, “I want as many people as possible to read in between the lines and see how much work I put into building this brand. I have stayed consistent and never given up. If I can get this much done, I can guarantee that anybody can do the same following the same principles.”

Learn more about Sharon Terry on her official Instagram page or visit Champagne Books LLC’s website.

Image source

Sleeping, for most people, is arguably one of the most awaited parts of the day. Who would disagree, anyway? After a long day’s work, you really deserve to feel your bed’s comfort and get a good sleep. However, have you found yourself tossing, turning, and waking up with muscle sores lately? These are classic signs that you might need to purchase a new mattress.

Choosing the kind of mattress you want to buy means that you have to consider a range of different factors. This may include the mattress type, level of comfort, and it will even vary according to what kind of sleeper you are. True, replacing mattresses can be pretty overwhelming, but remembering a few important details can make it a whole lot easier. Below are three common questions that could help and guide you in buying the right one.

What Type of Mattress Should I Buy?

Believe it or not, but there are a lot of different options when it comes to mattress types. With the options presented to you, it can surely get confusing sometimes. That is why familiarizing yourself with the different types can help you start searching for the right one. While you’re on it, you can also consider the best mattress brands for the type that you want to purchase.

Memory Foam

One of the most popular types is foam mattresses, and there’s a good reason why. Memory foam can give you the right combination of comfort and support as it gradually conforms to your body. This quality helps cushion the shoulders, hips and supports the back, allowing for ease of comfort and relief.

This could be an ideal choice if you are a side- or back-sleeper or experience discomfort. One brand you might want to check out is Amerisleep AS3 which can adapt to different body types and sleep styles. If you have an active lifestyle, you can also opt for the Zoma Mattress.

Latex

This type of foam is similar to memory foam, but unlike them, latex foams lessen the ‘sinking’ sensation as they can rebound more quickly. Furthermore, they offer the advantage of balancing body temperature, hence provide the right feeling of warmth or cold as you sleep. As you know, the right temperature can help you sleep better.

Latex beds are becoming increasingly popular among consumers because they can be more affordable, durable, and eco-friendly. Sometimes, they are made from a mix of both synthetic and organic. If you are considering this type, you can go for the Organica Mattress.

Innerspring

Have you tried jumping on the bed when you were a child, and as you do, you hear squeaky sounds? Those sounds that the bed makes are coming from the spring coils at its core, and there’s a good chance that the bed you had as a kid was innerspring.

The standard innerspring bed is usually topped with two thin comfort layers made from latex, memory, or polyfoam to make it feel cozier. They can be easy on the budget but are not really a good choice if you are seeking pain relief.

Hybrid

As the name implies, hybrid mattresses are a combination of the spring system and foam layers. They are available with either memory foam or latex. Like the two types, a good hybrid mattress can also provide relief in pressure points and lessens muscle sores. They can also accommodate a person in any sleeping position.

If you want a hybrid type and know you are a side-sleeper, you can go for the Amerisleep AS5 hybrid. You can also go for a more low-priced mattress, the Vaya Hybrid, which can still provide you the quality comfort that you are expecting.

How Soft or Firm Do I Like It?

Besides the type, you also have to consider the level of comfort you would want from your mattress. Although there is no standard measure for mattress firmness, most manufacturers categorize them according to soft, medium, or firm. You can evaluate the firmness by considering how much the sleep surface conforms to your body position.

The softer type has a sleep surface that sinks significantly and conforms very closely to the body. This is mainly preferred by side-sleepers who are having troubles with their spine alignment. The medium one offers moderate firmness but also consistently conforms to the body.

On the other hand, the firm type has minimal conforming and doesn’t give the sinking sensation. Most back sleepers prefer this level of comfort. Choosing the comfort level would ultimately depend on your preference and at what level you could sleep best.

What Size Should I Go For?

While it may not seem so essential, the size of your bed matters, too. You wouldn’t want to buy a bed that’s too small for you and your family, especially if you like to bond over Sunday morning movies or something like that. A king-sized bed would be ideal for that situation.

On the one hand, if the kids are all grown up or if it’s just you and your partner, you can opt for a queen-sized one. This mattress size is also a good option if you are the type of sleeper who moves around, changing positions as you sleep. If you think a queen-sized bed takes up too much bedroom space, you can go for a full-size mattress.

