After a two week break Ben is back - and in this episode he's talking to Ian Bellis.

The founder and director of Furniture Outlet - His stores are based in the south East of England.

Ian's journey into the furniture trade can be traced back to the other side of the globe, and now his company is an "eight-figure powerhouse".

So how did he do it and how does he stay ahead of the curve?

Ben talks to Ian about:

* How Ian started in the electronics industry

* But a move to New Zealand changed all of that

* His first furniture business was based on a retail park

* But ill health forced him to return to the UK

* He was given a 10% chance of survival and six weeks to live

* But he was soon back to work selling high-end sofas

* The 2008 crash made him change tack

* He then set up furniture outlets

* But a change in online returns policy made him have to change again

* This time to end-of-line

* He now has a relationship with 18 factories in China

* After a rocky relationship with the trade, he's now back in love with it

* His son is even now working with him!

* They now won't look at stores under 20,000ft

* They also offer over 2000 variations of tables and chairs

* But they hardly sell anything online, it's all in store

* He believes that customers want to see and touch products

* How video marketing has boosted his trade

* China and how it's changed over the 20+ years he's been dealing with the country

* The standards of fire retardants in imported furniture

* And why Ian steers clear of factories who cut corners

* He even employs his own team to test the products

* We're back to shipping again - how has Ian coped with the increase?

* How he plans to use marketplaces with smaller goods

LINKS

Trade Only Furniture Group

B Womack Furniture Ltd

Furniture Outlet

Podcast Production by Ginger Wizard Productions