Bring Your Product Idea to Life

What happens when you decide to build a business in an industry where you don't necessarily fit the mould? In this episode, I'm joined by Lizzie Lane, founder of Carparts Queen. Lizzie started working in the motor parts industry at 18 and spent more than a decade learning the trade before deciding to take everything she'd learnt and start a business of her own. We talk about what growing a product business has really looked like for Lizzie, from making her first sales to experiencing much faster growth than she expected, and some of the challenges that have come with that. Lizzie also shares her experience of building a business in a traditionally male dominated industry, why making car parts easier and less intimidating to buy is so important to her, and how she's using customer service to create a business that feels very different from others in the industry. There's a really interesting conversation about growth too. We talk about the pressure to keep pushing for more, knowing when you might need to slow down and get your processes in place, and the parts of growing a product business that aren't always visible from the outside. In this episode, you'll hear about: • How Lizzie went from working in the motor trade to starting Carparts Queen • Finding a way to stand out in a competitive industry • Building trust and confidence with your customers • The realities of running a business in a male dominated industry • Managing unexpected growth and knowing when to slow down • Staying true to what makes your business different If you're starting or growing your own product business, I think you'll really enjoy Lizzie's openness about what's worked, what's been challenging and what she's learnt along the way. Find Lizzie here: www.carpartsqueen.co.uk Chapters 00:00 Meet Lizzie Lane and Carparts Queen 02:05 From employee to business owner 04:42 Starting Carparts Queen 07:22 Women in the motor parts industry 13:23 Helping customers feel more confident 20:07 Making car parts easier to buy 23:07 Building trust with your customers 30:18 Running a business in a male dominated industry 36:07 Managing unexpected business growth 40:35 Growing the team and looking ahead 44:17 The reality behind running a business 46:33 Lizzie's advice for product founders LET’S CONNECT Follow me on YouTube Find me on Instagram Work with me Buy My Book: Bring Your Product Idea To Life If you enjoy this podcast, and you’d like to leave a tip, you can do so here: https://bring-your-product-idea.captivate.fm/support Mentioned in this episode: Amazon Made Easy is now open My membership, Amazon Made Easy is now open. It’s a membership for people who are selling on Amazon (or planning to) and want regular access to support, somewhere to ask questions and talk things through, and a bit of structure and accountability as they grow. Inside, there are live Q&A calls, optional co-working sessions and a small, supportive community. Find out more: https://vickiweinberg.com/membership membership

If you sell on Amazon, Q4 can creep up on you incredibly quickly. One minute it's September and Christmas feels ages away, then suddenly you're dealing with increased traffic, more expensive ads, stock deadlines and everything else that comes with the busiest shopping period of the year. The good news is that you don't need to do everything at once. In this week's episode, I'm sharing my practical Amazon Q4 preparation checklist, including the things I'd be looking at now to make life easier later in the year. This isn't about adding lots more to your to do list, it's about getting a few important things sorted before you're busy and don't have the time or headspace to deal with them. We start with your Amazon listings, including the new 75 character product title limit, updating your images and A Plus Content, and why September is a good time to get new products listed if you want them selling during Q4. I also talk about inventory planning and some of the important dates to be aware of, as well as checking your account health, building up reviews, using Amazon Vine and getting your advertising and budgets ready for potentially higher costs. We'll also look at Black Friday and Cyber Monday, why you absolutely don't have to take part in Amazon's deals, and a quick reminder about the potential increase in returns after Christmas. In this episode, I cover: • Getting your Amazon listings ready for Q4 • Amazon's new 75 character product title limit • Planning your FBA inventory and when to send stock • Checking your Amazon account health • Building up reviews before Q4 • Preparing your Amazon ads and budgets • Planning for Black Friday and Cyber Monday • Using FBM as a backup during the busy period • Preparing for returns after Christmas Getting ahead with your Amazon Q4 preparation now means there'll hopefully be much less to worry about when things get really busy later in the year. I've also got a free Amazon optimisation checklist to help you quickly audit your account, and you can join me at my next free Amazon Seller Support and Connect call if you have any questions. I'll put the links to both below. Chapters 00:00 Getting your Amazon business ready for Q4 01:05 Amazon's new product title limits 03:50 Updating listings and launching new products 05:45 Q4 inventory planning and important dates 08:15 Checking your Amazon account health 09:20 Getting more reviews before Q4 12:10 Preparing your Amazon ads and budgets 14:35 Black Friday, Cyber Monday and Amazon deals 16:00 Preparing for returns after Christmas 17:05 Your Amazon Q4 preparation checklist 18:05 Amazon Seller Support and Connect USEFUL LINKS: My free Amazon audit checklist: https://checklist.vickiweinberg.com/audit Everyting you need to know about Amazon Vine: https://player.captivate.fm/episode/31085d58-6597-4221-8627-35e4846480ba/ How to get your first reviews on Amazon: https://player.captivate.fm/episode/071d0e68-5b91-414a-93a9-f6b8dc823f35/ Join the next Amazon Sellers Support & Connect call: https://calendly.com/vickiweinberg/new-meeting Follow me on YouTube Find me on Instagram Work with me Buy My Book: Bring Your Product Idea To Life If you enjoy this podcast, and you’d like to leave a tip, you can do so here: https://bring-your-product-idea.captivate.fm/support Mentioned in this episode: Amazon Made Easy is now open My membership, Amazon Made Easy is now open. It’s a membership for people who are selling on Amazon (or planning to) and want regular access to support, somewhere to ask questions and talk things through, and a bit of structure and accountability as they grow. Inside, there are live Q&A calls, optional co-working sessions and a small, supportive community. Find out more: https://vickiweinberg.com/membership membership

