Hey my freedom seeking friend!

Happy Sunday. 😊

The weeks are now flying by and we are T-minus 7 weeks from Nomad Day (the day we become full time nomads).

In the meantime I have an action filled newsletter for you today! Here’s what’s included;

1. Travel Trivia - a prison hotel!

2. Mini Mastery - How to start an Amazon FBA biz (on the road) in today’s competitive world

3. TWT Blog Bites - 44 ideas for making money, how to pack light and how to join the new rich

4. Mindset Matters - my new weekly section! So often we need to get out of our own way to make things happen - this week - How to conquer your fears

5. That’s All Folks!

Travel Trivia!

In which European city can you find a unique hotel that has been built inside a former prison, offering guests the chance to sleep in converted cells?

(answer at the bottom of the newsletter)

Mini Mastery - How to Launch & Grow a 7 Figure Amazon Business in 2024 & Beyond

When we first started selling on Amazon back in 2015/2016, we had no idea it would change our financial future.

Fast forward a few years and the competition may have grown, some of the rules have definitely changed. But the game remains the same if you’re willing to put the work in.

Here’s how I would start an Amazon FBA business in 2024 & beyond;

1. Choose your niche & build your audience

This is the one major difference between now and when we built our first Amazon biz in 2016.

Then - Find a product, list it on Amazon, let Amazon do its magic, build an audience to maintain sales velocity.

Now - Build an audience around a specific niche, find a product, list it on Amazon, promote to your audience to kick off sales velocity, let Amazon do its magic, build a bigger audience to maintain sales velocity.

My personal recommendation would be to NOT take pot luck with a product and hope that paid ads will save you. Think of it like a business, not a quick win. Start with a niche, build a brand, build an audience around that brand and then sell that audience products that they want, ask for, need etc!

Once you have an engaged audience, then;

2. Find a popular product within your niche to sell

Start with just one, trust me, one is enough. Think about the needs/desires of your audience and use the Amazon bestsellers list to start your product research.

Look for something that sells for a decent price point $20 – $50 (for good profit margins). Ideally weighs under 2lbs (to keep shipping costs down) and is in demand on the platform (determined by number of products, reviews, seller rankings etc)

3. Source your products

Use manufacturing marketplaces like GlobalSources, Alibaba, DHGate etc., or to make your life a whole lot easier, use Junglescouts Supplier Database. With their fingers firmly in all sections of the Amazon pie, these guys are the best at what they do and their supplier database will save you hours of frustrating research.

4. Brand & ship your products

Add your brand and design to your products. The manufacturer will give you all design specs, sizes etc and you can work with them to choose packaging etc.

Plus a good supplier will help you get the best shipping deal. But if not there are a million Amazon groups you can join to ask for advice through the process.

5. Create your seller account

Before you can ship products to Amazon, you’ll need an Amazon seller account, but don’t set it up too early as you have to pay a monthly fee for the privilege. When you place your order for your first batch of products, get your images, listing, keywords and launch strategy prepped and then open your Amazon seller account when they’re ready to ship. (NB: I heard a rumour that it’s taking some time for new sellers to open accounts on Amazon at the moment so it might be worth doing this ahead of time).

6. Launch your product on Amazon

Yippee! You’re live on Amazon! Make sure your listing looks tip-top, with great images, a compelling keyword-rich headline, great bullet points and a detailed product description. Then launch your product!

Cutting through the fluff, the most important factors for ranking on Amazon and growing your Amazon FBA business are high conversion rates and consistent sales velocity.

From Day 1 you need to be generating daily sales. Even if it’s only 5 – 10 sales a day. This is where your audience comes in! Promote your launch to your email list. Tell everyone you know your product is available for sale on Amazon. Run Amazon PPC ads. Send your products to influencers to review and send traffic. Whatever you can do to generate daily sales. That’s your goal!

NB: Reviews are important as they contribute to higher conversion rates, which contribute to more sales!

7. Run promotions

This was the secret to our success back in the day. The only difference between then and now is that we launched a product first and grew the audience later. Now I would highly recommend you grow your audience first and then launch a product.

