Adrian Turley | LPG Jets

LPG Jets – from the odd sale to 1800 orders per month

Explore how this eCommerce business uses a combination of A2X and Xero to automate sales data from his Shopify, eBay and Amazon accounts. The integration saves him time, which he now spends on marketing his business, and eliminates any unnecessary number-crunching or paperwork-related worry.

The start of the LPG Jets empire

Two years ago, Adrian Turley was just like many other people, selling the odd thing on eBay to make a bit of cash. The difference was, he was trading in a niche product, and it wasn’t long before he realised he’d hit eCommerce gold.

Combine that with his 30+ years’ experience selling gas cookers, hobs and ovens, and Adrian had a great business just waiting to happen.

“After six months of running my online store, and still working my full-time sales job, I realised I couldn’t really focus on LPG Jets 100% and give it my all. So about six months ago, I left my job.”

Two years, three marketplaces conquered

LPG Jets (which is the name of Adrian’s business and the product) is now available on eBay and Amazon in the UK, Ireland and Europe. He also has a Shopify store.

“Initially, I sourced a manufacturer and ordered a few thousand LPG jets, and again, everything sold out really quickly. That’s where it all started, and I’ve been adding other marketplaces like Amazon and Shopify as the business grows.”

That’s also led Adrian to start a second company with two sons, focusing on wholesale to gas installers. It’s been a busy two years for Adrian, but you get the feeling that he’s only just getting started.

“We’d like to be able to expand into Australia and New Zealand next,” he says.

Before: individual transactions overwhelming Xero

Adrian knows his strengths, and accounting isn’t one of them. He got an accountant on board quickly, but it didn’t take him long to realise selling across marketplaces comes with a catch.

“I had thousands of individual transactions coming through into my Xero account from eBay, Amazon and Shopify – and there was no way I could keep a tally of it all.”

Not one to let things meander inefficiently for too long, Adrian did some research – and that’s when he came across A2X.

After: automation saves time and worry

With upwards of 1800 orders per month coming into his Shopify store, Amazon and eBay, Adrian knows that “if I didn’t have A2X, I’d probably have to employ somebody.”

That, in Adrian’s opinion, makes A2X well worth the investment, but it’s also saved him time – and kept any worrying at bay.

“Using A2X means I don’t have to worry at all about my accounting. It takes everything out of the marketplaces automatically, and I know that my accountant has what he needs to do my VAT and tax returns.

“For a small business owner like me, who doesn’t have a clue about accounting, that’s all I want.”

“If you’re too busy doing spreadsheets, you’re not going to be selling”

Adrian knows all too well that things in the world of eCommerce can move quickly – one day you’re selling a leftover LGP jet, the next you’re picking and packing 1800 orders a month.

That level of growth can make or break a small business if your back office isn’t set up to scale, but with A2X and Xero, Adrian has the tools he needs to confidently go about expanding his business even more.

“You need to use tools like A2X because they’re going to free up time so you can focus on your business. I know I wouldn’t do half the stuff that I’ve been able to do and grow the business the way I have without it.”

“At the end of the day, if you’re too busy doing spreadsheets, you’re not going to be selling.”

Adrian keeps his digital set-up simple, relying mainly on A2X and Xero (as well as his accountant) for tidy books. It’s a choice that keeps him away from unnecessary number-crunching and instead, focused on marketing and customer experience.

“My main mantra is always product knowledge. If you have that, you can provide a professional service, you can answer customer questions and it gives your customers confidence in you and your brand.”

It’s a mantra that has worked for Adrian thus far, and we have no doubt it’ll continue to be the key to his eCommerce success.