I have something a little bit different and very exciting to share with you today! I’m very proud to release this interview with someone who took my online FBA course, Amazon Sharks, launched his product on Amazon late November last year, and achieved some phenomenal results.
I won’t yet reveal exactly how well they did, you’ll have to read the interview to find that out!
Without any further ado, let’s get to the interview.
Why take an Amazon FBA Course?
Hi Matt, firstly thank you for taking the time to answer these questions for our blog readers. Before we get into your Amazon journey – how did you first become interested in online selling?
I’ve always been really interested in the concept of owning my own business. At first, I merely wanted to test the waters (so-to-speak) and make a bit of money on the side selling on Ebay; I wasn’t bothered about making a full-time wage. Whilst I didn’t make much money, it did introduce me to the world of online selling and I think it gave me the motivation to be more ambitious and seek more lucrative opportunities online.
How did you find my blog & Amazon Sharks?
I was browsing the internet for information on how to improve any Ebay sales. I came across many of Andrew’s old blogs on Ebay selling and noticed that he had, more recently, moved over to selling on Amazon. All of his blogs were always very informative and full of great content, so I started following his blog more closely. I noticed his Amazon Sharks programme and thought it looked amazing value for what you get, and unlike other so-called Amazon gurus out there at the moment, Andrew has never promised that you are guaranteed to get rich quickly. Instead, it’s all about building a good and sustainable business where you are your own boss!
Why not simply “go it alone”?
I needed to develop my knowledge of how to sell on Amazon, source products from China and how to expand any opportunities both nationally and internationally. With the Amazon Sharks course, you go through absolutely everything, from how to decide what to sell, how the Amazon FBA programme works to how to send a pallet to Amazon or expand into other Amazon platforms. Best of all, you also get Andrew’s expert knowledge and you can ask him anything along the way.
How did Amazon Sharks meet your expectations?
The course contains many hours of detailed content. To be honest, I would say that it definitely covers everything you’ll ever need to know. The great thing is that if you can think of a question that isn’t covered, Andrew is only too happy to help with any queries. The quality of the course seems vastly superior to any other content or other courses I have encountered online.
How much did you invest in your Amazon FBA business?
Initially I ordered 2,000 units from the manufacturer at a landed cost of £5.63 per unit.
In total I invested about £13,000 for my first order. That covered everything – from product purchase, VAT, import duty to photography etc. etc.
How did you find your first Amazon FBA product?
This is something that a lot of new Amazon business owners really struggle with. I used the research tool, JungleScout. After many hours of research I knew that this product was a clear favourite. As an extra plus, I knew that if it went well it would provide me with many other opportunities to do other, related, products under the same brand.
What are your FBA results so far?
I started selling the product late last year. My first order arrived just before Christmas (for 2,000 units) and I sold out much quicker than anticipated – within just a matter of weeks! I was shocked at how well things went. I made a net profit of around £14,000 on my first order which was a very nice and unexpected surprise to say the least!
(So, there you go. Simply amazing! £14,000 NET PROFIT. That means Matt more than doubled his initial investment on his first order. And that’s not a one off – the beauty of selling online and in particular on Amazon is that you can keep repeating the process again and again!)
What’s the biggest surprise of your Amazon FBA journey?
How easy it is to use Amazon’s seller interface after a bit of practice. At first, it sounds/seems so complicated, but everything soon becomes second nature. Same goes with other tasks, such as importing goods from China. It’s all really simple once you have done it a few times.
What’s the no.1 tip you would give to new FBA sellers?
Do the Amazon Sharks course! At £990 it really is amazing value. You will make that money back many times over. Also, don’t cut back on expenses. Get the best you can possibly afford – go for a more expensive photographer, designer etc.
What’s your long term goal for your FBA business?
In the short-term, I want to ensure that I have enough stock to meet any demand over the next 6 months or so. Longer-term, I want to expand into many other products and to start selling across Europe.
…And there you have it! A very big thank you to Matt for taking the time to answer these questions and I look forward to hearing more success stories from him and other Amazon Sharks members!
I really hope that you can use this story as inspiration for your own business. A lot of people don’t like hearing this but it really does all depend on you! As long as you have the right plan and guidance and you TAKE ACTION – you can’t fail.
Here’s a quote from Matt from an email he sent me last year as he was planning his upcoming product launch and wanted some final guidance on pricing.
“It’s the kind of brand/product that could lead to a whole business, if successful. The great thing is that I can already think of 100+ products that would fit perfectly under this brand. I just hope it all goes to plan, but I will keep toiling away anyway!”
He wasn’t going to try one product and then give up if it wasn’t a huge success right away (although in his case it was!). And that’s the problem so many wannabe Amazon sellers have… they want instant success.
But all real successful businessmen and women know that failures can and will happen – the difference is they use it to learn and become better and come back stronger.
And that’s exactly the mentality that Matt showed and what allowed him to be so successful early on.
Well that’s it for today.
If you’re an Amazon Sharks member who’d like to share their story then get in touch with me via the contact form on this site. If there’s enough interest we can turn this into an ongoing series for the blog.
Until next time!
All the best,
Andrew.