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$1,200/hour with Online Arbitrage

As an online seller, one of my biggest goals is to maximize profits while minimizing costs. It’s a never-ending quest to find the best deals, and I’m always on the lookout for new strategies to make more money. Recently, I stumbled upon a technique that allowed me to make over $1,200 in just 15 minutes. In this article, I’ll explain how I did it and share some tips for saving money when purchasing inventory online.

The first step in my money-making strategy was to find a product that I could buy at a discounted price and sell for a higher price on Amazon. I used a combination of email sales strategy and software called Tactical Arbitrage to find profitable products.

The email sales strategy is simple. I set up a new email account specifically for online arbitrage and signed up for newsletters from every online retailer I could think of. This way, I would receive coupons and news about sales directly in my inbox. When I did my searches on Tactical Arbitrage, I started with my email and used the information I received from the newsletters to program my search parameters manually. This allowed me to uncover profitable items that I wouldn’t have found otherwise.

Tactical Arbitrage is an industry standard for online arbitrage. It’s a powerful software that allows me to scrape hundreds of websites and compare prices against Amazon to find profitable products. The software is very robust, but it’s not cheap, so I did my homework before signing up for it.

After using these strategies, I found a product that I could purchase at a discount and sell for a higher price on Amazon. It was a Playskool Heroes Ironman Adventure Playset that I was able to purchase for $40 each from Kohls. The regular price was $60, and they were selling for $100 to $140 on Amazon.

I purchased 20 of these toys before Kohl’s started limiting my purchase. At worst, I would make a $20 profit by selling them for $100 each on Amazon, and at best, I would make a $60 profit by selling them for $140 each. Of course, there were fees involved, and Amazon takes about 15%, but I was still able to make a profit of over $1,200 in just 15 minutes.

To clarify, I didn’t even touch the product, and it wasn’t dropshipping. When you buy stuff from one website and sell it on another website, that’s called scalping online arbitrage. I used a third-party prep center that received my inventory from Kohl’s, prepared it, and shipped it off to Amazon FBA for me. The prep center also ensured that everything was there and that nothing was damaged.

Using a prep center saved me both time and money. Most prep centers are located in states that do not charge sales tax, which is great because even though I have sales tax exemption at some stores, some stores do not allow me to have sales tax exemption. This is where a prep center comes in handy. They also help me save money on shipping costs because they bundle everything together and send it off in one shipment.

While this particular flip was a moon shot, meaning it was an astronomically good flip, you can make a lot of money doing online arbitrage or other similar Amazon arbitrage-based business models. The key is to find the right products and use strategies like the ones I’ve mentioned to save money.

Here are some additional tips for saving money when purchasing inventory online:

  1. Use cashback credit cards Cashback credit cards are a great way to earn rewards when purchasing inventory online. Look for credit cards that specifically offer cash back, and make sure to pay off your balance every month to avoid interest charges.
  2. Use Cashback portals so you can save on COGS

Another way to save money when purchasing inventory online is to use memberships from different online retailers. Many stores have cashback programs and membership programs where you can earn points or cashback. These loyalty systems can help you save money and reduce the cost of goods. For example, Kohl’s has a cashback program, and by signing up, you can earn points and discounts that will help you save money.

Another way to save money when purchasing inventory is to use cashback credit cards. Look for credit cards that offer cashback rewards and use them to make your purchases. Make sure to pay off your balance every month to avoid interest charges. You can also use cashback portals to earn additional discounts. These websites allow you to earn a little kickback by going through them before making your purchase. They receive an affiliate commission from the retailer and share it with you.

Finally, consider using gift cards to save money. Websites like Raise.com allow people to buy and sell gift cards. You can purchase a gift card for less than its value, saving you money on your purchase. While the savings may not be significant, it’s still a good way to reduce costs.

Sales tax is another significant expense to consider when purchasing inventory online. If you’re paying sales tax and your competitors aren’t, you won’t be able to compete effectively in the marketplace. Therefore, it’s essential to register your business with your state to get a seller’s permit and sales tax exemption. Having a sales tax exemption can be a significant advantage as it reduces your costs and allows you to compete on a level playing field with other resellers.

Another way to reduce costs is by using a third-party prep center. A prep center is a service that receives your inventory from your supplier or online retailer and prepares and ships it to Amazon FBA for you. Most prep centers are located in states that do not charge sales tax, which can save you a significant amount of money. The fees for using a prep center are low and typically less than two dollars per unit, making it an affordable way to reduce costs.

Using a prep center can also save you time and effort, allowing you to focus on other aspects of your business. You can efficiently scale your operation by utilizing someone else’s storage space and labor. This is especially useful if you’re a young entrepreneur who doesn’t have much space or resources. By using a prep center, you can efficiently manage your inventory and focus on growing your business.

Online arbitrage is an excellent way to make money by buying low and selling high. However, it’s essential to do your research, find profitable products, and reduce costs to maximize your profits. By using software like Tactical Arbitrage, you can scrape hundreds of websites and compare prices to find profitable products. You can also use leads lists and rabbit trails to find profitable products and turn one profitable find into multiple profitable finds.

When purchasing inventory online, it’s crucial to reduce costs to maximize profits. You can do this by using memberships to different online retailers, cashback credit cards, and cashback portals. Additionally, consider using gift cards and a third-party prep center to reduce costs further.

Remember, online arbitrage is not a get-rich-quick scheme. It takes time, effort, and patience to find profitable products and make money. However, with the right tools, research, and strategies, you can succeed in this business model. I hope this article has provided you with some valuable insights and information on how to succeed in online arbitrage.

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Reezy Resells and Gary Vaynerchuck At Pod Sessions (Garyvee)
Amazon, Blog

Selling Books On Amazon FBA – How To Start Today

Selling Books on Amazon 101

If you’ve thought about selling used books on Amazon FBA, you’re in the right place.

This article is a beginner’s guide to selling used books.

Understand that I discovered books on Amazon because I was already reselling.

But books are a dope option for anyone because there’s a plethora of them!

