Whenever you’re starting something new it requires that you do a lot of learning at the front end. You should never just jump in and figure it out on your own because there are so many people who have traveled the path ahead of you that you can learn from. That’s why Scott does these Ask Scott episodes - to be that trusted and experienced resource to anyone who wants to get started with Amazon private label sales. You can ask your own questions and have them answered on the podcast, so be sure you listen to find out how to do that! What’s the best way I can order from a foreign supplier and protect my financial investment? There are many ways you could arrange to make payments to your suppliers. Paypal - Western Union - Credit Card - Escrow - which should you choose? On this episode a listener asks Scott what his options are now that he’s figured out the supplier he wants to work with and Scott has some great advice about the best and safest ways to exchange funds with suppliers from China and other places. When I complete the product listing fields, which of those fields are not needed? When you go into the backend of your Amazon product listing you’re going to be faced with many tabs, options, and fields that can be completed. It’s very confusing for a first time person. You may wonder, like the caller today, which of those fields really apply to your product and which of them don’t. Scott’s main advice on that issue is covered on this episode and it all comes down to doing this: Be sure to complete the search terms and keywords and fill out anything that honestly pertains to your product. Be sure you listen to get all the details. What are the risks of dealing with a supplier without using Alibaba? When you find a supplier from China that you believe is the one you want to use to source your product, there are many risks to you as the buyer. You want to make sure that your supplier is trustworthy and that you have a way to hold their feet to the fire in case there are issues with your product delivery or quality. In order to do that Scott recommends that you always stay within a sourcing website like Alibaba and that you ensure that the supplier works with you on an escrow basis. If all of that is confusing, be sure to listen to get clarity. Is there a way to know the overall costs I’m going to need to pay before taking the plunge? There are many ways to make mistakes as you get started selling private label products and most of them come from not understanding the fees and costs associated with selling your products on Amazon, including shipping, Amazon fees, customs costs, and more. On this episode Scott goes into the details of assessing costs before you purchase your first set of trial products and gives some recommendations about pricing and margins as well. OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER [0:04] Scott’s introduction to the podcast! [2:52] QUESTION ONE: Is there a good way to cover myself with suppliers? [10:50] QUESTION TWO: The listing fields are a bit confusing. Which fields do I need to complete and which are not helpful? [17:20] QUESTION THREE: Do you always place orders through Alibaba or just the first one? [23:26] QUESTION FOUR: Is there a way to calculate general expenses before getting started? RESOURCES MENTIONED: www.TheAmazingSeller.com/ask - Ask your own questions! www.TheAmazingSeller.com/FB - get connected with the TAS Facebook community. www.TheAmazingSeller.com/180 - Interview on China sourcing. www.TopWinInspection.com - a 3rd party China inspection service. www.TheAmazingSeller.com/workshop - Scott’s live, free workshops.