Takeaway

Although there’s no “one size fits all” guideline in choosing the perfect mattress, you still have to be a wise consumer. And to be a wise consumer means you have to know the basics. Asking these questions to yourself as you look for the most suitable mattress could surely get you a long way.

As the founder and president of AdMedia, Danny Bibi helps clients grow their customer base and online voice by offering customized online advertisement campaigns. In addition to servicing roughly 150 different sites within their network, AdMedia also has more than 40 different subsidiary traffic products such as contextual.com and intextual.com. Bosting a wide range of services, including advertisements for mobile, AdMedia can help you achieve excellent ROIs without the use of Facebook or Google. Based in Los Angeles, California, AdMedia uses AI and machine learning to help clients reach their target audience and get more out of their advertisements.

 

What trends in your industry excite you?

The industry is changing, and so for those folks that don’t have their own architecture, their own inventory, their own technology or their own tech stack, they’re going to be negatively affected.  They won’t be able to compete.  With our company, we’re able to compete and we are able to do it at scale. The future is really exciting.

 

What would you tell others looking to get into your industry?

Start by looking at it from the perspective of a niche that interests you.  Learn more about it.  Do your research and due diligence.  Examine it by a company-per-company basis to see what a specific company’s goals and objectives are and if it is something that interests you.  Investigate if there is actually a long-term vision behind it in terms of the actual niche.

 

What is one thing you would change in your industry today if you could?

The notion that conversions and quality inventory are only to be had on the top premium destinations like Yahoo, Google, or Facebook.  It’s really not that way.  The idea that quality inventory is not available outside the major players is completely false.  In fact, most of the time it’s actually the complete opposite.  We’re constantly outperforming Google, and we’re outperforming Bing consistently.  When a brand gives us the ability to prove ourselves with proof-of-concept tests, they’re going to pull away with the fact that we’re able to outperform Google and Bing- and not by just a small percentage, but roughly 20 to 40 times over.  It’s pretty huge.  People that say they are just going to stick with the top tier are actually doing a disservice to their company and brand since  they are losing their incremental reach and revenue.

If they’re spending $1 million on Google and they’re getting $1 million or $1.2 million back, they could be working with someone like us and generating $3 million or $4 million back for the same investment.  It’s hard to believe, but it’s the truth.  We have to do a lot of work of to try to convince people to do a test with us, because for many it’s kind of a close-minded type of scenario. Clients often believe that there’s Google and there’s Facebook and that’s pretty much it.  They don’t really want to test for anything else. That kind of mindset is the only thing I would change.

 

How has your industry changed over the last decade?

It has changed by way of transparency and accountability.  In the past there wasn’t any transparency or accountability and a lot of the players in the industry have since gone out of business.  The industry has gone to more of a transparent model, which is really good for everyone who plays by the rules and is able to provide a quality service.  The folks who are not able to play by the rules and don’t provide a quality service are essentially kicked out of business.  That’s kind of the way the industry has evolved over time.

 

If you could change 1 thing you did in the beginning of your career, what would it be?

I would invest more in staff in terms of education and tools, to really provide them with additional value-added education in order for them to learn and grow and ultimately help the company expand.

 

How do you maintain a work life balance?

Part of our company culture is providing employees with the ability to have a half day.  Our goal is to allow the flexibility for the employee to get their work done during the week, then provide them a half-day on a Friday in order for them to be able to start the weekend early, get their personal life tasks done, or having that flexibility to do remote work.  There’s definitely a huge focus work/life balance at AdMedia.  My personal belief is if you can get 50% work and 50% home life, then you’re in good shape because that’s the best of both worlds.  You can increase productivity, feel accomplished, and then you also move things forward for yourself professionally and personally.  That’s been our formula and it’s worked really well.

 

What has been the hardest obstacle you’ve overcome?

Trying to gain access to the right decisionmakers at companies in order to start relationships with them.  Since the pandemic hit, it’s been an obstacle because obviously there’s no face-to-face time.  Everything is all done virtually.  At the same time, we are true believers that at some point everyone’s going to want to connect with us and hear us out.  We’re pretty hopeful of that, because we really can sell ourselves in person.  We usually meet prospective clients in person at trade shows and have face-to-face time.  We’ve also met at clients’ offices.  It’s all been one hundred percent face-to-face, and now it’s all virtual.  It has completely shifted from what it was previously.

 

What is one piece of advice that you have never forgotten?

Stay humble.

 

What does success look like for you (personal or professional)?

