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Ask Me Anything About Amazon!

AmazonDon

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Hi Everyone! My name is AmazonDon.

While I've lurked The Fastlane Forum for some time, I've regrettably fallen out of touch with the community and the mindset while chasing slowlane pursuits. I'm ready to shift gears, get back in the fastlane, and chronicle my journey here on this forum. While I do so I want to add value to those who have given me so much and leave you with any knowledge that you may find useful.

For the past 8 years I have worked for companies, agencies, and freelance in a slew of digitial marketing and e-commerce roles. Most recently I have worked for some of the premier marketing agencies in the US helping businesses grow on Amazon. In my time there I have managed millions in ad spend and watched businesses develop from Seller account seedlings to 8 figure brands.

Witnessing that exponential growth and knowing how many choose Amazon as their fastlane, I'd like to offer to answer any questions you may have about the platform and the related operations. I will try to answer as quickly as possible and want to thank you for joining me in this next chapter.

All the best in your endeavors. Now, let those questions rip!
 
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MoneyHacker

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Hi Everyone! My name is AmazonDon.

While I've lurked The Fastlane Forum for some time, I've regrettably fallen out of touch with the community and the mindset while chasing slowlane pursuits. I'm ready to shift gears, get back in the fastlane, and chronicle my journey here on this forum. While I do so I want to add value to those who have given me so much and leave you with any knowledge that you may find useful.

For the past 8 years I have worked for companies, agencies, and freelance in a slew of digitial marketing and e-commerce roles. Most recently I have worked for some of the premier marketing agencies in the US helping businesses grow on Amazon. In my time there I have managed millions in ad spend and watched businesses develop from Seller account seedlings to 8 figure brands.

Witnessing that exponential growth and knowing how many choose Amazon as their fastlane, I'd like to offer to answer any questions you may have about the platform and the related operations. I will try to answer as quickly as possible and want to thank you for joining me in this next chapter.

All the best in your endeavors. Now, let those questions rip!
Hi, can i ask you 2 questions:
1. Can i make an Amazon seller account if i live outside of the us. What do i need to know to get accepted?
2. How many ways are there to make money with Amazon?
Thank you, wish you all the best.
 

AmazonDon

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Hi, can i ask you 2 questions:
1. Can i make an Amazon seller account if i live outside of the us. What do i need to know to get accepted?
2. How many ways are there to make money with Amazon?
Thank you, wish you all the best.
Thanks for the reply!

You can absolutely make an account if you live outside the US. The requirements vary from country to country, but generally you will need:
  • A business mailing address or Amazon customer account
  • A credit card
  • A valid passport or ID
  • Company registration info
Amazon operates in multiple international markets so there's a good chance the platform is available in your country. I'd recommend googling "Become a Seller Amazon" or check out sellercentral.amazon.com (.co.uk, .au, .jp, etc.) for more information on setting up an account and the complete requirements. You may also want to look at FBA Global Selling if you are outside of the current marketplace regions.

To your second question: There are tons of ways to make money on Amazon! You can sell a product in the thousands of subcategories on the Amazon retail site. You can learn to use Amazon Advertising and sell your ad management service. You can use affiliate links to link to Amazon Product Detail Pages and get paid when a user converts. You can sell services on Amazon. You can publish a Kindle book on Amazon. You can consult business on how to be succesful on Amazon.

I think you get the picture... The possibilites are limited only by your imagination!

Let me know if I can help with anything else!
 
Last edited:

Saad Khan

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Hi Everyone! My name is AmazonDon.

While I've lurked The Fastlane Forum for some time, I've regrettably fallen out of touch with the community and the mindset while chasing slowlane pursuits. I'm ready to shift gears, get back in the fastlane, and chronicle my journey here on this forum. While I do so I want to add value to those who have given me so much and leave you with any knowledge that you may find useful.

For the past 8 years I have worked for companies, agencies, and freelance in a slew of digitial marketing and e-commerce roles. Most recently I have worked for some of the premier marketing agencies in the US helping businesses grow on Amazon. In my time there I have managed millions in ad spend and watched businesses develop from Seller account seedlings to 8 figure brands.