You got library sales, garage sales, thrift stores, schools, estate sales, the Internet, and auctions.

Used books also make a great first business that you can use as a launchpad for your next hustle.

I say great first business because of the low financial risk and barrier to entry.

But my favorite part about books is that it’s a super scalable business model.

We’ll cover scaling at the end of the post.

 

Sourcing

In case you don’t believe that books are everywhere, let’s go over some of the most common FBA book sourcing methods.

  1. Thrift stores, garage sales, and friends of the library bookstores are where most people start.

These three methods are also the most known.

So, don’t get discouraged if you scan your thrift stores and don’t get a legit haul.

And make sure to talk to the employees to see if they have a set schedule for putting out new books.

  1. While we’re on the topic of libraries, make sure to keep an eye on https://www.booksalefinder.com.

This site tells you when and where library sales will be.

Reselling on Amazon FBA is a catalog game, so send in as much inventory as possible.

  1. Estate sales are another great option, especially if you live in areas with a high cost of living. Estatesales.net and estatesales.org are two vetted sites to focus on.

  1. If you have the startup capital and space, wholesale (bulk) books are super scalable.

Be careful, while scalable bulk is extremely labor-intensive.

Bulk is my current business model, and it’s easily some of the hardest work I’ve ever done.

Not just because of the load, but because I must find a way to monetize as many duds as possible.

If you buy bulk, set up an account with sellbackyourbooks.com.

These guys will buy non-Amazon worthy books from you.

  1. Auctions and liquidations aren’t the most guaranteed method, but occasionally you’ll get lucky.

  1. Lastly, there’s OA (Online Arbitrage).

Websites like eFlip let you buy low as MF (Merchant Fulfilled) directly from Amazon.

Then turn around and relist them as FBA (Fulfilled by Amazon) for a profit.

This model works exceptionally well with textbooks.

When the college semesters start in August and January, the demand and prices for textbooks spike.

Then the prices drop back to normal after the season is over.

Giving you a straight shot at some insane margins.

I have an in-depth eFlip blog post that you can check out here. 

Along with a video of my first time using it. #laptopmoney

FBA vs. FBM

FBA stands for fulfilled by Amazon.

FBA is where you ship your books into an Amazon fulfillment center.

Then the customer gets their book from the FBA warehouse after they pay for it.

There are storage fees associated with this model, and you have to pay to get the books to Amazon.

But FBA is still the more scalable option for these reasons:

  • You get access to Amazon’s fulfillment centers.
  • Amazon will package and ship completed orders to the customers for you.
  • Amazon will take the blame for FBA shipping issues.
  • Prime! People are willing to pay more for Prime, so don’t sleep on it.

Now for FBM.

FBM stands for fulfilled by Merchant.

FBM is like eBay but on Amazon without all the wasted time on listings.

You’ll list your item, and when someone pays for it, you’ll ship it yourself.

The obvious downside to this is that you must hold all your inventory.

But if you have space, MF lets you sell books that would not be profitable on FBA.

Or books that are worth good money but have a terrible sales rank.

Pro Tip: It’s always best to cross-list high-rank books on other platforms.

Sales Rank

In the Amazon game, sales rank is crucial. Sales rank tells you the demand for an item.

And items with a lower sales rank will sell faster.

Booksellers try to stay under a 1MM (Million) sales rank.

To make sure that their inventory sells within a year.

And before the Amazon, long-term storage fees start hitting.

You’ll have to look at books over 1MM sales rank more closely to decide if the profit is worth the risk.

Understand that sales rank is only a snapshot of one point in time, and it can quickly change.

High sales ranks are where the whole selling books on eBay vs. Amazon debate comes into play.

If the book has a 2MM sales rank plus go ahead and cross-list, it.

Pro Tip: eBay is also a great place to list your restricted books.

But if you don’t want to deal with that mess, check out reezy.biz.

We’ll sell your restricted inventory for you and break bread.

Grading Your Books

To make sure that you don’t get flooded with bad reviews.

And lose your account, this is something that you want to take seriously.

Use this video to guide you through it:

Pro Tip: Never list books as new! If it’s new, just go with like new.

You might even get a positive review out of it.

Using the right condition will also maximize your profits.

Inversely you can downgrade your condition on one out of every 5-10 books to get more positive reviews.

If your book is like new, you can list it as very good to surprise the customer.

It is smart to do this on lower-cost items.

Here are all the conditions and how you should go about grading your books.

New

Brand new in the original packaging, just like it sounds with no flaws.

Used – Like New

Should appear as new. Even if it is not in the original packaging, it shouldn’t have any noticeable flaws.

Used – Very Good

These books will look used and can have a few minor flaws, but no writing or highlights!

These books must also have the dust cover and can’t be an ex-library copy.

Used – Good

Good books can have some notable flaws and be an ex-library copy with minor writing or highlights.

When I say writing or highlights, I mean to the point where the book is still readable.

Good books can also be missing the dust jacket but must not have any significant water or spine damage.

Used – Acceptable

These books will barely be in a readable condition.

Unless you’re a masochist that is looking for a hurting, don’t list any books that would fall under this condition.

Make sure to print or save the official Amazon guidelines from their site. 

Pro Tip: When you’re in doubt, go with the lower condition.

Setting Up for Success

If you’re starting on a budget, you can get by with a $40 Bluetooth scanner and Scout IQ.

But let’s still run through the other accounts, tools, and apps that you’ll need.

  1. Get Your Amazon Seller Account

You have two options the Individual Seller account and the Professional account.

You can sign up for a seller account on your main Amazon shopping account.

On the top right select “Account & Lists.”

Scroll down to Other Programs and Select “Your seller account.”

The individual seller account is if you’re starting with a tight budget or going to be listing less than 40 items a month.

Amazon will charge you $0.99 for each completed sale.

So, the second that you start making more than 40 sales a month switch to a professional account.

Or if your shipping out a few hundred items right off the bat, then the professional account is the way to go.

  1. Apps & Software for Super Efficiency

The two best time saving-apps for booksellers are Scout IQ and Scan Lister.

