My first venture into side hustling was selling online through eBay. I made extra cash month in month out by selling both new and used items. I no longer sell on eBay due to their ever shifting rules however, I’ve been happily selling on Etsy for the last couple of years. (Amazon has only recently opened it’s doors in Australia.)
Using an online platform is a great way to get started with selling online. It gives you a chance to test the waters before making a larger commitment of time and money by opening your own eCommerce site.
For example, you get a chance to figure out:
- If your product choice sells well
- Whether or not you enjoy online retailing
- And, the customer interaction that goes along with it.
There are a couple of different ways to set up a side hustle, or full-time business, on Amazon so in this post, I’ve hunted up the best articles I can find on basic selling of items, new and used, on Amazon. I hope you enjoy them and can use the valuable knowledge they contain.
Selling on Amazon – Getting Started
Here are 24 tips from Skip McGrath that’ll help you get your Amazon business started the right way.
- Register as a professional seller
- Sell with FBA
- Follow the rules
- Win the Buy Box to increase sales
- Answer Customer Communications quickly
- If you are merchant fulfilling ship all orders within 1 business day and always enter the tracking information
- Don’t trust UPC codes when listing items
- Describe products accurately
- Ask for Feedback
- Use Larger Images and Follow Amazon Image Guidelines
- Solicit Product Reviews
- Reduce Storage fees with Just in Time (JIT) Inventory Management
- Raise your Average Selling Price (ASP) to reduce your fees and increase profit margins
- Label your items and shipments correctly when sending to FBA
- Go the extra mile to remove negative feedback
- Pack your shipments to Amazon correctly to avoid damage, delays and penalty fees
- Manage Your Inventory proactively
- Use Amazon FBA to Fulfil Your Multi-Channel Orders
- Negotiate Exclusive Selling Arrangement with suppliers
- Learn How to Use the Amazon Keywords tool
- Amazon FBA Storage fees
- Be careful of specific material names in titles
- Watch what you name color
- Avoid Shipping overcharges
If you’re serious about starting an Amazon business, Kip’s in-depth article is a definite must read.
Table of Contents
Real Life Selling Stories for Inspiration
The Selling Family
Back in 2008, an interruption in employment provided the opportunity to look for other ways of income. So The Selling Family dove into selling stuff online with a definiteness of purpose.
You can read more about their story on their about page, but it’s pretty obvious, it all worked out for them.
A few years after starting their online selling venture, they turned selling on Amazon into a six-figure business that now supports their family. While working part time!
The Busy Budgeter
Starting in 2004 by selling online to downsize a massive collection of books, Rosemarie from The Busy Budgeter has sold all kinds of items on Amazon and made many thousands of dollars in the process.
Frugal Ginger
According to Frugal Ginger, selling online with Amazon isn’t for everyone (I agree) but you can make it into a successful side hustle if you put in the work.
Ashley shares what she’s learned after selling on Amazon for three years.
Mom Resource
In this article, Saira talks about how she managed to sell $45,000 worth of products on Amazon in just a few months as a pregnant stay at home mom. She talks about how she decided what to sell. As well as her biggest regrets and best tips.
His and Her Money
In this podcast interview on His and Her Money, Brad DeGraw AKA Amazon Sherpa talks about how he started his business on Amazon. A self-proclaimed Amazon nerd and eCommerce entrepreneur, he started with $100 and turned that into over $1,000,000 on Amazon.
Real Ways to Earn Money Online
In this article, you’ll see that there are other ways to make money through Amazons platform beyond selling. That because there’s a lot more to Amazon than just shopping.
If you’re interested in seeing what else you can do on Amazon this article is a great place to start. It’ll also provide great tips for selling online via Amazon’s various offerings.
Single Mom’s Income
This article for Single Mom’s Income also discusses additional ways to make money through Amazon that go beyond selling online.
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Other Excellent Resources
Articles on Online Selling:
UpFuel - How I Went From $0 Sales TO $2,981.10 in 30 Days Selling My Product on Amazon.com
Entrenpreneur -Â Guide to Starting a Fulfillment by Amazon Business
eCommerce Fuel -Â How to Start Selling on Amazon with Matt Clark