8fig Review: The Virtual C-Suite for Ecommerce Companies

8fig’s platform covers everything from freight management to inventory and cash flow planning. And thanks to a largely successful recent Series B funding found, the company is constantly working on taking its services to the next level, with solutions such as its AI C-Suite, designed to help ecommerce and online retail companies get the financial planning tools and insights they need without a higher headcount.

In this 8fig review, we’re exploring the capabilities of a transformative new solution for ecommerce companies. 8fig is changing the way ecommerce business leaders approach funding, financial management, and opportunities for growth.

What Is 8fig?

8fig is a growth partner for ecommerce businesses.

So, what does that mean? 

Essentially, 8fig gives organizations in the ecommerce and online retail sectors the planning tools and financial support to facilitate and maintain growth. Although the company does offer extensive funding packages, its services go beyond financial support.

The 8fig platform is a SaaS application for self-service business management and requesting and receiving funding as necessary. The platform combines dynamic, continuous, and equity-free funding with tools for managing supply chains, marketing spend, sales, logistics, and other aspects of ecommerce business management so that online sellers can maintain a healthy cash flow. 

When Yaron Shapira (CEO), Roei Yellin (CRO), and Assaf Dagan (CTO) launched 8fig in 2020, the company primarily focused on providing financial support and supply chain management tools. However, as the ecommerce market began to shift, 8fig recognized the need for a more comprehensive ecommerce solution. 

Today, the company is building a virtual C-Suite for ecommerce companies, giving small and mid-sized businesses the AI CFO they’ve never had, capable of offering intuitive, data-driven guidance on cash flow planning. The full AI executive suite, which the company says it is planning to release sometime in 2023, will also include services that fill the roles of chief marketing officer (CMO) and chief operating officer (COO) for ecommerce teams to leverage.

That said, let’s take an extensive look at the features of 8fig’s platform.

8fig Funding

Funding solutions were one of the first areas of focus for the 8fig brand, and they remain crucial to its services today. 8fig caters to all types of industries and for several different audiences within the ecommerce and online retail space, including DTC, wholesalers, and suppliers.

One of the things that differentiates 8fig from other funding providers is that its funding is equity-free and isn’t based on revenue or offered in pre-set packages. Instead, cash is allocated to companies in increments, as opposed to a lump sum, based on their specific needs and business projections. This allows for a more flexible, bespoke funding process. 

When you log into the 8fig platform to apply for funding, you’ll be given an opportunity to showcase how much capital you believe you need. You can back this up with information gleaned from the planning tools and analytical solutions within the 8fig platform. 

The 8fig team then checks the numbers on their end, checking the validity of your projects and ensuring you’ve requested the right amount of money. This allows the team to create a “Growth Plan” for your business, with a payback schedule that’s optimized to your cash flow. 

The growth plans come not just with access to continuous capital, but operations and management support, so you can access outsourced CFO and COO talent if you don’t have it in-house. Plus, there are no equity requirements to worry about, and remittance is based on a fixed cost of capital, not interest. What’s more, companies can submit requests for changes to their funding plan and can adapt their strategies as their business grows. 

Related Reading: Ecommerce Banking & Finance 101: Getting Cash for Your Company

Who Can Apply for 8fig Funding?

As mentioned above, 8fig serves ecommerce businesses, but there are dozens of different types of companies that can apply for funding. More than 30 “industry” options are listed on the 8fig website, and you can even apply for funding if you’re running a hybrid store, with online and offline selling (online retail).

There are a few caveats though. Companies applying for funding need to run their store on a well-known marketplace or platform, such as Wix, Shopify, Amazon, Ebay, or Walmart. You’ll also need to be able to show evidence of your sales volumes to start building your growth plan.

Notably, 8fig’s funding support isn’t intended (or available) for companies just starting out that do not already bring in a certain amount of revenue. Rather, it’s designed to support promising businesses in accelerating their growth trajectory. While you don’t need a vast sales history to access funding, you will need to show that you’ve operated your store for at least 6 months and have encouraging sales figures, as detailed on the 8fig website.

8fig’s Dashboards

While funding is one essential part of 8fig’s offering, the company also provides tools to generate growth and maintain profitability. There are a variety of dashboards built into the 8fig platform, which support specific needs. 

The Central Funding Dashboard 

The first dashboard worth mentioning is the central funding dashboard, which is used to monitor and examine your funding needs. You can create independent “supply lines” for each product you sell, so you know how much capital is required to produce, sell, and promote each batch of your products. 

The dashboard is highly customizable, with options for inputting numbers and dates for freight, logistics, deposits, marketing, and other budgetary information. 

Plus, you’ll have a variety of components to explore within the dashboard. The first is the “line lab”, which monitors each batch of inventory, one at a time. Breaking down inventory batches into unit economics can be helpful in visualizing your production and sales schedules for specific products based on their unique marketing budgets, target dates, expenses, and more.

Next, there’s “A line” tracking, which indicates whether or not you’re performing according to your expectations in regard to each project. This equips companies with C-Suite level support and guidance when it comes to adapting to changing market conditions.

There’s also a section dedicated to change requests, so sellers can make quick changes to their projects based on unforeseen circumstances. This enables you to alter your remittance and funding strategy as your business evolves. 

Once you submit all the required information in the funding dashboard, 8fig will examine your profitability potential. If there’s a deficit, you’ll be able to go through your plan and look for new ways to cut costs and boost income with tailored suggestions. 8fig will then automatically create a plan to guide you for your next 2 years by default, so you can visualize long-term growth. 