  • Scout IQ is a scanning app that tells if you if a book will be profitable on Amazon or not.

Scout IQ lets you download Amazon’s database of books, allowing you to go sourcing anywhere anytime.

And the default buying triggers will instantly tell you if a book is a stud or a dud.

TBH, Scout IQ, is the superior scanning app for Amazon.

Make sure to snag your free trial here. 

  • Scan Lister is the fastest listing software on the market.

Scan Lister lets you pay for lifetime access to the app at a low cost.

Don’t get pimped for subscriptions!

And stop wasting time on shipments, check them out here. 

I also have a whole blog post about sending in your first FBA shipment and Scan Lister here.

One last thing that you should know about quickly scanning books.

Scout IQ is only one half of the scanning at Reezy speeds formula. The other half is a Blue-tooth scanner.

These scanners will connect to your phone and let you fly through books.

Check out all my recommended scanners and reselling supplies here.

Managing A Successful Book Business

Yes, your books hit the Amazon warehouse. It’s time to pop a beer and relax, wrong!

There are a few more things that you must-do if you want to get the most out of your inventory.

  1. Repricing

Repricing is a must, especially during the January and August textbook seasons.

There are programs like Reprice It, Sellery, and bQool that you can use to automate your repricing.

You’ll set rules to adjust the price of your inventory automatically.

It’s easier to set up repricers if you’ve manually repriced a few books yourself first.

Prices on Amazon always fluctuate. So, make sure that you take the time to set-up your repricer properly.

  1. Budgeting

If you don’t have a budget, you won’t be able to feed the beast regularly.

You’ll have to build up your inventory before you start seeing stable returns every day.

So, calculate how much money you can invest in inventory every month.

If you need daily access to your Amazon payouts, Payability lets you access your funds the next day.

That way, you don’t have to wait two weeks for Amazon.

  1. Accounting

If you’re not tracking your numbers, you’re not running a real business.

You also won’t be able to see your progress and how good of a job you’re doing.

Make sure to get a receipt for all your inventory and business-related expenses.

Even if it means carrying a receipt book, don’t get caught slippin by the taxman!

For full reporting and analytics, The Book Flipper has the best spreadsheet in the game.

You can watch it in action for yourself here. 

Now for a quick word about taxes.

Taxes are no joke; you should have a qualified CPA ensure that you’re paying the proper amount in taxes.

While simultaneously preserving your capital.

The CPA I’ve used (and trusted) for several years now is EcomCPA.

Give Jeremy a call, and he’ll take care of you. 

If you want more on taxes, this article will take care of you. 

  1. Promote yourself and network

Everyone in a 10-mile radius should know that you’re the book person!

Use Craigslist and Facebook posts.

Go to meetups, give out flyers, and carry business cards.

Tell everyone that you bump into that you buy books.

You’ll be surprised how much inventory this brings in.

  1. Systematize & Outsource

Once you know what you’re doing document everything.

And create step-by-step trainings in the form of videos and documents.

Then start looking for team members.

Start with friends and family, followed by job posts on Craigslist and Facebook.

Doing this will free up your time so that you can focus on working on your business and not in your business.

Books Will Work for You If You Keep Working

Great job, for making it this far, you’re probably more serious about reselling than other people.

And you’ll probably want an in-depth video guide that you can use to cover all your bases or to train your team.

Luckily, Jim Pickens has the best training on the market at a steal.

Snag Book Selling 101 here. 

Here’s a quick checklist to make sure that you always know where you’re at:

  • Create an Amazon Account.
  • Gear up – the Scout IQ free Trail and a cheap scanner will let you test out your area.
  • Pick a sourcing method and test it out.
  • Source 100 profitable books.
  • Prep/condition your books.
  • List your books with Scan Lister and this blog post.
  • Ship it.
  • Reprice it.
  • Account for everything along the way!
  • Get your name out there and network.
  • Repeat what works and get that bread.

You’re officially a Reezy Ninja now!

I believe that you can succeed; prove it to yourself!!

It’s time to be your own boss!!!

And make sure to never miss any new Amazon hacks by signing up for the newsletter here.

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Amazon, Blog

eFLIP: How to Source Textbooks Online for Amazon FBA

The U.S. is averaging nearly 20 million college students every year.

And I can’t imagine a time where textbooks won’t be a big deal for Amazon FBA booksellers.

Currently, eFLIP is the best way to source textbooks online.

If you haven’t seen the walkthrough of my first time using it.

Check it out here:

Usually, I don’t recommend that you use eFLIP right off the bat.

It does require more capital when compared to cherry-picking.

And you have to be super good with Keepa charts and money management.

Since you must wait for one of the two textbook seasons (August & January); to get paid out.

Even then, you’re taking a small risk on the condition of the books that you order.

But that small risk isn’t enough to offset the dope returns.

What is eFLIP?

eFLIP is an Amazon Crawling App that lets you find profitable flips directly on Amazon.

eFlip is basically a search engine like Google.

But instead of links, it outputs books that you can buy as MF (Merchant Fulfilled) on Amazon.

And then turn around and relist them as FBA (Fulfilled by Amazon) for a profit.

You’ll discover that people are willing to pay dramatically more for FBA items with two-day shipping.

FBA isn’t the only factor that increases your margins.

When the college semesters start in August and January, the demand and prices for textbooks spike.

Then the prices drop back to normal after the season is over.

Giving you a straight shot at some insane margins.

Inside the eFLIP online arbitrage software.

As you can see in the below image, you can source books and media on eFLIP.

Now let’s run through each filter from left to right in terms of what’s relevant to textbooks.

