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June Ramli
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After procrastinating for weeks on end, I finally got my first shipment out to Amazon’s warehouse in Sydney, Australia.
Why procrastinate you might ask? Well, it was because this task is so hard to do and the best way for me to have dealt with the stress is to not work on the project and procrastinate.
But in the past few days, somethinging got inside of me and I decided to complete the task once and for all.
I should be celebrating but I am not because I need to do another 500 things to get my store up to mark.
Also, once my shipment is received at the warehouse in Sydney, which I expect to go through in the next few days, only then would I be officially known as an Amazon FBA seller.
I have mixed feelings about my relationship with Amazon thus far.
In short, it is NOT an easy platform to trade on.
It is super hard so expect to be knocked back many times before you can come out triumph.
On Twitter or even any other social media platform, you come across thousands of tweets of people making heaps of money selling either private label items or reselling other branded items as their own on this well-known eCommerce website and making tons of money.
Well, as for me, I haven’t made a sale yet, in fact, it took me a whole three months just to start, and mind you it is not easy to sell anything on their website.
My listings had to be reworked on many times due to a myriad of reasons which I plan to detail in a YouTube series but for any new sellers out there interested in going through the Amazon route, know that it is not an easy journey to take.
You will feel like giving up all the time, but do not give up, just keep pushing through.
If you are working and want to start this journey while holding down a full-time job, I can safely say that it would be impossible to do unless you work remotely or you have someone helping you on a part-time or full-time basis.
And yes, this someone needs to be paid.
There are heaps of third-party freelancers on Fiverr from Pakistan and India who can help you set up your store, write listings and even do the infographics for you if you are too lazy or busy to do it yourself. I tried soliciting some of their services but to be honest, do not go through that route as most of them are hopeless.
You are better off doing it on your own through the help of various online tutorials.
If you do not have time to do it on your own, then forget about wanting to start an online business with Amazon.
As this side hustle is not for you yet.
Trust me on this.
To be an Amazon seller especially if you have a private label such as myself you will need to get yourself a professional selling account.
I had to set up the account even while I was sorting out all the logistics.
And mind you, I haven’t made a single cent since starting my Amazon selling journey in mid-June but have spent close to $1K just to start selling on the platform.
This was on top of the fees I paid for the private label.
So, that is why I said this is not a business suitable for the working folks, you will need to be fully self-employed, in between jobs with money or have a partner who holds a full-time job to be able to do this.
It’s just too hard to do it while you work full-time unless your partner is one of the staff members of Amazon who can be with you 24/7 and tell you what you are doing right or wrong.
This is because you constantly need to be on the phone, and email with them to sort a myriad of issues when starting your Amazon selling journey, and trust me there will be loads of things propping up on the way.
When selling on Amazon, you will need to make sure that your margins are calculated properly so that you do not make a loss while selling on the platform as you will be charged storage and selling fees as an Amazon FBA seller.
You will also need to be on a seller central account if you want to become an Amazon FBA seller.
There is no way you can do that on an individual account.
So, regardless if you make a buck or not, there will be many sorts of fees you will need to service to keep your Amazon account afloat.
That is why I believe that the Amazon business is not for the faint-hearted.
Also, don’t get me wrong, you can sell on Amazon while holding a full-time job but only once your online store has been fully automated and not prior.
Till my next update. Be good.
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June Ramli is the editor of DailyStraits.com. To stay in touch with June, look her up on Twitter @junesairaramli