How to start selling on Amazon. Create an Amazon seller account

How to start selling on Amazon.  Create an Amazon seller account.

Selling on Amazon is a great way to make money from home.

I have been selling on Amazon for over a year so I thought I would take some time out of my day to give you some tips on how to make money selling on Amazon.   Most of you are probably aware that eBay is a great place to sell used goods online, but did you know that Amazon is a great place to sell used goods as well?    I have sold over $50,000.00 in new and used goods on Amazon since I opened my Amazon store Sneaky Squirrel Games.

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How to start selling on Amazon.

Things to consider before selling on Amazon.

Before you just hop in and start trying to make money selling on Amazon, there are a few things that you should know.

1. It is important to know what products sell on Amazon.  Make sure to check out my Article on How to find the best products to resale on Amazon in 2013.
2. The Amazon payment system is not like eBay.  Instead of receiving your money instantly when a customer places an order, Amazon used a 2 week disbursement system, your money sits in your Amazon account until their system sends the money to your bank account.
3. For the most part, listing products on Amazon is MUCH easier than listing products on eBay.  There are no pictures to take as the listings are already created for you.  The drawback to this, is that if there is no listing for your product, then you have to have a premium account in order to create a listing from scratch.
4. When I first decided to start selling on Amazon, my sales skyrocketed through the roof.   I did over $5,000.00 in my first month.  This skyrocketing threw a red flag up on my account and Amazon suspended my account for 2 weeks to make sure that I was a legitimate seller.  2 weeks is a short suspension, most sellers who get this suspension get a month.   This suspension does not mean that you cannot sell on Amazon, it just means that you will not receive any disbursements during that time period.  Once your account is reviewed and Amazon has decided that you are a legitimate seller, your funds will be released.  It is a 1 time thing so don't worry if it happens to you.
5. It is important to know what you want to sell on Amazon.   You can check out my Amazon's best seller article to find out where to research what to sell on Amazon.
6. Amazon fees are higher than eBay, but they make up for that fact in the form of better customers, faster listing as well as faster sales ( if you are selling the right products ).   
7. If you are leaving eBay to sell on Amazon, know that for the most part, Amazon will side with the buyer just like eBay.
8. You do not need a premium store to sell on Amazon.   That being said, if you do not have a pro merchant account, you will pay an extra $1.00 for every item you sell.  If you plan on selling more than 40 items a month, I highly recommend that you open up a pro merchant account.   The account costs $39.99 but will pay for itself if you sell 40 items.

To start selling on Amazon, register your Amazon account

Click here to setup your Amazon seller account.   

Go to your Amazon seller account.

Under your main Amazon account, you will find your other accounts.  Select "Your Seller Account" and you will see a screen similar to the one below.   If you have already created an account, you can select the above link and go straight to this page.

This is where you will decide whether or not you want the pro store or not.

Create your Amazon seller account.

Once you choose which "start selling " option you want, you will have to create your Amazon seller account.  This information will consist of creaking your display name, agreeing to the user agreement, credit card information, billing address as well as phone verification.

Once you have created your seller account, you will be able to start adding new products to your inventory.

Sell your first product on Amazon after you create your account.

Under the inventory tab, select the "Add a Product " option.

Enter the product you wish to sell on Amazon

 

You can search by name, UPC, EAN, ISBN or ASIN.

Select the product you wish to list from the search results.

At this point, you must determine the condition, and set a price.   You can use the competing marketplace offers to figure out how you want to price the item.

When selling an item on Amazon, pay special attention to the Amazon Sales ranks.   In this example, the i-Dog Soft Speaker white has a sales rank of 63,963.   The LOWER the rank, the faster the item will sell.

Fill out Amazon product details.

The main points to fill in when filling out the Amazon product details are the following:

Condition:  Be as accurate as possible, it is always better to be more conservative on the condition.  Only list as new if the item is truly new.

Condition note:  Do not skip over this section.  This is your chance to stand out from the other sellers and make your money.   Be as descriptive as possible about your item and tell them why you are better than everyone else.  