  1. Min/Max Price Used – Think of this filter as how much you’re willing to pay for the book if you want to pay $20-$50 for a book. Set the Min Price Used to $20 and the Max Price Used to $50.
  1. Min/Max New Price – I usually think of this as my margin meter. If you wanted to double your money on a $20 book, you might set your Min New Price to $50 simply because the used copy will sell for less than the new. It’s safe to leave the Max New Price at No Limit since you can never have too much margin. Your job is to test different Min New Prices to see what’s best.
  1. Min/Max Amazon Price – Set this filter equal to your New Price on the left.
  1. Min/Max Trade-In Value – You’re basically already setting the trade-in value when you set the new and used filters. Testing this filter can be optional because of that.
  1. Min/Max Used Offers – This is very important. It lets you determine how many people you compete with on each listing. The caveat is that you’re only looking at the competition today. And can’t determine how many new sellers will be on the listing weeks later. Having a well set up repricing program is the best option for mitigating this risk.
  1. Min/Max New Offers – Selling new textbooks is super risky. So, for the most part, ignore this filter.
  1. Min/Max Rank – This is the current sales rank, which determines how fast a book will sell. The lower, the better I still add Keepa charts to my decision making on top of the rank.
  1. Min/Max Avg. Rank – This is an average rank that is taken across multiple points in time. Most keep this equal to the first Rank filter. But feel free to test moving it up and down.

What should you keep an eye out for when using eFLIP?

First off, make sure that you aren’t gated in whatever books you order!

There will be times when Seller Central tells you aren’t gated.

Then when you try to ship it in, you’re gated. Ha-ha w-t-flip, right!

If you end up gated in something and can’t return it send it over to your boy at reezy.biz.

At the same time, don’t get trigger happy and order a bunch of one copy either!

Old versions of textbooks can be replaced with new releases at any time.

So, make a spreadsheet of the books that you have ordered and test out a few copies at a time.

Those key points will save you from many headaches.

If you want to snag your 21 FREE days of eFLIP, you can sign up here. 

Automating your book business.

Here’s the real beauty of eFLIP.

It can be easily outsourced and automated!

Essentially, you’re just going to make some training videos for your VA (virtual assistant) with Screencast-O-Matic.  

Remember, there are no bad VAs, only lousy trainers (to a certain extent).

Be willing to filter through a ton of VAs and thoroughly test the ones that might be a likely fit.

The initial time investment in training, and systemizing will pay off in the long run.

Note: Don’t start outsourcing right away; you can’t teach it if you don’t know it first!

This video will show you how to hire a great VA quickly:

Note: You’ll need a Repricer <link> during the textbook season to catch the price spikes! If you have OCD, make your VA manually reprice based on your own rules. But it’s incredibly time-consuming.

If you’ve been selling books for a few weeks now and feel ready for eFLIP, get your 21-day free trial here. 

If you want more legit content like this, subscribe to my newsletter here.   

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Amazon, Best Posts, Blog

The Best Accounting Set Up for Amazon Seller’s Taxes

Why do all Resellers f*ckup their accounting in the first year?

My guess is that because it’s boring AF to most people, and if you’re one of the few that likes sheets and number kudos to you.

Either way, it is best to start tracking and recording everything from the beginning!

Take pics of all your receipts with an app or Evernote and track your miles with Mile IQ.

Another thing that turns people off is the excess of Amazon FBA & MF metrics.

That’s why we’ll be covering everything that you need when it comes to accounting. From when you’re starting to when it’s time to file taxes.

Disclaimer this post is for informational purposes only and should not be taken as legal, financial, or tax advice.

First Let’s Get Your Accounting Mindset Straight

Uncle Sam ain’t nothing to f*ck with, making accounting a necessary evil.

If you plan on growing your business, IRS audits are a thing in the big league.

On a more personal level, you’ll want to track everything from the beginning, to see whether you’re doing a good job or not.

Without analytics on everything, you’re Reselling business will never grow as fast as it can.

Since analytics are a bit easier to get pumped on, let’s start with that.

The Best All in One Analytics Tool

The Book Flipper has created the dopest spreadsheet for Amazon Sellers.

Don’t let the name The Book Flipper deter you inventory is inventory. If you sell anything on Amazon, you’ll love this spreadsheet.

A few of my Mastermind Ninjas who only do RA (retail arbitrage) at big box stores whip the heck out of this sheet.

On top of that, Caleb’s sheet makes quarterly sales taxes a five-minute job.

Other legit benefits include:

–        A one-time payment so you never get pimped for updates.

–        It’s super easy to read.

–        In-depth how-to videos on everything that the sheet can do.

If you’re serious about Reselling and have the capital don’t sleep on this sheet and snag it ASAP.

Inventory Lab’s Accounting Features

Yes, Inventory Lab is also a listing Software, but it does have legit accounting features.

Well TBH, it gives you everything that Caleb’s sheet does; it’s just on a better-looking interface.

The reason why I don’t mention Inventory Lab much in my videos is that when it comes to listing software, it’s nowhere near as fast as Scanlister.

Since I’m primarily a bookseller, speed is the name of the game.

I also won’t dabble with subscriptions when I can pay for both Scanlister and Caleb’s sheet once.

On the flip side, tons of people still love Inventory Lab because it is a one-stop-shop. You create your shipments, sticker, and track everything in one place.

Hardcore big box store RA sellers like @jake._diego on IG are obsessed with it.

If you want to test it out for yourself, here is a 30-day free trial. 

You Need a CPA… Ecom CPA is the Best

Don’t let Uncle Sam catch you, slippin! Always hire a CPA, unless you’re one yourself.

Check out this video so that you can see how frustrating the tax situation is:

I always recommend Ecom CPA, because they specialize in eCommerce (AKA Amazon).

Giving you peace of mind that everything is being done right by people that do this every day.

An everyday plain vanilla account won’t get the job done.

Ecom CPA has three price levels, depending on where you’re at with your business.

But still take advantage of the free consultation and negotiate a deal with them.

As a Reseller low-key, negotiate everything!

Don’t procrastinate on this one and give Ecom CPA a call today.

Amazon & Taxes 4 Things You Need to Know

  1. Always check seller central for information on Amazon seller taxes.

Amazon seller tax information can be updated at any time, like everything else in a Reseller’s day-to-day.

So, make sure to give Seller Central a quick peep every time tax season comes around.

  1. The 1099-K form will save you from gray hairs.

Your CPA will adore you if you give them a 1099-K because it has almost everything that the IRS needs from the Amazon side of things.

