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A detailed account of a Fastlane process...

ygtrhos

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Hello everyone and welcome to my thread!

I have read TMF about 1.5 year ago, when I was done with my PhD. Since then, I have been trying to find a job and create an income source, so that I can finance a side hustle. It was a very hard year behind me, but it is over, no need to complain about past.

I am going to record my progress in some detail in this thread. I hope to get feedback or suggestions from you guys as well. :)

My background:

- 29 years old (at least after Friday :D )
- mechanical engineer
- Living in Germany, with Turkish passport

Resources:

- I have a dayjob, where I am quite underworked. I am just basically doing work for 15 hours a week and just diddling around in the rest. It might change later, but that is how it is.

I am also not overwatched a lot, so I can just bring my laptop and do my own work without being under surveillance. My colleagues like to do a lot of home office. (thank God)

All in all, I have a lot of time under my hands.

- I also have 9k€ in the bank and 2.75k€ salary. I am single and I can save about a half of it, although I usually save 1.25k€. I like to enjoy a sushi buffet or an occasional weekend trip to Eastern Europe every now and then.

A few months ago, I wanted to do dropshipping but after reading
@biophase and other people e-commerce experience, I changed my mind to an FBA business.

I have been listening to Scott Voelkner (The Amazing Seller) and basically getting my hands on any resource I can find about FBAing. I have even found some Turkish guys doing FBA in USA!

At the beginning, I would like to put about 4k€ into FBA. I want to start in Amazon USA due to the experiences of the people starting in Europe. The volume in USA is huge, so I would like to concentrate on that market.

I am using Start Here – The Amazing Seller this as my primary resource, as it is the most recent (one year old) resource I could get my hands on and it seems quite well-structured.
 
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ygtrhos

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My Product Selection:

Like everyone at the beginning, I stick to following criteria:

- 20-40$ range
- more than 3000$ revenue
- less than 75 reviews for at least 7 of top 10 sellers
- not a seasonal product
- no clothing (because of the variations)
- no electronics & machinery (because of the risk of getting broken on the way)
- no cosmetics (because of medical testing & stuff)

I have thought of kitchenware first, because I like cooking and I am a huge fan of glass and metal, instead of plastics everywhere. For that reason, I have thought of the french press I use very often. Here is the JungleScout results for "french press stainless steel":

frenchpress.png
Stuff like this or simple tools like scissors, shovels, wrenches or hammers are always like this. Try 'snow shovel' for example.

I used keywords instead of product names because the same product can be found with different keywords. You can use 'coffee maker' instead of french press for the same product too. But a keyword is specific.

But I still found some products thanks to the help of JS WebApp. I would like to list some JS results here:

Keyword 1: (2 words)

product1.png

Pros:

- Improvable Product. There is a reason why there are only 2 listings with 5 stars. The material choice of most products are bad and it causes corrosion.

Cons:

- Competitive market with established sellers. Check the number of reviews.

Keyword 2: (3 words)

product2.png

Pros:

- Not a lot of established sellers, it seems like I can beat my way to the top.

Cons:

- A bundle product. I have to find many suppliers and I have to find a forwarder that bundles for me.

Keyword 3: (two words)

product3.png
Pros:

- Product improvements possible, low ratings
- According to the data, I can easily get into the top 10.

(Is JS reliable? I can hardly imagine a product having only 4 reviews and making 15000$ sales.)

Cons:

- I have to make a brand new design, I cannot copycat due to patent issues.

Keyword 4: (3 words)

product4.png
I am very thrilled by this product. It is some part of some other product (like dust bag for vacuum cleaners) that gets broken easily.

