Great points, Daniel. Maybe finding a reliable company that offers a dropshipping program would take some of that risk away but I'm sure they also have razor-thin margins.

Thank you @BrianF

@DanielB That's excellent advice. And what you mentioned about the drawback of dropshipping is something I think a lot of novices easily overlook, until they find out later when they have angry customers and bad reviews. I guess it could work, but that's a pretty big risk without any personal control over good. Good insight!

@JoshuaRichards I'm personally not a fan. The biggest downside I've seen with it is you have zero control over whether or not the product is shipped or arrives on time. The quality of the product that is sent is also completely out of your control. I have had several people list my products for sale on Reverb.com and Ebay at an inflated price, and then come to Amazon (me) and buy it from me to ship it. On my end, I have no idea the quality of customer service the customer is recieving, or if my brand is being tarnished by someone that I didnt select to represent my company. I guess there could be a certain set of circumstances where it actually is a win/win/win between the customer, retailer, and drop shipper though. My preference is to own the process from start to finish. Start with something small and inexpensive to lower your risk and shipping costs. My first product was a guitar tuner that I buy for $1.37 per unit. It doesn't take up alot of space, is cheap to ship (keep in mind Amazon customers expect free shipping so this is a cost you must eat), and I didn't have to take out a 2nd mortgage to buy 500 of them and test the waters. It's still my best seller to this day.

@DanielB, what are your thoughts on drop shipping as a way to get started in online selling without the cost and risk of getting a bunch of inventory up front? I've heard people who love it and people who hate it.

Thank you so much, @DanielB. That was great advice, and it definitely helped immensely. I will send you a DM if I have any further questions. :)

@DanielB Excellent advice!

Hi @vegforlife thank you for your great question! I'm a firm believer that different methods work for different people, in all aspects of life, including creating success for yourself with Amazon.

I think its important to mention first that there are several ways that someone can sell on Amazon. An example is Fullfilled by Merchant (storing inventory and shipping/ handling customer service yourself), or Fulfilled by Amazon (ship all of your inventory to Amazon and let them take care of the rest). You can also elect to sell an existing product or create a unique product to sell. Theres also the option of opening a professional seller account or a regular one.

There are pros/cons to each of these methods and entire books have been written about them. I'd be happy to go in to greater detail with you and help you discover what works best for you if you'd like. Just shoot me a message and we can talk through it. I can talk about Amazon for days and dont want to completely hijack this comment thread :) Either way, in my humble opinion, an important first step is discovering which methods are best suited for YOU and the Amazon business you want to create.

As far as the biggest one piece of advice...I'd have to say that its this: Be prepared to make the customer priority #1. In the age of online sales, customer reviews will ultimately determine your success rate. Taking great care of every customer every time is paramount. Of course, there are several other factors to consider and I'd be happy to discuss them with you if you'd like. Hope this helps and I wish you great success in your venture!

@Poetryinmotions I agree. I always say when choosing a career path to try to identify the overlap of 3 things: 1) What you enjoy, 2) What you're good at, and 3) Where the overlap of #1 and #2 meets a need people are willing to pay for in the marketplace.

I like the philosophy of being drawn and or pulled, in your chosen line of work. I think picking your business career- path is the most crucial element in long-range planning." If you don't love it, don't do it!"

Thanks, @BrianF. I cannot wait to hear what he has to say.

@vegforlife I agree, very cool story! Since I'm not an Amazon seller, I can't speak on that. However, I'll do even better. I'll have Daniel come on and personally reply to your comment. ;)

Very inspirational story. What is your biggest piece of advice for someone who is looking to become an Amazon seller?