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front page image on facebook of tim sanders private label masters course

You’ve heard of this guy Tim Sanders and Private Label Masters, right? 

And, after seeing the price tag for his course, you are wondering if it’s legit.  His ask is steep, but as you’ll find out, it’s well worth it.

Stick with me here as I do a deep dive on Tim’s PLM course and give some insights not only into this course, but also how Tim’s course compares to other FBA courses. 

Then I’ll finally hone in on the best way to make money online in 2020.

So, what’s it really come down to with all these eCommerce gurus?

If you ask me, it really all just comes down to trust.

Who the hell do you trust these days?  Everyone is an expert that wants to sell you their “secret recipe” for making money online. 

We’ve all been there.  Searching online for hours, digging through various Reddit and Quora threads and watching endless Youtube videos.  It can be more daunting than Chinese instructions for your kids swing set.

man looking at confusing instructions for Amazon product

And, you know what?  You can piecemeal things together from these free sources and grind your way to success.  But having a mentor that can provide you with a time-tested process will give you much needed structure, especially if you are a noob. 

And, that’s ok.  We all started somewhere. 

I’ll share a little bit about myself and my journey making money online and how that ultimately lead me to boss status with the lead generation model (hint – it’s crushing these days).  I’ve also built and scaled multiple 6-figure Amazon FBA brands, dropshipping stores and everything in between.

Just remember there is no straight line to success. 

road to entrepreneurial success with FBA

I promise you that your entrepreneurial journey will have you taking multiple courses as you look to become an expert in your craft. 

One of the biggest factors though is that you need a rock solid foundation to build your business on.

In my opinion, there is no perfect course out there.

Every single one is going to have areas that don’t live up to the hype.  I’ve literally taken over 50 courses that span Amazon FBA, Dropshipping, Affiliate Marketing, Social Media Marketing and Lead Generation in an attempt to build my rock-solid foundation.

What I suggest is making sure whatever course you choose has ancillary channels outside of the main course that you can tap into in order to fill these knowledge gaps.  Things like Facebook groups or YouTube channels or live streams to help you out. 

And yes, PLM has both that you can use.

tim's private label masters youtube channel

tim sanders Private label master facebook group

Because I was so successful right out of the gate with my lead generation business, I was able to fund my quest for knowledge as I looked at ways to add additional revenue streams that were independent of each other. 

Needless to say, I’m well rounded in the ecommerce space.

I really dig writing and these reviews not only help me crystalize my understanding of the business model, but hopefully can you side step that shitty feeling of laying your foundational tracks on shifty ground. 

Check out all my reviews and decide for yourself which one makes sense intellectually and financially. Seriously, take time to read and research each business model and the available courses before you begin.

researching different ecommerce business models to filter the best ideas

Oh, and hit me up on Instagram yo!  I’m down to answer anything that doesn’t make sense

Let’s do this and see what Tim Sander’s and Private Label Masters is all about….


1. What Is Private Label Masters?

tim's private label masters group

Imma flex a little here and make this a detailed bullet compared to some of my other points.  You’ll see why as you start readin’.

Private Label Masters is a course created by 8-figure Amazon FBA seller Tim Sanders. 

Let me just say it upfront.

This course is the real deal, and it covers pretty much everything you need to get going with your Amazon FBA business.

Not to mention, his tools and resource list are exhaustive and he gives you EXACTLY what you need to be efficient and effective.

I thought that was really impressive, but as you’ll find out, it’s going to add a potentially prohibitive cost factor right out the gate because each tool has its own cost for use/membership.

But that aside, you are definitely going to learn some cool stuff.

For instance, his Amazon PPC training was off the charts and packed with TONS of value, strategy and downright genius.  So much so, I ended up implementing some of the techniques he covered into my own stores and right away saw a significant increase in my conversions. 

I mean, something sooooo simple as his bid strategy can be night and day for your PPC results.

You remember Price is Right…..right? 

The game show where contestants bid on items and the closest one wins a chance to “Come on down” to play the next game. 

I mention it because Tim uses a technique similar to something from that show.  The ole’ 1 dollar higher bid.

price is right bidding strategy for Amazon PPC when doing FBA

He introduces a simple strategy that parallels this idea to make sure you are the winning bid.

Again, something so simple, so intuitive, yet so elusive to the mind if you don’t have someone pull back the curtain.  He does that for PPC and some other areas of the Amazon biz model.

High level though.  20,000ft view….

In essence, Tim teaches you how to create your own brand and store (private label) while using the business model of Amazon FBA (fulfilled by Amazon – we’ll cover this in more detail later).