The Sales Dashboard

Once you’ve dealt with all your funding requirements in the funding dashboard, you’ll move over to the sales dashboard. This is a comprehensive, analytical tool ecommerce business owners can use to analyze performance and discover new revenue opportunities.

This is one of the core tools 8fig uses to supplement ecommerce companies that don’t have their own C-Suite. You’ll be able to leverage insights from data surrounding your cash flow, supply chain, and competitor benchmarks. Notably, this dashboard is available to everyone on the 8fig platform, regardless of whether you apply for funding. 

Within the dashboard, you’ll find the following tools:

• COGS benchmarks: This feature allows companies to rapidly compare their cost of goods sold (COGS) with data from similar ecommerce brands. This enables you to track your company’s competitive standing within your industry. 
• Sales summary: The heart of the sales dashboard, the sales summary tool showcases your total sales over a specific time period. You can dive into summary reports to analyze fluctuations and trends in sales, and monitor real-time data. 
• Forecasted revenue breakdown: This tool dissects revenue into specific COGS categories so you can pinpoint potential strengths and weaknesses in your cash flow. This is essentially like having a CFO and data analyst working together on your team. 
• Sales graph: The visual sales graph tool shows sales over custom ranges of time, providing insights into micro and macro changes. This means you can pinpoint potential issues with your sales numbers to specific time periods. 
• Product trends: Ideal for tracking new growth opportunities, the product trends feature shows which of your products are generating the highest amount of revenue. You can also see if any products are underperforming, so you know where to cut your budget. 
• Sales forecast: The sales forecast tool showcases your revenue projections in real-time, helping you to see whether you’re making the right progress towards your sales goals. You can then use this data to adjust your targets and sales methods. 

The Operations Dashboard

The 8fig operations dashboard is where you can track your ecommerce processes and implement strategies to facilitate growth. This is also where you’ll find the “Freight with 8fig” service, introduced by the company in 2023.

The operations dashboard addresses some of the core problems companies face in managing logistics, supply chains, and fulfillment in the ecommerce world. The “Freight with 8fig” AI-powered service streamlines the act of finding freight partners with competitive rates and terms and enables you to pay from within the platform using 8fig’s funding.

The operations dashboard will also soon include additional tools for managing back office logistics and operations, including white-glove freight services, as stated by the company.

8fig Ease of Use

Clearly, 8fig offers a large range of tools for ecommerce business owners. But how simple is it to get started? Since the beginning, 8fig has worked hard to create an intuitive, simple platform for its customers. Although you do need to enter your business’s details and fill out some forms to create your personal Growth Plan, the process is pretty straightforward. 

You can sign up for an account in a few minutes and connect your stores and ecommerce marketplace storefronts directly to the platform, allowing the technology to analyze your sales without the need for a hefty data analysis. 8fig integrates directly with ecommerce platforms like Wix, Amazon, Ebay, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, Magento, and Shopify. 

Once you’ve connected your store, 8fig does the hard work for you. The platform leads the way in analyzing sales projections and revenue trends, giving you insights into how much capital you may need. If you apply for funding, you’ll be able to access strategically deployed capital based on your cash flow demands, so you’re not just dealing with a lump sum. 

The 8fig Mobile App

It’s worth noting that 8fig also has a mobile version of its platform, so business owners can continue to manage operations and funding when they’re on the move.

The 8fig mobile app comes with access to the sales dashboard, so you can access sales metrics, KPIs, forecasts, and more. You can also monitor your growth plan, track supply chain flows, adjust upcoming lines, and submit change requests to alter any aspect of your growth plan in real-time.

The 8fig app even sends business owners real-time notifications and alerts about their inventory, freight processes, and sales projections, which can be quite useful since shipment delays and demand fluctuations can be an everyday occurrence in the turbulent world of ecommerce. The 8fig mobile app is available for free on the Google Play Store or Apple App Store. 

8fig Customer Support and Security

One final thing worth evaluating if you’re thinking of using 8fig as your virtual ecommerce C-Suite solution is the security and customer support offered by the brand. First, 8fig, like many financially-focused companies, takes security and privacy seriously. 

Information collected about every client is kept secure and credit card information is never held by the business. There are also industry-standard security measures in place to protect against breaches. 

From a customer support perspective, 8fig is committed to supporting its network of online sellers. For direct customer support, you’ll have access to a 24/7 support team, available through email or via the contact form on their website. You can also reach out through their social media pages. 

The 8fig website also includes a blog and FAQ page where you can access useful insights, and 8fig even hosts educational events and webinars where you can learn from industry leaders. 

8fig: Pros and Cons 

8fig’s platform is promising for the ecommerce industry, giving businesses new opportunities to unlock growth potential and to stay resilient during tough economic times. More than just a funding platform, 8fig is a comprehensive toolkit for managing ecommerce business operations. 

Overall Impression of 8fig

Ultimately, 8fig offers ecommerce business owners an exceptional toolkit for facilitating and maintaining growth in their industry. The platform’s funding capabilities, combined with its intuitive planning, sales, and supply chain tools make it an excellent option for online sellers. 

What’s more, 8fig is currently investing in new ways to make its platform more valuable by building out its AI C-Suite, introducing a solution for ecommerce marketing agencies to evaluate their clients’ cash flow and mitigate risk, and embedding enhanced financial management capabilities into its platform with new cash flow prediction models and banking solutions.

8fig is on a quest to become a one-stop-shop for ecommerce business management, and it appears to be on the right track. If you’re looking for a way to grow and maintain your ecommerce business more effectively, 8fig could be the platform for you.