Golden Ratio: Start Your day the Golden Way!”
Overview
In this ecommerce case study, we review the journey of an entrepreneur and his Austin-based startup to offer coffee drinkers a caffeinated alternative for “beans without the burn.”
Clark Nowlin, founder and executive owner of Golden Ratio, began his partnership with Fulex in June 2020. He came to us seeking an ecommerce partner to fill online orders and help with the backend supply chain.
For the past 14 months we’ve worked together to grow his business, which has customers within 50 states, seen 2.5x growth, and is currently expanding into another location.
Back Story
At 29 years old, Clark launched Golden Ratio in the middle of the COVID-19 health crisis. What led to its creation was a combination of filling a personal need and market void. Prior to launching his caffeinated brand, Clark was consuming copious amounts of coffee to fuel him as a full-time touring musician. Throughout his five-year journey of traveling across the continent he found himself bound to the cup of gas station ‘joe’ that often didn’t agree with his stomach.
After working in the industry for so long he made several friends and connections in the food and beverage space and as he started to get to know their businesses, began to do research on the coffee bean. What Clark found intrigued him and cultivated a sense of drive to pursue the creation of something novel. Naturally Clark flew to Seattle, considered to be the epicenter for coffee roasting and supply chain management.
The coffee and tea industry is expected to reach $191.1 billion in 2023, according to an online industry outlook report recently published by Linchpin SEO.
His research revealed that getting into this market was viable. It filled a void for coffee enthusiasts looking for something different and healthier. Golden Ratio coffee represents a caffeinated brand providing beans without the burn, which produces a smooth golden flavor that’s easy to brew, offers better digestion with 5x less acidity and doesn’t stain your teeth.
After his last concert tour, instead of applying for another job he decided to pursue the art of developing a balanced cup of coffee. And so began the journey of what would become Golden Ratio. With plans to run an online business he also knew he’d need an ecommerce partner to help him with order fulfillment. Most important to Clark was finding a company who was seasoned in the industry and offered convenience with a local warehouse.
“Fulex has been a good partner all the way around and they provide peace of mind. It frees me up to grow my business. I can focus on selling, new clients, travel, managing a team, raising money and manufacturing.”
Client Needs
The main task that Golden Ratio needed help with was filling orders. When Clark came to Fulex he was starting from scratch. He needed someone to handle custom packaging and online orders so that Golden Ratio could scale quickly. He was also looking for a fulfillment company that was conveniently located and offered same-day shipping.
Customer Service and Flexibility
When you ring, we answer. We pride ourselves on being accessible to our customers when they need us. That means no phone call is ignored and no email, forgotten. Fulex is flexible to your needs, no questions asked.
Pricing, Location and Shipping
Your customers want their product fast. Offering same day shipping on parcel orders placed before 1 p.m. increases customer satisfaction. Golden Ratio uses one of Fulex’s fulfillment centers located just 10 minutes from his copacker. Golden Ratio sees thousands of orders each month out the door.
“We needed a 3PL provider and Fulex was the no brainer option with competitive pricing and location. I haven’t had to pack any boxes, because Fulex packages it and puts it in the mail within 24 hours.”
“Fulex has been a good partner all the way around and they provide peace of mind. It frees me up to grow my business. I can focus on selling, new clients, travel, managing a team, raising money and manufacturing.
Carmen (Fulex’s CEO) has spent a lot of time on the phone with me working things out. He’s been a great partner on a personal level as well as professionally through his mentorship as an entrepreneur."
Clark Nowlin
Founder of Golden Ratio
Client Highlights
- Grew 250% in the first year
- Average order value: $30
- Customers in all 50 states
Benefits
Fulex works well with small to medium businesses, developing a close relationship to help navigate your business along the way. We give you the tools that the large companies have, including a robust inventory, multiple warehouses, Order Management System, flexibility with no long-term contracts, and 18 years of experience in the industry.