If you sell on Amazon, there's a chance you're missing out on money without even realising it. Lost inventory, invoice discrepancies, overbilling and fulfilment issues can all add up over time, but many sellers never spot them, let alone know they can claim the money back. In this week's episode, I'm joined by Liam from Threecolts to talk about Amazon reimbursement claims, how they work, what Amazon sellers should be checking, and why recovering lost revenue doesn't have to become another job on your to do list. We also explore marketplace expansion and how brands can grow onto platforms such as TikTok Shop, Temu and Walmart without creating unnecessary manual work. Whether you're an established Amazon seller or you're starting to think about expanding beyond your own website, this episode is packed with practical advice to help you make informed decisions and protect your profitability. Find Liam and the team here: Website: threecolts.com Instagram : threecolts_com Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/threecolts/posts/?feedView=all LET’S CONNECT Follow me on YouTube Find me on Instagram Work with me Buy My Book: Bring Your Product Idea To Life If you enjoy this podcast, and you’d like to leave a tip, you can do so here: https://bring-your-product-idea.captivate.fm/support Mentioned in this episode: Amazon Made Easy is now open My membership, Amazon Made Easy is now open. It’s a membership for people who are selling on Amazon (or planning to) and want regular access to support, somewhere to ask questions and talk things through, and a bit of structure and accountability as they grow. Inside, there are live Q&A calls, optional co-working sessions and a small, supportive community. Find out more: https://vickiweinberg.com/membership membership

Have you ever wondered what it really takes to launch a skincare brand in one of the world's most competitive industries? In this week's episode, I'm joined by father and son team Mark and Malachy Mitchnick, the founders of Burnd Sunscreen. Mark is a paediatrician and product developer who spent decades creating products for some of the biggest names in skincare. Malachy left a career in technology to help build a consumer brand from the ground up. What I loved about this conversation is that it isn't just about sunscreen. It's about innovation, building a product people genuinely need, creating a brand customers connect with, and having the confidence to launch something even when plenty of people think it's a bad idea. We also talk honestly about the reality of building a business. From living at home to keep costs low, to making decisions without having all the data, Mark and Malachy share the lessons they've learned while launching a skincare brand in a crowded marketplace. If you're developing your own product, or thinking about bringing an idea to market, this episode is full of practical advice, honest reflections and encouragement from founders who are building a business one step at a time. Find Mark and Malachy Here: getburnd.com @burndskincare https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-mitchnick-a9a71311/ ***Get 15% off sitewide by using code vicki*** LET’S CONNECT Follow me on YouTube Find me on Instagram Work with me Buy My Book: Bring Your Product Idea To Life If you enjoy this podcast, and you’d like to leave a tip, you can do so here: https://bring-your-product-idea.captivate.fm/support

If you sell on Amazon, things don't stay still for long, and over the past couple of months there have been several updates that could affect how you manage your business. From new virtual bundles and returns tools to changes to product titles, AI shopping features and important dates for Q4, there's plenty to be aware of. In this episode, I'm rounding up the latest Amazon seller updates, explaining what they mean in practice and, most importantly, what action you might want to take now. Whether you sell through FBA or FBM, these updates could help you improve your listings, increase your average order value and prepare for the busiest time of the year. If you want to stay ahead of changes on Amazon without having to read every announcement yourself, this episode will bring you up to speed. If you have any questions regarding the episode my next Amazon Sellers Support Connect is on Thursday 3rd September, for more information on this head to my instagram below and pop me a message. LET’S CONNECT Follow me on YouTube Find me on Instagram Work with me Buy My Book: Bring Your Product Idea To Life If you enjoy this podcast, and you’d like to leave a tip, you can do so here: https://bring-your-product-idea.captivate.fm/support Mentioned in this episode: Amazon Made Easy is now open My membership, Amazon Made Easy is now open. It’s a membership for people who are selling on Amazon (or planning to) and want regular access to support, somewhere to ask questions and talk things through, and a bit of structure and accountability as they grow. Inside, there are live Q&A calls, optional co-working sessions and a small, supportive community. Find out more: https://vickiweinberg.com/membership membership