Today we’re happy to introduce you to Jack Kitchener, investor, dropshipper, serial entrepreneur and YouTuber, with over 11,000 subscribers tuning in for his weekly dropshipping videos.

So Jack, how did you get into dropshipping?

After going through the traditional education system I still had no purpose or direction in life, that was when I decided to make the big decision of dropping out to pursue a career in the corporate world. I’ve had more jobs that I can count but none of them have ever satisfied me.

Since then I’ve always looked for ways to make money. Dropshipping was my first successful adventure and ever since I’ve built multiple businesses and investments so I can live the life I decide. 

What was the ‘eureka‘ moment?

My girlfriend was in a lecture one day and whilst I waited for her I watched a Tai Lopez webinar with Adrian Morrison. From that point I was hooked, it seemed like the perfect business to start; little capital up front, low risk and completely online. 3 days later I opened my first dropshipping store.

What was your background before eCommerce?

Educated to university level, with a focus on computer technology. I was always good with numbers and human psychology. I never took psychology in school but it was something that interested me so I read books on it. Apart from that I’ve had probably 20+ different jobs, everything from stacking shelves, counting bolts and a typical mundane 9-5 desk job.  

How did you get your first sales?

Facebook Ads spending no more than £5 per day. I still remember what I was doing the first time I heard that cha-ching sound from my phone. I was playing table tennis in the garden in mid June, I was so excited when my first ad went live I would always keep my phone next to me on loud. It’s a moment I’ll never forget.

Who taught you the ins and outs of dropshipping?

I watched youtube videos mainly to learn the Facebook Ads Manager. Shopify was easy for me having a background in computers and because I already had an interest in psychology I had an understanding of how to sell things as well. I joined FB groups as well but the most important things I learnt were always from trial and error which is one of the reasons why I think I found success with dropshipping and marketing.

What’s the most revenue you’ve generated in a day?

$30,000 (or £24k). I only broke even this day but the leads I generated made it worth it.

What is your best marketing tactic?

It’s difficult to say just 1 because it depends entirely on the product and the audience. Where I see most people go wrong though is they focus on the product more than the customer. It should be the other way around because once you find a buyers market then you can sell them almost anything. You also need to consider the hesitations of the customer like how much they will trust a new business they have never heard of before. Once you understand the psychology of things like this it becomes a whole lot easier.

If you were starting today, what would you do differently?

Invest more into my self education, once I found that initial success I failed to continue learning and became stagnant. One of my favourite quotes on this is “If you’re not moving forwards, you’re moving backwards”. I would also focus on customer life-time value more. I fell guilty of acquiring a customer and then forgetting about them, there’s so much more money to be made than just that first sale.

Why did you succeed where others have failed?

I was so heavily action based and did not care about failure. When I first heard about dropshipping I started building a store, adding products and running ads immediately. I didn’t care about all the little things that I hear people getting hung up about now. I didn’t have a logo, I had no instagram page, I didn’t know what import duties or taxes were and I didn’t sample my product first. These are all things you can learn as you go along but most people won’t start until they have answers to these.

What is the biggest lesson you’ve learned through dropshipping?

Focus on your customer. If your customers are happy your business will flourish, it really is that simple. No business that treats its customers poorly will have a very long shelf life. You also need to do things differently to everyone else, to do the same you should expect the same. By doing things unique to your own style and brand you open up opportunities and results you never knew were possible.

If you could give one piece of advice to new ecom entrepreneurs, what would it be?

Start today. Self educate along the way but get started now. It doesn’t matter how educated or prepared you are there are some things you can only learn (mainly through mistakes and failures) by running a business. Might as well combat these now than in 6 months time. It’ll be the best and worst thing you ever do; you’ll have extreme highs and self confidence at times but you’ll also have nights where you don’t sleep and can’t function because of extreme stress and pressure. Even through all this the lifestyle and freedom it can give you will make it worth it 10 times over. Otherwise, what’s your alternative?

What are your plans for the future?

I have 2 main stores now that I will continue to grow but I’m also working on a print on demand store right now too. I love the business model and personalised products are huge at the moment. I also have a small property portfolio that I’d like to continue to grow. Every spare penny from ecommerce goes into doing this. I’d also like to continue to grow my course into more than just a course but an education program to help those that felt that same way I did working a boring and unfulfilling job.

I believe there’s a lot of people in that situation but get trapped by the financial commitments and responsibilities they acquire. I’d also love to do public speaking. The idea of starting a youtube channel was daunting but now I’m comfortable in front of a camera and it has grown my confidence, public speaking is the natural progression from this.

Thank you for being part of our interview series Jack, we appreciate it!

Key Takeaways:

• It’s okay to break even as you make the profit with the customer leads
• You can test products with a low budget (£5 per day)
• Focus on the customer more than the product itself
• Always keep on top of industry trends and keep learning through YouTube tutorials
• Focus on customer life-time value
• Learn on industry Facebook groups
• Don’t get caught up with the little things

Make sure you subscribe to Jack on YouTube and follow him on Twitter and Instagram to stay up to date with his latest tips and tricks.