When Ben Leonard embarked on his previous venture, Beast Gear, he encountered frustration with the quality of jump ropes available for his workouts.
A professional ecologist, Leonard revealed modifying existing models and eventually devised his own prototype by amalgamating features he admired.
This prototype underwent testing among his gym acquaintances, yielding valuable feedback. Subsequently, Leonard sourced a manufacturer and introduced the Beast Rope, garnering attention through instructional videos on YouTube.
This initiation took place in 2016, marking the genesis of Beast Gear, an online retailer specializing in fitness gear. Under Leonard’s stewardship, the enterprise flourished, achieving annual revenues in the seven figures before its acquisition by Thrasio in November 2019.
Notably, Thrasio acknowledged Leonard’s personal rapport with customers as a pivotal factor in their decision, stating, “the owner had built personal connections with many of the brand’s customers” in an acquisition case study.
Drawing from his experiences in establishing a brand from scratch, Leonard authored the book “Quit Stalling and Build Your Brand: You Don’t Need an MBA to Crush It In E-commerce.”
Operating from the United Kingdom, he also oversees an e-commerce consultancy named Ben Leonard E-commerce Mentorship, as well as Ecom Brokers, an e-commerce brokerage.
Furthermore, Leonard imparts guidance to aspiring e-commerce entrepreneurs through the course Product Empire and is presently finalizing the development of a novel iteration of the baby carrier, addressing a discerned gap in the market stemming from his role as a father.
Numerous burgeoning entrepreneurs harbor aspirations akin to Leonard’s trajectory within the e-commerce domain, particularly given its accelerated growth amid the pandemic.
U.S. e-commerce sales surged to a record $268.12 billion in the initial quarter of 2024, constituting 22.2% of total U.S. sales, as per an analysis by market research firm Digital Commerce 360 of U.S. Department of Commerce data.
“We live in a time where you can learn and do anything you want,” observes Leonard. “Almost anyone can turn an idea into a real, grown-up business that can be very small in headcount and generate life-changing sums of money.
The mistake many people have made is they’ve gone into it with a ‘sell stuff on the internet to make money attitude,’ rather than a build-a-brand attitude.”
So, what strategies facilitate the establishment of a robust e-commerce brand for solo entrepreneurs or tiny teams?
According to Leonard, it revolves around comprehending the target audience and their challenges, adeptly devising products that address these needs, and effectively marketing them.
