ECom Family Academy is an online coaching program that teaches you how to sell products using Shopify Dropshipping and Print-On-Demand. It was founded by Reginald and Tania Jennings, also known as Mr. and Mrs. eCom.
Their main business model is based around a combination of Shopify dropshipping and print-on-demand. According to Mr. ECom, the key to success is using data to identify which products are selling the most and finding out who the biggest sellers are of these products.
Overall, the ECom Family Academy is not a scam. Mr. and Mrs. ECom seem to be very passionate about helping others achieve financial freedom and stability. The fact that they’re willing to reveal all their secrets is a testament to their authenticity. However, keep in mind that the eCommerce industry is tougher than you might think.
If you’re looking for an online business that isn’t subject to these issues, check out local lead generation. With local lead generation, all you have to do is create a website that ranks in accordance with Google’s algorithms, allow local business to generate leads through your website, and make money off of each sale.
Unlike the eCommerce industry, local lead generation does not suffer from any form of saturation simply because you’re not competing on a global scale. Every city is a market filled with hundreds of potential clients you can choose from, which makes it more steady and much more attainable.
Pros
Provides a detailed outline of everything you will be needing, such as tools, software, marketing strategies, and many others.
Reggie Jennings has a lot of experience in the eCommerce space.
Cons
There are little to no objective reviews, which makes it difficult to get a glimpse of how successful or unsuccessful the course is.
The refund policy is not guaranteed unless you spend $1,000, even if the program does not work.
Price
One time payment of $1,495
Refund Policy
30 day money-back guarantee (as long as you went through the entire course, took actionable steps to apply the strategies and techniques inside the course, and spent a minimum of $1,000 on ad spend)
Origin
2021
Reputation
Lots of positive reviews but very little negative or objective reviews.
3 Pitfalls of Running a Print-On-Demand Business
1. You have no control over the quality of your products
This is almost a no-brainer if you’re in the dropshipping industry, let alone the print-on-demand space. It is inevitable to encounter suppliers that are more concerned with making money than actually delivering quality products.
You also have to keep in mind that you can only dropship products that a supplier sells. For instance, if you want to sell clothes that are made out of polyester but the supplier only offers cotton and spandex, then there’s really not much you can do. A good way to counter to this is to spend time researching and finding the best suppliers that provide high quality products. Check out supplier websites, look for reviews and testimonies, or talk with their customer support to find out more about the company.
Unfortunately, you’re still at the mercy of your suppliers, no matter what. As a dropshipper, you never actually touch the product. Rather, you rely heavily on your suppliers to provide top quality products, which can be very risky. At the end of the day, very little can be done about the limitations that come with dropshipping and POD.
2. Customer service is almost non-existent
As a POD dropshipper, your business model is simple and straightforward:
A customer places an order → You order the products from your supplier → The supplier ships the product to your customer
While this might sound very efficient and timesaving, notice how your only interaction with your customers is when they place an order. Unlike physical stores where you interact with your customers and establish a relationship with them, dropshippers have little to no customer interaction.
This is not exactly ideal because of two reasons:
There is little to no customer retention
Customer retention is the ability of a company or business to turn customers into regular clients that stay loyal to its products or brand. Here are some examples of companies that have a high retention rate:
- Amazon: The biggest online marketplace globally. Approximately 2.7 billion users around the world use Amazon to buy products online.
- Apple: Arguably the top company when it comes to smartphones. Studies show that 55.79% of the smartphone market in the US belongs to Apple.
- Netflix: One of the most popular video streaming services globally. Netflix has over 225 million users worldwide.
- Nike: A dominant force in the footwear industry. As of June 2022, Nike is reported to be worth over $182 billion. Adidas, on the other hand, has a market value of $36 billion only.
- Google: The largest search engine in the world, Google owns 84.08% of the entire search engine market.
It prevents you from identifying your strengths and weaknesses
3. Shipping times and deliveries will be inconsistent
One of the biggest pitfalls of running a print-on-demand business is the uncertainties when it comes to shipping and deliveries. Not only are you forced to wait for your designs to be finished, you also have to keep in mind that there are other print-on-demand sellers, just like you, in the queue.
Ultimately, this can be detrimental to your business, since fast shipping and delivery is often what potential buyers look for in a store. A study by Voxware shows that approximately 69% of customers are less likely to buy from the same store if their product does not arrive within two days of the promised delivery time.
If you don't want to stress over shipping and deliveries, there are platforms like Etsy where you can just sell your designs to make money.
