Guest post by Kev Blackburn, Life Success Engineer
When I first started out selling on Amazon in 2015, quitting my job as an electrical engineer seemed like a very distant dream. Here we are now, however, five years down the line, and having fully systemised and automated my Amazon businesses, I now focus on growing and developing my brand, Life Success Engineer, helping people from all around the world to create online businesses the way that I did and to build a life that they love.
So whenever I’m asked the question, “Can you quit your job to sell on Amazon?”, without a second’s thought, my answer is always YES, YOU CAN. I’m the breathing, walking, talking, living proof.
However, as truthful as that is, I can’t shy away from the fact that to get to the point where you can quit your full-time job and be in a position to give up that guaranteed, consistent monthly income, there are a lot of processes that need to be implemented and a lot of action that needs to be taken in many different areas. And you need to be ready and willing to go ahead, full force.
My name is Kev Blackburn, and in this post, I’m going to break it all down for you.
To be able to quit your job and begin selling full-time on Amazon, here are five things that you must do…
1. Believe That It’s Possible
A large focus of my work now is on personal development, and I know from my own personal experience as well as studying the lives of my mentors, that belief and knowing that what you desire is possible, plays a huge part in actually bringing it to life. So go into this knowing that you can and you will be in a position to quit your job; let that be your driving force to go ahead and make your dream a reality.
My book, Tribe of Arbitragers, is filled with real-life success stories of people who have been able to quit their job and pursue online selling full-time – some of who have now reached 8 figures in their businesses using Amazon. It is possible! Believe that it is.
2. Put in a Tremendous Amount of Hard Work
Nothing worth having ever comes easy. It’s cliche but 100% true.
Building your own business and being your own boss is on a whole other level to being employed. There’s no clocking in and clocking off. There are no designated lunch breaks. There’s no-one holding you accountable. There’s no guaranteed amount of income at the end of the month. It all – everything – comes down to you and the amount of work, energy and effort you’re willing to put in.
The six months that passed between my partner, Kylie, and I starting out on Amazon, to the point where we were both able to quit our jobs, was one of the most testing periods of my life so far. The amount of work I put into building my Amazon businesses was INSANE; alongside that, I was working full-time as an electrical engineer and had two young children at home, one of whom was only a baby!
It was a crazy time of my life, but also the biggest turning point – and I am so thankful for all of it, as it’s led me to this incredible life I now lead today.
3. Be Willing to Make Sacrifices
If you’re going to be in a position to quit your job and sell full-time on Amazon, the truth is that you don’t get something for nothing. You’re going to have to go all-in and a part of that is making sacrifices along the way.
For the first six months of doing Amazon, I took absolutely nothing out of the business – not even a penny. Every bit of money that was made, would go straight back into building the business.
Alongside that, as a family, we downgraded in many other areas of our life; anything that wasn’t necessary, we got rid of. This included our Sky TV subscription, Netflix, meals out at the weekend, going out with friends, new clothes, and much more.
At the six-month mark, when Kylie and I did start taking a wage from the business, we took a significant pay cut. We knew and understood that this was how it had to be to enable us to continue building the life that we dreamt of.
All those sacrifices paid off. Massively!
4. Have Tunnel Vision and Focus on your Goal
I know how hard it is when you have a full-time job and you’re building your Amazon business at the same time. That’s why I have to emphasise the importance of not doing too many other things at the same time and so, splitting your energy, attention and focus.
If you’re giving yourself, perhaps, a six-month period to truly focus on building Amazon – then give yourself that six-month period to truly focus on Amazon. Outside of the working hours or your job, have tunnel vision and make Amazon your priority. Be super strict with yourself about this. Go all in and visualise the end result: you quitting your job!
5. Learn the Fundamentals of Running an Amazon Business Inside Out
And now we come to the bulk of it – putting in the actual work on Amazon to grow your business.
I won’t lie; the road ahead is extremely long and winding, and you need to be ready for the journey ahead. But as long as you keep putting one foot in front of the other, despite how many times you fall, you will get to your destination. It’s inevitable.
Can you quit your job to sell on Amazon?
If you don’t know much about Amazon and you’re just starting out, everything is going to seem really foreign to you at the beginning. Don’t let that put you off. It’s all part of the process and just the very fact that you’re starting shows your enthusiasm and your commitment to learning.
Here are five fundamentals that you need to know to begin running, maintain and grow your Amazon business…
1. How Amazon Works
I know this is really basic, but if you don’t know how Amazon works, how are you ever going to get started?
Get to grips with the elements of the platform as a seller, including the different types of Seller Central accounts and how to list products for sale. Get to know it all inside-out and then get yourself set up and ready to go.
2. Amazon Selling Models
Become familiar with the different types of online selling models.
Many sellers just starting out on Amazon will begin with retail and/or online arbitrage – this is when you buy a product from an online or retail store, and sell it on, on Amazon, for a profit.
There are other selling models such as Wholesale and Private Label too which you may want to explore if you are further along on your journey, or maybe you even want to begin your journey with these.
Get to know the different models and choose what is best for you.
Related: How to Choose The Right Amazon Business Model
3. Product Sourcing Strategies
Understanding different strategies on how to source your physical products to sell is of utmost importance.
With retail and online arbitrage, there will be a lot of comparing and analysing products. If you plan to quit your job, you will need to do this – it eliminates some of the risks and helps to ensure that you have the best products to take and sell online.
With wholesale, you’ll need to start looking into meeting suppliers, attending trade shows, building relationships and opening new accounts.
Check out this list of Amazon Sourcing and Research Tools.
4. Tools and Resources
As you work towards quitting your job, you’ll want to make life as easy for yourself as possible. This is why utilising different tools and resources to help your business to run much smoother is a great idea.
Check out this list of 20 great Amazon FBA Tools for Sellers.
5. Know your figures
It’s pretty self-explanatory ????????♂️but super, super important!
Do your calculations meticulously; know exactly how much profit you’re making and where.
For a while, you will need to keep reinvesting your profits in order for the snowball effect to take place so that you can eventually quit your job, so it is vital that you are thorough with your numbers.
Final Thoughts
This journey doesn’t end when you quit your job; to continue growing you have to continue to put in the work. But you have to start somewhere – and the beginning, with a goal of quitting your job, is a pretty good place to start.
Just know that this is going to require all of you. You’re going to have to build strength and discipline, cultivate positive success habits, work your butt off and even more.
So… YES, you can quit your job to sell on Amazon full-time, but, as we say over on Life Success Engineer, you’re going to have to take MASSIVE ACTION every single day, to achieve the MASSIVE SUCCESS that you desire.
So now that you’re here, let me ask you a question.
Are you ready?
To find out more about me and what I do, visit our website and please join me on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube for more massive action inspiration and motivation.
Read more from this author:
