Xmas Reselling on Amazon FBA VLOG #1 - TOOLS

Get some ideas on what to resell this Christmas!

Crush Q4/Christmas Sales with My 10 Tips


by JORDAN MALIK






Even if you are not enrolled in one of my recommended Q4 sourcing groups, I put together some tips to help you make maximum sales/profits with your Amazon business this Xmas:

1. If this is your first Q4 experience, you may have noticed that your sales haven't yet started to soar. That isn't unusual; while most of the corporate world divides the year into quarters starting in October, Amazon sellers consider November to January the "true" Q4. In other words, don't be alarmed if your sales figures are still modest because the real rush has not yet begun.

2. If you're an Amazon seller who is restricted from selling via FBA, be sure to read my recent advice here.

3. Although your peak Q4 sales typically happen in December, don't assume your season is done when the holidays are over. Be prepared with sufficient inventory and keep up with your marketing efforts through December and into January to take advantage of shoppers using Amazon cards they got as gifts. January can be a highly profitable month for online retailers selling through Amazon because buyers who have holiday fatigue get a second wind as they shop for themselves. Don't cut the last month of your Amazon Q4 short by assuming January is a slow month.

4. Don't panic over Amazon's Toys and Games guidelines. If you haven't seen this message before, you might worry at getting an official notice, but Amazon regularly prepares for the holiday season by determining eligibility for selling in toys and games that year. It's natural for sellers to be concerned that they might not meet the guidelines and earn approval to sell during their peak season, but the guidelines only apply to some sellers. Amazon retailers offering merchant-fulfilled toy sales must meet the requirements, but FBA sellers are automatically approved. Only if you're selling toys merchant-fulfilled (shipping straight to buyers) do you need to take note of this year's guidelines.



5. Revisit how you look at sales ranks and price during Q4 when considering inventory purchases. During the slower summer months, I might pass on an item ranked below 200,000 as too slow to be worth my while. During Q4, sales increase exponentially, and an item that barely moves the needle in August could be a hot seller in December when holiday shoppers start spending. If a toy or game that sells two units a month in the middle of summer starts selling twice a day for the holiday season, you need to have the inventory to fulfill demand.

6. Don't be eager to drop your prices too early. Holiday spending increases all over, so customers are willing to spend more per item as well as buying more items per transaction. A toy that sells for $15 in July could move well at a $30 price point during Q4's peak days. Whether you change prices manually or use a third-party online repricer, hold off on deep discounts until you have a clearer idea of retail prices. CamelCamelCamel is a good place to start researching prices; check there to learn whether your inventory items' prices increase during the holiday months. If you change prices at all, consider raising them while demand is at its highest.

7. Make inventory choices that set you apart from the crowd. Many Amazon sellers wonder if they should aim for this year's hottest toys and games for resale, but everyone else is reading the same reports. Stores that tell you which toys will be the most sought after this season already plan to stock plenty of them, leaving other retailers wrestling with overstock by the end of Q4. Instead of following the holiday hot toy recommendations, go 'underground' for perennial favorites (new AND used!)




8. Always strive to pay less for your inventory. One example is discounted gift cards. My favorite online discount gift card source is Raise.com. It's not your only option, though, so I encourage you to shop around to find a good fit for you. Buying discount gift cards to major retailers such as Target, Big Lots, Marshall's, Walmart and Walgreen's gives you more to invest in your inventory, which in turn leads to larger profits. (See more of my cost-cutting ideas here).

9. Stock up on packing supplies and office materials. You aren't discounting anything for the holiday season, and neither do shops that sell packing tape, address labels, shrink-wrap, age range labels, or any other essential supplies for toy and game sellers. Now is the time to get your packaging station organized and well stocked. Other ideas are in my post for eBay sellers.










