Whether you want to start a business or a side hustle, e-commerce offers many opportunities. Like other e-business giants, Amazon creates massive employment opportunities worldwide. And with the right information, you can hop on this platform from the comfort of your home while offering your services to a global audience.
Although the most popular opinion is to own an online store, Amazon offers a variety of business models that can help you earn money without much financial commitment. Hence, this article will explore some reliable ways to start making money on Amazon.
1. Publish Your Book on Kindle Direct Publishing
Amazon KDP is a platform that allows you to publish digital books and earn royalties from their sales. As an author, the editorial service allows you to list your books and journals for free, albeit you’ll be charged a printing fee.
Now, Kindle Direct makes the publishing process easy. All you’re required to do is enter your book details, upload, and preview it. While you can make your edits after your book is published, changing details about it while it is under review is impossible.
Furthermore, Amazon permits the use of third-party designs, provided they comply with intellectual property regulations. You can also set your minimum order quantity to as low as one, unlike other self-publishing platforms.
2. Become an Amazon Influencer
Being an Amazon influencer is a great way to earn passive income. Amazon influencers are content creators that affect the audience’s purchase choices. Even if you’re already using other social media platforms that pay you to create content, you can link your Amazon accounts to them and convince the audience to buy your recommended products.
You must already have a social media presence and possess the requisite skills to get started. However, this does not guarantee acceptance, as the Amazon Influencer Program can be highly selective.
As an Amazon influencer, you do not need to worry about running costs or spending money on inventories. Depending on the terms and conditions, influencers do not just earn small commissions and bounties but may also be rewarded with free products or service samples.
3. Become a Wholesaler on Amazon
An Amazon wholesaler sources bulk products from suppliers or manufacturers at subsidized rates. After repackaging the products, you profit from reselling them to retailers or final consumers.
The first step to selling wholesale is registering as an Amazon professional seller. Once you decide which products to sell, you can find suppliers and start sourcing for potential buyers. For better customer satisfaction, you can use Fulfillment by Amazon (Amazon FBA). This outsourcing service will allow you to offer your customers free two-day shipping through Prime.
Amazon wholesale also helps you cut the costs you’d have incurred from having to create your unique products. Although it is less risky and guarantees higher profits quickly, you must keep up with the trends to keep your inventory relevant.
4. Sell Merch Through Merch by Amazon
Selling merch on Amazon is another way to earn money without having a private label business. Unlike other business models that require capital, this print-on-demand service requires zero amount to begin.
As a beginner, you must create an Amazon account and wait for approval. Fortunately, you do not need to be a graphics designer, an artist, or a content creator to leverage Merch by Amazon. And you can start uploading and selling your artwork once your account gets approved.
Merch by Amazon limits the number of designs you can submit as a beginner. Specifically, you must complete at least ten sales to increase the list of your second-tier products. However, this isn’t an impossible feat to achieve since Amazon has a massive customer base.
5. Become an Affiliate Marketer
Amazon affiliate marketing is a great means to monetize your traffic as a content creator, blogger, or website owner. You simply leverage link-building tools and direct your audience to purchase your recommended products, then earn a bounty.
To begin, you must sign up as an Amazon Associate for free. Once accepted, you can integrate your affiliate links on your website or social media profiles. Your commission is guaranteed if your audience purchases on Amazon through your links.
Amazon affiliate marketing may not be smooth for everyone as you must comply with a long list of associate policies. Among them is a condition to make at least three sales in six months or risk your account getting deactivated. Hence, you should have consistent traffic before becoming an affiliate marketer.
6. Deliver Goods for Amazon
Amazon’s Delivery Service Partner Program (DSP) allows you to start a full-time logistics business while partnering with Amazon to deliver packages. The perks of this collaboration include legal support from Amazon, numerous insurance options, and massive discounts on operation costs.
Interested candidates are required to submit an online application, providing information about previous work experiences and motor vehicle history. After this, you will undergo rigorous interviews to determine if your skills meet all of the programs’ requirements. Overall, the process is lengthy and highly competitive.
Thankfully, DSPs are guaranteed access to many educational materials to help you understand expectations. So, adapting should be a breeze once you meet the requirements. However, the program is only available in limited cities as it’s still expanding. It is also not the best option for those who want to start a side hustle from home since it is full-time.
7. Trade-In Devices for Gift Vouchers
Amazon has a trade-in hub that allows you to exchange your used devices for gift cards. This transaction is profitable for discarding or replacing old electronics since you can apply your gift voucher toward a new purchase.
To take advantage of the trade-in program, you should first confirm if your items are eligible for trade. Once confirmed, you’ll get the valuation for your device instantly. Next, Amazon will print your shipping label, and you can send in your device free of charge.
After Amazon appraises your device, your gift card balance automatically reflects the finalized valuation of your item. But note that while this extra income can be a good discount on your next purchase, your money is tied to Amazon.
8. Freelance for Amazon Sellers
Running a business on Amazon can be quite time-consuming. Entrepreneurs may also lack expertise in some areas that could give their Amazon business a competitive edge. Hence, freelancers become indispensable.
Before listing as a freelancer, you should define your services and offerings. This specificity will help you determine your target audience and pricing structure. The next step is to tailor a specific portfolio with your past experiences to convince your clients of your skills and expertise.
Freelancing for Amazon sellers is a more flexible way to earn money than having regular employment. You can serve multiple clients at a time, set your work hours, and choose the right projects as a freelancer. However, freelancing is still a taxable active income source.
9. Sell Old Items on Amazon
If you have a chunk of old items collecting dust on your shelves or garage, Amazon is a great website for decluttering and earning money at the same time. Many customers often opt for second-hand products, especially expensive items.
But whether or not your used item is eligible for sale may depend on the product or its quality. For example, you cannot sell used baby products at all. However, collectible coins are acceptable but must be as good as new.
Creating an individual or Amazon professional seller account is the first step to getting started. For your order fulfillment method, you can choose Fulfillment by Merchant (FBM), where you’ll be responsible for your customer service. Alternatively, you can let Amazon handle it for a fee through Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA).
10. Participate in Amazon Mechanical Turk
Amazon has successfully bridged the gap between freelancers and businesses through Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk). The crowdsourcing marketplace helps companies outsource their processes to a global workforce. These manual, strenuous, and time-consuming processes are converted to microtasks and distributed to workers all over the internet to accomplish.
From data validation to subjective tasks like survey participation, companies no longer need to hire a large temporary workforce. Hence, they can reduce costs, increase flexibility, and optimize efficiency. Workers are, in turn, given access to diverse autonomous and on-demand projects to earn money.
To earn through MTurk, first confirm that it is available in your country. Since MTurk is still expanding, it is only available in 43 countries, excluding India, Brazil, and Nigeria. Next is to request a worker account and complete the Human Intelligence Tasks (HITs) requesters have listed. Although the tasks are easy, the pay is low compared to the other options above.
Start Earning on Amazon Today
Amazon offers a plethora of opportunities for both full-time and part-time job seekers. Unlike traditional commerce, the massive customer base within reach gives you an advantage. So if you’re willing to work, you can benefit from the billions of dollars of revenue Amazon generates annually.
Since Amazon is still expanding, you may be unable to leverage the platform if some services aren’t available in your home country. However, you can explore other e-commerce platforms or choose other side jobs you can do online to earn extra cash.