Your Price:  Determine what you what to price your item at.   I can and will write an entire section on how to price your Amazon items.

Quantity:  Amount of items you have

Gift Option:  Check out my article on how to standout as an Amazon seller.

Shipping:  Set methods for shipping, Amazon can really screw you if you don't have your shipping setup correctly.

Save and Finish.

Rinse & Repeat to add new Amazon products.

Now that you have your account setup, you have added your first product, all you have to do is do everything all over again for your next product.   The more products you add to your Amazon listing, the better your chances of having a sale.   Don't forget to check out my Article on How to find the best products to resale on Amazon in 2013.

I hope this article was helpful, don't forget to subscribe for other articles.

Another seller is featured from the picker community. She knows the ways to make money selling online.

Ways to make money selling online.

We recently wrote about former Navy man Adam Coleman, who passed up an opportunity to re-enlist to make online selling his full-time career. Since he attributes much of his love for “treasure hunting” to his mother, we decided to find out how she started her online selling career.

His mother, Doreen Coleman, has been selling on eBay for more than eight years.

Her eBay Store, Imetalconsignments, has about 600 items at any one time, most of which are considered hard-to-find mid-century products.

A variety of products made in the U.S.

If your mother’s lawn chair is frayed and threatens to drop guests on the ground, Doreen Coleman has listings for replacement webbing. If you’d rather dry your hair salon-style, Imetalconsignments can sell you a portable soft bonnet hair dryer.

Not only do the mid-1900s remind her of her childhood, Coleman also appreciates the construction of the products sold back then

From green dishware to retro furniture, this eBay seller has her niche figured out right down to the cocktail swizzle stick.

Not only do the mid-1900s remind her of her childhood, Coleman also appreciates the construction of the products sold back then and the sense of pride the U.S. had in its workmanship.

“I love the mid-century modern era, a time when almost everything was made in the USA,” she adds. “And that seems to be the direction my store has taken.”

Yet Coleman does tell people she’ll pretty much sell anything she can make money on, as long as it’s made in America, she reports. And now that more people are looking for American-made items, she believes her eBay Store will stay its course for a long time.

From ‘real job’ to real joy

As with most people, Coleman says she started selling online to supplement her income.

“I had what some people call ‘a real job,’ an ongoing joke in my household,” she quips.

For more than 20 years, the single mom owned a brick-and-mortar antique business. The summer seasons were profitable, but winter times were hard, so Coleman joined a co-op instead. For a rental fee, she could display her items in various shops throughout the area.

“Unfortunately, when that business decides to close its doors, there’s not much one can do,” she notes.

When the co-op no longer worked for Coleman, she found herself packing her items and going to work for someone else.

For more than 20 years, the single mom owned a brick-and-mortar antique business. The summer seasons were profitable, but winter times were hard

But in her “real job,” she missed retail sales. After a few years, she decided to try selling on eBay.

In the beginning, Coleman sourced her first listings with merchandise from thrift stores and garage sales, but then a friend approached her with an opportunity to help him liquidate his farm equipment.

Consignment venture starts niche

Not knowing yet what her niche market was going to be, Coleman took advantage of the chance to be a consignor.

“It was a pretty brave step,” she notes. “Luckily, every transaction went smoothly.”

Selling farm equipment can be risky if you don’t know the consignee well and he or she doesn’t give you full disclosure on the equipment. For that reason, Coleman suggests sellers know and trust those they might do business with on such large-scale equipment.

“One would think selling full-sized farm equipment would be tough online, but it was one of the easiest items to sell,” she says.

It seemed Coleman found her niche, so she named her business Imetalconsignments. But when her friend’s farm equipment was all sold off, she had to find other farmers to sell for. That only lasted so long. When those wells dried up, Coleman went back to selling her own merchandise.

“Lesson learned: Don’t be afraid to change directions of your business,” she says.

Making the switch to full time

Eventually, Coleman found herself bringing in more income through online sales than through her “real job.” She was ready to take her business to full-time status, but still had a few reservations to overcome.

