Are you convinced that building an Amazon Private Label business could work for you but you’re a bit hesitant to take the plunge? Today’s episode of The Amazing Seller features someone who was in your shoes not long ago. Tyson Starling got into private label sales through retail arbitrage and became convinced early on that Amazon’s platform could be a powerful way for him to build his income. He did the product research, built his listing, then ordered his first sample of products. He took action, which is exactly what YOU have got to do if you’re going to make a go of it on Amazon. Hear Tyson’s story on this episode.
 
Retail arbitrage is a great stepping stone into private label sales.
 
Tyson Starling was doing retail arbitrage on Amazon way before he got into selling private label products. He feels that the experience he had working with the Amazon system and learning about the way things work was instrumental in him being able to move into sales of his own products without too much of a learning curve. He admits that retail arbitrage sales is tougher and time intensive, but he suggests it for anyone who’s a bit unsure about whether Amazon is right for them. Find out how Tyson made the transition from retail arbitrage to private label products on this episode of The Amazing Seller.
 
Your first time dealing with a foreign supplier is very nerve wracking.
 
It’s hard enough doing all the product research and settling on a product without knowing 100% that it’s going to be a winner for you. To take that additional step to find the product you want and to send a big chunk of money… THAT is stress! Tyson Starling felt that and more when he ordered his first set of products and to make matters worse the email server at his supplier’s office got hacked and he wound up having to jump through some extra hoops to make sure things were done properly. Hear Tyson’s tips about dealing with suppliers by tuning in to this episode.
 
Why Scott always recommends your first order of private label products be shipped directly to you.
 
Yes, you can save money by having your supplier send your products directly to Amazon, and many sellers do that without any problems. But Scott is convinced that in order to make sure your business and brand are represented by quality products, you’ve got to take the additional (and sometimes more expensive) step of receiving your first batch of products so you can check out everything about them yourself. Tyson Starling, today’s guest, was so glad he received the first set of products he ordered because the packaging on all 500 products was all wrong. Because he knew about it he was able to get some new packaging ordered, communicate with his seller to correct the problem for future orders, and make sure his products were received in a a quality state by his customers.
 
Should you try to sell a product when there’s a big name competitor in the niche?
 
Many Amazon Sellers turn away immediately when they see a big name brand company selling the same product they are considering. But Tyson Starling suggests you take a second look. In his thinking, the big brands are mostly selling through retail outlets throughout the world and Amazon is not their main area of focus. He believes (and is proving) that his products can compete with the big name simply because there’s enough room within the Amazon marketplace for both to sell decently well. He’s content to make the cash he’s making, assuming that his small amount of sales is not going to threaten the big company enough to cause them to ramp up their efforts on Amazon. Hear more of what Tyson’s got going on, on this episode of The Amazing Seller.
 
OUTLINE OF THIS Q&A EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER
 

[0:03] Welcome to episode 110: Interview with Tyson Starling
[1:17] Shout out to the TAS Community member Vin Thomas!
[2:56] Tyson’s a listener who’s made his Amazon business successful: His story.
[5:56] How Tyson proved the Amazon model to himself.
[6:48] Taking hi