FBA The Ask Jordan

Jordan Malik (http://JordanMalik.com) is a top-rated Amazon & eBay seller, a best-selling e-commerce author and marketing expert, and the founder/president of several Internet start-ups that help business owners remarkably improve sales and profits. Jordan is one of the ‘Most Trusted’ Internet marketing experts as voted by watchdog site IMReportCard. His ‘Ask Jordan’ podcast caters directly to Amazon sellers. ‘Ask Jordan’ provides quick and helpful suggestions that sellers can take action with immediately to improve their product sourcing, selling, and seller reputation.

3 Beginner Video Lessons (FREE) – An easy-to-follow introduction to selling on Amazon by Jessica Larrew

Amazon FBA Simplified (FREE) –  An easy-to-read overview of running an Amazon FBA business

How to Make $2,000 per Month Selling Books on Amazon
 (FREE) – The very same book I used when I started selling on Amazon.

Robyn Johnson’s ‘Getting Started’ info (FREE) – Top-notch beginner’s material (Amazon and Craigslist) from my trusted partner

Amazon.com’s “Get Started Selling’ site (FREE) –  Amazon has plenty of info for the beginning seller here.

Amazon.com’s FBA Quick Start Guide
 (FREE) – How to get started with Fulfillment by Amazon

More Amazon.com official ‘start here’ info
 (FREE) – My suggestion is pay attention to ONLY the ‘Selling on Amazon’ and ‘Fulfillment by Amazon’ sections.

Cheat sheet for buying items to resell (FREE)* –  How much should you pay?

Amazon/eBay seller training I recommend (not referenced in my review ebook):

• Proven Private Label by Jim Cockrum (=’Do it Yourself’ sourcing and selling of private label products)
• Proven Wholesale Sourcing by Jim Cockrum (=sourcing wholesale system)
• Proven Sourcing by Jim Cockrum and Brett Bartlett (=expand your local product sourcing)

International (non-U.S.) based Amazon sellers:

• GetOnAz (100% free if you purchase(d) Proven Amazon Course)

(Also see ‘TOOLS’ section – scroll down)

Camfind (FREE): use this when an item doesn’t have a barcode and you can’t figure out what it is you’ve found (see my review here)

RedLaser (FREE) (for iPhone, Android or Windows phone).  Use this to compare prices across several retailers including (Amazon) so you can conduct ‘online arbitrage’ (buy low to sell high).

Profit Bandit – My favorite phone app right now ($9.99/month). Use this app on your phone to check Amazon seller info (price, competition, etc.) on any product you want to buy at a store/online (this is generally accomplished by launching the app, then using the phone’s camera to ‘scan’ the UPC) barcode on the product)

CamelCamelCamel.com – (FREE) browser plug-in (and web site) – see past pricing history for Amazon Products

eSnipe – I use this sniping tool when I am ‘buying low on eBay to sell high on Amazon’ (or back on eBay)

OfferUp (FREE) – Find stuff for sale by local homeowners cheap, to resell on Amazon/eBay. Think of it as a ‘modernized, easier-to-use craigslist’. See my review here)

IFTTT (IfThisThenThat) (FREE) – I use this to send me an alert when a local individual posts a specific used toy (that I can sell on eBay or Amazon for a profit) on Craigslist.  Go to this page and scroll down to the ‘Craigslist Watcher’ Section

(Also See ‘Tools’ section below)

Barcodestalk.com (there are cheaper options, this site is the only one I have experience ordering from.)

Jim Cockrum (FREE) – The most successful entrepreneur I personally know. Jim’s updated-for-2015 $5 Silent Sales Machine book is what started me on my solo career several years ago.

Skip McGrath’s newsletter (FREE) – the newsletter I devour the most. Skip is a highly successful Amazon/eBay mega-seller, the master of buying wholesale, and more.

Jessica Larrew (FREE) – Jessica Larrew is responsible for my knowledge of procuring liquidation and grocery goods for $.25 to $1.00 and selling them for $7 to $25 each on Amazon.

