5 Things I Purchased for Amazon That Made my Life Easier
If you're reading this post, chances are you have already checked out some of my previous posts. If not, you should really read my post on items I purchased to get started selling on amazon to ensure you have the basics before you buy these "luxury" items.
Once I knew that I enjoyed selling on Amazon enough to stick with it for the long haul, I decided to "splurge" on a few things. These are items that I consider to be non-essential or unnecessary for a new seller. However, after using them I truly believe that they have made my life easier and now can't imagine doing without!
What are the items that made my life so much easier?
1. Inventory Lab
One of the best things that I ever did for my business was purchase Inventory Lab. Inventory lab is a third-party software that you can link to your Amazon Seller Account. It's been a huge gamechanger in helping me track my sales and refunds, while also improving my listing and shipment workflow. I no longer have to input my sales and profit into a spreadsheet - Inventory Lab does this for me! I also like that you can pull several different reports from the program to track your profit vs loss, sales tax, etc. You can also input additional income, which is what I've been doing on items that I sell on other platforms!
One of my favorite features of Inventory Lab is that it provides an overview of your shipment as you are creating it. This gives you an idea of how much you spent and your profitability on that specific shipment. I used to manually calculate for my own knowledge, so I was so excited when I realized that the program would do it for me!
Inventory Lab is a little pricey, especially for a new seller, which is why it's considered to be one of my "luxury items." I operated my business for approximately 1 year without Inventory Lab, so it's definitely possible to do without. But why would you? I highly suggest that you purchase this program as soon as you can afford to do so. My only regret is not doing it sooner!
Oh, and did I mention that Inventory Lab can auto-print labels after listing an item? Just another thing that I love about it!
Click on the link below if you are interested in learning more about Inventory Lab. They offer a 30-day free trial so you can make sure that it's right for you.
Disclaimer: This is an affiliate link. If you click through or make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no additional cost to you. Appreciate the support!
2. RevSeller
Another program that I absolutely love is RevSeller. RevSeller is a Google Chrome extension that allows you to see important selling information on Amazon's website. It pulls a variety of information, but the most important (at least for me) is the sales rank, current FBA and FBM offers, and the expected net profit once you enter your COGs.
RevSeller has become a one-stop shop for me when listing my items. It's extremely helpful when doing OA, but I utilize it for my RA purchases as well. Unfortunately, you can't access the extension on a mobile device (bummer!), but I will use it at home to double check profitability and calculate my breakeven price.
3. Label Holder for Thermal Printer
If you read my previous post, you probably have already invested in a thermal printer such as a Rollo, which is what I have. If not, I highly recommend you buy one ASAP!
If you do have a thermal printer, then I suggest that you invest in a label holder. This is definitely something you can go without, which is why it's on my "make your life easier" list. However, this is something that is relatively cheap (depending on which one you get) and there are some DIY options out there!
Before buying a label holder, I used to "Mickey Mouse" around the labels while they were printing. Trying to hold the labels with my fingers to make sure that it rolled right and didn't get jammed. Making sure I didn't drop the roll and have hundreds of labels scattered all over the floor. Don't be me - buy a label holder and keep your sanity!
4. Do Not Separate Stickers
If you intend to sell bundles, then do not separate stickers are a must. These stickers prevent Amazon from separating items when they are checking them in to the warehouse. You know what else these stickers can prevent? Unhappy customers when they receive 1 of an item that they were expecting 3 of.
Most sellers and influencers would recommend you buy these labels and I agree to a certain point. However, it's not absolutely necessary. I sold on Amazon for a year without buying do not separate stickers because I was making my own using a Microsoft Word template that I created.
You can access my free template I created and used as a new seller to create your own do not separate and expiration date stickers below. I can't guarantee that this will work for you like it did for me, but hopefully it at least makes your life a little bit easier! You will likely need to make some adjustments to the settings based on your printer and label size - which may take a little bit of trial and error (at least it did for me). The template isn't pretty, but it's practical and that's all that matters!
Do Not Separate Label Template Created by Retail Rogue
5. Heat Gun
Do you want to know what the single best thing I have ever done is? Buy a heat gun.
I realize that may be a bit of an exaggeration, but really though. It's a game changer and I only started to use it recently. I mean, watch how good this thing works (featuring my girl, Taylor)!
Heat guns are reasonably priced and definitely something you should consider if it fits into your budget. I use mine on the low setting for approximately 5-10 seconds, which is more than enough time to remove the sticker.
Again, it is not a necessity, and you can definitely do without like I did at the beginning. You will just need a lot of patience, goo-gone, and a really good scotty peeler!
Here are the links to some of my favorite "luxury" items that will make your life easier!
Disclaimer: These are not affiliate links and I will not receive any compensation if you follow the links below. These are just items that I use frequently for my business.
Disclaimer: This is an affiliate link. If you click through or make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no additional cost to you. Appreciate the support!
https://www.amazon.com/Trohestar-Thermal-Fanfold-Desktop-Printer/dp/B08CR2SJF9/ref=sr_1_1?crid=26XX1VLKL9ECH&keywords=b08cr2sjf9&qid=1645483846&sprefix=b08cr2sjf9%2Caps%2C305&sr=8-1
https://www.amazon.com/44LLC-This-Separate-1x2-inch-Stickers/dp/B017YT8PYW/ref=sr_1_3?crid=2HXPBLJHVFHY1&keywords=44LLC+This+is+a+Set+Do+Not+Separate&qid=1645483965&sprefix=44llc+this+is+a+set+do+not+separat%2Caps%2C172&sr=8-3
https://www.amazon.com/Chandler-Tool-Embossing-Heat-Gun/dp/B07G4VMSHW/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=3NBTPQCR0CEP3&keywords=heat+gun+for+crafts%2C+mini+dual+temp+hot+air+gun+tool+for+epoxy+resin&qid=1645484037&sprefix=Heat+Gun+for+Crafts%2C+Mini+%2Caps%2C205&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUFJTkNGSTJJSlJRTlomZW5jcnlwdGVkSWQ9QTAxNTUwNzUxWldVWVRBUVo5SlEmZW5jcnlwdGVkQWRJZD1BMTAxNDAyMjJIVDlYSENGWEROWVAmd2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGYmYWN0aW9uPWNsaWNrUmVkaXJlY3QmZG9Ob3RMb2dDbGljaz10cnVl