The only caveat is that you have to qualify to get one by:

o   Hitting more than $20,000 gross sales that year

o   Running more than 200 transactions.

Don’t worry if you’re reading this blog post; you’re already doing what others won’t. Hitting those numbers will be a walk in the park.

And please don’t let this deter you from starting your reselling journey towards the end of the year.

There is no better time than now. Know that if you have more than 50 transactions, you will have to report it to the IRS.

  1. Sales Tax is a biggie

If you don’t want to pay taxes on what you flip, you’ll need to get a tax license/certificate for your state.

When you get your tax cert, you will have to file monthly, quarterly, or yearly sales taxes.

With Caleb’s sheet, this won’t be an issue, so don’t trip.

  1. Deductibles are the best

Being self-employed means that you can write off all your business-related expenses.

Some common examples are:

o   Fees

o   Mileage

o   Courses & Training

o   Packing Supplies

You get the drift, verify all of this when you talk with Ecom CPA. 

Get it done!

The sooner that you get your accounting in check, the smoother that your reselling journey will be.

If you’re still not motivated to get it done set up a reward or punishment for not getting it done in time.

Treat yourself to a brewery tour, or a day doing your favorite hobby.

Or tell a friend that if you don’t do it by this date, you’ll donate $100 to the person that you dislike the most.

Now get out there and demolish your bookkeeping!!!

If you want more content like this, make sure to sign up for my newsletter.

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Amazon, Blog

How to Get Ungated in Nike & Other Big Brands on Amazon

Why is it that some people can sell Nike on Amazon, and others can’t?

But more importantly, how can you sell Nike and other big brands on Amazon FBA(Fulfilled by Amazon)?

In this post, you’re going to learn how to get approved to sell Nike along with other big brands on Amazon.

If you prefer watching or listening, check out the video version:

When it comes to Nike specifically, I was grandfathered in.

What that means is that I was selling it before Amazon placed restrictions on it.

So, Amazon just allowed me to continue selling Nike.

I also hit Maximum Approval.

That is an internal Amazon term, meaning that you’re automatically approved to sell most brands on Amazon.

More details on Maximum Approval in a second.

3 Ways for Legitimately Getting Approved to Sell Nike

1. You can buy some one’s account who is allowed to sell Nike.

Now you can’t just straight-up buy someone’s account you have to buy their whole business/legal entity.

And the business must have the Amazon account listed as an asset.

This way is obviously going to require a bit of an investment, but it is faster.

2. Hit Maximum Approval.

People in my mastermind have been ungated in Nike by selling 2k units in 6 months.

While the exact metrics are unknown, people achieve this all the time.

One day you’ll request approval to sell Nike and automatically get approved without having to send in an invoice.

Maximum approval is all based on your hustle and how badly you want it!

3. Invoices.

As of 2020, my Mastermind and I have been able to get ungated in Nike with invoices from Amazon approved distributors.

Invoices are currently uncharted territory thanks to the Nike & Amazon break up.

But as of now, the future of using invoices to get ungated in Nike looks bright.

Amazon & Nike Broke Up

Now here is what you ought to know about the recent Amazon and Nike break up.

Nike was selling directly to Amazon.

But Nike only gave Amazon a small number of SKUs in the partnership, like the wide shoes.

Even though Nike needs Amazon more than Amazon needs Nike.

After the breakup, Amazon will still keep selling Nike, leaving Nike with one leg to stand on.

Nothing is set in stone for the future. But if you’re a big Nike seller, you should be doing cartwheels.

As soon as Nike starts running out of stock, they should start opening up those SKUs to resellers.

Before you go, remember that Amazon isn’t the only platform that you can sell Nike on.

Don’t have a loser’s mentality when it comes to big brands and hop on eBay or Poshmark.

If you found value in this post and want similar Amazon updates emailed to you, subscribe to my newsletter here so that you don’t get caught slippin.

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The 5 Box Challenge & eBay Seller Crash Course – Learn How to Sell On eBay

Are you nervous about starting your own business?

What if I told you that you could test the water on eBay without leaving your house? 

You have ZERO f*cking excuses for not starting today because everyone has at least $500 to $5,000 of inventory sitting in their home and don’t even know it.

Today I want to test you with The 5 Box Challenge. 

This is where you check your home for everything that you don’t need and sell it on eBay. 

You will be amazed at how much cash you have just sitting around.

And if you list 5 boxes of stuff on eBay, I promise that you will see some sales. 

This blog post is going to be an eBay 101 Super-Fast Crash Course. 

“Let The Games Begin.”

Step 1 – Is to get everything that you don’t need in one big pile so that you can quickly check the eBay comps.

This hack is called batching. It’s where you do the same task on a bunch of items so that you process them faster.

For eBay, you would do all your picture taking, then all your listing, then all your editing.

Step 2 – Now that you have your pile start checking the sold eBay comps.

You can do this on the app or website by searching for your item, then filtering out the sold listings.

Sold will appear as green (for sold) and completed will appear as black, which means that it didn’t sell.

To keep it easy, focus on the sold listings. If the prices look good and it is at a decent size to ship, go ahead and put that item in your list pile.

If you struggle to find your item, the eBay app has a camera feature on the top right that you can use for a picture search.

List It! 

Step 1 – Try to set up an all-white background.

You can use 2 pieces of cheap poster paper from your local supermarket.

Put one against a wall and the other one on the floor to make an L shaped backdrop.

Step 2 – Try to have good lighting or set up 2 light sources; the flashlights on other cell phones will work.

Step 3 – Start taking pictures.

Most modern smartphones have legit cameras.

If you need more help, there are super cheap camera apps.

Like the Camera +2 app, which enhances your camera and gives you a leveling grid.

Step 4 – Create your eBay listings.

Since all the pics are already on your phone, listing via the eBay app will be super-fast.

When you list quickly put in the item name and create a new listing that way, eBay selects the correct categories for you. (If it is a really good condition book or disc media item, you can use an existing listing and use their pictures).

Then add your pictures.

The last three mandatory fields are the price, listing type, and shipping.

Fixed price listings will always get you market value but may take longer to sell.

