Wholesale Academy

Hey, what’s going on!

Ok so you might be thinking about jumping into the Amazon FBA business model, but before you do, I’m gonna be honest with you...

I'm an Amazon seller myself, but these days I spend almost all of my time focusing on my lead generation business which is now making me a passive $50K a month.

In my opinion, lead generation is where it's at, and its the real deal for me.

That said, I do still run my own Amazon FBA business, and I like to keep an eye on what’s happening in the Amazon space.

As a business owner I go out of my way to keep an eye on the Amazon world, and make sure I keep updated with the latest tips and tricks of the industry.

Amazon Box

So in this review I’m gonna dive into Larry Labursky’s Wholesale Academy course and break it down for you.

I’m gonna cover the good, the bad, and the ugly, and I’ll give you my honest views on what it takes to start your own Amazon FBA business these days.

I’ll also do some digging into Larry himself, the mastermind behind the course that has a slightly different twist to selling on Amazon.

Here’s what we’re going to cover...

Let's go...

1. THE COURSE: What is Wholesale Academy?

Wholesale Academy is the course created by Larry Lubarsky, which takes you through the process of selling on Amazon's shopping platform.

In a nutshell it covers every aspect of the process, from finding products to sell, building out your listings and marketing them so that people will buy from you.

Wholesale Academy Overview

There's one big differnce though...

Unlike most Amazon FBA courses which teach the highly popular Private Label model, Larry’s course switches gears and focuses on the Wholesale angle. 

Some of the high level topics covered in the course include:

Wholesale Academy Overview:

  • Working out which products are winners and will sell well.
  • Implementing efficient systems and automation to streamline the business.
  • Talking to Wholesalers and becoming a distributor.
  • Scaling your Amazon business quickly and easily.
  • Handling the competition (critical if you’re gonna win on Amazon).

2. TARGET AUDIENCE: Who is Wholesale Academy For?

Launched in late 2019, this course is for anyone that’s either looking to sell on Amazon or already selling on Amazon and wanting to dominate.

Selling on Amazon Central

After getting into the Amazon game back in 2014, Larry spent the first 4-5 years building his business and producing free content for his YouTube channel.

It was only in late 2019 that he decided to package up his knowledge into an online course.

His aim is to lead you through the ups and downs of the Amazon world, and show you how to build and scale your FBA business into a monster.

3. COURSE CREATOR: Who is Larry Lubarsky?

Supposedly Larry (self nicknamed ‘Watch Me Amazon’) claims to have been a high school dropout that went from being $100K in debt to selling over $18m worth of product on Amazon’s platform.

Larry Lubarsky

He claims to sell around 3,000 different products on Amazon (yes 3,000), making him a serious power player in the Amazon space.

He has a pretty decent YouTube following, with 24K followers, and he publishes some incredible content (for free) to his audience about selling on the world's biggest shopping platform.

Larry Lubarsky Youtube

In-fact, he’s become so well known for the awesome content he shares on his channel, that you might find yourself wondering if you actually need to buy his course, or just watch his free videos instead.

Hopefully you'll get a better idea once you're done reading this...

His attitude towards Amazon success is pretty simple. He believes that anyone can be a success provided they are will to put in the work.

Larry Lubarsky YouTube Channel

After kicking ass and taking names with Amazon, he’s launched his own course, teaching people how to do the same through selling wholesale products, rather than Private Label.

4. AMAZON FBA: How does it work?

So if you’re in the process of digging into Larry’s Amazon course, then I’m pretty sure you’re up to speed with the Amazon FBA business model, right?

Amazon FBA

Let’s do a quick recap anyway though, to make sure we're on the same page.

The nuts and bolts of Amazon FBA are simple.

Sell your product on Amazon’s online shopping platform, and let them handle the shipping and fulfillment, right to the customers door (usually the next day).

Amazon FBA Process Overview

  • Find a product to sell.
  • Find a supplier, or wholesaler to supply it for you.
  • Ship your product into Amazon's warehouses.
  • List your product on Amazon's website.
  • Shoppers find your product and hopefully buy it.
  • Amazon fulfills the order for you.
  • Amazon takes a fee on each sale and pays you the rest.

