Featured Listing: Alienated

Tell us a little about yourself. What’s your background? How did you start the business?

I am 23 years old and a senior at the United States Merchant Marine Academy in Long Island NY. I started dropshipping online when I saw an ad on youtube when I was a freshman and quickly ran up 7 figures in sales within 2 years. I started this brand about 2 years ago as a side hustle as school was arduous enough. However, it became so popular and large that I had to keep it going. I still have several months of school left and I cannot operate it by myself as school will get more burdensome in the next few months.

As an e-Commerce business, where are your products made?

Most of my products are print on demand and are made in the US and China.

How have you marketed the product and where are your customers originating from?

My forte is social media ads. I run a lot of Facebook ads to drive traffic. I also utilize TikTok, Snapchat, and Google.

Is the asset on your listing owner-operated, how much time does it take to run the business, who else is needed on the team, and what is automated?

The only thing that is not automated is media buying and content creation. Everything else is automated. There are teams for graphic design, customer service, and social media management. All tasks can be outsourced easily. I recently hired two ad buyers to take over my work.

What does someone need to do to continue operating the business in its current form?

Continue looking for new designs and constantly testing new creatives in the social media ads.

Can you list a few opportunities for a potential new owner to continue growing the business?

A media buying team and a content creation team would astronomically increase profitability, sales, and conversions.

What has been the evolution of this asset since its launch?

This used to be a jewellery brand, but it has since turned into a lifestyle home decor and apparel brand. Tapestries were already popular among my target demographic, so adding them was the strategic move. I have since added shower curtains, circle tapestries, and bedding sets with similar designs.

How does this business make money? What are the current revenue streams?

All the revenue comes from paid social media ads, organic revenue from social media accounts, as well as email and SMS marketing.

What marketing channels are most profitable for the business?

Facebook and TikTok.

How does the business currently acquire customers and what is your breakdown for marketing costs?

My social media ads run at about a 2-3X return. Costs vary widely with factors such as creative fatigue, how well the ads are running, and finding a winning product.

How big is your current team? How many people does it take to run this business?

I have a graphic design team, a customer service team, a TikTok manager, and recently hired two ad buyers.

What’s the reason for selling your business on Flippa?

I need to finish college on time and I cannot focus on this business until after I graduate. I plan on starting a new type of business as well as I have been in this vertical for almost 2 years.