In Conversation with Art Goldman, DK Hardware

Art Goldman, CFO of DK Hardware Supply, is a results-oriented and experienced leader with over a decade of experience in strategically developing businesses.

We were thrilled to open a dialogue with him about DK Hardware, an eCommerce store designed to offer premier hardware solutions.

Here are 4 key eCommerce business questions that we covered:

1. What’s your differentiation strategy for the heavily competitive space of hardware eCommerce?

Hardware is a competitive industry, eCommerce even more so.

And like in any competitive business, the only way to win is differentiation.

To be successful, you need to offer your customers something that sets you apart from your rivals.

Especially with the ever-evolving landscape of eCommerce, it’s important to know how to stay ahead of the curve. Here’s how DK Hardware found its rhythm. 

🎥More in the video:

• How to identify (and leverage) underserved markets
• Using customer relations to stay ahead of the competition

2. How did you get your first 1000 customers?

The first 1000 are the hardest. The next 1000; a little easier. The ones after that; a lot easier.

It’s at the start when everything’s new and you’re not sure which strategy would work best.

It’s at the start that building a brand truly pays off.

It’s also at the start that data is most reliable. Backed by data, DK Hardware was able to not only capture their first 1000 customers but also run effective retention strategies that made them stick around.

🎥More in the video:

• How to steer clear of the “digital noise”
• How to leverage data to substantially grow the business

3. What are some things you will *definitely* outsource?

Outsourcing is effective, efficient, and flexible. It lets you get extra support whenever you need it, without worrying about the baggage that comes with an in-house team.

But not everything can be outsourced. Some things are best left in-house.

Finding a balance between the two is most crucial.

Here, more than outsourcing, it’s about right sourcing:

Finding the right people for your business, the right balance between in-house and outsourced, and the right process to sync them both.

And then sticking with it.

🎥More in the video:

• Driving partnerships between in-house and outsourced
• The need for continuity in business relations

4. How do you continually engage in learning and growing?

“You don’t know what you don’t know”.

As Art Goldman rightly said, you’d rather try, fail, and but know for sure THAN be confused and unsure of what you’re doing.

Trial and error may be resource-consuming, but it pays off in the long run.

It helps you learn things for yourself and use those insights to build better models over the continuum.

🎥More in the video:

• The merits of trial-and-error
• How to structure your experiences like investments

Keep watching eCommerce Growth Labs

At Convertcart, we're all about learning and improving. That is why we're launching this series where we meet eCommerce founders, growth managers, and experts to understand what makes them successful. Stay tuned and learn specific strategies and actionable tactics about eCommerce, entrepreneurship, marketing and more.