As a single mother, giving up the security of a regular paycheck can be frightening, so she called her oldest son, Adam, who was serving in the Navy.

“Lesson learned: Don’t be afraid to change directions of your business”

“He asked me a single question: ‘Do you love selling online?’” she recalls.

She responded positively, so he told her to do it. Plus, her son agreed to back her up financially if things went wrong, and that gave Coleman the security she needed to move forward.

Selling worldwide

Though Coleman had 20 years of experience selling antiques in her town, it was a new learning curve for her to do it online.

“Buying merchandise for my brick-and-mortar business was based on my local clientele,” Coleman adds. “Now I’m selling to the whole world.”

This meant the merchant selling on eBay had to change her buying habits to appeal to customers from as far away as Australia.

“The buzz in this small town is I’m keeping the post office open,” she says.

While she laughs about the joke, Coleman notes that the U.S. Postal Service’s new price increase will make her rethink how she ships. However, she loves eBay’s ShipSaver Insurance program, which is important for those who buy and sell rare, breakable products.

Recently, the eBay seller bought a building across from the post office. It’s just big enough to house her inventory and give her some studio space. Plus, getting her orders out in a timely manner is only a matter of a short walk.

Finding merchandise is like vacation to her. Working on her listings in her “overgrown playhouse” is a daily pleasure

If you love it, it’s not work

Coleman’s son recently asked her if she was ever going to retire.

“What would I do?” she responded. “I am already retired. If you love what you do, you’ll never have to work again.”

Finding merchandise is like vacation to her, the eBay seller notes. Working on her listings in her “overgrown playhouse” is a daily pleasure, and if she wants to take a day off, she’ll do it without guilt.

Visit Imetalconsignments on eBay.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Sarah Brown is a freelance writer who writes about e-commerce and small businesses. She recently graduated from Chico State with a journalism degree and is also a budding online entrepreneur, having launched two Web businesses and her own line of handmade products. Opinions expressed here may not be shared by The Online Seller and/or its principals.

Video turning $50.00 into $700.00 ways to make money selling on eBay & Amazon

Ways to make money selling online.

Video:  Turning $50.00 into $700.00 selling on eBay.

Products that sell well on Amazon One touch Delica lancing devices.

Products that sell well on Amazon.  
Ways to make money selling online.

One Touch Delica lancing devices.
I came across a lot of these one touch Delica lancing devices for $.50 cents each. Yesterday, I listed 6 of these products on Amazon.   4 of them have already sold.    In general diabetic testing supply products sell very well on Amazon.
When it comes to testing strips, make sure they are sealed and are not expired.
Lancing devices do not expire, you just need to make sure they are unopened.
Don't forget to check out my other posts for ways to make money selling online.

Ways to make money selling online, this is my story so far. Written by Sarah Brown, article online at www.theonlineseller.com

Ways to make money selling online - MY ONlINE SELLER PROFILE BY THE ONLINE SELLER

While many of his comrades were fast asleep under a hot evening sky, Adam Coleman hunted for explosives along high-traffic roads in Iraq.

Coleman was part of Special Operations for the U.S. Navy as an explosive ordnance disposal technician, a post he held for eight of the 11 years he served in the military. Recently, Coleman turned down a $90,000 re-enlistment bonus so he could sell full time on his eBay shop, FamousTurtle2010,  instead.

From bombs to treasures

Since childhood, Coleman has been going to garage sales with his mother, a fond memory that eventually led to his change in careers in October.

He credits his mother with teaching him the foundation and secrets to a successful eBay business, and his military experience as the engine to his online success

“It always felt like we were going out treasure hunting, and to this day it still feels like that,” he reports.

So instead of hunting for improvised explosive devices, Coleman now hunts for treasures, which make up the inventory of his successful home-based business. He sells mostly vintage home items and military collectibles, but adds that he will sell anything he thinks has value or that people will enjoy.

Much of what he offers in his store might be considered hard to find, so he reaches a lot of customers who are searching for a particular item they otherwise couldn’t locate. It’s fitting for a man like Coleman.