Book To The Future (FREE) – Nathan Holmquist’s site. I learned a lot about selling books, CDs, and DVDs from him when I started out.

Online Sales Step By Step (FREE) – By eBay and Amazon megaseller Cynthia Stine. She is HIGHLY successful with selling products online.

FBAMastery (FREE) – By book mega-seller and the “Hemingway of FBA” Peter Valley

Making a Full Time Transition to FBA (FREE) – By Ryan Grant

Thrifting for Profit – (FREE) – Chock-full of free info by highly successful Amazon Seller Debra Conrad

Bookmark this page by pressing “Ctrl” D

When I am shipping my boxes to Amazon FBA (or if I am shipping a decent-sized product myself directly to a buyer), I buy and use ‘Small’, ‘Medium’ and ‘Large’ boxes from my local Uhaul. They are (my opinion) sturdiest and the least expensive. (My local Lowes and Home Depot and Walmart stores also carry similar boxes but I find them a smidge LESS sturdy than Uhaul’s.)

Once in a while (esp. if I need multiple quantities of a single size) I’ll order from Uline.

(FREE) When I need smaller boxes, I try to find free ones locally (small retail stores that are throwing them out, etc.).

(Also see ‘SUPPLIES’ section below.)

Bundling Products to Sell on Amazon

Tips for Amazon Sellers (FREE)

Video mini-series on bundling (FREE)

Dirty Amazon Hacks (FREE)  – For Amazon sellers. Tips on ‘winning the buy box’

‘How The Buy Box on Amazon Works…‘ (FREE) – by Skip McGrath, also for Amazon sellers

Lots of info is right here and here

I’m not a fan of most coaching. Here’s why: blog post or mini-podcast

My tips in the blog posts here and here (FREE)

GetOnAz (100% free if you purchased Proven Amazon Course)

My favorite sites to buy stuff at further discounts:

eBates (get cash back when shopping online) (FREE to use)

FatWallet (get cash back when shopping online) (FREE to use)

Raise (discounted gift cards)

How to sell on eBay, by eBay (FREE)

How to sell on eBay, by WikiHow (FREE)

OSI Rockstars – Janelle Elms’ membership site for ALL Sellers. Covers a lot more than just selling on eBay and Amazon. Worth the price.

50 Shades of eBay by Skip McGrath (FREE)

Some FREE, some paid help is here and here

Feedback Repair – a proven service I have used to get negative Amazon feedback removed (also works for eBay sellers)

Bookmark this page by pressing <Ctrl> D

Lots of info is right here and here

20 Tips for Selling on Amazon (FREE)

Smart Scouting for Cash-Strapped Amazon Sellers (FREE)

Profit from Back to School Season (webinar and guide)

Online Sourcing Strategies

Liquidation Gold – A Guide For Amazon Sellers

B.L.E.S.H.A. Guide* (Buy Low on Ebay – Sell High on Amazon (or back on eBay))

Home Run Guides

Understanding Bestseller Rank/Sales Rank here (FREE) and here (FREE)

Selling On Amazon FBA  (FREE)

Introduction to Sales Tax for Amazon FBA Sellers (FREE)

Amazon.com’s “Get Started Selling’ site (FREE)

How Amazon FBA Works (FREE)

Barcode Booty

77 Tips for Selling on the New eBay (FREE)

Amazon Product Prepping Guide (FREE)

Buy Products Without Paying Sales Tax

You will find many free Facebook Groups exploding with seller help. My favorites (=friendliest) are below:

Thrifting For Profit (FREE) – helps Amazon /eBay sellers (not just thrift store sourcing)

MySilentTeam (FREE) – One of the biggest/most helpful Internet Marketing/e-commerce resources

The Danni App (FREE) – The best for Ebay information

That KAT (FREE) – Kat Simpson’s Facebook Group

The only dedicated ebooks I trust are:

Proven China Sourcing by Jim Cockrum & Walter Hay

Import Bible (FREE) – by Manuel Becvar

FREE

 UPS Shipping Labels – for printing out your shipping labels that go on the outside of your shipping box.

