It’s honestly such a good business model on the surface, but once you find out all the finer details, it’s difficult to keep it going. No one else will really talk about these things because they want you to start selling so they can sell you a course or mentor you for money. Tricky game to navigate. Best to steer clear and do something you have more control over
Were you not doing Amazon fba alongside your full time job? If you are doing just Amazon fba I see why you quit, as it’s very stressful and nerve racking trying to make back all your expenses every month. I work full time and am also studying part time and I still manage to find time, but I think it all depends whether you want to deal with the process or not.
Some of the comments are fair, but you need to understand that starting a business is tough. It's the ones who grind the hardest, essentially working two full-time jobs, who will succeed. You have to enjoy what you’re doing; for me, Amazon isn't just a job, I actually enjoy it. There are also different levels to FBA, and retail arbitrage is the bottom tier. It takes a lot of time and the profits become smaller. As with any business, you need to outsource that time and start investing in your own brands to scale. Ironically, this is where better profits and more free time come back. Diversifying income streams and not relying on one sector opens up possibilities for future sale of those brand assets. Good video showing people the realities of online business. There’s no fantasy land of truly passive income, certainly not in the beginning. It all comes down to your current circumstances. For some people, £2300 isn’t a bad wage, but it’s the potential to earn much more over time that sets it apart from a standard job.
It’s certainly something that is more tailored to people who have that disposable capital to invest in systems, outsourcing things like OA and paying for all the subscriptions to get an edge in buying stock and selling stock. People who get into it (like myself) thinking they’ll be able to earn a nice stream of £500-£600 a month (and actually seeing that money) is more so who this video is targeted towards. I agree, takes effort to succeed and break through the pay ceiling, but in my opinion, there are plenty more things out there to try before getting trapped in Amazon’s FBA program. It’s an unfair system to be a part of if you have a low inventory.
Earning £500/600 a month is hardly worth it; you'd be better off doing gig economy jobs for side income. I earn significantly more than that without employing anyone, while still working as an Uber driver. For me, it's about enjoyment and the potential for future higher wages. I don't have much credit either. I agree that cash flow is the biggest challenge in any business. And yes, Amazon primarily cares about itself-it’s big business, after all. But it does provide opportunities to move away from mundane jobs. In any venture, sticking with it for the long term is crucial, and most importantly, you need to enjoy it. If you enjoy your job, you never work a day in your life. May I ask how long you were selling on Amazon?
@@stephenkewn342 I didn’t enjoy it as the amount of time I was putting in was just way too much, that twinned with making youtube videos and working a full time job. I moved into doing Amazon Flex. Yes the earning potential is capped, but I have my life back. Everyones different. If you enjoy it then fairs, crack on and I hope it works out for you 👌🏼 I did it from January to October. Just didn’t feel like something I wanted to put my effort into. How long have you been doing it?
Fantastic video Tommy. Just came across your video as I’ve become pretty disheartened myself with Amazon FBA, and you’ve hit the nail on the head with every point you’ve made. Unfortunately Amazon Flex aren’t onboarding in the North East right now, so having to play the waiting game. I think I may follow you and quit out. Question: did you set up a limited company, are you going to dissolve it? I’ve done it and wondering whether to go down that route.
Hi, thanks for watching! No I never set up an LTD. I was under the £85k threshold so didnt have to. Plus you can stay non VAT registered for longer meaning profit margins are wider. I registered as a sole trader, so once i do my taxes this month i will look at closing it down. Keeping it open for the time being as you pay vat on fees to amazon by default, but as a sole trader you shouldnt. It’s a pain to get the money back, but its a pretty healthy sum so i’m gunna chase the reimbursement of that once my taxes have been filed
Ah no way! So I marked myself as VAT exempt on Amazon as I’m under the £85k threshold. But I was under the impression you had to have a limited company otherwise there was no chance of ever winning the buy box as an individual seller. So that’s what I did, filed a company, paying a subscription (one of many) for a virtual office. I’ve been trading since Oct 23, and I feel like it is very much a losing battle. The most frustrating thing for me is finding a product, doing all your analysis, you think you’re getting a great ROI, you get the product shipped in, and you are IMMEDIATELY undercut by new sellers. I have struggled to make any profit at all. I just literally make enough to cover the various subscriptions and invest in some stock. I think by the time I’m done it will be a loss. I was optimistic to think you could follow various RUclipsrs and make money from just starting with a couple of thousand pounds. I think you’re right, you need £10k+ to make any meaningful return on Amazon
Hi mate yes still doing flex on the side, here’s a little video I did on it a month or so ago: I Tried Amazon Flex UK As A Side Hustle (worth it?) ruclips.net/video/XWe9mpgfk_E/видео.html
Hello Will great video mate, I live in the UK and thinking of starting amazon business in US , I have all the LLC EIN everything sorted all I want to know is what happen when the profit comes into my account, so I am thinking of using WISE, what about the taxes ? what is the procedure for that ? I am already emp and paying PAYE , but do I need to open a company here in UK ? or I do a self assessment ? how much tax do I pay ? and what kind of process is that ? I am doing business with my friend as well so do we both need to declare our profits ? is there anything we can write off ?
