The founder who started a successful travel accessories company during the pandemic
Posted: Thu 28th Jul 2022
Mark Farrer is the founder of The Pack Wolf Company, which makes travel products inspired by his passion built over 25 years in the travel industry.
The entrepreneur launched his brand during the coronavirus pandemic when travel was brought to a virtual standstill. But as Mark says: "The idea behind this business is not quite as crazy as it might first seem; it is in fact, more about looking at established travel products and seeing how they can benefit our everyday lives as well."
Mark discusses the story behind his brand, selling products on Amazon's online store, dealing with the cost-of-living crisis and how the Amazon Small Business Accelerator has inspired him.
The free Amazon Small Business Accelerator e-learning programme is advice from more than 30 business experts in over 200 bitesize videos.
If you're already an Enterprise Nation member, log in to your learning dashboard. If you're not an Enterprise Nation member, you can join the Amazon Small Business Accelerator for free here.
How did you come up with your business idea?
"Until I left a travel industry career it had only ever been a collection of thoughts about what products I’d love to produce. This started to shape into a business idea after my last redundancy presented enough free time to actually work out how to do it.
"Spending 25 years travelling for work and leisure I’d used countless travel products, baggage and gear along the way and I’d always try to visualise how these could be improved for the user. Too many products I bought simply didn’t live up to their primary task.
"I split starting-up into two parallel work streams: firstly, working on product development and sourcing manufacturers, then secondly to setup and fund the company itself."
What start-up challenges have you faced?
"Not knowing what you don’t know! Naively thinking my transferrable skills would cover half of what I needed whereas in reality I’ve had to learn 90% of what I know today.
"Filling knowledge gaps takes time. My two biggies were import/export and finance which I’ve addressed by finding government grants to gain the relevant qualifications. Access to much of that came from being technically unemployed at the beginning.
"Also, global freight stresses are consistently near-fatal. I can't say that I have managed to overcome them in any way. Contingency cannot be an infinite thing."
Why did you decide to start selling on Amazon’s online store?
"In terms of an online store, it is unparalleled. It offers scalability if you can hit on successful products, with vast support and marketing tools. It's almost limitless in that respect."
What's your strategy for selling on Amazon and what advice would you give to others?
"My approach is about building visibility and trust. Being on Amazon Brand Registry means I have access to an entire suite of tools for enhanced content, deal and promotion creation. Most importantly, my intellectual property (i.e. the brand) is protected. This is vital for anyone looking to take a similar path.
"My advice? Spend an hour on Amazon Seller Forums and you will see hundreds of new sellers asking for advice on how to get their suspended account reinstated after falling foul of Amazon rules. Number one tip, therefore, is to read every word of the Seller University resource before you list your first product. Then, make sure your well-researched product looks great, is priced right, has the correct category…and be patient. Some sellers hit gold on week one but most do not so you have to build sales and reviews."
How has the Amazon Small Business Accelerator e-learning programme inspired you?
"The Amazon Small Business Accelerator is an incredible resource, not least because it’s free.
"The key parts for me was the advice on pricing, 'Build a brand' and the 'Seller Stories' which is a rich source for validating what you are doing against sellers who are already succeeding on Amazon."
What are your plans for the future of your business?
"I'm establishing a solid foundation to build from first, which has been elusive so far due to various setbacks.
"I will grow the product range and then build out from the Amazon successes to grow my brand’s own online presence and drive sales to The Pack Wolf Company website."
Which other entrepreneurs inspire you and why?
"For an inspirational tale, the story of the brothers behind the Gandys brand is hard to beat.
"Orphaned by the 2004 tsunami, they started a business selling flipflops from their bedroom six years later. Gandys now has an incredible range of outdoor apparel and their own charity foundation which helps orphans across the world.”
How did the COVID-19 pandemic impact on your business?
"Thankfully, with the massive retail shift to online the actual selling wasn’t problematic. Getting the stock from overseas factories to UK and EU was hugely impacted though. COVID-19 closed ports and cargo vessels prioritised shipping personal protective equipment, container prices skyrocketed and I ran out of certain products for six months."
What are your top tips for business success?
"However, much money you've calculated you'll need to get started, you are going to need more than that so research your funding options ahead of time.
"Never stop trying to learn more and educate yourself on everything. I spent a lot on freelancers to help me where I was out of my depth but found with a bit of self-learning I could rely on them a lot less and cut out significant spending. Knowledge really is power.”
How are the rising cost of doing business impacting on you?
"At first I was absorbing the little cost increases here and there but it soon became clear this was going to be unsustainable even in the short term as the majority of my cost base had soon gone up. I looked at competitors in each of my lines and nobody was raising prices. I reluctantly increased the price of one product initially and was amazed to see the competition all followed suit! Were we all waiting to see who blinked first? It does suggest that literally everyone is hurting in one way or another."
The free Amazon Small Business Accelerator e-learning programme is advice from more than 30 business experts in over 200 bitesize videos.
If you're already an Enterprise Nation member, log in to your learning dashboard. If you're not an Enterprise Nation member, you can join the Amazon Small Business Accelerator for free here.