I’ve also purchased these when I need labels FAST: 200 Shipping Labels Half Page Self Adhesive for Laser Inkjet Printer 

Dymo Labels:

• If you are printing labels using a paid listing service like Listtee.com or ListLabelShip.com then use: 30252-R labels
• If you are using Amazon’s Scan & Ship then use: 30334-R labels.
• The “-R” = removable.

Also see these– DYMO-Compatible 30252 Address Labels 

“30 Up Labels”

Use these when you are printing sheets of labels directly from Seller Central and you’re using a ‘regular printer’ (like the printer you use to print normal documents)

You can find LASER 30-up labels HERE.

Before using your inkjet, please read Amazon’s Labeling Requirements HERE.

You can find INKJET 30-up labels HERE.

Other Labels

2″ x 2″ Suffocation Warning Peel and Stick Labels (2 Roll of 500 Labels) Total 1000 (use these if your poly bags do not already have Amazon’s required warning printed on them)

“This Is A Set – Do Not Separate” Labels (use these when you don’t want Amazon to open a box/bag that contains your bundled items, or if you don’t want them taking components out of a box/bag that contains the item you are selling).

Bookmark this page by pressing <Ctrl> D

Dymo Label Printers

USB Automatic Barcode Scanner

“How to Rank Your Products on Amazon” (FREE)  – learn how to optimize your  product listing on Amazon. Also here’s a podcast on the topic

eBay Sellers – See #20 – #22 in this help guide (FREE)

See this FREE resource page to learn how to package various types of product for Amazon FBA.

I order poly bags from seller ‘Bubblefast’ on Amazon.  I use polybags for packaging multipacks, or bagging plush toys, or bagging items with exposed products (the existing package has openings so the consumer can ‘touch’ the inside product) or bagging items when they have ‘cloth’ material exposed (like baby bibs).

Ask Jordan (FREE) – My podcast that only answers questions about selling on Amazon

Scott Voelker’s Amazing Seller Podcasts (FREE) – Episodes (focusing on Private Label) so good he should be charging $ for them   

Thrifting For Profit (FREE) – An all-encompassing Amazon seller podcast with hundreds of hours of helpful info

That Kat Radio (FREE)– this also contains the old FBA Radio archives going back to 2011 which are a must listen for any FBAer

Ask Janelle (FREE)-  A true e-commerce pioneer: eBay and Amazon seller help, marketing, e-commerce etc.

Ask The Dani App (FREE) – One of the cheeriest, most helpful eBay experts

Selling International with Barrington McIntosh (FREE) – The International Amazon expert I trust explicitly

SpreeVee Guide (FREE) – Join This Facebook Group for updates on every major upcoming SpreeVee (kind of like a free ‘webcast’) .  NOTE: Some episodes are worth watching, some are time-wasters (my opinion).

I currently trust only 3 or 4 Private Label experts in the space:

• Scott Voelker’s Private Label Workshop (FREE) – No reason to ‘not have product to sell’ when this live workshop is free. Also his podcasts are so good he should be charging $ for them
• Proven Private Label by Jim Cockrum – ‘Do it Yourself’ sourcing and selling of private label products
• Private Label the Easy Way book – A surprisingly ‘down to earth’, excellent how-to guide on Private Label by trusted author and partner Ryan Reger.

See the “GATED AMAZON CATEGORIES” section above

Cheat sheet for buying items to resell (FREE)* –  For Amazon sellers – what bestseller rank (sales rank) should you focus on?

eSales Tracking Sheet – a  low-cost, proven way to keep track of your Amazon/eBay/Paypal fees, profit/loss etc.

InventoryLab – a more automated inventory expense/sales tracking online tool (highly recommended by many Amazon merchants)

I use this one (it will weigh boxes up to 75 lbs).