Pros:

- Recurring orders
- Very simple product
- Product improvement possible
- Sourcing is possible in USA or Europe due to simplicity
- Not a lot of reviews, I can rise
- High sales numbers
- Something I use as well, I can test it on my own

Cons:

- Low cost, low margins
- Might be difficult to find a reliable supplier for this

Keyword 5: (3 words)

product5.png
Pros:

- I can rise into top 10
- Amazingly simple product. (You would probably not believe that a product like this is left forgotten)
- Use & throw away product (Recurring orders)

Cons:

- Might get broken on the way (not very fragile though)
- Might get too competitive in the future

Keyword 6: (3 words)

product6.png
Very similar product to Keyword 5. Same ups and downs for this as well.

Keyword 7: (two words)

product7.png

Pros:

- Product has room for improvement (ratings)
- I can imagine that there is a big profit margin for this product.

Cons:
- Market does not have depth. (No homogenous distribution of reviews)
- Lot of established sellers
 

ygtrhos

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Points to be cleared out:

1 - Can I trust these numbers from JungleScout? (Should I run a few 999 tests to validate them?)
2 - Is my keyword vs. product approach valid? (I tried to emulate how a customer would reach my product on this. The goal is to be in top 10 on a popular keyword, isn't it?)

I would also love to hear any other feedback or suggestions. Thanks!
 

NickC

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Jungle scout numbers arent always accurate. After i find a product i like i always track using a tracker of some kind or you can do it manually. I also recommend checking keepa to say the sales history long term
 
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NickC

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Jungle scout numbers arent always accurate. After i find a product i like i always track using a tracker of some kind or you can do it manually. I also recommend checking keepa to say the sales history long term

Also if a product just released and has alarmingly high sales they may be running a discount/giveaway so keep that in mind
 

Cashflow Queen

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Hello everyone and welcome to my thread!

I have read TMF about 1.5 year ago, when I was done with my PhD. Since then, I have been trying to find a job and create an income source, so that I can finance a side hustle. It was a very hard year behind me, but it is over, no need to complain about past.

I am going to record my progress in some detail in this thread. I hope to get feedback or suggestions from you guys as well. :)

My background:

- 29 years old (at least after Friday :D )
- mechanical engineer
- Living in Germany, with Turkish passport

Resources:

- I have a dayjob, where I am quite underworked. I am just basically doing work for 15 hours a week and just diddling around in the rest. It might change later, but that is how it is.

I am also not overwatched a lot, so I can just bring my laptop and do my own work without being under surveillance. My colleagues like to do a lot of home office. (thank God)

All in all, I have a lot of time under my hands.

- I also have 9k€ in the bank and 2.75k€ salary. I am single and I can save about a half of it, although I usually save 1.25k€. I like to enjoy a sushi buffet or an occasional weekend trip to Eastern Europe every now and then.

A few months ago, I wanted to do dropshipping but after reading
@biophase and other people e-commerce experience, I changed my mind to an FBA business.

I have been listening to Scott Voelkner (The Amazing Seller) and basically getting my hands on any resource I can find about FBAing. I have even found some Turkish guys doing FBA in USA!

At the beginning, I would like to put about 4k€ into FBA. I want to start in Amazon USA due to the experiences of the people starting in Europe. The volume in USA is huge, so I would like to concentrate on that market.

I am using Start Here – The Amazing Seller this as my primary resource, as it is the most recent (one year old) resource I could get my hands on and it seems quite well-structured.

Good luck it is a hell of a tough field to play but so worth it if you can get it right! As Scott says the most important thing is to TAKE ACTION ^_~. I only have a 1:10 success rate of launched products making any sort of good lasting profit after PPC and all fees and shipping. So just keep going! It’s almost impossible to tell what is going to sell well or not and be profitable after PPC despite all the numbers. Send in small batches (10 units) at first to test for sales and interest then scale. Don’t go all in on a product if you are not profitable after first review.
 

Fastlane Liam

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Remember to add your FBA Fees + 15% Amazon cut + 3% Import Tax
I didn't and threw my numbers off
AMZ Scout has a nice extension that works these out (not the tax part)
Good work!
 
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Walter Hay

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@ygtrhos I admire the way you have been thorough in your research, but unfortunately I am going to rain on your parade.

