The Obsessed View: Launching and Growing Product-Based Businesses with Charlotte Carter

Your Product Based Business Podcast

Welcome to the first-ever episode of The Obsessed View, hosted by Charlotte Carter, your go-to resource for product-based business insights. In this episode, Charlotte dives into her personal journey of launching and growing a product-based business, Carter Bags, and provides actionable advice for aspiring entrepreneurs.

This podcast is perfect for anyone looking to:

• Launch a product or brand.
• Navigate the complexities of manufacturing and sourcing.
• Build and grow an e-commerce or retail business.

Key Takeaways from Episode 1:

1. Things to consider when starting a product based business

   • Transforming an idea into a Minimum Viable Product (MVP).
   • The importance of finding the right people, like designers and sourcing agents.
   • Budgeting realistically: why you should triple your initial cost estimates.

2. Getting your product based business going

   • The significance of marketing ecosystems: from SEO to email automation.
   • Leveraging tools like ChatGPT for planning, research, and strategy.
   • Building your website and attracting traffic through organic and paid methods.

3. How to grow your product based business

   • Why paid advertising (Google Ads, Meta Ads) is essential for scaling.
   • Enhancing customer lifetime value through email automation and upselling.
   • Learning from setbacks and continuously innovating.

4. Charlotte’s Personal Insights:

   • Challenges faced in manufacturing, from sourcing ethical suppliers to handling minimum order quantities.
   • The emotional and professional growth from running a product-based business.
   • How SEO and optimising for terms like “laptop tote bag” transformed Carter Bags' sales.

Guest Line-Up for Future Episodes:

• Katherine Jones, ThinKWine: Discussing product sourcing and overcoming business challenges.
• Ilya from Codu: Building a product-based business in Ukraine and launching a second successful brand.
• Simon Whitaker, Master Debonair: Balancing online and physical retail stores.
• Bruce Watson, Hoot Sauce: Why he paused a high-sales-volume business.
• Carter Bags Investor: Insights into strategic investments and scaling through smaller production runs.
• Kathryn, Export Specialist: Logistics and launching products in new markets.

Sponsor:

This episode is proudly sponsored by Constant Contact, an all-in-one platform for social media scheduling, email marketing, and SEO tools. Perfect for small businesses looking to save time and scale effectively.