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I started my journey to becoming an Amazon seller in February 2020 with zero knowledge about Amazon other than how to click Add to Cart far more often than I would like to admit!
Through total divine intervention I happened to see a post for the Rainmaker Challenge at just the right time when my heart was calling out for change. This was the experience that lit a fire in me to pursue passive income for my family and I was lucky enough to discover amazing teachers in Stephen and Chelsey who held my hand and walked me through understanding Amazon FBA and how the power of Amazon could be harnessed to create passive income. Throughout the challenge I invested one to two hours a day learning the fundamentals of building this business. During that time Norah was about 8 months old and was still napping twice a day, so I capitalized on her naptime to invest in myself, even though in that season I just needed a nap too!
By the end of the challenge I could just feel it in my heart that this was the change I had been praying for and I immediately joined the Mastermind to start the process of finding my first product to sell on Amazon.
I lived in Product Research Phase for about two months because picking your first product is the foundation of success that you will build this business on and it was time well spent. During the Product Research Phase you are looking at real time data of what people are searching for on Amazon to find inspiration for your product idea.
You might discover product opportunity by identifying a problem with an existing product that you could improve upon with simple innovations. You might discover your product by fulfilling a need within a niche you are passionate about. You might find your product by simply identifying a need on Amazon where the product doesn't yet exist. During this stage I spent one to two hours a day a few days a week running numbers on Helium10 (Amazon software) and browsing Amazon waiting for lightening to strike.
I will warn you now that this phase is addicting. It shifts your mindset, you start seeing opportunity all around you and you are no longer a blind consumer!
Once you've identified a product you want to pursue, then you will to find a manufacturer to partner with to produce it. You will spend time communicating with them to get your vision just right, order samples of your product, and test packaging ideas. It's difficult to really gauge how much time was invested in this stage because it's sort of like how much time you spend a day texting friends...you aren't really sure! I would say for me it was about a month, but this timeline could have been improved upon by being intentional with communication and using visuals whenever possible.
Just know that this time spent invested in making your product absolutely perfect will set you up for success for years to come. Do not skimp on this phase!
You've selected a manufacturer and your product is being produced! Yayyyyy!! Now what? Now you wait...boooooo! Production times vary for different products, but about 3 weeks is a typical production time. Since your manufacturer is doing the making it's time for you to shift your focus to housekeeping.
Do you want to establish a social media presence?
Do you want a website?
Do you want product inserts?
Product photography?
Most of these tasks are things you can outsource to other professionals and continue to buy back your time. You could also choose to undertake these tasks yourself and the time it will take you is dependent upon you. The Pre-Launch Phase is when you work on tidying up all the loose ends because you will soon be launching a product on Amazon!
The time has arrived and are ready to soar!
I started my journey in February and launched my first product in September. There were plenty of Rainmakers who went through the same challenge as me and launched in June or even launched after me. This isn't a sprint to the finish line and the timeline looks different for every one. But in my experience it is possible for Amazon FBA to completely change your life in just six short months.
I'm not going to lie launching my first product was a bit stressful because it felt like I had been nursing this baby for some time and I just needed validation that I was on the right path. The actual launch time on Amazon is only short eight days though! You have one week where you need to hustle by selling product and show Amazon that people want what you have to offer. This honeymoon phase is important to your listing because Amazon knows you are a new product and is giving you the benefit of the doubt even though you have no sales and no product reviews to prove your value. Amazon is going to let your product skyrocket to the first page of many high volume keywords if you are able to perform well during this short period of time.
During those eight days I invested the most time throughout my entire journey. I could safely say four hours a day were spent promoting the product, interacting with customers, checking Amazon, and optimizing my advertising.
Four hours a day for eight days.
Part-time hours for ONE WEEK to grow a six-figure business?
Yes, please!
After all that hustling pays off you are truly in the passive part of the business! I spend maybe fifteen minutes a day on Amazon just making sure everything looks good.
I just want to make sure you heard me...15 MINUTES!!
I've gone on vacation and ignored my Amazon business for a week, while it kept making money for me without skipping a beat. If I want to disconnect for a weekend and just be present with my family there are no negative repercussions. In the background Amazon is promoting my product, selling it for me, shipping it for me, and collecting customer reviews...and I'm sunbathing.
This is how you harness the power of passive income to buy back your time and make money for you instead of you working for money.
Ready to start your passive income journey?
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