Amazon Process Overview

So on the surface it all sounds pretty simple right?

Well unfortunately there are a lot of nuts and bolts to the Amazon machine.

You’re gonna need to work out how they all fit together if you’re gonna have any success with this business model.

5. COMPARISON: Difference Between Wholesale and Private Label

One of the things that makes Larry's Wholesale Academy so unique is that he’s laser focused on the Wholesale business model rather than Private Label.

Wholesale v Private Label

Unlike every other Amazon course on the market he pretty much stays clear of Private Label all together, which gives this course a unique spin.

So what’s the difference between Wholesale and Private Label?

Well it’s fairly simple. 

Private label involves you selling your own inventory, in your own packaging, but the products you are selling are created by someone else (a supplier). 

You get to “label” and then market the product with your branding,  

Selling Wholesale on Amazon is the process of bulk purchasing an existing, well known product from a supplier or manufacturer at a discounted rate, and then selling it on Amazon, effectively as a reseller.

Wholesale Amazon Selling

The advantage of Wholesale is that you’re able to sell an established product, that is already a well known brand and has existing demand.

With Private Label, you are selling under your own brand, that potentially no one even knows.

Larry’s content focuses on the Wholesale model, which creates a unique spin on the course.

This was a whole angle I hadn’t covered before on Amazon, as I’ve always focused on the Private Label strategy myself.

6. COURSE OVERVIEW: What Does the Course Cover?

Wholesale Academy does a deep dive into the entire process of selling on Amazon FBA Wholesale style.

Let’s be clear...this ain’t your average 2 hours crash course like some of the other products being pushed out there.

It’s made up of over 50 videos of content, broken down into 8 different modules. 

All together this makes up over 40 hours of content, so you’ll have some work to get through once you start digging into the course.

On top of the video content, you also get live coaching calls with Larry himself (pretty impressive really).

He also throws in a ton of bonus content like process workflows and checklists to help you streamline your business, and scale it out as quickly as possible.

Wholesale Academy Course Overview:

Module 1: Orientation

The course kicks off with a high level overview, including setting goals and getting your mindset right to win at the Amazon game.

Module 2: Business Model

This module covers an overview of the Amazon business model, as well as detailing the ins and out of how the Wholesale side of it works. 

It’s broken down into 4 separate videos which covers everything you need to know.

Module 3: Finding Suppliers

This module goes all in on covering what you need to do to find the right supplier.

The fact that Larry pumps out 9 hours of content in this module shows his commitment to the subject.

He covers everything you need to know when it comes to finding a long term supplier you can build a partnership with, and grow your business with.

Module 4: Buying Products

This module covers everything you need to know about buying products and ensuring that they are winners. 

He touches on using various tools that will give you a competitive edge against other sellers, and stresses the importance of getting this part of the process right. 

Failing to do so could cost you a sh*t load of money!

Module 5: Shipping and Logistics

In this module they cover the entire process of getting your products into Amazon’s warehouses, and what that entails. 

For a newbie, the process can be overwhelming. 

We’re talking about Amazon’s packaging rules, barcodes, labels, import duty, and that’s just the start. 

Module 6: Managing Inventory

Ok so even as an experienced Amazon seller, I found this module really helpful.

Ask anyone that sells on Amazon and they’ll tell you that getting your stock ordering and supply chain dialed in is one of the biggest challenges. 

In this module Larry shares his trade secrets with you, that have allowed him to scale his business into a multi million dollar machine by keeping his supply chain running perfectly.

Module 7: Account Health

If you’re new to Amazon then you’re gonna wanna know that Amazon runs a tight ship.

That means they have all sorts of rules and expectations around how you run your business on their platform, and how you treat your customers (which are really their customers).

In this module, Larry dives into how to keep your Seller Central account healthy and operating within Amazon’s Terms of Service, which is super important.

Module 8: Growing your Business

If you’re serious about making a full time living selling on Amazon, then you’re gonna need to scale out your business.

In the last module of the course, Larry goes over what it takes to grow your business and build it into a monster that makes you a ton of money. 