Witnessing that exponential growth and knowing how many choose Amazon as their fastlane, I'd like to offer to answer any questions you may have about the platform and the related operations. I will try to answer as quickly as possible and want to thank you for joining me in this next chapter.

All the best in your endeavors. Now, let those questions rip!
How to not get on the bad side of Amazon?
 
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AmazonDon

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How to not get on the bad side of Amazon?
The key here is to avoid violating Amazon's Terms of Service. Many Sellers engage in grayhat or blackhat tactics that result in the loss of their Seller privledges. Check out the Seller Policies and Code of Conduct for information on prohibited activities. You can find the complete terms of service on your Seller Central account under Help.

Running a business on Amazon can be very profitable, but to some degree it violates the commandment of Control. At any time Amazon can close your account, but you typically are able to file and win an appeal. There have been instances recently of Amazon building their own private label products and kicking the top Sellers off the platform.

Will this stop you from taking things further or will you take action?
 

Prince33

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I've got two as well.

Would you say the years you spent on your slow-lane pursuits could've been better had you spent them on fastlane only instead?

and

How much capital would you say is required to actually start and have a good launch doing anything on Amazon?

I did KDP before. And the upfront investment was pretty massive. Easily would've taken years and if you really do keyword research right; maybe months to even break even. But you'd also need marketing, ads etc

That Amazon stuff can be a whoooole game you gotta constantly oil the wheel on. My perception of it was you may have a 'business' but you're definitely bound by it. Not including it violates the commandment of control like crazy with the gatekeeping of what you can sell. Books/products can be pulled and more.

Not to trash the thread with negativity just sharing my experience. I like to give intel when I request some if I can.
 

Saad Khan

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Will this stop you from taking things further or will you take action?
I will when I'm able to. Right now, I'm a college student dealing with freelance stuff. Will be learning Amazon marketing and ads and adding value to Amazon listings and businesses in the near future.

Thanks for your time Don. Much appreciated :)
 
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Prince33

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I will when I'm able to. Right now, I'm a college student dealing with freelance stuff. Will be learning Amazon marketing and ads and adding value to Amazon listings and businesses in the near future.

Thanks for your time Don. Much appreciated :)
Does going to college align with your fastlane goals?
 

MoneyHacker

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Thanks for the reply!

You can absolutely make an account if you live outside the US. The requirements vary from country to country, but generally you will need:
  • A business mailing address or Amazon customer account
  • A credit card
  • A valid passport or ID
  • Company registration info
Amazon operates in multiple international markets so there's a good chance the platform is available in your country. I'd recommend googling "Become a Seller Amazon" or check out sellercentral.amazon.com (.co.uk, .au, .jp, etc.) for more information on setting up an account and the complete requirements. You may also want to look at FBA Global Selling if you are outside of the current marketplace regions.

To your second question: There are tons of ways to make money on Amazon! You can sell a product in the thousands of subcategories on the Amazon retail site. You can learn to use Amazon Advertising and sell your ad management service. You can use affiliate links to link to Amazon Product Detail Pages and get paid when a user converts. You can sell services on Amazon. You can publish a Kindle book on Amazon. You can consult business on how to be succesful on Amazon.

I think you get the picture... The possibilites are limited only by your imagination!

Let me know if I can help with anything else!
Thank you so much, Don. Your answer is really helpful and informative. Wish you good health and good luck on your journey.
 

AmazonDon

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Read Fastlane!
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Jul 28, 2021
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On the Amazon
I've got two as well.

Would you say the years you spent on your slow-lane pursuits could've been better had you spent them on fastlane only instead?

and

How much capital would you say is required to actually start and have a good launch doing anything on Amazon?

I did KDP before. And the upfront investment was pretty massive. Easily would've taken years and if you really do keyword research right; maybe months to even break even. But you'd also need marketing, ads etc

That Amazon stuff can be a whoooole game you gotta constantly oil the wheel on. My perception of it was you may have a 'business' but you're definitely bound by it. Not including it violates the commandment of control like crazy with the gatekeeping of what you can sell. Books/products can be pulled and more.

Not to trash the thread with negativity just sharing my experience. I like to give intel when I request some if I can.
Thanks for the questions!

