US trade policy has seen some remarkable and dramatic changes in 2025. The greatest among them are sweeping tariff policies that directly impact how eCommerce businesses and crowdfunding campaigns operate. Whether you're running a Shopify store, launching a Kickstarter campaign, or managing an Amazon FBA business, these changes affect your...

You’ve probably heard a lot about “de minimis” lately. And this is especially true if you’re shipping internationally to people in the US. If you're like most business owners, you're probably wondering what on earth “de minimis” means and why everyone seems so worried about it. In this post, we’ll...

International shipping is a monster. On the surface, it seems like getting products from point A to point B. But doing that involves dealing with complex logistics, handling unpredictable events, and managing your customers' expectations. It's very easy to send items to the wrong address and run out of inventory....

If you’re planning a crowdfunding campaign this year, you’ll want to start with the right strategy. At GAMA Expo 2025, a board game convention for industry folks in the know, I sat in on a panel called Crowdfunding Best Practices. The panel was absolutely stacked with experts, including: Nicole Amato...

Freight shipping makes global commerce possible. Take away the trains and trucks and cargo ships and our modern economy would simply stop. Freight is how goods move from factories to customers, bridging continents and oceans. But not all shipping methods are created equal. For many businesses, the choice comes down...

Kickstarter campaigns are usually international. And when it comes to international shipping, customs clearance and brokerage are key parts of the process. If you’re shipping Kickstarter orders internationally, make no bones about it—you’re in global trade.

Understanding the customs clearance process is extremely important if you want to import goods into the USA. The last thing you want is to have your goods impounded at the border.

We asked 4 eCommerce operators and strategists how they evaluate fulfillment partners. Their answers reveal a process that most brands get badly wrong—and a framework for getting it right. So you've decided you need a 3PL. For a lot of growing eCommerce businesses, that’s a good idea. If you're not...

You're ready to launch your Kickstarter campaign any day now. But you're worried about taxes and VAT, customs, duties, and tariffs. How are you going to handle that for your Kickstarter? Customs & VAT may seem very complicated, and we won't sugarcoat it—they are. But with a little bit of...

Launching a successful Kickstarter campaign is a ton of fun! But it also requires a lot of planning in order to do it properly. Kickstarter reward fulfillment is notoriously tricky and there are a lot of things that go into it.

Running a small business can be a disorienting, confusing experience, regardless of how much experience you have. It's tough to know where to turn for timely and useful information, reliable data, and time-saving software. That's why in this week's post, we're going to share some of our favorite helpful websites...

Can you imagine trying to organize international trade without a standard code system? That’s why Harmonized System Codes – HS codes, for short – exist: to standardize the classification of goods for international trade.

“You need to bring your own audience to Kickstarter.” You’ve probably heard that advice if you’re planning on launching a campaign soon. But how do you exactly market your Kickstarter before launch?