The whole module has a certain “Graduation” feel to it, as you wrap up the learning part of your journey, and are now (in theory) ready to take on the big bad world of Amazon.

Bonus Content

Larry also throws in some cool bonus content that includes coaching calls, selling on the EU and UK platforms, access to a private Facebook group and even access to custom software.

7. SCAM OR LEGIT: Is Wholesale Academy the Real Deal?

OK let's cut the crap!

If you’re reading this review then you’re probably wondering if Wholesale Academy is the real deal or if it’s a scam.

Scam

Here are my thoughts…

For most part, Larry Lubarsky’s course is legit!

It has a few cons to it, but overall it's is a solid course for anyone looking to venture into the wild jungle that is Amazon FBA.

Larry is the real deal, and he knows exactly what he’s talking about when it comes to selling on their platform.

As a 6 figure Amazon seller myself, I have a tendency to be able to spot fraudsters from a mile away, and Larry passed my sniff test with flying colors.

So does that mean you should buy Wholesale Academy?

That's a different question all together...Keep reading to find out...

Pros of Wholesale Academy

8. CONTENT: In-depth and On Point

As far as content goes, Wholesale Academy ticks all the boxes.

It’s packed full of everything you need to get your FBA business and up and running, and there’s no fluff of filler modules at all.

What I really liked was that it attacks the Amazon game from the Wholesale angle, unlike all the other big named Amazon courses on the market who favor Private Label. 

Wholesale Academy Overview

While a lot of courses aren't always newbie friendly, this one breaks every thing down in a way that makes it totally understandable to anyone selling on Amazon, no matter what level you might be at.

Regardless of where you are in your journey, there are golden nuggets that you’ll be able to mine from this course and implement into your own business.

9. FACEBOOK GROUP: A Ton of Value

As someone that buys a lot of online marketing courses, I’ve found that most of them tend to come with private access to a community Facebook group of fellow course purchasers.

Facebook Groups

In my experience some of these are really good, while others not so much.

In the case of Wholesale Academy, you get access to a top notch Facebook group where you can share and learn from other sellers going through the trenches with you, including Larry himself.

10. FREE COACHING: Live Calls Every 2nd Week

One of the best features with this course is that you get access to live coaching calls twice a month, where you can join a call with Larry who will be on hand to answer any questions you might have about the Amazon game, or your own business.

Wholesale Academy Coaching Calls_opt

For me this is priceless, because you get the ability to pick the brain of someone that’s made millions doing exactly what you’re trying to do.

Do you see the power of this?

Cons of Wholesale Academy

11. LIMITED SPACES: You May Have to Wait to Get In

Sadly, Wholesale Academy only takes limited spaces at any given time.

As at the time of writing, it was currently closed, and you only had the option to join the wait list.

Wholesale Academy Wait List

The downside to this is that you may be ready to part with your money and jump into the course, but are then forced to sit on the sidelines until they are accepting more students. 

I guess the upside of this is that if spaces are limited then at least you can be sure the ones that do get into the course will get dedicated support and attention.

12. REFUND POLICY: Get Ready to Fight for Your Refund

With most online courses, you'll find they usually have a no questions asked 30 day or 60 day money back guarantee.

Wholesale Academy is a little different...

Refund Policy

The downside though is that the refund comes with a few tricky conditions which you'll need to meet.

First up, you need to request your refund within 14 days of your purchase, which means you've got a lot less time to review the content than you do with other courses.

But it gets worse!

To qualify for your refund, you can't have watched more than 40% of the content!

On top of that, you will also need to submit course work with your refund request as proof that the course did not work for you.

Wholesale Academy Refund Policy:

Course Work Requirements with Your Refund Request

  • You can't have watched more than 40% of the course videos.
  • You need to have watched 100% of the videos up to Module 3.
  • You need to have found 100 potential supplier leads.
  • You must have participated in the course Facebook Group by asking at least 1 question a week.
  • You must have contacted at least 50 suppliers via email.
  • You must submit all evidence of the above with your refund request within 14 days of purchasing the course!

Anyone else feel like they're back in school?

I don't know about you, but this would really leave a bitter taste in my mouth if I had wanted a refund. 