Sounds like you need a financial advisor who will need to know about international procedures, because in America I think it depends on what state you're selling from because each one has its own tax rate ect Could also depend on where you register your company to determine what you have to pay - IE some companies sell in England but are registered in Ireland to pay less tax. Hope that makes sense
@@twaito yeah I mean don’t get me wrong, you can certainly earn money doing it, but there are far too many sellers out there trying to sell you ‘the secrets to fba’ and you need so many subscriptions in order to actually do well in it. Then once that is all set up, it is a constant headache to sort out missing shipments, find products that arent saturated, refunds and Amazon not communicating at all with you about problems with your account or inventory. Far better more fulfilling ways to earn money than do this (in my opinion).
Some things might be different in other countries, I can only speak from my experience in the UK. Its pretty much the same though. Differences might be shipping costs to get things into amazon and their own country laws regarding goods etc
I used Resell Concierge for a bit, then I switched to All Things Arbitrage. RC was £50 a month but ATA was £69, however ATA you get access to a really good repricer for an extra £35 a month
Such a negative video putting people off Amazon FBA. Your first mistake was joining dead discord groups. FBA is life changing and most of your cons can be tackled so easily
@@tommywills I guess it works differently for different people. If you join dead discord groups that give little to no help its hard to make it, unless you spend hours on RUclips going through lots of tutorials.
Well... why don't you tell us ,, how exactly can be tackled so easy! The guy just said things wich most of the people from RUclips or Tiktok, don't! End of the day it's a business with up and downs! You just need to put in a balance and see if it's working for you or not! I am personally in the same boat! Trading on Amazon for nearly 2 years and started with nearly 4 k... currently after 2 years, I am not making any money, I pay from my own pocket for the subscription wich are about 200£/ Monthly! Dealing with tankers literally to all my listing's, OA/RA,,, tried to move to wholesale, but so far found just oversaturated distributors , and in about 2 years lost money and time for a business wich clearly it's not that easy as you say! Everyone out here try to sell you something, wich basically it's pretty much the same information from RUclips, put under a course! As long as you don't have fully control over your business than it can take you to a lot of problems sooner or later! It can be successful, but requires a lot of time... and money and Dealing with the stress causing by the everyday changing policy or seller support! I am about to give up ... As I said ! I started with 4 k...spent about 15 hours weekly, and after 2 years/ I am making a loss!
Great to see a genuine take. Was considering doing this myself and half of your cons I’ve never even see mentioned elsewhere. Thank you.
It’s honestly such a good business model on the surface, but once you find out all the finer details, it’s difficult to keep it going. No one else will really talk about these things because they want you to start selling so they can sell you a course or mentor you for money. Tricky game to navigate. Best to steer clear and do something you have more control over
Thank You!!! Finally a someone with an honest take on it rather than selling a dream and hyping themselves up.
Fair play there. Very honest video. You come across as a genuine guy!
Thank you 🤝🏼
Great honest video! I was on the fence for a while. Thanks for clearing things up
Glad I came across your video, was about to try FBA but by your experience ill pass on it
Appreciate it mate, thanks for watching 🤝🏼
That was really helpful, thank you!
