​You probably already heard of “being your own boss” when it comes to building a business — but for a beginner entrepreneur, that responsibility might be daunting.
 
There’s so much more to being a business owner and an entrepreneur than just reaping financial success. With the accompanying challenges and risks, starting a business from scratch without any practical background of entrepreneurship might not be the wisest decision.
 
But what if you want to become your own boss, work flexible hours, and have complete control over your day — all while making money?
 
As a beginner entrepreneur, network marketing may just be one of the best options for you.
 
What is Network Marketing?
 
No matter where you are in the world, you probably grew up with household staple brands like Tupperware, Avon, or Mary Kay. But did you know that those successful brands became possible because of network marketing?
 
Network marketing is a type of business model that relies on a network of independent distributors moving the products from manufacturer to consumers. If you want to grow your business at a solid level, your job is to establish an organization made up of customers and fellow independent distributors. The leaders in your organization will then develop a group of people who will reach out to the potential customers and also acquire new distributors. Eventually, this group will get other people to sell the same products and the chain goes on. 

In the best network marketing companies, you benefit from the group's overall sales volume and not just direct referrals. This is what makes this industry very attractive.

You might also be more familiar with network marketing with its other terms like multi-level marketing (MLM) or referral marketing. In a way, it's also considered as affiliate marketing because you get commissions from people who used your link to purchase.
 
But no matter what the name is, network marketing essentially works by both selling products and acquiring people and training them as distributors to sell the same products. Yes, you could make a living with just getting customers who will buy your products, but to be highly successful and amass wealth in this industry, you need to acquire and train new distributors.
 
Benefits of Network Marketing for Entrepreneurs
 
Beginner entrepreneurs all dream of having their own businesses someday. Some want to pursue this path sooner than later. Did you know that in the United States alone, about 500,000 new businesses are set up monthly?
 
But at the same time, around 7 out of 10 businesses are likely to shut down early on their operation. This is the harsh truth about this particular venture. It’s potentially easy to start and almost anyone can do it. However, making sure that your business will succeed takes skill and experience.
 
This is where network marketing can be highly beneficial for a beginner entrepreneur. Here are some benefits that network marketing can give you:
 
1. Low risks, high potential returns
 
The problem with outright starting your own business without any setbacks is the high risks, especially in terms of finances. You could lose thousands of dollars if you don't know what you're doing.
 
With network marketing, joining a company to become one of their marketers doesn’t cost a lot. The start-up cost is usually flexible and can accommodate your current financial capacity. In my case, I was able to start my network marketing business for only $300! To be honest, some of my purses are actually more expensive than my business starter kit, so it's a no-brainer for me to invest in a business like this. Especially compared to when I started my Amazon FBA business wherein I had to shell out thousands of dollars just to get started.
 
There’s also a large room for high, immediate returns. When it comes to starting a business on your own from scratch, there is a certain period where you’ll hardly receive any profit. Business owners have no choice but to push through because they already put a significant amount of money into it. This period is where most businesses reach their breaking point due to financial strain. 
 
But with network marketing, you have complete control over your ROI as long as you’re able to sell a couple of products. Depending on the package that you chose, you could easily get back your initial investment in the first few months. Your financial commitment to joining network marketing is very little and you won’t be financially incapacitated just in case this doesn’t work out for you.
 
2. FREE training in personal development, sales and business skills
 
Network marketing companies usually offers free training materials and team support for their associates, which, for me is one of the best thing that this industry provides.  Personal development is crucial for beginner entrepreneur because this is how you get strong and build your character. Business -building is not an easy task because there will be challenges along the way and you need to be mentally tough to get through the ups and downs of your business.  Joining network marketing is a great way for beginner entrepreneurs to gain experience and hone their skills into managing a business without the accompanied great risks.
 
Since network marketing works more effectively when the people involved are highly motivated, companies take special attention to creating the best environment where leaders and forward-thinkers thrive.
 
Network marketing companies give a lot of space for professional growth where you can evolve from being a marketer to being a mentor to new recruits. This allows you to have and develop critical business and leadership skills that are important once you decide to go on your own.
 
3. Promotes independence while still having a reliable support system
 
It’s very appealing to be your own boss —and for a very good reason.
 
Even if you’re still technically working for a company, you have complete control over your own network marketing business. You can set your own pace and your professional growth in your own time.
 
You also control how much you’re going to put into your business and how much you’re going to earn. This makes it ideal for beginner entrepreneurs who are worried about the potential risks and losses that they might encounter.
Because of its flexibility, it is also ideal for those who are looking for side hustles. So if you’re a stay-at-home mom, a full-time worker, or a student, this type of business might be more suitable and attainable for you. 

The beautiful thing about network marketing is that besides that flexibility, you get the support of your team at the same time as well. Having a great team is something to consider when starting this business because they can help you reach your goals faster.


4. There’s potentially no profit ceiling
 
As long as you put the hustle and work, there’s no limit on how much money you can potentially generate in a network marketing business. Unlimited income is possible because you are highly leveraged since you have sales distributors and repeat customers in your organization that produces the sales. 
 