I see two major problems with the steps you have taken so far:

  • Jungle Scout mostly helps you follow trends and choose hot selling products, and this results in you immediately encountering considerable competition with the frequent result being a price war.
  • Product Sourcing based on the program you quoted (The Amazing Seller) could lead you into risky territory.

They tell you to filter your Alibaba search for suppliers who are part of the Trade Assurance scheme, but they are obviously ignorant of the terms and conditions of that scheme. They say, among other things that if you complain to Alibaba that a supplier has been difficult to deal with, Alibaba will "go after that manufacturer." That is far from the reality. See my AMA
Jan 16, 2015 #261 for a detailed examination of the very faulty scheme called Trade Assurance.

That post is the first of 13 I have made on the subject, but the scheme has been changed many times since I posted that one. There were 3 changes in 2017 and another already this year. I am in the process of writing about the new rules for my 2018 revision of my safe sourcing and importing book due out in about 6 weeks.

They tell you to filter your Alibaba search for Gold Suppliers, stating incorrectly that: "a Gold Supplier has been vetted by Alibaba and there have been no complaints against them." That is total garbage! See my AMA
GOLD! Sharing my lifetime experience in export/import. Product sourcing specialist.
for the truth about Gold Suppliers.

They also encourage you to use agents for your sourcing, See my AMA also on that subject.

You might continue to rely on The Amazing Seller, but you need to look further than just rely on people who clearly don't know what they are talking about.

Walter
 
Last edited:

ygtrhos

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First of all, thank you very much to all of you! I really appreciate all feedback written here!

@ygtrhos I admire the way you have been thorough in your research, but unfortunately I am going to rain on your parade.

I see two major problems with the steps you have taken so far:

  • Jungle Scout mostly helps you follow trends and choose hot selling products, and this results in you immediately encountering considerable competition with the frequent result being a price war. Jungle Scout mostly helps you follow trends and choose hot selling products, and this results in you immediately encountering considerable competition with the frequent result being a price war.
  • Product Sourcing based on the program you quoted (The Amazing Seller) could lead you into risky territory.

They tell you to filter your Alibaba search for suppliers who are part of the Trade Assurance scheme, but they are obviously ignorant of the terms and conditions of that scheme. They say, among other things that if you complain to Alibaba that a supplier has been difficult to deal with, Alibaba will "go after that manufacturer." That is far from the reality. See my AMA
Jan 16, 2015 #261 for a detailed examination of the very faulty scheme called Trade Assurance.

That post is the first of 13 I have made on the subject, but the scheme has been changed many times since I posted that one. There were 3 changes in 2017 and another already this year. I am in the process of writing about the new rules for my 2018 revision of my safe sourcing and importing book due out in about 6 weeks.

They tell you to filter your Alibaba search for Gold Suppliers, stating incorrectly that: "a Gold Supplier has been vetted by Alibaba and there have been no complaints against them." That is total garbage! See my AMA
GOLD! Sharing my lifetime experience in export/import. Product sourcing specialist.
for the truth about Gold Suppliers.

They also encourage you to use agents for your sourcing, See my AMA also on that subject.

You might continue to rely on The Amazing Seller, but you need to look further than just rely on people who clearly don't know what they are talking about.

Walter

Thank you very much! I appreciate the feedback a lot. I have not reached the point of product sourcing yet, currently I am considering firstly which product to choose.

I have ordered a sample over aliexpress, but I have not really specified which manufacturer I will take.

- So what is your pick on product choice? I have several ideas and JS is how I validate if there is really a market for it or not, and if I can really make it through the competition.

8 out of 10 people I ask tell me what I am doing wrong, but I have no idea what is right in their opinion. :)

I learned some good info from the amazing seller, but his product criteria is exactly what i avoid

Why do you avoid his product criteria? And what do you think how a product is to be chosen?
 