ECom Family Academy Overview
Mr. ECom gives 4 basic steps to help you start your own print-on-demand business:
1. Find out who your competitors are
Find out who your competitors are and confirm a consumer pattern using online tools such as Google Trends, SimilarWeb, and CommerceInspector.
- SimilarWeb: Allows you to visit any eCommerce website and view how they rank against other websites under their category, how many visits they receive per month, and many more.
- CommerceInspector: Lets you “spy” on your competitors by allowing you to see what products were added by the store, when they were added, and other important information.
2. Create an eCommerce platform
Once you’ve identified what the best selling products are and who the sells them, you can now build your online store using Shopify.
3. Market your products
After you’ve built your eCommerce platform, you can begin marketing your products using:
- Search engine advertising and paid ads (Google ads, Bing ads, Yahoo ads)
- Social media advertising (Facebook marketing, Instagram ads, TikTok ads)
- Search engine optimization (keyword research, internal linking, and many others)
4. Sourcing, packing, and shipping
The final step is sourcing, packing, and shipping your products every time a customer places an order. He further supplements this step by providing a list of suppliers where you can source products:
- AliExpress: AliExpress is a service created by the Alibaba Group that is designed to cater to individuals rather than large-scale businesses that buy in bulk.
- ShineOn: ShineOn is an online marketplace that sells personalized gifts and creative products, such as bracelets and necklaces. They have factories in the US and in Europe.
- CustomCat: CustomCat is an online provider that offers fulfillment services for print-on-demand goods and products. Print-on-demand is the process of sourcing customized products from a supplier for every order you receive.
- GearBubble: GearBubble is another print-on-demand fulfillment company that’s similar to CustomCat, but offers website building functionalities.
- Pillow Profits: Pillow Profits is a fulfillment service that caters mostly to Shopify users. They offer print-on-demand services for all kinds of clothes, footwear, home decorations, and many more.
- InterestPrint: InterestPrint is a print-on-demand company that offers services for over 700 products across various categories, such as clothes, bags, utensils, and many others. They have fulfillment centers located in Australia, China, and the United States.
What’s included when you work with EFA?
The total cost of the program is around $14,491, but EFA has a limited time offer of only $1,495 for the entire course. Here's a quick breakdown of everything that's included:
- 2022 A-Z POD Online Course ($5,000 value)
- Daily Zoom Classes with a Success Mentor ($5,000 value)
- Weekly Q&A Zoom Call with Mr. & Mrs. Ecom ($1,500 value)
- Lifetime Access to Exclusive Private Facebook Group ($997 value)
- Access to All Previous Live Q&A Recordings ($997 value)
- 2022 Ad Strategies To Keep You Winning ($997 value)
Who are Mr. and Mrs. ECom?
Before he became Mr. Ecom, Reginald “Reggie” Jennings Jr. was an IT professional who worked for a company named IT Direct. Even at a young age, he has always had a passion for computers and programming.
When he reached the age of 13, he was already building websites for the National Guard of the United States. He graduated from Central Connecticut State University back in 2009 with a degree in Management of Information Systems.
Mrs. ECom, also known as Tania Jennings, is Mr. Ecom’s highschool sweetheart. She initially wanted to take up Culinary Arts, but her father wanted her to become involved in computers and the tech industry. He met Reggie back in the early 2000s and the rest is history.
How did they end up in eCommerce?
According to Reggie, he has been in the eCommerce space since 1998. For his first eCommerce business, he and his mom paid $5000 for a store that was already setup on eBay. Once he reached college, he went dumpster diving to find broken down computers, fixed those computers, and sold them on Craigslist
After he graduated, he became an SEO marketer for local companies that were struggling to reach their target audience and generate traffic. Fast forward to 2016, Reggie joined a program called Alpha eCom, which was founded by Justin Taylor. Eventually, he left his six-figure job to become a virtual assistant for one of the 18-year-olds there that made $30k a day, just so he could learn how to do the same.
He even offered his services for free because he wanted it so bad. By the 31st of December, just before the year ended, he and the 118-year-old kid he worked for had already made over $500,000 in sales. Once he realized he could make $500,000 in sales in less than 2 months, he left his job as a VA and started on his own eCommerce store.
Unfortunately, reality set in pretty quickly for him since he struggled to make even a single dollar during the first few months and even had over $60k in debt. To keep their family afloat, the couple started cleaning offices at night just to make ends meet. Fortunately, Reggie met his second mentor, Manny Amari. Reggie became a VA for Manny to learn the basics of print-on-demand, such as following trends and identifying markets.