Once you have launched your product, a great promo strategy is to approach influencers in your niche with large audiences. Send them a product to review and talk about, and give them a link for people to purchase.

I can’t express strongly enough how well this strategy works! Even more so in 2024 with the number of influencers looking for brand collaborations. (A good friend of mine has recently increased his Shopify sales tenfold using this very strategy).

Also once you have a product, you can run ongoing contests to win one of your products and continue to grow your email list that way, plus many other creative strategies.

BOOM! You have a successful Amazon ecommerce business.

If you’d like more details you can read my behemoth post which takes you through each and every one of these steps in great details below!

But as I keep saying, no matter your business model, Amazon, Shopify, Etsy, Coaching, Digital Products, Selling Ebooks, you name it; every one will be infinitely easier to build if you have an audience.

So if you haven’t started yet, start today!

1. Pick a niche and target market

2. Pick a platform (FB/TT/LI/Podcast etc) & create a ton of awesome content

3. Create lead generators and build an email list.

That’s it! Make it happen!

Good luck! 😎

TWT Blog Bites

Here are the latest new & updated posts on the blog I thought you might enjoy;

Mindset Matters - How to Conquer Your Fears

As aspiring nomadic solopreneurs, fear is usually our biggest obstacle. I’ve been on a bit of a Tim Ferriss journey the last few weeks and wanted to share his "Fear Setting" exercise with you to transform fear into actionable steps.

Here's how to conquer your fears:

1. Envision the Worst-Case Scenario: Identify your biggest fear; be it starting a new business, travelling the world, or changing your lifestyle. Vividly imagine the worst outcomes and ask yourself on a scale of 1 - 10 how likely these scenarios actually are.

2. Develop a Repair Strategy: Outline steps to mitigate these worst cases or bounce back if they happen. Consider both immediate actions and long-term strategies to regain control.

3. Assess the Probable Outcomes: After considering the worst, shift your focus to more likely outcomes, both positive and negative. Think about the probable benefits and successes of taking the action, including internal rewards like confidence, self-esteem and external achievements, and the realistic impact of these outcomes on a scale of 1 -10, plus the likelihood of achieving a moderately good outcome.

4. Confront Financial Insecurity: Imagine a scenario where you lose your primary income source today. Reflect on how you'd manage your finances and life and consider how you could re-enter your previous career or field if needed.

5. Identify Actions Delayed by Fear: Acknowledge crucial tasks you're avoiding due to fear, recognizing that the actions we avoid out of fear are often the most crucial for our growth. Confronting these fears through small, daily challenges can lead to significant personal growth and professional development.

6. Measure the Cost of Inaction: Reflect on the toll that delaying action takes on your life, including financial, emotional, and physical costs, plus the long-term implications of not pursuing your passions or goals.

7. Take the Leap: Finally, ask yourself what it is that’s really holding you back. Recognize that waiting for the perfect moment is a form of procrastination. Understand that action, despite fear, is common among successful individuals.

Remember, worst-case scenarios are often less catastrophic than imagined, and bold steps lead to success and fulfillment. By systematically addressing your fears, you'll be better prepared for the nomadic solopreneur journey ahead.

See his fear setting Ted Talk here;

Trivia Answer

If you guessed the Het Arresthuis Hotel in Roermond, Netherlands, you'd be correct!

This distinctive hotel, whose name translates to "The House Arrest," was once a 19th-century prison. Now, it has been transformed into a luxurious hotel where guests can experience staying in a converted cell, complete with original features like the cell doors.

The interior has been redesigned with a modern, chic style, creating a one-of-a-kind blend of history and contemporary comfort.

It definitely looks like an unforgettable place to spend a night or two!

That’s All Folks

That’s it from me this week. I hope it’s been useful!

In the meantime, make sure to come and connect on the FB Page, have a fabulous week, live your best life and as always get out there and make it happen!

Jo 😊 

If you have any specific questions that you’d like me to address in a blog post, podcast episode or mini mastery, please click here and ask your question! I look forward to hearing from you. 😁