For eCommerce brands, success isn’t merely about marketing or product listings—it’s about precision. Vanessa Hung, founder of Online Seller Solutions, is one of the leading minds in eCommerce operations. Where others focus on clicks and conversions, she delves into the invisible scaffolding that holds a business together: catalog systems, inventory management, account health and compliance.
These are the elements she argues determine whether a brand merely survives on Amazon—or scales into a dominant force. “At the end of the day, growth without structure is just chaos,” Hung says. “You can’t scale what you can’t control, and that’s where operations come in. That’s where I come in.”
Operational Infrastructure: The Invisible Engine Behind Growth
Hung points out a fundamental disconnect in how many brands approach online commerce. In traditional brick-and-mortar businesses, operational needs—like inventory arriving, employees clocking in, or customer service on the floor—are highly visible. These tangible processes make it easier to design structured systems. In contrast, online businesses often operate behind layers of software and automation, where workflows are less apparent and more fragmented. As a result, they tend to lean heavily on third-party platforms and tools, often without a cohesive operational strategy or system for integration.
For a company eyeing $10 million in annual revenue, the processes that supported them at $1 million will no longer suffice. She encourages leaders to think in terms of the business they want to become, not just the one they are today. This strategic foresight , she insists, is a requirement for scalable success. Still, it’s never too late to course correct. “Even if you’re already facing stagnating growth or slipping profitability, the solution almost always comes back to operational efficiency,” she says. “Once we identify the root of the problem, we can rebuild the foundation to support sustainable growth.”
Building Teams with Intention, Not Reaction
Another key pitfall Hung identifies is in hiring. As companies grow, leaders often staff for individual tasks rather than roles that support long-term structure. This leads to organizational bloat and unclear responsibilities—symptoms of a business outgrowing its early-stage mindset. “Sometimes a person’s title is just their task,” Hung notes. “But if you had designed the organization with efficiency in mind, that task may have belonged elsewhere—or not existed at all.” Without a clear organizational chart or decision-making framework, brands risk inefficiency that compounds over time, eating into profitability and agility.
Speaking the Customer’s Language — Literally
Hung’s operational philosophy doesn’t stop at internal processes. She also sees untapped potential in external markets—especially Spanish-speaking consumers in the United States. “There are tens of millions of Spanish speakers in the U.S., and the Hispanic community represents over $2 trillion in annual buying power,” she says. Yet many brands fail to serve this demographic adequately, often relying on robotic Google Translate versions of their listings. For Hung, this is a strategic miss. By helping brands create high-quality, localized content and advertising in Spanish, she positions them to capture what she calls “the biggest hidden blue ocean in the U.S.”
Some of the world’s largest consumer brands, like Unilever and Procter & Gamble, have long understood this reality. “When you pick up a bar of soap in the supermarket, chances are the packaging includes Spanish,” she explains. “These companies often have their translations ready even before they officially enter those markets.” For Hung, it’s a lesson in preparation and strategic foresight: While the cost of proactively localizing products and messaging ahead of market entry was once a luxury reserved for global corporations, AI and affordable localization tools have made this strategy accessible to eCommerce brands of any size.
Strategy First, Then Tactics
Perhaps the most compelling aspect of Hung’s methodology is her refusal to offer superficial solutions to deep-rooted problems. Brands often come to her when growth has stalled or profitability is slipping, expecting a simple fix. But Hung insists on returning to first principles. “Operational efficiency isn’t a checklist,” she says. “It’s a strategy rooted in diagnosing the real issues—whether it’s platform limitations, organizational bloat, or market saturation.”
She points to cases where brands threw money at marketing or expanded product lines without first identifying the core issue. In some instances, inefficiency stemmed from over-reliance on a single manufacturing region, such as China. Her solution? Rethink the supply chain entirely—perhaps through a hybrid sourcing model involving Vietnam or Latin America, adding both flexibility and cost control. Hung’s approach reflects a maturity often missing from high-velocity eCommerce. Efficiency, to her, isn’t about doing more with less—it’s about doing the right things, informed by the right data and framed by long-term strategic goals.
The Operator’s Advantage
For Hung, improving eCommerce from the inside out means creating systems that are not only efficient but also genuinely customer-centric. As online commerce continues to evolve, Hung remains a trusted voice for business owners navigating the complexities of platforms like Amazon. With global trade conditions shifting—including rising tariffs and supply chain pressures—she encourages eCommerce brands to rethink their operations through a future-facing lens.
“If you’re building for the long haul, your systems have to be resilient to policy shifts and sourcing challenges,” Hung says. “You can’t plan for growth in a vacuum.” She doesn’t just optimize Amazon businesses—she’s helping leaders transform the way they think about scaling their business.
For more insights, connect with Vanessa Hung on LinkedIn.