If it wasn’t for Manny Amari and the couple’s hunger and passion to learn, they wouldn’t be where they are today.
ECom Family Academy Modules
This module serves as an overview and introduction to the entire course:
- Welcome to the Family
- Getting Started
- Getting Started Updated, Reviewing the Course & Support
Having the right mindset before you begin your eCommerce journey is the first and most important step:
- What’s Required: Setting the Stage
- Asking Questions Cashes Checks
Knowing the fundamentals of eCommerce is extremely crucial in ensuring the success of your store:
- Overview
- Getting Started: The Entire Process
This module tackles everything you need to know when it comes to searching for the winning product:
- Lesson 1: The Bird’s Eye View
- Lesson 2: Product Research with Etsy
- Lesson 3: Product Research with Facebook
- Lesson 4: Product Research with Pinterest and eBay.
Once you've identified a product to focus on, you can begin designing your product:
- Designing 101 Using Canva
- Designing the Perfect Card + TikTok Ad
How else are you going to sell your product without a store? This module teaches you how to build an online Shopify store from scratch:
- Setting Up My Shopify Store
- Setting Up My Shopify Store Part 2 (STEP BY STEP)
- Build Your Store Live Part 1
- Build Your Store Live part 2
- Student Shopify Store Reviews
This module walks you through the basics of using ShineOn, which is a print-on-demand service:
- Setting Up on ShineOn App
- Adding the Products To My Store
- ShineOn Resources + Getting Samples
CustomCat is another leading eCommerce platform that provides users with powerful tools to accelerate their print-on-demand business:
- “The Whole Process” Masterclass
This module outlines the importance of using TikTok ads and how they can be beneficial to your print-on-demand business:
- Why TikTok?
- Setting Up The TikTok SHopify App
- Warming Up My TikTok Account (MUST DO FIRST)
- Warming Up Your TikTok Ad Account + Launching Your FIrst Ad (MUST DO FIRST)
- Warming Up Your Account Reviewing Data
- Launching Your First Ad
- TikTok Ad Strategy
- Reviewing Your Data
- Scaling Your Ads
Other course reviews on E-commerce:
Conclusion: Is Running a Print-On-Demand Business Worth It?
Running a print-on-demand business can be worth it. As long as you put in the work and dedicate a lot of time and effort, everything will fall in place. Unfortunately, no matter how hard you work, your business is still exposed to a lot of uncontrollable issues such as product saturation, tough competition, lack of customer service, and many others. Reality sets in pretty quickly once you understand how difficult it is to establish a POD business, let alone sustain it. You’ll inevitably face a variety of issues, such as:
- Intense competition: There are around 6.3 million eCommerce stores that run on Shopify alone. Studies also show that by the end of 2023, there will be approximately 24 million eCommerce stores across the web.
- Over-saturated products: There is no clear answer as to how many products there are on the internet. However, if we take into consideration that Amazon alone has approximately 350 million products listed on its platform, it can be safe to assume that the number of products on the web might be close to a billion.
- Failure to establish a relationship with your customers: Running an eCommerce business eliminates the need to set up a physical store where you have to deal with every customer that walks in. While this might sound convenient, it also eliminates any opportunity to establish a relationship with your clientele.
- Physical stores: Despite the apparent rise in eCommerce and online shopping, physical stores still dominate the retail industry to this day. A study conducted by Oberlo.com shows that physical stores generated over $4.2 trillion in sales during the pandemic in 2020. Online eCommerce stores, on the other hand, accumulated around $709 billion.
Why Local Lead Generation Is the Best Online Business
If you’re searching for an online business that’s profitable, sustainable, and isn’t saturated, check out local lead generation. Local lead generation is a business model that involves generating leads for businesses within an area of your choice. All you have to do is create a website and rank it in accordance with Google’s algorithm, allow local businesses and companies to generate leads using your optimized website, and make money for each converted sale.
The best part about local lead generation is that requires little to no maintenance at all. I have sites from 2014 that are making me $2,000 to this very day, and I barely have to touch them.
If you’re searching for an online business that will serve as your ticket to financial freedom and stability, local lead generation might be the answer you’re looking for.
I don't believe they are a scam, but their teaching practice is riddled with ethical issues. They teach you to 'steal' other marketers images and videos and use them in your own marketing.
I attended several live trainings that they were specific about this. When I called them out on it, they ignored my messages.
If you read the terms and conditions on both Facebook and Etsy, they are very clear that you can not use anothers images or videos in your listings or ads.
And when I asked for a refund, all I got was 'corporate speak' that stated they do not advicate 'stealing other peoples' images or videos.