Selling products online via Amazon has become an increasingly popular way to earn extra money in your spare time. With some planning and consistent effort, nearly anyone launch an Amazon side business that turns spare hours into serious cash flow. The foundation of a good Amazon side hustle is choosing niche products that already have significant buyer demand on Amazon. Avoid extremely saturated markets and instead look for specialized products poised for growth. Some categories that often work well include phone accessories, kitchen gadgets, toys and games, beauty supplies, arts and crafts materials, and hobby equipment. The best first products are small and light to keep your fulfillment costs low.
Study detailed category and individual product analytics available in Amazon Seller Central to assess demand trends, average pricing, competition levels, and seasonal sales spikes. Target Less than Container Load (LTL) products that you order in small batches from domestic wholesale suppliers when you’re starting. It allows more flexibility as you test products.
Set up an organized home workflow
To efficiently scale your home-based Amazon business amidst your regular job and family commitments, establish an organized workflow. Set up batch processing systems for key tasks like inventory receiving, photographing products, writing listings, package assembly, printing shipping labels, and making post office runs. Develop habits around order processing and shipping preparation, so you multitask during spare moments. Create dedicated workspace areas or convert a spare room into an Amazon fulfillment center with clearly labeled bins and shelving for storing materials and organizing inventory. Maintain neatness through checklists, so you don’t misplace important records and items. Systemization is crucial for productivity and profitability.
Outsource and automate where possible
In the early startup days, you may enjoy personally handling all aspects of your Amazon business during evenings and weekends. But, as order volumes grow, outsourcing tasks becomes essential so you don’t burn out. Delegate repetitive activities like customer service, bookkeeping, web design, data entry, legal compliance, taxes, and more to capable freelancers through platforms. Additionally, implement software automation to minimize tedious manual work. Inventory management systems, shipping tools, accounting programs, email sequences, and other apps save you 5-10 hours each week in recurring administrative tasks. The combination of outsourcing labor and automating systems provides you with more time and freedom to focus on growing your Amazon presence.
Reinvest profits to scale up
As your first sales start rolling in, you may feel tempted to spend that supplemental income on nicer dinners or impulse purchases. But, in the early phase of your Amazon business, it’s wiser to maintain strong financial discipline and relentlessly re-invest profits back into growing your product line, tools, marketing assets, and capabilities. Use those initial earnings to fund purchasing additional inventory in new niches, improving branding and photography, launching Amazon PPC ads, building an e-commerce website, creating product inserts and catalogs for customer retention and referrals, and attending e-commerce trade shows to find suppliers. Re-investing accelerates growth.
Cultivate loyal customers
Amazon Linkedin Pulse side hustles article provides access to millions of potential shoppers, but loyal repeat customers can further boost sales. Respond promptly to buyer inquiries with thoughtful, personalized messages. Offer special occasional promotions like bundles and loyalty coupons exclusively for your past purchasers and email list subscribers. Send “Thank You” notes in your packages and include free samples of complementary products to spur additional purchases. Providing an exceptionally positive customer experience earns 5-star reviews which boost your seller rating. Delighted buyers will order from you again and recommend you to friends rather than just one-time shopping based on price alone.