10. It's inevitable - you'll get returns. Have a system in place for dealing with returns. Know your options for items that get returned due to damage incurred during storage or distribution. Amazon will reimburse sellers for items that get damaged or lost if the company is responsible for the problem, but this process isn't always automatic (Amazon can sometimes drop the ball here). So you'll need to take the lead to ensure Amazon reimburses you. You can get step-by-step help with this trusted e-book OR this great video training. In short: If a return due to distributor damage or loss happens to you, make sure to ask for reimbursement from Amazon regardless of whether the end customer returns the purchase. The responsibility falls on the distributor at that point, and neither you nor your customer should have to pay an additional price. For advice on returns made by customers, see this blog post.

10. Enjoy the holidays. All too often, sellers get so caught up in sourcing, buying, organizing, packaging and shipping that they don't take time for themselves and their families. Q4 is the biggest season for toy and game resellers, but make sure you free your calendar to spend some time with those who matter most to you. Think about the holiday spirit that's motivating your customers to buy such great gifts and share that love with your own friends and family. That matters more than even the biggest Amazon payout. It's probably a good idea to spend a lot less (or zero) time on Facebook.

May these tips and tactics lead you to a more profitable, successful and meaningful Q4 this year. If you have your own thoughts on what can make the holiday season more wonderful for all of us, I welcome your comments. Share with us how you plan to make this Q4 outstanding.

Good luck and keep me posted!

10 Ways to Boost Your Amazon Sales This Holiday

by JORDAN MALIK 

Even if you are not enrolled in one of my recommended Q4 sourcing groups, I put together some tips to help you make maximum sales/profits with your Amazon business this Xmas:

1. If this is your first Q4 experience, you may have noticed that your sales haven't yet started to soar. That isn't unusual; while most of the corporate world divides the year into quarters starting in October, Amazon sellers consider November to January the "true" Q4. In other words, don't be alarmed if your sales figures are still modest because the real rush has not yet begun.

2. If you're an Amazon seller who is restricted from selling via FBA, be sure to read my recent advice here.

3. Although your peak Q4 sales typically happen in December, don't assume your season is done when the holidays are over. Be prepared with sufficient inventory and keep up with your marketing efforts through December and into January to take advantage of shoppers using Amazon cards they got as gifts. January can be a highly profitable month for online retailers selling through Amazon because buyers who have holiday fatigue get a second wind as they shop for themselves. Don't cut the last month of your Amazon Q4 short by assuming January is a slow month.

4. Don't panic over Amazon's Toys and Games guidelines. If you haven't seen this message before, you might worry at getting an official notice, but Amazon regularly prepares for the holiday season by determining eligibility for selling in toys and games that year. It's natural for sellers to be concerned that they might not meet the guidelines and earn approval to sell during their peak season, but the guidelines only apply to some sellers. Amazon retailers offering merchant-fulfilled toy sales must meet the requirements, but FBA sellers are automatically approved.Only if you're selling toys merchant-fulfilled (shipping straight to buyers) do you need to take note of this year's guidelines.

5. Revisit how you look at sales ranks and price during Q4 when considering inventory purchases. During the slower summer months, I might pass on an item ranked below 200,000 as too slow to be worth my while. During Q4, sales increase exponentially, and an item that barely moves the needle in August could be a hot seller in December when holiday shoppers start spending. If a toy or game that sells two units a month in the middle of summer starts selling twice a day for the holiday season, you need to have the inventory to fulfill demand.

6. Don't be eager to drop your prices too early. Holiday spending increases all over, so customers are willing to spend more per item as well as buying more items per transaction. A toy that sells for $15 in July could move well at a $30 price point during Q4's peak days. Whether you change prices manually or use a third-party online repricer, hold off on deep discounts until you have a clearer idea of retail prices. CamelCamelCamel is a good place to start researching prices; check there to learn whether your inventory items' prices increase during the holiday months. If you change prices at all, consider raising them while demand is at its highest.

7. Make inventory choices that set you apart from the crowd. Many Amazon sellers wonder if they should aim for this year's hottest toys and games for resale, but everyone else is reading the same reports. Stores that tell you which toys will be the most sought after this season already plan to stock plenty of them, leaving other retailers wrestling with overstock by the end of Q4. Instead of following the holiday hot toy recommendations, go 'underground' for perennial favorites (new AND used!)

