Maybe you’ve been thinking about it for a while or maybe you’ve seen other people try it and do pretty well for themselves, but the truth is there’s really no better time than now to start your own work-from-home business by selling on Amazon.
As a stay-at-home mom who has been doing online businesses since 2014, I can say that the hardest part was always getting started. It did take a lot of late nights but after a few months, I finally found my groove. Thanks to this Amazon online course that I took, my business was profitable and thriving even after only a few months.
We all know that e-commerce is here to stay. While some industries suffered massively during the pandemic, other industries – like online shopping – continued to thrive and are even doing better now than ever! So why not ride the e-commerce wave?
There’s No Better Time to Start a Home Business
Let’s face it, starting an online business that lets us work from home is ideal right now, especially since the job markets are low and there are so many changes because of the pandemic. There is no job security because unless you own the company, anyone is dispensable. Also, the revenue from online shopping has skyrocketed in the past few months, simply because online shopping has tripled or even quadrupled in popularity. With millions of dollars in revenue being made by selling online, it won’t hurt to even have a small piece of that pie.
As a stay-at-home mom, I can honestly say that starting my own online business from home has been one of the best decisions that I made in my life. It has empowered me to be able to contribute to the household, pursue my own investments and put something towards my retirement account. Plus there’s the added bonus of being able to spend time with my kids! It’s definitely a life changer and it’s a great feeling to be in control of my own schedule.
Why You Should Start a Home Business By Selling on Amazon
If you’re thinking of starting a home business by selling items online, the top choice for an eCommerce platform has got to be Amazon. For one, a large number of online shoppers seem to prefer Amazon. Just ask yourself, who does not shop on Amazon? I literally cannot think of anyone.
Because a huge chunk of online customers is already on Amazon, you are more likely to get more sales and garner more attention too. And with the help of value-added services like Amazon FBA, you can let the company take care of product shipping and customer service too, so you can have more free time for your family.
How to Get Started with Amazon for Your Home Business
The hardest part is always getting started. Whether you’re a career mom or you’re a stay-at-home mom, starting an online business can be really intimidating. Don’t worry, the idea here is to start small and grow your home business in steps. What’s important is to get started so that you can get a feel of what online selling through Amazon is like.
There’s this selling plan on Amazon called the individual selling plan and this is a great fit for people when just starting out. Basically, it is a pay-as-you-go plan where you’ll only have to pay $0.99 per item that you sell. If you are selling less than 40 items a month, that’s a pretty great deal, don’t you think?
But what if you want to expand your business and start selling more than 40 products a month? Don’t worry, it’s easy to switch to a professional seller package at any time. You just go to your account settings and upgrade your seller account. That one has a maintenance fee of $39.99 per month but once you start getting those sales, the fee won’t seem steep anymore.
Of course, I would recommend that you start with the individual package first, unless you are 100% sure that you can sell more than 40 items in one month. Dip your toes in the water and get a feel for whether being a work-from-home mom with a home business is the right choice for you.
Amazon FBA Makes it Easier to Get Your Home Business Started
Amazon offers a lot of conveniences when it comes to getting started with your online business. Through Amazon FBA which is basically Amazon fulfillment, you can streamline your packaging and shipping so that you won’t have to do it yourself (for an extra fee) every time you get an order from a customer. If your main goal is to spend more time with your family, Amazon FBA would be a good choice.
A Closer Look at Amazon FBA
We’ve just mentioned Amazon FBA and how it offers so many conveniences for new sellers. What’s the catch, you might ask?
The catch, of course, is that those conveniences come with a hefty fee. There’s a storage fee for keeping your products at the Amazon warehouse plus the pick and pack fee for shipping. These fees are on top of the referral fees that you need to pay as well. The referral fee is a fee Amazon charges you every time you sell a product. It is a percentage of the total sales price and is usually 15%.
You might balk at the additional expenses, but if you’re selling a lot of products online, Using Amazon FBA is a good idea so that you don’t get overwhelmed with shipping and logistics. For me, I would rather pay these fees than spend all my days messing with tapes and boxes and shipping to customers.
I should say take a closer look at the services they offer plus the different fees (the fees vary depending on the size of the product and the price of the product) and think about whether it’s right for you. You could try it out or do merchant fulfill. As a home business owner, you do what is right for you and your bottom line.
Conclusion
There are more and more parents like us who are choosing to work from home, especially with the current pandemic. Many are starting their online side hustles too. By starting your own home business, you can earn extra income and if you decide to be a full-time home business owner, you can be in control of your time and your schedule. You will essentially be your own boss! It’s definitely not easy but it is doable. I just firmly believe that multiple streams of income are a must especially when you have a family to support.
As a mom who has been a home business owner since 2014, my advice to you is: to take action. Whether that means taking an online course, product research, or sourcing, just take action. And do it consistently! Start with what you have, take calculated risks, but start today. Creating your own successful business from home is all about taking that first step. Get started by filling out your selling application here: https://sellercentral.amazon.com
And if you want to expedite your Amazon business and change your life, I recommend getting this free training, instead of wasting so many precious hours trying to figure out things on your own. Time is money so the faster you can get your business started, the faster you get your return on investment.
