Today’s session is all about going from nothing to something in Amazon. This episode is a framework of what needs to be done to having no idea what to sell to having your product launched within 12 weeks.

Please note: product selection and selecting your samples is the longest part.

WHAT TO SELL

In starting an Amazon business you need a product to sell, but how will you actually find your product and what type of product should you sell?

In finding a product you must start with your niche or a product you are most passionate about or know about.

It could be a hobby or a product that you most frequently buy or something you have a good knowledge on.

One of the easiest ways to start is try checking your credit card statement for recent purchases to find out what your interests are.

Week 1: Find at least 10-15 categories that you are interested in

Start looking at the categories on Amazon and pick out 10 – 15 categories you have an interest in. Once you find those, you need to start applying some criteria to each product to make sure it will be viable

Some of the criteria to start checking are:

* Sales Volume – in choosing a category there must be existing sales volume This could be from $ 5000 or more. Having a decent sales volume means that there is already enough demand under that niche or category.

There are a lot of 3rd party site that you could use in identifying this demand. What I recommend is  Jungle Scout this tool allows you to easily check a product’s sales, revenue and the number of reviews.

Some other criteria to check is:

* Size of the product

* Weight of the product

* Price of the product

* Number of Reviews

Week 2: Product Selection

After finding the categories and checking the elements mentioned above it is now time to find your product that has a lot of potential but does not have too much competition. This process can take up to one or two weeks.

In starting your Amazon business finding the right product contributes to 80% of your Amazon success. This is a crucial step, so take your time in finding a product that best fits the criteria.

Another tool that you may want to check once you have an ideal product is knowing its profitability using the Amazon FBA calculator.

Week 4: Testing Product Samples

It is very important to test your product before launching on Amazon. This will assure that your product is good quality and will reduce the chances of receiving low star reviews.

One of the easiest way to check your samples is by checking the 4 and 5 stars review see if your samples have those qualities.

If you feel that there is something wrong or the product does not have a right feel to it, you must speak to more suppliers to get a product that is of great quality.

You do not want to sell a low-quality product as it will get bad reviews and become stale

I suggest you contact at least 3 suppliers to make sure you get a range of samples to test the quality of.

Week 5: Negotiating with the Suppliers

I always recommend working with a supplier who has the best support and replying to emails, rather than the best price

It is easier to work with a responsive supplier so just in case you need an urgent order because your product is selling really well, it makes it much easier working with a responsive supplier.

PRODUCT PACKAGING

Branded packaging can increase a customer’s confidence when making a purchase decision and. with the tough competition on Amazon having a brand on your packaging is mandatory these days

Having a brand also allows you to charge a premium on your products.

Week 6: Reviews