TAS 163 : Ask Scott Session #46 - Amazon FBA Questions

You’re back! Welcome! We’re so glad to have you here for another episode of The Amazing Seller podcast. This is a Friday episode - an “Ask Scott” episode that answers your Amazon sales questions each week. If you want to get your questions answered, you can submit them for consideration by going to www.TheAmazingSeller.com/ask - and your question will be in the cue. So sit back, grab your pen and paper, and make sure you take good notes because you want to be sure you’re able to take action on what you learn!

Should I start Amazon sales with clothing as my first product?

Everyone needs clothes. There’s no doubt about that. But does a large demand for a product make it a good fit for you? Not necessarily. Clothing, for example, is a VERY saturated market. There are so many companies offering similar products that putting out a new product yourself will be an uphill battle at best. Besides that, there’s the issue of variations and sizing. It’s likely that clothing will be returned far more often than other items. Listen to Scott’s thoughts about whether you should choose clothing for a product line, on this episode of The Amazing Seller.

I want to offer a product that is very similar to a patented product. Should I move ahead?

Patents are something you don’t want to play around with. The legal trouble you could get into is more than you are prepared to face - trust us. But it is important to understand exactly what a patent is and what it means if a product is patented. A patent says that “something” about a product is unique and that company has the rights to use that “something,” but not necessarily the entire product. The patent might cover a particular style of grip, for example. So you could offer a similar product, just not one with the same grip. Scott’s got some great insights on this episode so make sure you take the time to hear what he’s got to say on this one.

I just learned about the Chinese New Year break. Is this going to keep me from getting my product restocked?

You heard right. New Year celebrations in China are a huge deal, so huge in fact that the working force typically takes off work for 2 weeks or more to celebrate. What does that mean for your inventory and product ordering? It means you’ve got to think ahead. You’ve got to plan ahead. You can use previous sales to estimate how many products you’ll need to last you through a time like Chinese new year, and you should. Scott tells his experience and approach to these kinds of inventory issues on this episode, so be sure to listen.

All these numbers: Barcodes, UPC, AISN - what are they and when do I need them?

Yes, there are lots of little codes and acronyms that you’ll have to learn if you’re going to do private label sales on Amazon. But once you know what each of them is and when they are used, it’s really not that hard. On this episode a listener asks Scott to explain all the codes and acronyms and in characteristic style, Scott gives a very thorough and helpful answer. You can learn this “newbie” issue too by listening to this podcast episode.

OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER

[0:25] Scott’s introduction to the podcast! [0:42] Why Scott got goosebumps from one of his listeners who submitted a question on today’s show. [1:51] How you can get your transcripts of Scott’s episodes. [2:40] Don’t let perfection get in the way of progress. [4:10] QUESTION 1: A question about clothing as a product: dealing with varieties, returns, etc. [11:41] QUESTION 2: A question about patents and the possibilities of violating patents. [19:44] QUESTION 3: How does the Chinese New Year impact your inventory? [26:48] QUESTION 4: What is the difference between a barcode, a FNSKU, and a ASIN?