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IGP

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The jungle scout numbers are NOT specific to that single keyword, but for all keywords the product is ranking/selling for. I found a few with opportunity scores of 8 that were doing massive amounts of volume, but it turns out that the keyword I put in was not the "real" keyword where all the sales/volume were coming from.

That one had and a score of 3.

I am the furthest thing from an AMZ expert, but something to keep in mind.
 

NickC

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First of all, thank you very much to all of you! I really appreciate all feedback written here!



Thank you very much! I appreciate the feedback a lot. I have not reached the point of product sourcing yet, currently I am considering firstly which product to choose.

I have ordered a sample over aliexpress, but I have not really specified which manufacturer I will take.

- So what is your pick on product choice? I have several ideas and JS is how I validate if there is really a market for it or not, and if I can really make it through the competition.

8 out of 10 people I ask tell me what I am doing wrong, but I have no idea what is right in their opinion. :)



Why do you avoid his product criteria? And what do you think how a product is to be chosen?
Why do i avoid it? That's the exact criteria everyone is using. His audience is massive and they are all looking for the same thing.

I look for products that can be improved. Im also okay with lower sales numbers. I also don't require 10$ profit per unit. Also i prefer if its more than 2 pounds and big. I suggest you make your own criteria, though. The main thing is to focus on improving a product. Dont just launch another me too product
 

ygtrhos

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Currently, I have found some replacement part of some popular product. Something like the dust bag of a popular vacuum cleaner for example. Costs about 12$. I can find it for 1-2$ a piece.

It has no sellers in Germany and a few sellers in USA, but it is a very simple, generic thing.

I have ordered 1-2 samples from aliexpress already, I am going to try the quality and make a test order of 100-200 pcs, once I find a good supplier.

It is Keyword 4 by the way. Something that I use 3-4 times a week and I have a problem of finding in Internet.
 
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ygtrhos

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Why do i avoid it? That's the exact criteria everyone is using. His audience is massive and they are all looking for the same thing.

I look for products that can be improved. Im also okay with lower sales numbers. I also don't require 10$ profit per unit. Also i prefer if its more than 2 pounds and big. I suggest you make your own criteria, though. The main thing is to focus on improving a product. Dont just launch another me too product

I am not doing that. I would have loved to bring that stainless steel French press, but it is just not viable. There is little to improve in that, it would be a "me too" product. I would only do that if I really can change the design of the product.
 

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Everyone using the same software, everyone wants to rank on the first page, everyone almost using the same strategy. Everyone sale on Amazon now... this is a losing game for sure, the only way to win is to creat your own products period. And the only big winners are the creators( amazon, jungle scout, etc ) creat something.
 

ygtrhos

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Everyone using the same software, everyone wants to rank on the first page, everyone almost using the same strategy. Everyone sale on Amazon now... this is a losing game for sure, the only way to win is to creat your own products period. And the only big winners are the creators( amazon, jungle scout, etc ) creat something.

I do not get your point, sorry.

According to what you say, creating my own products would also not help, because 'the only winners' are Amazon and Jungescout.

Or did I misunderstand?
 
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I do not get your point, sorry.

According to what you say, creating my own products would also not help, because 'the only winners' are Amazon and Jungescout.

Or did I misunderstand?
Creating your own unique product will definitely help.. finding product that already exist, and thinking better pics or listing or bundling is going to make you Rich no it won’t.
 

ygtrhos

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Creating your own unique product will definitely help.. finding product that already exist, and thinking better pics or listing or bundling is going to make you Rich no it won’t.

Yes, otherwise creating physical products make absolutely no sense. :)
 

ygtrhos

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Maybe a small update.

I have already ordered two samples from alibaba for my product. The set I ordered costs 6$ for on aliexpress for three pieces, and the only seller in Amazon Germany takes 15€ for one piece as of now.

I am also looking for another supplier on alibaba. I found one, but she does not seem to speak proper English or really read my questions. Quite annoying. I guess I will look for another supplier.
 