In a traditional business setting, you don't get that kind of leverage unless you have a massive amount of capital and manpower at your disposal. A small mom and pop shop's revenue is tied to the amount of inventory that they can produce. A small service-based business owner is capped by the amount of hours or people working in his company.  Not to mention that you have to keep an eye on your cashflow so you can keep the business churning. When the production is capped because of not having enough cashflow, then the revenue is also capped. In network marketing, you don't have to worry about cashflow, and no headaches from people in your payroll.
 
If you’re skilled in selling products online or offline, and have systems in place, then you can thrive in this kind of set-up. And if you are consistent and persistent enough in the long term, you can even make a fortune here in this industry. And that's what I love the most in this industry -- there is no other industry that I know wherein you can start with almost nothing and yet make a fortune for yourself.
 
5. Networking business is highly portable
 
If there’s something that the current market trend taught us for the last couple of months is that the “traditional” way of doing business isn’t enough anymore.
 
More and more brands move from traditional brick-and-mortar establishments to fully-fledged online stores because doing everything over the internet is already the norm. Not every business will survive this switch but for network marketing business, this is highly attainable.
 
From marketing mainly using phones and in real-life conversations, network marketing companies easily made the move online. As long as you have an internet connection, you can manage your business right at your home or practically anywhere else. As someone who loves to travel and live for that freedom lifestyle, this was one of the reasons I was attracted to network marketing.

Conclusion

If someone were to ask me what business I would like to pursue if I was just starting out, I would definitely explore this business first. I personally think it's a great foundation to have and overall offers more upsides than downsides.

If you feel like this is something you want to explore, I invite you yo to at least take a look at my company and my team's irresistible offer.  You really wouldn't want to miss it! *wink*  
​CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE

​



Since the global pandemic changed the course of employment, home-based businesses became even more enticing for people who want to get out of the traditional working environments.

The idea of working right inside the comfort and safety of your home while still earning a lucrative income is one of the major bonuses of having a home business. It also helps that many laws were already written and passed to reduce the otherwise huge expense load for small to medium home-based businesses and self-employed persons.

When you have a home-based business, whether it is an e-commerce, digital marketing, or network marketing business, you are saving money that will otherwise go to tax. This is why even if you or your spouse have a full time office job, it's always a good idea to have a side-hustle from home to take advantage of business-related deductible expenses. In the United States, the IRS recognizes these costs through tax returns and provides many tax benefits for having a home business. So before you start filing your tax returns, we highly recommend that you take advantage of these tax benefits. 
​
Here are the common home business tax benefits that you might be entitled to receive:


1. Home Office Tax Benefit

The home office tax deduction is one of the most common tax benefits that home-based business owners receive. It is also one of the more complicated tax returns to file.

Essentially, this deduction states that all the expense costs by your designated workplace at your house can be deducted under home office expense. These expenses cover a part of your overall utilities, rent or mortgage, related insurance costs, and repairs depending on your case.

However, you have to prove to the IRS that you have a specific space or room in your house that is solely dedicated to your business. That means a desk in your bedroom or your dining table set up as a working space won’t cut it. The IRS may ask you for the diagram of your house and your workspace as supporting documents.

The calculation for your home office tax deduction is directly proportional to the area of your working space. For example, if your workspace takes up 20% of your house, then your utilities such as electricity and water will be tax-deductible by 20%.

The same principle goes for rent or mortgage, home depreciation, insurances, and more. Specific benefits under this deduction depend on you either owning or renting the place.


2. Phone and Internet Bills

If you’re not claiming the home office tax benefit or you don’t qualify under it, you can still deduct some of your business-related expenses. Your fax, internet, and phone bills are all classified as business expenses.

However, there are limitations to this, especially on your phone bill. If you only use one phone line in your house for both business and personal use, then the IRS won’t allow you to deduct the cost of it even if you have an office at your house.


3. Self-Employment Tax Benefit

The self-employment tax covers your Social Security and Medicare taxes. The standard self-employment tax is 15.3% that is divided accordingly to cover your Social Security and healthcare.

If you’re working under an employer, both of you share the cost of the self-employment tax. So in your payslip, it will only show that you’re paying 7.65% of your total income and you’re indirectly paying your employer for the other half.

However, for those who are self-employed like home business owners, you have to cover the 15.3% self-employment tax. This will also change depending on your total income, if you’re married, or if you have dependents.

But as a home business owner, you’re entitled to a self-employment tax benefit, so you don’t have to pay for being your own employer. The IRS allows you to deduct 7.65% of your personal self-employment tax to your net income and declare it as a business expense.

It’s important to understand though, that this benefit won’t cut the self-employment tax itself. This deduction only applies to the calculation of your income tax.


4. Health Insurance Premiums

When it comes to paying your own health insurance premiums, the IRS provides tax benefits that will allow you to deduct your dental, health, and certain long-term care insurance premiums.

This coverage not only applies to you but to your dependents as well even if they’re not directly stated on your personal taxes. You can calculate your deductions for tax returns using the provided IRS Health Insurance Deduction Worksheet for self-employed persons.