8. Always strive to pay less for your inventory. One example is discounted gift cards. My favorite online discount gift card source is Raise.com. It's not your only option, though, so I encourage you to shop around to find a good fit for you. Buying discount gift cards to major retailers such as Target, Big Lots, Marshall's, Walmart and Walgreen's gives you more to invest in your inventory, which in turn leads to larger profits. (See more of my cost-cutting ideas here).

9. Stock up on packing supplies and office materials. You aren't discounting anything for the holiday season, and neither do shops that sell packing tape, address labels, shrink-wrap, age range labels, or any other essential supplies for toy and game sellers. Now is the time to get your packaging station organized and well stocked. Other ideas are in my post for eBay sellers.

10. It's inevitable - you'll get returns. Have a system in place for dealing with returns. Know your options for items that get returned due to damage incurred during storage or distribution. Amazon will reimburse sellers for items that get damaged or lost if the company is responsible for the problem, but this process isn't always automatic (Amazon can sometimes drop the ball here). So you'll need to take the lead to ensure Amazon reimburses you. You can get step-by-step help with this trusted e-book OR this great video training. In short: If a return due to distributor damage or loss happens to you, make sure to ask for reimbursement from Amazon regardless of whether the end customer returns the purchase. The responsibility falls on the distributor at that point, and neither you nor your customer should have to pay an additional price. For advice on returns made by customers, see this blog post. 

10. Enjoy the holidays. All too often, sellers get so caught up in sourcing, buying, organizing, packaging and shipping that they don't take time for themselves and their families. Q4 is the biggest season for toy and game resellers, but make sure you free your calendar to spend some time with those who matter most to you. Think about the holiday spirit that's motivating your customers to buy such great gifts and share that love with your own friends and family. That matters more than even the biggest Amazon payout. It's probably a good idea to spend a lot less (or zero) time on Facebook.

May these tips and tactics lead you to a more profitable, successful and meaningful Q4 this year. If you have your own thoughts on what can make the holiday season more wonderful for all of us, I welcome your comments. Share with us how you plan to make this Q4 outstanding.

Good luck and keep me posted!

(SOURCE)

Profit this Holiday/Q4 or 100% your money back

by JORDAN MALIK

Now there's no reason to be in the sidelines during Q4.

Q4 (Oct 1 - Dec. 31 2016) is when many Amazon and eBay sellers frantically ask me 'what do I sell?' and 'how do I make more money?' You (like me) probably watched with envy in previous years, as bragging sellers posted theirskyrocketing sales on various seller Facebook groups.

Relief is here from trusted experts I've known/worked with for 5+ years now. In summary: From any of these groups, you will get the best selling ideas, product and sourcing info, and support to make the best of Q4, bar none. If you're an eBay seller, I suggest #3. If you're an Amazon seller, my suggestion is choose one of the below options (you don't necessarily need all 3):

1.) Jim Cockrum's Proven Q4 Plan: This is for U.S.- AND non-U.S.-based Amazon sellers. Jim Cockrum's colleagues Barrington McIntosh and Lance Wolf are once again offering their Proven Q4 Plan. This includes: Lance Wolf's 2015 Q4 Sales (hot-selling products & statistics), live advice & assistance with sourcing (yes, even if you're outside the U.S.), 3 live webinars w/ Q&A Sessions, live deals, sourcing strategies and more. Their price for everything is $297US (You can make 3 payments of $108 each instead). This has an 'anytime' 100% money back guarantee.

2.) Jessica Larrew's 4th Quarter Success Group: Jessica Larrew (The Selling Family's) starter package training ($97US) includes manuals and videos that will prep you to make big profits in Q4. Upgrade to the $297 package and you'll get 10 weeks of group coaching, live Q&A, cheat sheets, and much more. Read testimonials from last years' customers here. All packages have a 30-day 100% money back guarantee.