This was amazing thanks for sharing
Thank you mate 🤝🏼 any questions that weren’t covered in the video, let me know
So happy someone spoke about the cons coz I have never heard this side of it before! I am considering my other options now😂
@@backchattvsports2905 yeah it looks really appealing when seeing it on TikTok etc, but it is a real nightmare (in my opinion) 😅
Waiting for another running video patiently 😂
😂😂 this week i promise 🤝🏼
Were you not doing Amazon fba alongside your full time job? If you are doing just Amazon fba I see why you quit, as it’s very stressful and nerve racking trying to make back all your expenses every month. I work full time and am also studying part time and I still manage to find time, but I think it all depends whether you want to deal with the process or not.
@@Pavellyyy i was doing it alongside full time yes
Some of the comments are fair, but you need to understand that starting a business is tough. It's the ones who grind the hardest, essentially working two full-time jobs, who will succeed. You have to enjoy what you’re doing; for me, Amazon isn't just a job, I actually enjoy it.
There are also different levels to FBA, and retail arbitrage is the bottom tier. It takes a lot of time and the profits become smaller. As with any business, you need to outsource that time and start investing in your own brands to scale.
Ironically, this is where better profits and more free time come back. Diversifying income streams and not relying on one sector opens up possibilities for future sale of those brand assets.
Good video showing people the realities of online business. There’s no fantasy land of truly passive income, certainly not in the beginning.
It all comes down to your current circumstances. For some people, £2300 isn’t a bad wage, but it’s the potential to earn much more over time that sets it apart from a standard job.
It’s certainly something that is more tailored to people who have that disposable capital to invest in systems, outsourcing things like OA and paying for all the subscriptions to get an edge in buying stock and selling stock.
People who get into it (like myself) thinking they’ll be able to earn a nice stream of £500-£600 a month (and actually seeing that money) is more so who this video is targeted towards.
I agree, takes effort to succeed and break through the pay ceiling, but in my opinion, there are plenty more things out there to try before getting trapped in Amazon’s FBA program. It’s an unfair system to be a part of if you have a low inventory.
Earning £500/600 a month is hardly worth it; you'd be better off doing gig economy jobs for side income.
I earn significantly more than that without employing anyone, while still working as an Uber driver. For me, it's about enjoyment and the potential for future higher wages. I don't have much credit either.
I agree that cash flow is the biggest challenge in any business. And yes, Amazon primarily cares about itself-it’s big business, after all. But it does provide opportunities to move away from mundane jobs.
In any venture, sticking with it for the long term is crucial, and most importantly, you need to enjoy it. If you enjoy your job, you never work a day in your life.
May I ask how long you were selling on Amazon?
@@stephenkewn342 I didn’t enjoy it as the amount of time I was putting in was just way too much, that twinned with making youtube videos and working a full time job. I moved into doing Amazon Flex. Yes the earning potential is capped, but I have my life back.
Everyones different. If you enjoy it then fairs, crack on and I hope it works out for you 👌🏼
I did it from January to October. Just didn’t feel like something I wanted to put my effort into.
How long have you been doing it?
Fantastic video Tommy. Just came across your video as I’ve become pretty disheartened myself with Amazon FBA, and you’ve hit the nail on the head with every point you’ve made. Unfortunately Amazon Flex aren’t onboarding in the North East right now, so having to play the waiting game. I think I may follow you and quit out. Question: did you set up a limited company, are you going to dissolve it? I’ve done it and wondering whether to go down that route.
Hi, thanks for watching!
No I never set up an LTD. I was under the £85k threshold so didnt have to. Plus you can stay non VAT registered for longer meaning profit margins are wider.
I registered as a sole trader, so once i do my taxes this month i will look at closing it down. Keeping it open for the time being as you pay vat on fees to amazon by default, but as a sole trader you shouldnt. It’s a pain to get the money back, but its a pretty healthy sum so i’m gunna chase the reimbursement of that once my taxes have been filed
Ah no way! So I marked myself as VAT exempt on Amazon as I’m under the £85k threshold. But I was under the impression you had to have a limited company otherwise there was no chance of ever winning the buy box as an individual seller. So that’s what I did, filed a company, paying a subscription (one of many) for a virtual office. I’ve been trading since Oct 23, and I feel like it is very much a losing battle. The most frustrating thing for me is finding a product, doing all your analysis, you think you’re getting a great ROI, you get the product shipped in, and you are IMMEDIATELY undercut by new sellers. I have struggled to make any profit at all. I just literally make enough to cover the various subscriptions and invest in some stock.