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Good luck it is a hell of a tough field to play but so worth it if you can get it right! As Scott says the most important thing is to TAKE ACTION ^_~. I only have a 1:10 success rate of launched products making any sort of good lasting profit after PPC and all fees and shipping. So just keep going! It’s almost impossible to tell what is going to sell well or not and be profitable after PPC despite all the numbers. Send in small batches (10 units) at first to test for sales and interest then scale. Don’t go all in on a product if you are not profitable after first review.

I'm not a seller on Amazon... but I would like to comment on this.

You mention, its hard to know what is profitable after PPC.

If you are already selling on Amazon... and are looking for new products to launch... Don't you have access to the PPC advertising platform, and you can identify what your cost of customer acquisition is? So you know how much you would be spending on a keyword?
I understand that, if you bid on a keyword, and the person sees your posting... they still might not buy. However, it is an average.

Like I said, I am not a seller on Amazon, but I think it's an important number to budget for when you are starting something new. Ask yourself, what is the cost of your customer acquisition.
 

ygtrhos

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I'm not a seller on Amazon... but I would like to comment on this.

You mention, its hard to know what is profitable after PPC.

If you are already selling on Amazon... and are looking for new products to launch... Don't you have access to the PPC advertising platform, and you can identify what your cost of customer acquisition is? So you know how much you would be spending on a keyword?
I understand that, if you bid on a keyword, and the person sees your posting... they still might not buy. However, it is an average.

Like I said, I am not a seller on Amazon, but I think it's an important number to budget for when you are starting something new. Ask yourself, what is the cost of your customer acquisition.

To tell you the truth, I do not have access.

All I know is that there are sellers that sell the same product (an unboxed way) at a slightly lower price than me. I want to make a better listing and box the item so that I can sell it for %20 more. The listings of them are also not top notch.

But I am close to finding a supplier.

Btw, I have also made about 200€ by flipping some electronic retail deals on Amazon and it is definitely an experience until now! :)
 

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To tell you the truth, I do not have access.

All I know is that there are sellers that sell the same product (an unboxed way) at a slightly lower price than me. I want to make a better listing and box the item so that I can sell it for %20 more. The listings of them are also not top notch.

But I am close to finding a supplier.

Btw, I have also made about 200€ by flipping some electronic retail deals on Amazon and it is definitely an experience until now! :)


Hey Great to hear you are having some success flipping electronics!

Depending on what your is, ask yourself this.... "will my customer care if this product comes in a box?"

If the answer is no, then maybe consider competing in another manner.

The reason why I say this is because, for some items myself... I don't really care if it's in a box or not. As long as I get the item and it's in good shape, I am a happy customer.

Find ways to compete, and remember people only become brand promoters after interacting with your product. That means they have to buy it first, unbox it and have a pleasant experience. Which leads to more repeat customers and lowers your cost of acquiring a customer over time.

Just remember what specific area of your business your trying to improve, and how you do that.

Best of luck with everything Amazon related ;)
 
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ygtrhos

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Hey Great to hear you are having some success flipping electronics!

Depending on what your is, ask yourself this.... "will my customer care if this product comes in a box?"

If the answer is no, then maybe consider competing in another manner.

The reason why I say this is because, for some items myself... I don't really care if it's in a box or not. As long as I get the item and it's in good shape, I am a happy customer.

Find ways to compete, and remember people only become brand promoters after interacting with your product. That means they have to buy it first, unbox it and have a pleasant experience. Which leads to more repeat customers and lowers your cost of acquiring a customer over time.

Just remember what specific area of your business your trying to improve, and how you do that.

Best of luck with everything Amazon related ;)

Thanks for your wishes!

It is a bit difficult to guess something like that. But I have to differentiate somehow and the item is a quite simple item. So packing it well would improve the quality of the listing itself and would differentiate me into a different class.

https://i.pinimg.com/564x/41/ef/44/41ef44be37d22079e65bde621361df43.jpg

This is a good example. In the end, nobody buys a sneakers for the sake of its box, but it differentiates the product, don`t you think?

