Oregon

When Tim Schafer was laid off in 2017, he and his wife, Paige, doubled down on their home décor business, Schafer Art Studio. They quickly trademarked their brand with help from Amazon’s IP Accelerator program, which allowed them to choose from a network of vetted professionals. Next, they ramped up production and grew sales using Fulfillment by Amazon to handle storage, packing and shipping of their handcrafted wooden signs. When demand began to shift, they turned to Amazon data to uncover new product opportunities.

“Because we’re looking at Amazon’s data constantly, we can see when a product has staying power,” said Tim.

When Paul Wang launched his Portland-based start-up Olababy in 2012, there was no doubt in his mind as to where he would sell his first product. From day one, it was Amazon; now, hundreds of products later, it’s still Amazon. Why? Because their sales cycle, he said, is built with small businesses in mind. It’s the competitive edge that small businesses need to compete with big brands, said Wang.

“Amazon is small business-friendly and perfect for inventive people. Our potential for business growth matches that of well-established corporations.”