5. Travel Tax Benefits

Business-related travel can qualify as tax deductions. But, you have to follow the guidelines and qualifications set by the IRS.

For your trip to be declared as business travel, it should be outside of your city and will last for more than a day that you need to arrange accommodations. The most crucial one is that you should prove that you have an important, business-related agenda to be done on your trip.

The IRS keeps a close eye on travel tax benefit claims because it’s one of the benefits that are mostly subjected to abuse. For you to fully claim the tax return from your travel, you have to have complete records and receipts of all your activities and expenses.

That includes your accommodation, transportation, and meals. The first two are 100% tax-deductible but your meals are only limited to 50%. It’s important to remember that lavish expenses will usually get rejected by the IRS.
If you choose to combine your business trips with leisure, then you can’t declare all the expenses for your tax return.

You’re only allowed to claim the tax benefit for your business-related costs. The same goes for if you have someone with you that isn’t your employee. You can only claim partial benefits amounting to the cost of your personal business expense and not your companion.


Conclusion

The actual tax calculation might be more complicated than what’s stated above so it’s highly recommended that you comb through the policies of the IRS. These tax benefits are only the tip of the iceberg for self-employed persons who own home business. The IRS includes so much more deductibles, but these are the most common ones that are typically used.

But if there’s a time that you’re unsure about whether to declare it for the purpose of tax returns, always go back to the basics and think if it’s directly related to your business! For a more comprehensive look at tax benefits, take a look at this book that my business coach highly recommend: https://amzn.to/3cgkQXI​

​If you’re already outsourcing your order fulfillment process to Amazon FBA, why would you need another third party prep center to send your products to Amazon? That’s probably the big question that’s looming in your mind if you’re considering hiring a prep center to help out with your business.
 
But the truth is, there will come a time in your business when you can no longer keep up with the demand for your product. When that day comes, one of your best options might just be to outsource to a prep center. But first, you have to find out whether outsourcing to a prep center is the right move for your business.
 
What is FBA Prep?

There’s a lot of confusion between Amazon’s FBA fulfillment and a third party prep center. For starters, those are two completely different things. While Amazon already offers a lot of convenience via its FBA fulfillment service that let you stock your products in their warehouse and then takes care of packaging and shipping, sometimes you will still hit a bottleneck. When your business gets busy enough, there might be a delay in shipping your product to the Amazon warehouse, and that’s where a third party FBA prep center steps in.
 
These FBA prep centers assist you in the process of making sure that your stocks are ready and meet the strict standards of Amazon before shipping them to FBA. That’s where the difficulty lies - in making sure that your stocks are packed, wrapped, and ready in a way that’s up to Amazon standards. Otherwise, you will get a penalty for not adhereing to Amazon’s standards and it will cost you more  to have Amazon prep and label them for you.
 
Basically, FBA prep centers ‘prep’ your stocks to make sure that they’re acceptable to Amazon’s FBA program.
 
Is Outsourcing to a Prep Center Right For Your Business

Prepping your products for FBA is something that you can do yourself and it’s also what I recommend when starting to sell on Amazon, unless you are working with your manufacturer to handle that part as well as shipping direct to Amazon. This is what most private label sellers do, especially if their products are coming from China. Doing it this way is just more efficient and cost-effective.
 
If you’re not sure whether your business is ready for a third party FBA prep, there are other options that you can consider. For example, you can hire someone and train him to do the FBA prep for you. It’s likely that this person will be working somewhere within your home grounds, if that’s where you keep your products. If that’s something you’re comfortable with, then you can go for this more affordable option.
 
However, if your business is growing at a fast rate, hiring one person to do your FBA prep for you might just be putting a band-aid on a bigger problem. Sooner or later, if you’re committed to selling on Amazon and scaling up your business, you’re going to have to consider using the services of an FBA prep, especially if you’re starting to sell more volume. Another option is to hire employees and rent a warehouse.

Advantages of Outsourcing to a Prep Center

Despite being marketed as a convenience for Amazon sellers, the FBA fulfillment service has a lot of strict rules and rigorous standards that need to be complied with to the letter. If you’re an Amazon seller, you may have already learned that not complying with even just one of these standards will get you some consequences.
 
By turning over the process of prepping for FBA to the experts, you’re guaranteed that there will be no send backs and that they will be updated with Amazon’s warehouse protocols. You’ll also spare yourself from all the time and effort of inspecting the stocks, labeling, and shipping, time better spent on expanding your online business. For me, this is really the main purpose of outsourcing. So that I can free myself up to do other things that have better ROI for my time.
 
Trust us when we say that when you’re trying to grow your online business, the last thing you want to do is to be doing everything yourself. You’re going to end up overworked and tired, which will leave very little for any creative thought.

Considerations When Choosing an FBA Prep

The top consideration for any Amazon seller when choosing an FBA prep center is, of course, price. While it’s completely understandable that you want the best deal possible (you’re running a business after all), always balance the value you’re getting with the price your paying. Check their fees and additional charges and compare with others. I also always do my own due diligence by talking to their existing clients to make sure I’m choosing a reliable business partner with solid referrals from satisfied customers.
 