Auctions are a dice roll but will sell faster.

If you want to move something fast, list it as an auction on a Sunday night between 7-9 PM EST.

**Disclaimer** – This may sell for less than market value.

But with some collectibles or rare items, you might get a bidding war and get more than market value.

Offer free shipping as much as possible and add those costs to the total listing price.

Media mail is extremely cheap for books and media discs, so take advantage of it.

Here is a legit hack for the price. As you scale, you can get a VA (virtual assistant) to edit your listings for you.

Online Jobs PH is my favorite place to source VA’s.

The best way to do this is to list your new items with a super high price like $500.

Then when you go back to active listings, filter by highest price.

Once everything is listed, you or your VA can go into active listings and finish off the listings.

Include all flaws in the description and pictures!!!

Use the top 3-5 sold listings for your title keywords.

And to determine the best price point for fixed listings.

To get more engagement, you can flap the accept offers radio button.

Then use the automatically decline radio button to filter out low ball offers.

Ship It Like A Pro

Step 1 – Get your free supplies from USPS. 

Other legit box sources are local stores if you’re on a budget.

If you want a quick buy, it’s The Home Depot, Lowes, and Walmart.

Don’t forget your essential shipping supplies.

Here are my favorites.

Step 2 – If you can add a thank you card to your item; you can get them printed online.

Or just do a handwritten thank you note.

Step 3 – When you’re packaging, make sure that there is no free space in your box.

If you are using a bubble mailer, make sure that the item at least has a bit of bubble wrap around it.

More importantly, make sure that the final package is waterproof.

The package will get thrown around worse than a football.

So, make sure that that bad boy is sealed tight.

Step 4 CYA – Before you print your label, make sure that the buyer paid first.

eBay will hold your first 25 payments until the package gets delivered.

So just double check that they paid first!

Step 5 – Print your label.

In the paid section of your shop, you will see a “purchase and print label” button, select it.

Fill in the package’s final dimension and weight.

Then select your shipping carrier and service.

Once you click on the final purchase and print, what you do will depend on your printer.

To keep it simple, you can save the label as a PDF.

Then take a screenshot of the label portion and print that.

On Windows, you can use the Snipping Tool and on MAC Command + Shift + 4.

Lastly, even though eBay does not support priority cubic pricing.

You can use https://www.pirateship.com/ to see which one gives you a better shipping price.

It’s time to hustle 

“Get off your *ss now!”

You will be surprised how much excess stuff you have lying around.

And how much it is worth. 

If you found value in this post, make sure to check the resources tab at the top of this page.

Along with my newsletter, for more in-depth how to’s like this one.

If you have shoes to sell on eBay check out these 2 videos:

How to Ship Shoes for Ebay – FULL WALKTHROUGH TUTORIAL

SELLING RETAIL ARBITRAGE SHOES ON EBAY | W/ KEN TheHustleBee | REEZY TALKS #45

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Amazon, Blog

How to List Over 97 Books Per Hour Even If This Is Your First FBA Shipment

If you’re just starting out on Amazon, your first shipment might be keeping you up at night.

TBH this is completely normal. And a super small learning curve; that we can fix right now.

**CAUTION** This is going to be a Super-Vanilla post, so Don’t Fall Asleep on me the VALUE is legit.

Step 1:

Sign up for Scan Lister and follow the instructions for connecting it to Seller Central. Speed is the name of the game here, and time is money. Or if you speak Reezy this is the Espresso of listing software.

Step 2:

Set up your SKU’s (Stock Keeping Unit). This is just to make it super easy for you to track your inventory.

Customers won’t see this, so you can make it whatever you want, even “ImQuitingMyJobIn6Months.” But that won’t help you much when you scale which you will if your reading this.

The norm is creating a code for each source. For example, if you have 4 Good Wills in your area you could use GW01, GW02, GW03, and GW04. Then just add the date of the shipment and the condition.

GW01-2019-OCT-13-G.

G if the condition of good. VG = Very Good. LN = Like New. N = New.

You could also make up a code for the item type. Media is a super useful one, so let’s make a SKU for CDs and DVDs.

CD-2019-OCT-13-LN

DVD-2019-OCT-13-VG

Watch this video:

And take a minute or two to set up your SKUs! This is MANDATORY, don’t sleep on it.

Pro Tip: If your listing Text Books end those SKUs with *TB. Most repricing software want’s the wild card at the start or end of the SKU. Re-pricing will be a separate post.

Step 3:

Watch this short-listing tutorial with Ricky Analog:

As you can see, he has the books stacked (w/ the barcode facing up) by condition from Good to Like New. If you need help grading books, use this video.

Like New should only have one super minor flaw. Then Very Good and Good just have more flaws.

Step 4:

Let the Scans Begin!

Connect whatever Bluetooth scanner you have to your PC.

These next two steps are KEY:

  • Update your SKU Prefix, Condition, and Condition Note, as you move from condition to condition. Scan all the good books first, then move on to VG, etc.…
  • Keep Your Books in Order! Scan the first book on the top of your pile and start a new pile next to it with what you just scanned. Then as you can, add books to your new scanned stack in the order that you scan them. Just keep the books in the order that scan them! #NoMoreGrayHairs

This dope video is all about stickering:

Step 5:

List It! (In a Mortal Kombat Fatality Voice LOL)

Smash the list button on the bottom left of the Scan Lister screen. Choose Fulfilled by Amazon.

High-five the hard part is now complete.

It takes Scan Lister 5 minutes to export to Amazon. So, organize the work area or grab a coffee.

Step 6:

Create the Shipment.

Forward to 10:52 on the previous video, How to Create an Amazon FBA Shipment.