“I have trained to spot things that most people wouldn’t, because—if I didn’t—I would be dead,” he says.

When hunting for IEDs, there are telltale signs to look for, such as out-of-place rocks or objects that might be used as markers for hidden devices, Coleman says. When it comes to finding the right treasures to sell online, he researches key features to help spot valuable items and determine their ages.

Explosive sales

Not only is Coleman’s military experience amazing and beyond what can be put in this story, but his success selling online is also very impressive. He credits his mother, Doreen, with teaching him the foundation and secrets to a successful eBay business, and his military experience as the engine to his online success.

“I was trained in the military to think outside the box and to never stop trying to make things better,” he notes.

“I like to sell across multiple platforms as I feel that the diversification helps dampen the peaks and valleys of sales”

Within the first several months as a newbie merchant selling on eBay—he’s been listing about three years—Coleman achieved PowerSeller status. In his first year, he earned about $10,000 in sales, but that was just the beginning.

“My second year, a switch went off, and all of the sudden I just figured things out, and I was averaging about $2,000 and $5,000 a month,” he adds.

Coleman’s sales have increased every year. Last year he added Amazon
to his marketplace options—and his own Web store.

He moved all his barcoded items to Amazon and kept the vintage home décor products on eBay, he says. That decision proved to be very profitable, because it seems when one marketplace experiences low sales, the other picks up the slack.

“I like to sell across multiple platforms as I feel that the diversification helps dampen the peaks and valleys of sales,” he continues.

Of course, each platform has its own pros and cons, but Coleman notes that all three are easy to list on. And though Amazon and eBay have high fees, they both provide fast sales and high traffic, which can eventually lead to more traffic on his personal Web shop.

Wife and military are behind his success

When Coleman was on active duty, it required an extremely high level of professionalism and expertise, he says. His team would drive about 5 mph to locate IEDs along highways, clear U.S.-held bases of leftover unexploded ordnance from Desert Storm and disarm underwater mines.

“I have been ambushed, shot, blown up, and I almost drowned at 150-feet when my diving rig malfunctioned,” he says. “I realized after the third time of almost dying that I should probably start considering a new line of work and selling online.”

“I realized after the third time of almost dying that I should probably start considering a new line of work and selling online”

Originally, selling on eBay started out as a means to help pay for his wedding to now-wife Sonia. Just days before his wedding, a medical emergency came up, so he continued selling online to pay medical bills.

By then, he says he was already addicted to selling. From there, his online business took off, and Sonia helped with the orders while he was deployed.

“[The business] was not strategically planned at all,” he notes. “It was actually a knee-jerk reaction to the amount of orders that I started receiving.”

Wooden turtle inspires name

Coleman named his eBay Store based on a gift from his wife, who had traveled to Fiji and brought home a wooden turtle. Coleman made the turtle famous by making it his store mascot, and thus was born Famous Turtle’s Treasures.

When he started his Amazon store, Sneaky Squirrel Games, he decided to give it a different name based on his experience in the Navy. Those who were part of elite special operations—such as Coleman—with very hush-hush missions, were jokingly referred to as “sneaky squirrels,” he explains.

“On top of that, my wife calls me a squirrel because I am always hiding money around the house, forgetting about it, then finding it weeks-to-months later, and reacting like I just found treasure,” Coleman adds.

And it’s thanks to the support of his wife that he has made it this far with his business. Coleman credits Sonia with keeping him organized and on track, despite the fact she looked at him like he was crazy when he first brought home items to sell online, he says.

In turn, Coleman tries to offer that same support to his customers by offering a 14-day return policy, next-day shipping, and “going above and beyond” the call of duty to make sure they are happy with their purchase.

Visit Coleman’s listings on eBay, Amazon and his Web shop.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Sarah Brown is a freelance writer who writes about e-commerce and small businesses. She recently graduated from Chico State with a journalism degree and is also a budding online entrepreneur, having launched two Web businesses and her own line of handmade products. Opinions expressed here may not be shared by The Online Seller and/or its principals.