Location is also an important consideration. If you’re expecting a lot of shipments from overseas, consider choosing an FBA prep center that’s within the vicinity of your usual ports of shipment. Also, another thing to consider in relation to location is sales tax. If you’re outsourcing to an FBA prep center that’s in a state where there’s no sales tax, then you can potentially save yourself anything between 0.5% to 10% in tax. Even if you’re just saving yourself 3% in tax money, that’s money you can invest somewhere else.

​Another tax consideration is that if you’re doing online arbitrage and using your tax exempt certificate, you won’t be able to use that if you’re shipping those items to a prep center located in a state where you don’t have tax exempt certificate. So that is a lot of savings if you ask me! As an entrepreneur, my goal is to improve my bottom line so the more savings I get, the better my bottom line is.

Conclusion

When your business reaches a point where you can no longer keep up with the demand for your products, one of the solutions you can consider is outsourcing to an FBA prep center. An FBA prep center receives, packages, and ships your products to Amazon FBA, making sure that it meets all of the rigorous rules and standards of the warehouse.
 
An FBA prep center can help streamline your business, freeing up your time, and preparing you for selling to an even bigger market. While these services come at a price, they will help you expand your online business and prepare you for even more products and customers!
 

These days, it’s very hard to balance the job, the kids, and the uncertainty of the current pandemic. For a lot of moms, having a home business like selling products on Amazon is getting more and more attractive. But of course, it’s not easy to take that first leap because it’s never easy to try something new.
 
As a work from home mom myself, let me tell you that all it takes to get started is to narrow down your options and find a low risk way of getting in. Once you get a feel of what it’s like to have an online business by selling on Amazon, you’ll feel more confident about it. Plus, you’ll get to enjoy having control of your own time. Imagine that!

Let’s help you narrow down those choices into the four most popular business models for selling on Amazon.

The 4 Most Popular Business Models for Selling on Amazon

It’s great to have choices but sometimes having too many choices can get confusing too. If you’ve just started your home business for selling products on Amazon, we wouldn’t be surprised if finding all the different ways you can sell on Amazon made your head spin.
 
To narrow things down for you, here are the top four most popular business models used by third party sellers on Amazon - retail arbitrage, online arbitrage, wholesale, and private label.

Is Retail Arbitrage a Good Fit for Your Home Business?

Retail arbitrage is a pretty simple business model that is usually the best choice for a first time online business owner like us. Basically, it calls for ‘flipping’ a product - for going to brick and mortar stores and buying something at a lower cost and then selling it for more on Amazon.
 
The pros of retail arbitrage is that it’s easy to get started and it’s relatively low risk. You can get started tomorrow! You can work with whatever capital you have on hand and just grow your money from there. There also a lot of price scanning apps available now that are easy to use - even for moms like us!

The cons of retail arbitrage is that it's the most time consuming out of the four business models. You might lose the advantage of being a work from home mom if you always have to pop by retail stores to find your products.

Is Online Arbitrage a Good Fit for Your Online Business?

Online arbitrage is pretty much the same as retail arbitrage except for one important difference - you look for your products online instead of physically going to stores and buying products there.
 
The pros with this business model is obvious. With online arbitrage, you won’t have to leave your house which means that you will be working from home in the truest sense. This is a much better way to go if one of your goals is to have an online business in the truest sense. You can work from home and still spend time with your family.

The cons of online arbitrage is that the products you see online may not match supposedly identical products on Amazon. Or products may arrived with damaged packaging as well. It’s a lot easier to get a bad deal or get cheated if everything is done online - including product inspection. You will also find that there are more competitions in this business model since every other seller are also buying the same items online.

Is Wholesale a Good Fit for Your Home Business?

If you have a significant amount of capital that you can play with and you don't like the idea of constantly sourcing day after day, you might like doing wholesale. Since buying wholesale usually requires MOQ or minimum required quantity when ordering, I recommend doing this when you have more experience selling on amazon so you know for sure that you will be able to move those 500 units of one item.
 
The pros of this business model is that you are practically guaranteed a better, predictable supply of inventory. You don’t have to look constantly look for good deals at either retail or online stores. You can just plan when to restock and place the order when needed. The cons of wholesale is that it profit margins could be slim depending on the product, and it requires a much larger capital which means that it’s also much riskier. 
 
Is the Private Label Business Model Fit for Your Online Business?

For most moms, the private label business model might be the best fit if your main goal is to be less hands on and to have more free time for yourself and for your family.

Basically, what it means is that you will be selling products that already exist on Amazon but branded under your own private label. Your job will be to check out the products you’re interested in, and choose which ones you want to sell as part of your label. Once you’ve chosen, you’ll order from the supplier and they’ll make the product by bulk with your brand name on the packaging. 
 
The suppliers will ship directly to Amazon and they will fulfill your order via Amazon FBA. The reason why private label isn’t on top of my list of business models for brand new business owners is that you will need a much bigger capital which also means bigger risk. You will also have to shell out more money to invest in advertising when launching a new product. Not only do you need more money to invest, but also time, since it will take more time branding and marketing a brand new product. If you’re someone who’s trying to provide for the family in the middle of this pandemic, something high risk might not be the best choice.
 