In Seller Central > Inventory > Manage Inventory > Search the dated portion of your SKU on the top left (GW01-2019-OCT-13)

> You can search multiple SKU’s and the “Action on x selected” will keep incrementing as you select all

> Select all with the first checkbox on the top left of your results > Search & Select all of your SKU’s for the shipment

> Action > Change to Fulfilled by Amazon > Send Inventory > Continue to Shipping Plan

> change the quantity to 1 at the top (if you have multiple copies in the same condition update that here)

> It’s 50 items per page so repeat the previous step on each page > you will also get restrictions and errors here

> read the alert and proceed or remove the item > you may also get asked for demission’s here so keep a ruler and scale handy

> Continue > “Change who preps?” to merchant on all your pages > Continue

> (This is where you need AZ Labels and a way to print out your labels. All the Ninjas use Rollo or Dymo printers, but you use Ink-Jet printers at your own paroral. Inkjets won’t need the AZ Labels extension).

> Once you add the AZ labels extension to chrome, you will get a “Print Thermal Labels” button next to Amazon’s Print Labels button at the bottom of each page

> hit Print Thermal Labels ONCE! > give it a sec to think and open the exported file that pops up on your screen

> you can now print with your thermal printer make sure to hit advanced print settings to select your label type before printing > Continue

> Approve & Continue > Work on Shipment > “How will this shipment be packed?” Usually it’s going to be Multiple boxes or more than one SKU per box or everything in one box depending on how many boxes you have

> Set your number of boxes and fill out the dimensions > Calculate > I agree > Accept Charges

> Print Thermal Labels (these will be on 4×6 in labels) > Complete Shipment.

If you’ve never used box content in Scanlister before definitely check out these two videos:

Warning if your using a Dymo for the first time feed the labels down into the rollers and not straight through. LMAO not talking from experience here?.

Haha, your eyes probably feel like if you were peeling an onion by now. On the bright side, that’s it. Eventually, you’ll be able to do these drunk (Disclaimer: Drunk Shipments are not Recommended).

If you want more content like this delivered straight to your inbox, sign up to my newsletter here. If you’re in the free course, your already part of it, so just keep your eye out for the next email 🙂

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Amazon, Blog

The Cold Truth About Selling on Amazon FBA & Ebay. Depression is Real!

The Struggle is Real

So today, I want to talk about a pretty important subject.

The loneliness of reselling and the depression that can come along with being a full-time entrepreneur or someone that just does their own thing.

You might have noticed that I’ve been on YouTube since 2016 and reselling for over 15 years.

And sometimes the long hours and being alone becomes too much.

If you’re just starting out as an Entrepreneur, you might not be able to relate yet.

Regardless I hope that this post and YouTube video help you out in your transition to a full-time reseller.

TBH, if you come from a life of 9 to 5 with those water-cooler talks.

Being a reseller can be kind of depressing well, more like really depressing, and you have to understand how NOT to Get Depressed!

Entrepreneurship is outside of the norm, out of 9 to 5 standards that everyone else does, and the stress will build up over time.

Your Inner and Outer Circle

Every one of us has a battle inside our head.

Inside of my head, I have a little voice that is basically telling me, “that’s stupid, that’s a bad idea, that’s not going to work, it’s not going to work Reezy. You know, “just stop, don’t do it, just give up.”

You have to battle that voice and tell it, “No, you’re wrong, it will work, I am going to do it,” and that’s how I hype myself up.

Every now and then, I still need an extra push from the Gang.

You should be able to talk to your friends.

They should support you and your vision and your ideas on what you want to do.

For me anyway, it’s like I’m on my own thing and I have some friends, but I don’t really hang out with a lot of people.

I got my family, my wife, and my kids and that’s it, that’s us. That makes me Extremely Happy, but working like just grinding it out, making shipments, and YouTube is just lonely guys.

You need people that support you and believe in what you do.

And it needs to be someone that works for you specifically because everyone’s different. Like for me, what motivates me is someone I respect, looking me dead in the eye and telling me…

“Reezy, quit being a p…”

“Reezy, you’re being a b… right now!”

Then I’ll GO GO GO!!!

That might not work for you.

Everyone is different, so find 1-to-3 people that you can count on outside of your immediate family.

Your wife/husband will always take it easy on you.

It has to come from outside of your household, someone that can literally tell you when you’re being a P.O.S.

You need someone that will be warm to you when you need it, but also be cold as f… and like HEARTLESS letting you know the COLD TRUTH; because it’s tough to see these things from inside of ourselves.

So, make sure to make time every week for one on one interactions with the right people.

If you have “friends” that are just Energy Vampires, those aren’t friends, and you need to cut them out of your life A.S.A.P.

The last thing we need is someone external reinforcing that Negative Nancy that lives inside of our head.

So, if you’re a Negative Nancy Reinforcer or Professional Energy Vampire, I have no time for you in my life.

Your NO BS Support Group

We all need an accountability partner(s).

And that’s why I really suggest for all of you to be part of some kind of mastermind group, where people regularly get together and keep each other accountable.

Even if it’s just someone that you can call and vent to.

Everyone needs this because as we get older, a lot of us don’t really have time for friends, so the only friends we end up having are the ones we work with.

As a reseller, your community is going to be mostly on Instagram and Facebook groups.

Find a group or circle of friends that you can resonate with and share your ups and downs with.

Let’s start a community Resellers Against Depression (RAD), now that’s a sick acronym.

For real guys, if you know anyone that’s feeling down. Offer them your ear and time, and just console them.

Boost them up because one of these days, you’re going to need a boost too, right.

We should all rely on each other to vent equally for whatever kind of struggles we’re having because life is too short to be living in a depression.

You might even be depressed over something Super Stupid. So, seriously talk to someone that will help you put it into perspective!

The Long Term Hustle

I just want you guys to know that if you’re struggling with depression or loneliness that there are others out there that would love to talk to you and help bring you up.

Know that life can be depressing. I suffer from it; everybody suffers from it. If you meet someone and they say that they’ve never been depressed they’re complete bull…

We can learn from each other, and we can help each other grow.

You’re not in this alone.

Remember Resellers Against Depression (RAD).

Here’s a short video from the OG of psychology Gary Vee

P.S.

I have a sick public and private group that you can join:

Facebook

Master Mind

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Amazon, Best Posts, Blog

Amazon Doesn’t Care About your Business

Amazon Doesn’t Care About Your Business!

