The 2026 eCom Trends Report
Top Report Findings: This is our sixth Trends Report with 300 owners representing $3.5...
If you’re in the eCommerce world and have any kind of inventory-based business, you know how growth can be a double-edged sword: the faster you grow, the larger the POs that you have to place and the more likely you are to slip into a negative cash flow. Ben Tregoe is the CEO and Co-Founder at BainbridgeGrowth.com, a company that helps eCommerce businesses with advanced financial modelling and evaluating different options for financing their growth. He joins me today to talk through some of the options and the pitfalls that eComm businesses can face as they grow.
Listen in as Ben shares some of the biggest mistakes that brands make when it comes to financing, as well as the importance of thinking well into the future when looking at all the options available. We also discuss the best financing options for every stage of the eCommerce business (including PO factoring, mezzanine debt, and the Kickfurther model) and the one area where many don’t focus enough when it comes to financing options.
You’ll learn:
- Ben’s background in eCommerce and financing. (3:45)
- Some of the biggest problems he sees with brands and lending. (9:05)
- Who are typically good candidates for bank loans. (14:10)
- The best financing options for each eComm tier. (18:30)
- How often Ben sees slowing growth as the best option for financing challenges. (25:30)
- How common PO factoring is and other similar options. (36:20)
- Ben’s opinion of the Kickfurther financing model. (40:40)
- What mezzanine debt is and when it makes sense to tap into it. (42:45)
- What Bainbridge does and who they are a good fit for. (47:45)
- Lightning round with Ben. (50:00)
Subscribe: iTunes | Stitcher | Amazon
(With your host Andrew Youderian of eCommerceFuel.com and Ben Tregoe of BainbridgeGrowth.com)
What Was Mentioned
- Ben Tregoe: Website | LinkedIn
- The World of Asset Based Lending
- Debt Equity Financing Summary from ECF L.A.
- Kickfurther
- Aether Apparel
- eCommerceFuel Forum
- Fulfil.io
- One Click Upsell – Increase Sales 15%+ with Pre-and Post-purchase Upsells. (On average, Shopify users increase sales 15% immediately after installing the app!)
Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay.
Ideas Worth Sharing:
“I did always enjoy the financial modelling and the model building and the ability of models to be visions of the future.” - Ben Tregoe Tweet this “These businesses are very complex—they’re hard to understand intuitively, and they’re hard to think about, and the way out of that is a good financial model.” - Ben Tregoe Tweet this “Hands down, the best financing option for everybody at every stage is vendor or supplier financing.” - Ben Tregoe Tweet this
Post by Andrew Youderian
Founder and Chief Instigator, eComFuel
Andrew quit an early finance job to sell CB radios online — an admittedly unorthodox career path. It set him on a course to found and sell multiple businesses, host a decade-running podcast, lecture at Harvard Business School and create eComFuel, the leading community for 7- and 8-figure online business owners. Andrew is fascinated with branding, AI, building community, investing and growing meaningful businesses that don't require sacrificing what truly matters.