On the other hand, if your main goal is to have more control of your own profit margins and get time back to spend with your family, then private label might be the best choice for you. Selling your private label products through Amazon FBA pretty much takes care of everything and is the most passive business model, if you know what you're doing!  Just keep in mind that Amazon FBA does cost a pretty penny.

Conclusion

It can be nerve wracking to start your own business, especially a work from home business. There will be a lot of challenges at first and a lot of new skills to learn, but the payoff is usually worth it. At worst it will be a learning experience and at best you can be the boss of your own company while also having the freedom to spend time with your family!
 
Here’s one final tip - don’t be afraid to mix and match the different business models to your need. Try a little bit of retail arbitrage and a little bit of online arbitrage when you’re getting started. And when you’ve got a good footing in the market, maybe you’ll feel like you’ll want to invest in wholesale or eventually do private label too!
 
The most important hurdle for any new home business owner is really just to get started. And there are many ways to make a living from home because of the internet. If you're a beginner entrepreneur and you think Amazon business is too risky or complicated to to be your first business venture, then read this blog post in which I recommend another business model.

P.S 
If you want to know what helped me get started with my Amazon journey and hit six figures in my first year, click HERE.

​Happy New Year!
 
I thought that it would be fitting to write a blog post that will definitely help you on starting your Amazon business. My mission is to inspire you and help you succeed in your online business. So today I wanted to discuss the online course that helped me with my Amazon business.
 
Proven Amazon Course
 
Jim Cochrum’s Proven Amazon Course (PAC) is the online course that I purchased back in 2018 and it taught me everything about Amazon. The great thing about this course is that it is not only one course, but it is made up of several courses rolled into one. Think of it as an online library. They also add new courses to it every six months or so.  Which means it’s like getting new materials in your online library without shelling additional money, which is very nice indeed.
 
Once you purchase the course, you are given a portal wherein you login and access the modules at your own pace. Being able to login and study at your own pace makes it very convenient since you can do this on your free time.
What I also appreciate about PAC is that the fact that there have been a lot of additions since I’ve purchased it several years ago. To give you an idea, here are the screenshots of some of the courses covering ALL different aspects of sourcing and selling on Amazon. Note that these are just some of the courses on my dashboard, not all of it.
​

 As you can see, there’s a lot of content that you get for the course.

How much is PAC and is it worth it?
 
Now let’s talk about pricing. You can pay a one-time fee of $499 and get a full lifetime access to it, which is what I did because this was the only option a few years ago. Not sure if you want to shell out that much money? The great news is that they are now offering this course for only $29 per month! I have purchased a few thousand dollar courses before so I thought $499 was a bargain. Seeing this course now being offered at $29, I urge you to jump on it and create another income stream this new year! They offer a 30-day 100% money back guarantee as well so if you realize Proven Amazon Course is not for you, contact their support (within 30 days) for a refund. They'll give you 100% back, no questions asked. 
 
So if you are thinking of starting a business this 2021, purchasing PAC course is a no-brainer. It’s zero-risk and sky-high return in your investment if you implement what you learn. If you're living outside the US, you can still pursue the opportunity of selling on Amazon as PAC course includes InternationAZ, the Amazon course for international sellers. You can see the details of this course here.

Please note that once you sign up, they might upsell you to their one on one coaching services which cost thousands of dollars. I hit six figures on my first year of selling on Amazon and I personally have never purchased their coaching so I believe you don’t necessarily need those to succeed on Amazon. 
 
Conclusion
 
Proven Amazon Course is a solid training that gives you useful, extensive content to accommodate newbies through intermediate sellers.  The modules are all easy to follow and it’s enough for most sellers specially newbies to start or grow their Amazon business. Check out PAC's student testimonials here and scroll through the page and read proven success stories of people who got their start with the Proven Amazon Course.
 
 
 

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​We are now in the last quarter of 2020 and it’s already looking like it’s going to be one of the biggest Q4s for Amazon sellers. This isn’t surprising because of the pandemic regulations, so a lot more people are buying their holiday gifts online instead of going to the stores.
 
As an Amazon seller, this is your chance to maximize those Q4 sales. But if this is your first Q4, what are the things that you can do to prepare for this highly anticipated bump in customer traffic on Amazon?

1. Stock Up on Inventory

Just in case there’s any confusion, Amazon’s Q4 isn’t October to December like most other companies. Instead, the busiest months are actually November to January, which means that you still have a chance to stock up on supplies. Believe us when we say that you want to be ready for this sudden skyrocket on Amazon sales.
 
We’re not saying that you should go out and buy an enormous amount of products. It’s always best to stock up based on your current sales record instead of being overly optimistic (which could lead to some losses). If you’re making two or three sales on one product per week, expect an uptick to the point of getting a sale per day (or two or three).
 