Btw, are you from Germany? (coming from your nickname)

I have found some suppliers, that would produce for me with %30-35 of the end price. Fingers crossed, let`s see if I can seal the deal.
 

ygtrhos

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Hi,

Any update? How is JS working out for you regarding sales numbers etc.?

I did not understand your question, what do you mean "how it is working out?"?

For me as an update, I decided to combine product 4 with some other related product (which I did not list above)

I have written about 20 suppliers each. Total manufacturing costs are about 10-11$. Shipping would cost another 4$ for air and 1.7$ for sea shipping.

Product 4 is offered by other sellers at 20-25$. I am thinking of offering the whole bundle for that price and getting some rank.

But I do not want to get too much ahead of myself, I want to get the order for the main product in and figure out the bundle product on the side.

I expect to be online in October.

Sorry for no updates. I do every day something about this, devoting 20 hrs a week. But it is usually data collecting and nothing worth of reporting.
 
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I did not understand your question, what do you mean "how it is working out?"?

For me as an update, I decided to combine product 4 with some other related product (which I did not list above)

I have written about 20 suppliers each. Total manufacturing costs are about 10-11$. Shipping would cost another 4$ for air and 1.7$ for sea shipping.

Product 4 is offered by other sellers at 20-25$. I am thinking of offering the whole bundle for that price and getting some rank.

But I do not want to get too much ahead of myself, I want to get the order for the main product in and figure out the bundle product on the side.

I expect to be online in October.

Sorry for no updates. I do every day something about this, devoting 20 hrs a week. But it is usually data collecting and nothing worth of reporting.

"How is it working" out = are you generally happy with it ("wie läuft es so?"). To be more specific: I am using Amazeowl (competitor of JS) but I am not really sure about the results it is giving me. Also, I think it could be a bit more user-friendly. Have you compared your JS results with any other method?

I think, your prioritization is right. Focusing on what matters (i.e. finding the right product, getting samples etc.) instead of talking about it here daily :)

If you would have to break down the things you are doing to get ahead of competition, what would that list look like?

- Improving the product itself (how much different is it from the other products? a lot? a little bit?)
- Improving packaging
- Bundling

What kind of products are you generally focusing on? Is it more a necessity kind of product or a "lifestyle" product (e.g. hammer vs. jewelery)?
 

ygtrhos

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Well, currently it is working fine. But I need to get my stuff online. These two weeks are critical because I am on the brink of ordering.

My product is more a necessity, but I am bringing lifestyle improvements on it. Think of it like a garbage bag, but it is also antibacterial and has perfume. It is a recurring need like garbage bag.

Garbage bags need, for example, garbage bins as well, so I am going to bundle it. Design improvements can be done, but it is too much over my budget right now. I have to make an innovation as cheaply as possible.
 

ygtrhos

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I want to write an update as we are approaching September.

I have already given orders for two products (which make up my bundle as a whole). The production for the small product will be complete tomorrow and the production of the big one will be complete on next week. Then they will be boxed and transported to USA, which will probably commence in the middle of September. So I will be online in September.

Taken the fact that I have reached a decision to do FBA in May and working with my coach since then, I guess this is not a bad result in 3 months.

I am planning to make a loss about 1000$ from the first batch deliberately, because I want to get the wheel rolling and get sales&reviews. In the forthcoming batches, I will increase the price and make significant profits, so this 1000 bucks do not really make a difference.

I have some friends living in the States and they all declared that they would be more than glad to buy my product once and give me a review. I am very glad to have their support and get an initial boost. If you are from US and want to support, you can buy my product and give me a review as well, after I go online. PM me for this.

I will also send some samples to a photographer in China and take some new photos for my listing.

I am excited to start the game!

I have been flipping some electronic items on the side as well and I have already made 500€ from that. It is incredible, how much you can earn by simply flipping smartphones from retail.
 