Success in business is not only increasing revenue from quarter-over-quarter or year-to-year, but also maintaining client retention and satisfaction with our results at all times.  The most successful aspect of this would be if a client were going through some internal corporate growing pains or issues with sales, and we would be able to help them achieve their goals, which in turn helps us achieve ours.  A perfect example would be the situation Johnson & Johnson is in with their vaccine that they just released.  There have been some problems with that rollout, and so they’re having some financial issues and stock drops, so they need to rebound from that type of situation. In order to do that they would turn to companies like ours to help make up revenue through sales on other products, and thus reduce the damage from the hit that they took.

Dropshipping is a very profitable and reasonable business model for eCommerce retailers just starting out.

Since you don’t have to create the product, you don’t need to set up a manufacturing unit. You also don’t need to stock inventory; you don’t need a warehouse either. That saves a lot of time, effort, and money that would have been spent otherwise on all of that. Dropshipping services also take care of order fulfillment, including shipping and delivery, which is another pain point for budding e-tailers. 

You can start dropshipping with Amazon or Shopify or even try etsy dropshipping to set up your online store and start making sales. The alternative is to use integrations on your website so that consumers can purchase a product on your site, and the order is directly recorded on your dropshipping service’s backend. 

This model allows for a lot of flexibility. It’s no wonder that 23% of all online sales worldwide are fulfilled through the dropshipping model. 

So how do you get started with dropshipping? Here are four steps you have to follow to set up your dropshipping business. 

 

Step 1: Find the right niche

This applies to both businesses and individuals that want to try dropshipping. You cannot be a generalist. Find out what sells, the competition in the market to ensure it is not saturated and to make sure you have a unique selling point. 

If you are not sure about the niche, find something that interests you. As long as you have an active interest in it, you can turn it into a business. 

Other factors that you can consider are:

• Profit margin: Make sure that the product you are selling does not cost you more in shipping and delivery. Even a lean profit margin is important for you to keep growing the business. 
• Shipping fees: Customers have come to expect free shipping so find something that is inexpensive to ship so that you can waive shipping off to acquire more customers. 
• Appealing to impulse buyers: An impulse buy is when you buy one or more items from the shelves around the checkout counter. This is difficult to replicate online, but if you offer a product that has utility and is aesthetically pleasing, impulse buyers can rationalize the purchase in their minds quickly. 
• Demand for the product: You should ideally sell a product in demand and make sure that the demand is considerable. Without demand, you virtually have no business. You can always create demand, but with dropshipping in the early stages, this will take a lot of time. 
• Brand creation: Can you create a brand around your product? If so, then you have found the right niche. Eventually, you want your brand to be recognizable so that you don’t have to keep selling the same product or same type of product and can expand the line successfully.

 

Step 2: Research your competitors

‘If you are in a market with no competitors, you are in the wrong market.’ For you to be successful, you have to find a market where you have a sizable number of competitors. You can then research each of these companies to see what they do well and what their shortcomings are so that you can build a framework for your company. 

Pay attention to online reviews. These will tell you more than their website will.

 

Step 3: Find a reliable supplier

Your brand’s reputation is dependent on the quality of the product and service. Unfortunately, neither of those things are in your direct control in a dropshipping model. That is why it is important to find a reliable supplier that will uphold your brand’s image. 

There are a lot of dropshipping websites that list suppliers that you can get in touch with. You can also ask on online forums for some recommendations based on the first-hand experience. The last thing you can do is to look at online reviews.

If you’re still not convinced, start with a small batch of orders and test the supplier’s responsiveness before you go ahead and place actual orders. 

You should also follow up with consumers to check in with them about their ordering experience and product quality. 

A long-term solution is to use technology that holds your supplier accountable. 

Step 4: Build your website or distribution strategy

For e-tailers, building a website is a vital step. But if you are an individual reselling or curating products, you can set up your store within the main website’s domain.

Setting up a website used to be hard, but with plugins and website builders, you can basically set it up in less than a day. 

For both individuals and companies, a distribution strategy is key. Social media should be a part of it, but you should also pay attention to community building, other forums, email marketing, and content marketing.

 

To sum up

These are the four steps you have to follow to set up a dropshipping business. Once you have it all set up, you should also go over your overall marketing strategy to ensure your customer acquisition costs remain low while you rake in a profit. Another important thing to remember when selling online is that you should stay on top of data to make sure you continue selling products that are relevant and profitable.