What happened to "The customer is always right?"

13. REVIEWS: Not Everyone is a Raving Fan

Look I get it.

Every online course has its haters, and not everyone will be a fan.

I did a little digging to find out what the feedback was around Wholesale Academy, and stumbled across a number of posts and threads on various platforms that were a little discouraging.

Reddit Reviews Wholesale Academy

In most cases, the consensus is that Wholesale is a tricky business model to make money with, because the profit margins are so low!

Essentially, it's a price war. 

Not a great foundation to start a new business on!

What Else Do You Need to Know

14. COST: How Much Does Wholesale Academy Cost?

So like many of the Amazon FBA courses out there at the moment, this one ain’t cheap.

It's certainly not as expensive as the likes of some of the other Amazon FBA courses out there, but this isn't excatly your average $97 course either.

If you’ve got the cash to pay in full, you’re looking at a price of $1,997.

You also have the option to break up the payments into 4 monthly installments of $697, which is cool, but that will push the total cost closer to $2,800 once you’re done paying it off.

Wholesale Academy Cost

It’s easy to think of the cost as being too much, but remember you’re exchanging your money for knowledge.

Larry’s spent years learning and failing his way through the Amazon war zone, and he’s now sharing his knowledge with you.

Personally, I’ve spent a ton of cash on courses such as this, and I like to think of it as no different to paying for a University course.

Invest in Yourself

If the course is gonna give you the skills to pay the bills then it’s a good investment in my eyes….although this is actually way cheaper than paying for University.

How does Amazon FBA stand up to Lead Generation?

As a serial entrepreneur, I’m always evaluating online business models.

I like to stay on the cutting edge when it comes to the online world, and I'm always refining my strategy and my next steps.

As you know, I’m involved in both Amazon FBA and lead generation, so here’s how they stack up in the following areas…

15. ENTRY: Amazon FBA v Lead Generation

When it comes to the level of difficulty to entering into either business model, these two models couldn’t be more different. 

Barrier to Entry

Amazon FBA is really expensive and this can make it hard to get into.

Here’s why. 

Most Amazon newbies think they only need the cost of their first order to start their Amazon business.

Let's say $3K...

Wrong!

The truth is that with a 30 day lead time on getting your product made, and another 60 days to ship it into Amazon’s warehouses, you’re looking at 90 days in total. 

Amazon Lead Times

This means you’ll need at least another order, maybe even a third in production before you’ve even sold your first unit.

Throw in some PPC advertising, warehouse fees, launch giveaways, and you’re probably looking at around $12K - $15K to get your Amazon business started.

Lead Generation is different...

With lead generation, you probably need a few hundred bucks.

You’re building small websites (which are quick and easy to do), and then ranking them for local services.

Building Websites

Cost wise, you’re looking at no more than $30 - $50 a month per website. 

So even if you built 10 websites to start, you’re looking at $330 - $500 a month tops.

Not bad for starting a real business, right?

So when it comes to entry, lead generation is a far more cost effective business model to get started with.

16. SCALE: Amazon FBA v Lead Generation

An Amazon FBA business can also be a tricky beast to scale (ask me I know).

Here’s the maths... 

As your Amazon business grows and you look to scale, you’ll find that you’re reinvesting your profits back into the business to buy new stock.

Makes sense right?

But here’s where it starts getting messy...

Scale Your Business

Let’s say you’re paying $3K for an order of 500 units. 

If you’re selling 2,000 units a month, and want to scale to 3,000 units a month because your brand is catching fire, you’re going to suddenly need to order an extra 1,000 units a month from your supplier.

So that means you'll need another $6K to order the new stock.

So what's the problem?

Well, with a slim profit margin of 20% - 30% you might not even be clearing $6K in net profits.

Cashflow

Then add that it takes 90 days to get your order shipped into Amazon, and suddenly you’ll find that scaling your business is not as easy as it sounds.

Frustratingly you might be ready to scale, and have the demand to scale, but not the cash flow or supply chain.

In my experience you’re gonna be bootstrapping your profits back into inventory, but you need to place your order 3 months before it sells, and then hope that it actually sells at the rate you predicted.