I think by the time I’m done it will be a loss. I was optimistic to think you could follow various RUclipsrs and make money from just starting with a couple of thousand pounds. I think you’re right, you need £10k+ to make any meaningful return on Amazon
Excellent information.
I am planning to do it but looking at this video I wanna quit .
What did you do wholesale or online arbitrage
@@mazza653 online arbitrage and retail arbitrage. Need a lot of money to start wholesale due to low margins per unit
Hello mate are you still doing the Amazon flex on the side?
Hi mate yes still doing flex on the side, here’s a little video I did on it a month or so ago:
I Tried Amazon Flex UK As A Side Hustle (worth it?)
ruclips.net/video/XWe9mpgfk_E/видео.html
What about their dropshipping model on the other hand? Is it worth trying?
I’ve not delved into it, but i can imagine the same rules and regulations would apply
Hello Will great video mate, I live in the UK and thinking of starting amazon business in US , I have all the LLC EIN everything sorted all I want to know is what happen when the profit comes into my account, so I am thinking of using WISE, what about the taxes ? what is the procedure for that ? I am already emp and paying PAYE , but do I need to open a company here in UK ? or I do a self assessment ? how much tax do I pay ? and what kind of process is that ? I am doing business with my friend as well so do we both need to declare our profits ? is there anything we can write off ?
Hi mate, sorry I don’t think i will be much help as I don’t live in the US. Business setups are different
No worries :) thank you @@tommywills
Sounds like you need a financial advisor who will need to know about international procedures, because in America I think it depends on what state you're selling from because each one has its own tax rate ect
Could also depend on where you register your company to determine what you have to pay - IE some companies sell in England but are registered in Ireland to pay less tax.
Hope that makes sense
Why would you get your account shut by Amazon?
Multiple reasons. They can penalise you for things that aren’t entirely your fault which is the annoying thing
@tommywills sounds frustrating af. Thinking of it as a side gig. Happy to work, not so happy with stress😀
@@twaito yeah I mean don’t get me wrong, you can certainly earn money doing it, but there are far too many sellers out there trying to sell you ‘the secrets to fba’ and you need so many subscriptions in order to actually do well in it. Then once that is all set up, it is a constant headache to sort out missing shipments, find products that arent saturated, refunds and Amazon not communicating at all with you about problems with your account or inventory.
Far better more fulfilling ways to earn money than do this (in my opinion).
All the cons applicable only for amazon uk or the overall amazon business including usa & other countries??
Some things might be different in other countries, I can only speak from my experience in the UK. Its pretty much the same though. Differences might be shipping costs to get things into amazon and their own country laws regarding goods etc
Hi, which discord group did you use?
I used Resell Concierge for a bit, then I switched to All Things Arbitrage. RC was £50 a month but ATA was £69, however ATA you get access to a really good repricer for an extra £35 a month
❤
Such a negative video putting people off Amazon FBA. Your first mistake was joining dead discord groups. FBA is life changing and most of your cons can be tackled so easily
Personally I just don’t have anything positive to say about it. Plenty of other ways to make money out there
@@tommywills I guess it works differently for different people. If you join dead discord groups that give little to no help its hard to make it, unless you spend hours on RUclips going through lots of tutorials.
@@aaronsteel7373are you doing fba?
@@aaronsteel7373would love to talk to you more about your experience with FBA mate if you wouldnt mind? You got instagram or telegram or something?
Well... why don't you tell us ,, how exactly can be tackled so easy! The guy just said things wich most of the people from RUclips or Tiktok, don't! End of the day it's a business with up and downs! You just need to put in a balance and see if it's working for you or not! I am personally in the same boat! Trading on Amazon for nearly 2 years and started with nearly 4 k... currently after 2 years, I am not making any money, I pay from my own pocket for the subscription wich are about 200£/ Monthly! Dealing with tankers literally to all my listing's, OA/RA,,, tried to move to wholesale, but so far found just oversaturated distributors , and in about 2 years lost money and time for a business wich clearly it's not that easy as you say! Everyone out here try to sell you something, wich basically it's pretty much the same information from RUclips, put under a course! As long as you don't have fully control over your business than it can take you to a lot of problems sooner or later! It can be successful, but requires a lot of time... and money and Dealing with the stress causing by the everyday changing policy or seller support! I am about to give up ... As I said ! I started with 4 k...spent about 15 hours weekly, and after 2 years/ I am making a loss!