Looking Back on 2021
When I decided to start a blog and share my journey, I knew that I had to set myself apart from other online entrepreneurs and influencers. I thought about what I would have liked to see as a new seller, which is how this blog post came about.
I've promised myself that I would share as much as possible about my journey, including the great months and the not-so-great months. The profits and the losses. The good buys and the bad buys.
Now, I don't want to compare yourself to me or any other seller. You have to make your business your own and do what works best for you.
My number one recommendation would be to prioritize your health - financial, physical, mental, and emotional.
Selling online can be costly at first, especially when you aren't seeing profits as fast as you would like. Be prepared for this and plan ahead. Don't put yourself in a tight spot financially to sell on Amazon because this isn't a guarantee or a get rich quick scheme.
I think people (myself included) underestimate how physically and mentally exhausting selling online can be. You spend several hours on your feet sourcing. Then several more hours listing, prepping, packing, and shipping your items. I don't say this to try and steer you away from selling, I just want you to know what you're getting yourself into.
Selling on Amazon is not all rainbows and butterflies. It's more like back pain and pure exhaustion. But if you stick with it, I think that you'll be happy that you did.
Rome wasn't built overnight and, as far as I'm concerned, neither are businesses. Always put yourself first.
My 2021 Sales and Profits
I hope to share my yearly and monthly sales to show you the potential that selling on Amazon has. I also hope to use this post to showcase my growth as an Amazon Seller. As you can see, my numbers aren't super impressive when compared to other sellers but I'm okay with that.
Screenshot From Amazon Seller Central of March - December 2021 Sales
I finally took the plunge to sell on Amazon in March 2021. I purchased supplies and subscriptions, which resulted in me starting my business nearly $1K in the hole. But I also made my first sale in the same month, and I've been addicted ever since!
March and April didn't start off too strong, but I was dipping my toes in slowly until I built up my confidence. Between the two months combined, I sold approximately $410 worth of products and only $98 of that was profit.
But then something happened in May . . . I hit my first goal and had my first $1K+ month! Ever since then, I have been selling more than the previous month and haven't had a month under $1,300. Sometimes you just need a little boost of confidence and I think that's what did it for me.
Then Q4 happened and woah. I definitely underestimated my potential. For those who don't know, Amazon breaks up months of selling between quarters. Quarter 1 is January to March, Quarter 2 is April to June, Quarter 3 is July to September, and Quarter 4 is October to December.
Basically, Q4 is the time period of selling just before the holidays and is typically a seller's most profitable months. This was my first Q4 so I didn't really know what to expect, but it definitely far exceeded my expectations.
Between the months of October and December, I sold $23,858 worth of products on Amazon! You know what's even crazier? Nearly $8,200 of that was on one item alone!
Totals for the Year:
Total Spent: $20,600 (includes subscriptions, cost of goods, fees, office/shipping supplies, shipping costs etc.)
Product Sales: $33,000
Gross Profit: $21,700
Net Profit: $1,100
Average ROI: 42%
As you can see, running a successful e-commerce business doesn't happen overnight. I am extremely happy with my progress though, especially considering I didn't really figure out what I was doing until September-ish.
I'm anxious to break more records in 2022 and look forward to comparing my numbers to this post at the end of the year!