Over the summer, Amazon purchased Whole Foods. Many waited to see how this would affect the grocery industry. However, it hit much closer to home for many grocery sellers on Amazon.

Amazon sellers, who sold items with the Whole Foods brand, recently received a letter stating that they could no longer sell those products. Almost overnight, Amazon took over the market.

While Amazon was claiming their monopoly, I was happy to hear that Amazon did compensate all of the sellers the full sale price for these items (less the FBA fees). However, many sellers were left without their bread and butter — literally.

At the end of the day, it’s important to remember that Amazon doesn’t care about your business. They ARE the business. Their goal is to ensure success. Owning the rights to sell Whole Foods goods is one way to achieve it.

So, where does that leave you and me? What can we learn from this?

Diversifying is key! Don’t rely on one certain type of product or purchase only from one supplier. A product line can end. A supplier can decide to sell on Amazon themselves and stop supplying to you. A whole category of items can become restricted. Diversify!

Try something new. Try private label. Try wholesale. Try online arbitrage. Try getting approval for restricted brands. Try something new. You can try something new and also continue to sell what you are good at.

Just remember, anything can happen. You don’t want to have all of your eggs in one basket.

Amazon doesn’t care about your business. That’s why YOU have to care about it. Be proactive. Diversify. Try something new!

Below is the original Video on my youtube channel that inspired this article

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PEACE

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Best Posts, Blog, Instagram

How I got 20K Organic Followers on Instagram

17 months ago I started social media after learning who @garyvee was. It changed my life.

The following is the methods and tactics I used to amass 20K followers over that time.

First things first, you need to have an eye-catching bio that pops and will attract people to follow you.

Same with your profile picture. You should use a picture of your face that has the white of the eyes visible.

This is psychological, people trust people more at a close distance.

Next, you need to get some posts going. Nobody is likely to follow an account with no posts.

It’s just weird. You should make 9-18 posts before you consider amassing followers.

A note on posting: you need to use 30 relevant hashtags on every single post. I’m serious.

Keep them in a notepad, and you should have at least 3 sets of them and rotate which one you use.

The algorithm penalizes you if you use the same 30 every time.

When you post hashtags, do not post them in the caption, it’s spammy.

Instead, post them in the first comment.

This means you select your media, write your caption and before you post, you go copy your hashtags, and then once it’s posted, you drop them in the first comment.

There’s a trick to this, you can post them in a way to overload the comment field and instead of showing your hashtags to users in the feed, they will see this instead […] – The key is doing PERIOD RETURN 5x – THEN adding your hashtags

Below is one of my actual blocks of hashtags I use (COPY IT AND ADD YOUR HASHTAGS)…..#followthehustle #reezyresells #rezzyresells #2017flipchallenge #entrepreneur #hustle #garyvee #contentoncontent #documentdontcreate #followthehustle #reseller #sellshit #resale #amazonfba #ebayseller #amazonseller #fulfilledbyamazon #getmoneyonline2017 #theysaid #hustler #selfmade #onlinesales #makemoneyonline #howtosell #sellstuff #sellbooks #bookseller #getmoney

How do you know what hashtags to use? It’s a bit of an art.

You can use a source like tagsforlikes, but it’s really just popular ones, not super specific to your niche.

A combination of that plus stealing them from other influencers in your niche.

The next thing I did was follow everyone in my niche. Thousands of people. Including bigger names.

I found them in 2 ways; one by their name, meaning they had words associated w my niche in their name (seller, selling, Reseller, thrift, thrifting, eBay, amazon, fba etc).

If you wanted to do this in the crypto niche you would use; crypto, ethereum, Bitcoin, etc… forgive me, I’m a crypto newb so I don’t even know what words to use, but if this was your niche, you would know.

The other way I found people to follow was by following the followers and followings of other people in your niche. Stealing them.

If you can use an automated service to help with following people that can make it a bit easier.

I use to use instagress but that’s gone now. There’s others but I haven’t kept up with it.

If you’re doing your job, some of these people you follow will follow you back.

Most importantly you need to start providing value in your niche. Posting awesome content that people value.

When I say post I mean post. A lot. Not one wall post a day, 4-8 posts. And even more importantly use the story.

Post 10+ clips a day to the story. And show your face!

I can’t emphasize the face part enough, people identify with faces and it helps people to trust you.

The story adds another element which is your voice and it can’t be faked, you have to film story content yourself, usually at arms length,holding your phone.

Now you need to get people’s attention, especially big name people but anybody in your niche is a good.

Start by liking 100 posts a day and commenting on 100 posts.

Don’t be spammy with your comments, be genuine and try an add value or unique viewpoints.

You want to interact with people that don’t follow you already so you can convert them to followers.

Dig into hashtags, locations of conventions in your niche, and thought leaders in your niche.

There’s really only a few ways to get people’s attention, which is your goal.

-Following them-Liking their posts-Liking their comments (on other people’s posts)-Commenting on their posts-Replying to their story (huge)-Tagging them (this one is kind of spammy and I wouldn’t recommend it unless you were actually providing value that you think that person would appreciate)

The other big one is making yourself available, and engaging. Make posts encouraging your audience to ask you questions, and ask your audience questions.

If people send you DM’s answer them as quick as possible and be thorough and help them, even if it is a dumb question.

When you give a random person your attention on demand, you will certainly gain a follower for life.

They might even extol your virtues elsewhere and even in a post with a shout out, which will validate you to others and gain you more followers.

What to post? Let your questions be content. Let the audience do the work.

When people ask you questions on your posts or DM’s, that’s a good idea to create content around that.

Chances are, that they aren’t the only one that has that question.

Also one major thing: build a social presence around something you’re extremely knowledgeable about 5,000 hours experience level or greater.

This will make it much easier as you will actually be able to provide solid value and usually have some sort of verifiable proof of your expertise.

For me it was sales numbers.

If you were a stock trader, you could show your portfolio and or your biggest recent trades, etc.

There’s some more nuances to it, but really that’s mostly it.

I hope some of you find value in this.

Please check my youtube for additional information:

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-Reezy

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