If your sales were rock solid and consistent this might be a little easier, but with the ups and downs of varying sales velocity, your cash flow is seldom what you predict it to be.

Sales Forecasting

On the other hand with lead generation, your ability to scale is unlimited. It’s simply a case of throwing up a new website that costs $30 a month, and getting it ranked. 

Given that you can often rent out these websites for $750+ a month, it’s a lot easier to invest profits back into a business model that generates 90% profit margins and doesn’t have a 90 day lead time for inventory.

17. CONCLUSION: Should You Buy Wholesale Academy?

Ok time to wrap this sucker up.

Here are my closing thoughts on the Warehouse Academy course, and Amazon FBA as a business model in general...

Final Thoughts

So should you buy Wholesale Academy?

Look, Larry Lubarsky’s course is the real deal.

If you’re looking to dip your toe in the Amazon fishpond, then I'd definitely suggest that you think about buying the course if you've got the money.

But let me ask you a question that could change your whole life...

Are you sure you wanna get into the Amazon FBA game?

Wholesale Academy Works but Generating Leads is Better: Here’s Why...

As someone that’s currently in both the Amazon FBA game and the lead generation game, I gotta tell you, moving forward, I’m all in on lead gen!

Here’s how the two business models stack up...

Amazon FBA v Lead Generation

Amazon FBA

  • High competition - Becoming over saturated and hard to compete.
  • Low profit margins - Around 15% - 20%.
  • Capital - Need at least $12K - $15K to get started.
  • Difficult to scale and expand.
  • Zero control over your business.
  • High risk - You might not be able to sell your product.

Lead Generation

  • Low competition - Very little competition unlimited possibilities.
  • Insane profit margins - Around 90% - 95%.
  • Less than $500 to get started.
  • Quick and easy to scale and expand.
  • Full control at all times.
  • Zero risk - No inventory to invest in.

Conclusion

Selling on Amazon is expensive, risky, and it’s damn hard!

For me, lead gen is the real deal.

How many other business models do you know that allow you to get started with a few hundred dollars, can scale into 6 figures a month within 3 years, and have a 90% profit margin?

You’re building small websites for local services like “carpet cleaning in Boston” and then ranking them #1 in Google.

Once they rank, you drop a phone number on the website and divert it to a local business offering the service. 

When people start calling the number looking for the service, the business owner takes the call, and pays you 10% of anything he makes on it.

I've got sites that I built in 2015, that are still paying every single month on auto pilot!

MARKET SATURATION & COMPETITION

You're going head to head with literally millions of sellers covering over 6000 different product niches. Breaking into an established niche is next to impossible - and finding untapped niches are becoming increasingly rare.

MASSIVE START UP COSTS

Start up costs require roughly $5000 in initial inventory, $10,000 in advertising, and $3000 in listing optimization, packaging, and branding. All in all, if you want to have a chance at success, you'll need to spend roughly $15,000 to $20,000 just as an initial investment.

AMAZON BASICS & CHINESE COPYCATS

Nearly all successful products are copied and resold by either Amazon or Chinese manufacturers who then undercut their competition at margins that only billion dollar companies can afford. Every time you see an Amazon Basics or Essentials product at the top ranked listing, it's likely that dozens of independent sellers went out of business.

NO LONG-TERM ASSETS

The key to long term wealth is in building and owning valuable assets, but with Amazon FBA, you own nothing. You're an enslaved middleman to Amazon, who care only about market domination and making a profit. Remember, you're there to make them money - and your use of Amazon is a privilege they grant you; a privilege they can revoke at any time.

LONG START UP TIME

Between identifying products and suppliers, passing quality assurance, securing inventory, and then product ranking, you're looking at over a year before you even have a chance at seeing a net positive income.

LOW PROFIT MARGINS

Profit margins are extremely low, meaning the only real way to make money is through mass ordering. Successful Amazon sellers often make less than 10% profit off of their sales.

ACCOUNT DEACTIVATIONS

Amazon's terms of service are fickle and ever changing. Bans are frequent and can spell disaster for FBA startups and established businesses alike.

Local Lead Generation

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