3.) Holiday Toy Guide Package: by Jenni Hunt. This is for eBay and/or Amazon sellers. Jenni tracks the hottest trends in toys (this does not rely on those useless 'Hot Toy' lists put out by ToysRUs and news media). Lots of sellers rely on Jenni's help every Q4.  Her Toy Guide is unlike any other because her list actually capitalizes on actual consumer trends - not conjecture. First read about all the info and testimonials on this page, then get $50 off the Gold package by clicking on this link (look for the 'Click Here to Save' button).  All packages have a 30-day 100% money back guarantee.

Good luck and keep me posted!

-Jordan

(SOURCE)

- Prepare for holiday selling with these great sources! 

10 Things You Need to Know For A

Profitable Q4

By Stephen

Q4. For an online seller, it’s the most wonderful time of the

year. Sales and profits seem to go through the roof as more

and more people buy stuff online for the holidays. If you’re

just assuming that Q4 is going to be great for you but you’re not doing anything differently, then you might miss out on some amazing opportunities to increase your Q4 profits. The following are 10 things you need to know about Q4.

1. For those of you experiencing your first Q4, you might be worrying that your sales have not yet really increased as much as you thought. This is because while the business world sees Q4 as October to December, Q4 for the Amazon sales world is actually November to January.Don’t worry… Amazon Q4 really starts to gear up in November and will go absolutely crazy in December.

2. While the bulk of Q4 sales happen in December, many sellers (including myself) have found that January can be almost as profitable as December is. As long as you still have lots of inventory, you will still sell a lot in January. Why? Because people are finally going to Amazon and getting what they actually wanted for Christmas. Not only that, but everyone will be using their Amazon gift cards they received on Christmas day. Be sure your inventory is still well stocked for January, so you don’t miss out on the last month of the Amazon Q4.

3. What I deem as acceptable sales ranks for inventory purchases changes a lot during Q4. While I might shy away from a toy ranked 200,000  to 300,000 during the summer, I’ll almost always buy that item as Q4 is approaching. Why?During Q4, the sales velocity increases exponentially. So while a toy consistently ranked 250,000 might sell only twice a month… come December of Q4, that same toy might sell once a day.

4. Many Amazon sellers start to freak out a bit when they get an email from Amazon about their “Holiday Selling Guidelines for the Toys & Games category.” For those who don’t know, Amazon decides which sellers are eligible to sell in Toys & Games category during the holiday season. Sellers worry that they might not be approved to sell toys during the holidays and begin to stress out. One thing that Amazon needs to do a better job of is communicating that these guidelines only pertain to Amazon sellers who are selling MERCHANT FULFILLED toys. If you are selling toys via FBA, then you are automatically approved to sell toys during the holiday sales season. Again, these guidelines only apply if you are mailing your inventory directly to the buyer (merchant fulfilled).

5. If you reprice your inventory on a regular basis (either manually or with an online repricer) then I might suggest stopping, or at least slowing down. Sales start to increase during Q4 so much that an item that sells for $14 today (early October) might potentially sell for $30 a month from now. Take a moment and research your item on CamelCamelCamel and see if the price of that item tends to go up during Q4. If it does, leave your price alone and make more profits than if you lowered your price. You might even want to raise some of your prices.

6. Many of you wonder if you should try to focus on reselling the toys from each store’s “Holiday Hot Toy” list. My personal plan of attack is to avoid most of these toys. My reasoning is this: If a store tells you what toy will be the “hot” toy this holiday season, then it’s reason enough to assume that the store will be heavily stocked with those particular toys. The toys that you want to find to resell during Q4 are the toys that will be harder to find come December. If you’re interested in learning more about the Q4 strategy that I’m learning and implementing this year, then check out Jim Cockrum’s Proven Q4 Plan.

7. Want to save even more money on the stuff you want to sell in Q4? Buy discounted gift cards. I personally love raise.com and cardpool.com, but there are other sites out there that do the same thing. I’ve bought $100 Walgreens gift cards for $75… that’s $25 in free sourcing money! Find other great gift cards from stores like Target, TJMaxx, Tuesday Morning, Big Lots, Walmart, and more!If a store offers gift cards, then most likely you can get some free money to source with by purchasing discounted gift cards.