The important part is to not wait until December to realize that you might just run out of products and miss out on the chance to get a healthy stream of profit. Also, be sure to stock up all the way up to January, which is the month that most new sellers miss out on. Keep in mind that buying products, even directly from suppliers, can be tough during the holiday season. Remember, even suppliers are trying to ride Amazon’s Q4 wave too.
 
2. Organize Your Workspace (and Buy Office Supplies)

Don’t forget that the holidays are going to be busy for you, in terms of personal stuff like family events and Christmas parties as much as it will be busy at work. Before you even hit the actual Q4 season, stock up on office supplies, shipping supplies, hire additional help and make sure that everything in your workplace is organized and without clutter.
 
You would be surprised at how much preparations are being done by Amazon sellers during this period. A lot of home offices are streamlined to make sure that everything that’s needed to get an order ready, either for customers or for FBA, is within the room. Those few extra steps multiplied by a hundred can be a lot, especially when you translate it into time saved. In preparation, extra tables are often brought in to create a sort of assembly line for expediting the packing and shipment process to keep up with the busiest time of the year.
 
There’s always a chance that you will be hit by a storm of sales if you haven’t already. And whether it’s a slight uptick of sales or a huge one, it’s not going to be like your regular sales days during Q1 to Q3. The best way to avoid mistakes which could result in missed opportunities and higher cost is to organize your work flow, your work space, and your work supplies. 

Unless you are using a prep center to handle your inventory, this one is very important during Q4. The worst thing that you can do during Q4 is to run out of polybags or shipping boxes when you're trying to get a shipment out the door!
 
3. Calendar Everything
​
Again, this is more of a ‘decluttering and streamlining your life’ tip but you wouldn’t believe how hectic things can suddenly become when you’re a home-based Amazon seller during the Q4 madness. It’s not if you forget something, it’s when you forget something, and that something will usually be very important and very inconvenient for you and your business.
 
By simply putting everything in your calendar, you will significantly lower the chances of missing out on great opportunities or forgetting to place an order to your supplier. These little things add up to a lot when you’re dealing with the holiday shopping rush.

4. Don’t Chase the ‘Holiday Toy List’

A lot of Amazon sellers go for the holiday toy list because chances are a lot of people are going to be after those products, but you’ll find that most major stores are also stocking up on them and probably already have warehouses full of them since September. Look for niches with toys that are likely to be sought after but will be harder to come by come December.
 
These niche toys and items will also be pricier as it approaches December and January, unlike the holiday toy list which you can’t really reprice by much.

5. Adjust Your Repricing Strategy

When it comes to repricing during the Q4, we always recommend keeping an eye out for trends. You’ll notice that certain products’ prices will slowly get higher as it gets closer to December and even much higher by the time you hit January. Don’t get left behind, use that repricer to find a good fit for your prices in line with other Amazon sellers. With the right repricing strategy, you can stay competitive and gain more visibility over your competitors that will hopefully result in an uptick of sales. I use Bqool repricer and adjust my parameters to maximize my profits.
 
Conclusion

The most wonderful time of the year is also one of the busiest and most profitable quarter for Amazon sellers. And while Amazon’s Q4 is very well known for being hectic, it’s a great time to boost sales and visibility for your online business, especially if you’re just starting out.
 
By keeping these top tips in mind, you can keep track of your sales, be prepared for the huge holiday rush, and not lose your cool while expediting shipments and orders. Don’t worry, a couple more of these Q4s and it will be a cinch soon enough.
 
And lastly, don’t forget to spend some quality time on yourself and your family. It’s also the holidays for you just as much as everyone else - just a tad busier.

​You’re just about to get started with your new online business selling on Amazon, and then you find out that there’s a lot that goes into preparing your products for shipping to Amazon FBA. Securing and packaging your products is one of your top concerns as an Amazon seller, because besides the possibility of your items getting damaged en route to the warehouse, Amazon FBA has been known to slap you with penalties for shipments that don’t meet their shipping standards. This means ponying up for additional cost of shipping, delays in sending your products to customers and so on.
 
With shipping standards being a top concern for your online business, it’s great to know what tools are essential for this task. This way, you know you’ve got everything you need to get started.

What shipping supplies do you absolutely need?

To save you the time and effort of poring over what kind of supplies that you need when sending your products over to Amazon FBA, we’ve created a list for you of the absolutely essential shipping supplies that you need. These are the things that you simply can’t do without to meet the FBA standards and to make sure that you avoid the dreaded send-backs that any Amazon seller fears.
 
Shipping Boxes

You’ll need a lot of shipping boxes especially if you’re sending products over to Amazon FBA and not to your customer, so it’s safe to say that you’ll be sending by bulk or at least one large box’s worth. There are appropriately sized shipping boxes available for purchase at Walmart or Home Depot but it’s also perfectly okay to reuse the boxes that you receive when you buy products from online suppliers.
 
If time is in your hands and you are bootstrapping your Amazon business, you can also ask grocery stores if they have any free boxes they want to let go of, or you can check the free stuff available on Craigslist. Just be sure that you use boxes with toughness that are appropriate for the products you’re selling - don’t use less durable boxes for heavy items like books, for example. 
 