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Departed

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I want to write an update as we are approaching September.

I have already given orders for two products (which make up my bundle as a whole). The production for the small product will be complete tomorrow and the production of the big one will be complete on next week. Then they will be boxed and transported to USA, which will probably commence in the middle of September. So I will be online in September.

Taken the fact that I have reached a decision to do FBA in May and working with my coach since then, I guess this is not a bad result in 3 months.

I am planning to make a loss about 1000$ from the first batch deliberately, because I want to get the wheel rolling and get sales&reviews. In the forthcoming batches, I will increase the price and make significant profits, so this 1000 bucks do not really make a difference.

I have some friends living in the States and they all declared that they would be more than glad to buy my product once and give me a review. I am very glad to have their support and get an initial boost. If you are from US and want to support, you can buy my product and give me a review as well, after I go online. PM me for this.

I will also send some samples to a photographer in China and take some new photos for my listing.

I am excited to start the game!

I have been flipping some electronic items on the side as well and I have already made 500€ from that. It is incredible, how much you can earn by simply flipping smartphones from retail.

From reading your updates here it really feels like you have a clear vision and you are executing accordingly. Really motivating. Please continue with your updates. I am really curious how your journey continues. Sending you a PM (not regarding the review as I am regrettably not in the US market)
 

ygtrhos

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Hey everyone, an update from me.

September was a very tough month for me, but very rewarding as well.

I was on the way for fairs, customer meetings etc. for my dayjob and I had to organize a lot of travels for this. On top of that, I got a new job which pays well, which is also in the same city I am living in, still in the railway sector. It is also more related to my expertise (structural mechanics) and I am looking forward to start it.

I will start the job in January, which will give me 250€ more in a month. I am living very humbly now, spending 470 on rent and maybe an additional 1000 for a month on living expenses and a bit traveling & eating outside. To tell you the truth, I like my life a lot right now. I am hitting the gym a lot, dating chicks and building my side hustle. I am living like a student still, in a shared flat, but that does not really bother me as of now. The reward that I am getting from living humbly (the money I can invest and my flatmates) outweighs the discomfort I suffer from (hassle of running a shared flat and living somewhere mediocre).

I am going to spend the rest of the money to grow my business and pay off my debt. I have an unlimited contract in my new job, so I think I will stay in for some time, at least until the business really pays off a huge sum.

So enough of my lifestyle, about the business:

I said in my previous post that I will probably be online in September. That was delayed due to a number of reasons:

- Supplier got late: I have two suppliers and both of them got 2-3 days delays in production. Taking workdays into account, that means a week.
- My forwarder got late: Also another 2-3 workdays.
- I booked a photo studio in China and until we got what we wanted for the listing, I had to wait another week. But I have top notch photos for my listing and it really makes a difference, I have to admit.

As of 1.10., I was online. Actually I just put the listing online and did not put on any PPC, and went sleeping. While I was sleeping, I got my first sale, out of nowhere and completely organic. When I woke up and got the mail, I cannot describe you how satisfying it felt. :)

Now I am trying to get my first reviews, so I contacted my friends living in USA. I got them to test my product and they are going to write reviews in the following days. Also I got two more organic sales yesterday!

I think I have that "entrepreneurial drug" in my blood now, which gets me going. I am dying to look at amazon sellers app as first thing in the morning, even before meditating. :D

My current goal is to improve my ranking and listing. I have spent about 5-6k $, but I really do not care if it gets lost. I will offer my product for cheap prices and improve my ranking. Then I will increase the price steadily and get profits, slow but steady. This increases my costs in the beginning (I am making 2-3k$ losses for the first batch) but on long run, it is the best to gain sales velocity I think.

I am grateful for my high income and low expenses (humble living), that allows me to do this.

If you live in USA and want to give me review, please let me know. I need people that review my product currently.

Hope October is a blast for all of you! Cheers!
 

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