8. Stock up on supplies! When everyone is in the thick of Q4 madness, you don’t want to suddenly discover that you have run out of 3-inch packing tape, Dymo labels, suffocation warning labels, or any other supply that is necessary to run your business. Stock up today while you have the time.

9. Nobody likes returns, but just remember this: With increased sales come increased returns. There is no avoiding it. There will also be an increase in warehouse and distributor damaged items, as well as warehouse lost items. It’s ok. For most situations, Amazon will reimburse you for the items they lose or damage. Important: Don’t just assume that these reimbursements will be automatic. Make sure that Amazon not onlyreimburses you for items they lose, but that they also reimburse you for items your customer never actually returns.

10. When Q4 hits, some resellers go into overdrive and spend every waking hour sourcing, buying, prepping, and shipping. They sometimes forget about what’s really important: family. Don’t let the dollar signs blind you. Look around and spend quality time with your family. Remember what the Thanksgiving and Christmas seasons are truly about and reflect upon God’s great gift to us all. When we remember what’s truly important, it gives us the right perspective. And that’s more important than any Amazon payout could ever be.

I hope these ten tips will help you have a profitable and meaningful Q4. If you’d like to share more tips about this most wonderful time of the year, please feel free to comment below. I’d love to hear how you make the most of Q4.

(SOURCE)

- We're officially in Q4! Here are some tips to make it a happy one! 

Start sourcing your Q4 inventory now (Free ideas)

BY JORDAN MALIK

Right now (Summer '16) is the time for you to start sourcing for Christmas/Q4 shopping season. This is whether you sell on Amazon or eBay (or anywhere else).

See, I get an influx of emails in October from sellers panicking because they waited too long.

By then it's (generally) too late. So read the below and take action! I cover the best private label training first and then (further down) retail/online sourcing of products.

Want to sell private label products? Research product(s) now. Orders from manufacturers (particularly non-U.S.) can take several weeks to a few months.  If you're unprepared you'll face plenty of pitfalls. More resources:

• 'How to Pick a Hot Product' free webinars live (win real prizes) or catch a recent replay. From my trusted partners The StartupBros.

• The Amazing Seller Workshops - free, live 'find a product to sell' session with another trusted expert

• The Amazing Seller podcasts - free 200+ episode podcast library - learn all about private label

• Free trial of JungleScout -  a trusted Amazon product research tool. (Unsure how to use JungleScout? Go to this page, click on 'Free Resources' at the top of the page, and select 'Find A Product'

• Import Bible  - free primer on importing from China

Want to sell products from physical stores ('retail arbitrage')? Hit your local retail stores now as many are a.) clearing out discounted merchandise and/or b.) going out of business.

• I cover some of my own sourcing strategies here (last year's blog post), here (podcast), and here (recent podcast)

• Inexpensive retail arbitrage training:  There are at least two great courses included in Amazing.com ($39/month but your first month is free and you can cancel before the 30 day mark if you don't want to continue.) You'll get full access during the trial for arbitrage courses and more

• What to buy in a 1 sentence: Well-known brand items - new and yes, used - that are marked down 70% or more

• More recommended retail arbitrage help

Want to source products online (online arbitrage)? Now is the time to:

• Start checking all major stores' clearance and sale sections online (free list here)

• When you buy online, get more cash back and save more using my tacticshere (free)

• If you need to know what to source in a quick sentence: Buy well-known brand items that are marked down 70% or more

• If you need an inexpensive course on online arbitrage, I recommend the $57 ABCs of Online Sourcing

• Make your online research easier with my free CleerPro.com or $97CleerPlatinum.com software

If you've never sold on Amazon before: Free getting started help right here: goo.gl/4ksIBA

If you've never sold on eBay before: Free getting started help is under the 'FREE eBay Help section on this page: goo.gl/eEXOh7

Good luck and keep me posted!

-Jordan

(SOURCE)

- What do you think? Time is of the essence as they say!