These boxes range from small, medium, and large with prices that also range from as little as $0.75 to $2.00.
 
Packing Tape

When it comes to shipping tape, you’re going to want to go with the heavy duty variety from established brands like Scotch Heavy Duty Shipping tape, or Duck HD Clear Heavy Duty, Uline or Tape King. There are other reliable brands of course, but we just need to emphasize that shipping tape is not something that you want to skimp on.
 
It’s also a good idea to invest in a tape dispenser which let you easily apply shipping tape onto your boxes to seal them shut. Be sure to buy a tape dispenser that matches your preferred tape brand. Also, be sure to double-tape the seams of your boxes. You want your products to be secure!

Weighing Scale

The shipping boxes and shipping tape are obviously essential, but a lot of new Amazon sellers are surprised at the need for a sturdy and reliable shipping scale. What most new sellers don’t know is that Amazon FBA will ask you to input the size, shape, and weight of your package when you’re sending it over to their warehouse. These dimensions and weight also need to be printed on the side of the box for good measure.
 
You will want a shipping scale that’s accurate, sturdy, can weigh as much as 50 lbs and can handle bulky packages. This needs to be accurate because Amazon determines the shipping charge based on the weight, so it’s best to get a digital scale just to be sure you’re getting the right number. There are also penalties for packages that are labeled or listed with the wrong weight or dimensions.
 
Here’s a pro tip - get a scale that has a display with a cord that extends away from the scale. This will let you get the accurate weight on the display without having to bend over or peek under the package.
 
Laser Printer / Dymo Printer

As an Amazon seller, you’re going to need to print the barcode labels for your products and inventory, as well as print the labels for the shipping boxes that you’ll be sending over to Amazon FBA.
 
If you’re wondering if any old printer will do, the answer is no, it has to be a laser printer. If you’re lucky, you might already have one in the house somewhere. But if you’re buying a printer for your business, be sure to get a laser model. Amazon specifies a laser printer so that the ink on the labels won’t get smeared while handling. A lot of people use Dymo printer for barcode labels as well.
 
Address / Barcode Labels

These generic address sticker labels are available online and are great for printing the individual barcode labels for packages that need to be sent and sorted by Amazon FBA. There are three kinds of barcodes that are used for identifying products - manufacturer barcodes (GCID, ISBN are some examples), Amazon barcodes (FNSKU barcodes), and even transparency barcodes to ensure authenticity.
 
With these many barcodes to consider, you can see why printing them on address labels are such a lifesaver. These sticker labels usually have 30 stickers per sheet and is a great way to save time and effort when you print them by batch. If you choose to use a Dymo printer instead, don't forget to use the labels that is compatible with your Dymo printer as well, which typically comes in a roll, instead of a sheet of labels.
 
Shipping Labels

The address labels are for the barcodes that go onto your individual products while the box labels are the ones that will be posted outside of your box, showing all the necessary information that Amazon FBA needs, including a separate barcode plus the weight and dimensions.
 
When you’re inputting the details of your shipment for Amazon, you’re going to get a PDF file after that you can print which are actually to separate labels. You can simply cut one large label into two after it prints or you can buy the 2-in1 sheet that will save you a little time and trouble.
 
Sold as Set Labels

The ‘Sold as Set’ labels are not exactly essential, but whenever you send items that are packaged and listed on the catalog as a bundle, then that product should have a "Sold as a Set" sticker on it. Even though you’re inputting all this information as you place your shipment into the Amazon Seller Central, mistakes can and have happened before. It could be possible that the FBA warehouse guy receiving your items could open and separate those products that are meant to be sold as a multipack or a bundle. Then imagine a customer leaving you a negative feedback because they received an incomplete set. So save yourself the hassle and simply put a “Sold as Set” label on your products that are sold as sets.
 
Conclusion

There’s no going around shipping standards when you’re an Amazon seller shipping your products to Amazon FBA. The last thing that you want is to have your products sent back, doubling the cost and the effort of sending them back to the fulfillment center. That’s why it’s important to know which shipping supplies are essential to your business.
 
While there are a lot of gadgets and extras that can make shipping to FBA easy and convenient, you have to make sure that you have the absolute essentials first to get your online business up and running. 

Do you want to know which supplies I use for my Amazon business? Then check this out.

Shipping lables: https://amzn.to/2IUqNhm
Dymo printer: https://amzn.to/3lUummu
Weighing scale: https://amzn.to/2IXhgpX
Heat gun: https://amzn.to/2UJcJtK
Dymo labels: https://amzn.to/38Z3X3b
Stickers for Bundles and Multipacks: https://amzn.to/3kSG7s9
3-inch Packing Tape: https://amzn.to/36Tepq9
3-inch Tape Dispenser:  https://amzn.to/3kUS5kR
Polybags (Bundle): https://amzn.to/3pYFFfQ
Large Polybags: https://amzn.to/3lQ1YBX

 
Maybe you’ve been thinking about it for a while or maybe you’ve seen other people try it and do pretty well for themselves, but the truth is there’s really no better time than now to start your own work from home business by selling on Amazon.
 