I would say that pursuing slowlane lifestyles (get a corporate job, invest a percentage each pay period, etc.) certainly limited the ceiling of my growth, but it was not completely detrimental to my self improvement. I gained a lot of skills and knowledge through the slowlane and was exposed to people and information I would not have otherwise encountered. I also learned the valuable lesson that I do not want to spend the bulk of my life in a hamster wheel chasing mediocrity. A job is a good resource, but not an end goal. It's hard to say what could have been, but I try to take positives from past experience.

To your second question: The costs associated with launching an Amazon business can be rather subjective. You will need more capital up front in most cases if you are launching a product that you have created or is new to the marketplace.

As you mentioned you have to oil the Amazon flywheel. Amazon's algorithm strives to match the best product to a consumer's search term and it determines that fit based on a variety of factors: sales velocity, availability, price, fulfillment method, reviews, content, advertising, etc. When you are launching a product that has no history you must create a reason for the algorithm to value you. Therefore you will incur more costs (advertising, discounts, review generation tools, etc.) early on than someone selling a product from an established and well known brand. On the flip side of that, when selling a product that is well known, such as a Keurig coffee maker, you will be battling for the Buy Box against 26 other Sellers. Each has their ups and downs.

Starting a company to be an Amazon brand could cost you thousands (business license fees, content genenration, product manufacturing, etc.) while being a retail arbitrage Seller on Amazon could cost you $100 and an hour at the Dollar Tree. The Instagram gurus may disagree, but I think one option carries more potential.

As you stated running a business on Amazon is a clear violation of the commandment of Control, but with over 60% of e-commerce searches beginning there you'll find no shortage of opportunity.
 
Last edited:

AmazonDon

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Where can one find a professional "ungating" service?
I can't personally recommend any of those services since they are in violation of Amazon's Terms of Service. Companies offering ungating services usually do so by producing fake invoices and providing them to Amazon. Once Amazon catches on your account will be suspended and you can say goodbye to your funds.

The best way to get ungated is to go through Amazon's own process (not fun, I know) and provide the requested documentation. If you are an established brand you may also look into the PAL program which helps launch products and brands new to Amazon. As part of the program you're given a dedicated account rep and they help bypass a lot of Amazon's hurdles.

Assuming you want to sell a well known gated product or brand, the best way to gain access is by building a strong and trustworthy Seller account before seeking approval.
 
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TedM

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Starting a company to be an Amazon brand could cost you thousands (business license fees, content genenration, product manufacturing, etc.)
Hey... I hope you are still monitoring thus thread. Thanks very much for opening it.

So I want to be selling a product that is unique and mine, but does fit into a defined existing niche.
Is there a checklist for launching?
How do I advertise actually?
The product I am most similar to in terms of function and price point sells 6k units a month in Home and Household.
I'm at the upper end of price and also a hand made natural product (all the others are highly manufactured).
 

door123

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Hi Everyone! My name is AmazonDon.

While I've lurked The Fastlane Forum for some time, I've regrettably fallen out of touch with the community and the mindset while chasing slowlane pursuits. I'm ready to shift gears, get back in the fastlane, and chronicle my journey here on this forum. While I do so I want to add value to those who have given me so much and leave you with any knowledge that you may find useful.

For the past 8 years I have worked for companies, agencies, and freelance in a slew of digitial marketing and e-commerce roles. Most recently I have worked for some of the premier marketing agencies in the US helping businesses grow on Amazon. In my time there I have managed millions in ad spend and watched businesses develop from Seller account seedlings to 8 figure brands.

Witnessing that exponential growth and knowing how many choose Amazon as their fastlane, I'd like to offer to answer any questions you may have about the platform and the related operations. I will try to answer as quickly as possible and want to thank you for joining me in this next chapter.

All the best in your endeavors. Now, let those questions rip!
I have a product that on Amazon, I do about 8-10 sales a day. Customers love it. 99.9% of my sales are coming from review sites.

How do I rank my product for the main keywords in my category. I have been selling for about 3 months now. My rankings have dropped on most of my keywords when I removed a 10% coupon and increased the price by 10% due to low inventory.
 

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