See ‘Tools’ section below. – Also: For a free, in-depth comparison of scanners/scanning services, send an email to jordanmalik@gmail.com with the subject: SCANNER REVIEW (leave the body of the email empty)

FBAMastery (FREE) – By book mega-seller and the “Hemingway of FBA” Peter Valley

How to Make $2,000 per Month Selling Books on Amazon (FREE) – The very same book I used when I started selling on Amazon.

Book Sourcing Secrets – A true tactical manual, superbly written. Teaches you how to creatively source profitable books for reselling on Amazon

Grocery Goldmine (profit from reselling groceries on Amazon)

Health & Beauty Aids for BIG Profits Webinar Recording

Bookmark this page by pressing <Ctrl> D

Toys & Games You Can Buy Locally & Sell on Amazon & eBay for Big Profits*

Selling Plush (Soft Stuffed Toys) On Amazon*

Learn how to source toys yourself, in stores, in this book (print or kindle)

Learn how to source toys yourself, online, with this course; or in this book (print or kindle)

‘Done-for-you’ online toy (and other product) daily list here

Sourcingator * (FREE)

List of Grocery stores/Salvage Stores * (FREE) <- the blue- and pink-highlighted links on this page are the best-quality lists

Top 99 Wholesale Resources by Skip McGrath

Gsalr.com (FREE) – My garage sale finder of choice

EstateSales.net (FREE) – My estate sales finder of choice

The Thrift Shopper (FREE) – My thrift store finder of choice

OfferUp (FREE) – Find stuff for sale by local homeowners cheap, to resell on Amazon/eBay. Think of it as a ‘modernized, easier-to-use craigslist’. See my review here).

(Also see ‘WHOLESALE SOURCING’ below)

Sales Tax For eCommerce Sellers (FREE)– Best place for up to date info provided by TaxJar.com

TaxJar.com – Easy and simple assistance for you to gather and report sales tax for various states

Buying products sales tax exempt – As a reseller, you can (legally) buy products from online/store retailers and avoid paying sales tax

Cleer Pro (FREE) – Online arbitrage info is now at your fingertips with this Chrome extension

CamelCamelCamel.com – (FREE) online tool – see past pricing history for Amazon Products

eBay Calculator (FREE) – Free tool to estimate your eBay profits

eSales Tracking Sheet – a  low-cost, proven way to keep track of your Amazon/eBay/Paypal fees, profit/loss etc.

eSnipe – I use this sniping tool when I am ‘buying low on eBay to sell high on Amazon’ (or back on eBay).

FBAToolkit (FREE) – Gives you a rough estimate of sell-through-rate for any Amazon item.

Fatfingers (FREE) – find eBay items with misspelled titles (which can be snapped up for far less than their actual value and resold on eBay/Amazon for a profit)

Online Sourcing Grid (FREE) – Deep links to online stores’ clearance sites (find products to buy, receive, then flip back on Amazon for a profit. (See a video on how it works, plus info on the full version, here)

Profit Bandit – My favorite phone app right now ($9.99/month). Use this app on your phone to check Amazon seller info (price, competition, etc.) on any product you want to buy at a store/online (this is generally accomplished by launching the app, then using the phone’s camera to ‘scan’ the UPC) barcode on the product)

Removethebackground.com – I use this service to remove the background of my product images to comply with Amazon terms. Also great for eBay sellers.

TaxJar.com – Easy and simple assistance for you to gather and report sales tax for various states

(Also see ‘APPS’ sections above)

TRAINING

See the sections above (Scroll up) entitled “Amazon Free Beginner Help”, “Amazon Seller Courses”, “eBay Free Beginner Help”, “eBay Seller Courses”

• Proven Wholesale Sourcing by Jim Cockrum (=sourcing wholesale system)
• Complete Amazon Marketing System by Skip McGrath (full amazon training with a wholesale sourcing slant)
• Real Wholesale Sources by Ryan Reger
• Trade Show No Show by Jim Peterson and Jim Cockrum

(Also see ‘SOURCING DIRECTORIES/SITES’ above)