As a mom who have been doing online businesses since 2014, I can say that the hardest part was getting started. It did take a lot of late nights but after a few months, I finally found my groove. Thanks to this Amazon online course that I took, my business was profitable and thriving even after only a few months.
 
We all know that e-commerce is here to stay. While some industries suffered massively this year, other industries - like online shopping - continued to thrive and is even doing better now more than ever! So why not ride the e-commerce wave?
 
There’s No Better Time to Start a Home Business

Let’s face it, starting an online business that let us work from home is ideal right now, especially since the job markets are low and there are so many changes because of the pandemic. There is no job security because you unless you own the company, anyone is dispensable. Also, the revenue from online shopping has skyrocketed in the past few months, simply because online shopping has tripled or even quadrupled in popularity. With millions of dollars in revenue being made by selling online, it won’t hurt to even have a small piece of that pie.
 
As a stay at home mom, I can honestly say that starting my own online business from home has been one of the best decisions that I made in my life. It has empowered me to be able to contribute to the household, pursue my own investments and put something towards my retirement account. Plus there’s the added bonus of being able to spend time with my kids! It’s definitely a life changer and it’s a great feeling to be in control of my own schedule.

Why You Should Start a Home Business By Selling on Amazon
​
If you’re thinking of starting a home business by selling items online, the top choice for an eCommerce platform has got to be Amazon. For one, a large number of online shoppers seem to prefer Amazon. Just ask yourself, who does not shop on Amazon? I literally cannot think of anyone.
 
Because a huge chunk of online customers are already in Amazon, you are more likely to get more sales and garner more attention too. And with the help of value added services like Amazon FBA, you can let the company take care of product shipping and customer service too, so you can have more free time for your family.
 
How to Get Started in Amazon for Your Home Business
 
​The hardest part is always getting started. Whether you’re a career mom or you’re a stay-at-home mom, starting an online business can be really intimidating. Don’t worry, the idea here is to start small and to grow your home business in steps. What’s important is to get started so that you can get a feel of what online selling through Amazon is like.
 
There’s this selling plan in Amazon called the individual selling plan and this is a great fit for people when just starting out. Basically, it is a pay-as-you-go plan where you’ll only have to pay $0.99 per item that you sell. If you are selling less than 40 items a month, that’s a pretty great deal, don’t you think?
 
But what if you want to expand your business and start selling more than 40 products a month? Don’t worry, it’s easy to switch to a professional seller package any time. You just go to your account settings and upgrade your seller account. That one has a maintenance fee of $39.99 per month but once you start getting those sales, the fee won’t seem steep anymore.
 
Of course, I would recommend that you start with the individual package first, unless you are 100% sure that you can sell more than 40 items in one month. Dip your toes in the water and get a feel for whether being a work from home mom with a home business is the right choice for you.
 
Amazon Makes it Easier to Get Your Home Business Started

Amazon offers a lot of conveniences when it comes to getting started with your online business. Through Amazon FBA which is basically Amazon fulfillment, you can streamline your packaging and shipping so that you won’t have to do it yourself (for an extra fee) every time you get an order from a customer. If your main goal is to spend more time with your family, Amazon FBA would be a good choice.
 
A Closer Look at Amazon FBA

We’ve just mentioned Amazon FBA and how it offers so many conveniences for new sellers. What’s the catch, you might ask?
 
The catch, of course, is that those conveniences come with a hefty fee. There’s a storage fee for keeping your products at the Amazon warehouse plus the pick and pack fee for shipping. These fees are on top of the referral fees that you need to pay as well. Referral fee is a fee Amazon charges you every time you sell a product. It is a percentage of the total sales price and is usually 15%.
 
You might balk at the additional expenses, but if you’re selling a lot of products online, Using Amazon FBA is a good idea so that you don’t get overwhelmed with shipping and logistics. For me, I would rather pay these fees than spend all my days messing with tapes and boxes and shipping to customers.
 
I should say take a closer look at the services they offer plus the different fees (the fees vary depending on the size of the product and the price of the product) and think about whether it’s right for you. You could try it out or do merchant fulfill. As a home business owner, you do what is right for you and your bottom line.

Conclusion
​
There are more and more parents like us who are choosing to work from home especially with the current pandemic. Many are starting their online side hustles too. By starting your own home business, you can earn extra income and if you decide to be a full time home business owner, you can be in control of your time and your schedule. You will essentially be your own boss! It's not easy but it is doable.
 
As a mom who have been a home business owner since 2014, my advice to you is: take action. Whether that means taking an online course, product research or sourcing, just take action. And do it consistently! Start with what you have, take calculated risks, but start today. Creating your own successful business from home is all about taking that first step. Get started by filling out your selling application here: https://sellercentral.amazon.com 

If you would like to join our FREE facebook group where I help other newbies start an amazon business, please click here: www.facebook.com/groups/pinayamzentrepreneurs/

And if you want to expedite your Amazon business, I recommend getting this online course, instead of wasting so many precious hours trying to figure out things on your own.