How does Amazon Private Labeling work flow chart

What kind of products could you sell?  All sorts of things ranging from supplements, to tea, to soap to whatever your heart desires.

an example of a product you could private label with Amazon FBA

Private labeling is DIFFERENT from the arbitrage model.  Tim is teaching you how to literally create your OWN brand and start/operate a LEGITIMATE biz. 

graphic that shows how to use Amazon for retail and online arbitrage

Retail arbitrage is a race to zero and the barriers to entry are non-existent. 

Tim’s “secret sauce” lies with a concept he calls Compound Layering.  And, it intuitively makes sense when you start to roll through the training.

It’s essentially skill stacking and using a holistic process instead of being myopic with your approach.

high level understanding of Tim Sanders compound layering technique

Leveraging all the areas needed to succeed with the Amazon FBA business model, Tim has a methodology that immediately elevates you to a top of the food chain Amazon operator. 

His compound layering technique is achieved by providing you training in all areas needed to succeed, whereas others like Ryan Rigney’s course, teach you how to show up to a gun fight with a knife. 

Don’t be that guy!

Being real though, this is a highly HIGHLY competitive space. 

And Amazon is not the game for you if you're short of change....it's gonna take some cash to get started and then compete with the other dogs running in this race.

Why?  Because this will be you…

new amazon fba sellers vs competent amazon fba sellers

Like I said earlier, you can piecemeal knowledge together with Youtube, internet forums, FB and all the other “free” knowledge available to us in this digital age. 

Buuuut, there’s a reason that information is free.  And there is a reason Tim’s course has that hefty price tag.

Creating a barrier to entry (high course cost) for specific knowledge means there is less competition, which ultimately increases your chance of succeeding. You’ll get that if you buy Tim’s Amazon FBA course.

That doesn’t mean the barrier to entry is low for the biz model.  Hint – it is and I’ll tell you why later in the review.

It means the barrier to entry is high to enter the upper echelon of sellers due to the cost associated with attaining the right knowledge.

Now, it’s just a matter of which course you should go with.

One thing Tim didn’t do a good job discussing was the initial cost associated of Private Labeling under Amazon FBA. 

It’s freaking expensive and if you are on a budget or cash strapped, you run the risk of being crushed by your competition.  You need at least $15k to start this journey.

Otherwise…

bootstrapped Amazon FBA biz

VS

well established amazon fba biz that uses compound layering

Again, why is that?  Because you don’t have a solid foundation and PROCESS that you can follow or leverage to ensure your success.  And you are doing it scrapping by with nickels and dimes.  I’m not saying to get crazy here, but again, you need to spend money to make money.

Anyway, as Tim puts it, Private Label Masters and their Compound Layering will provide you enough of know how to be an Amazon assassin.

compound layering technique provided by tim sanders

no technique when selling on amazon FBA

Tim breaks down his training into 8 modules.  

Module 1 – Your Journey Begins: Introduction

Module 2 – Product Research 

Module 3 – Product Sourcing 

Module  4 – Shipping 

Module 5 – Branding and Listing Optimization 

Module 6 – Product Launch Time

Module 7  - Sponsored Products (Amazon’s PPC) 

Module 8 – Maintaining & Scaling Your Business

2. Who Is Tim Sanders?

private label masters founder tim sanders hanging out in San Francisco

Tim's Accomplishments

  • Founder of Private Label Masters
  • Selling on Amazon since April 2016
  • Helped 100's to start an Amazon business
  • 8-figure per year Amazon seller

Ostensibly, Tim is a baller, right.  8-figure Amazon seller.  Been at the game for over 4 years.  Tons of followers.

But, Tim had his humble beginnings.  He wasn’t always an FBA yoda. 

Yeah, he is an FBA Jedi through and through.  Don’t mistake that for a second!

Tim tells you about his 10-year old self and the story of his first entrepreneurial endeavor collecting recyclables and then cashing that out at the recycle center.

recycle bin that tim picked through

recycle bin that tim picked through in order to fund a trip to NYC

recycling center that tim sanders used to cash out his bottles

The story continues as he tells how raiding these money centers (bins) funded his families first trip to NYC.

This makes you instantly connect to him because he wasn’t from a privileged background. 

His journey continued when he graduated high school and started working for Costco as a cashier and cart runner.  Apparently, he was crushing it as a cashier and began exploring a promotion into management.

tim sanders standing in line for a promotion at work

But, Tim didn’t have seniority, so it was back of line for him and hitting that next level in his corporate career.  He found out that his efforts and work ethic didn’t necessarily move the needle on his income.

FRUSTRATING!

To him, these were mutually exclusive. 
No matter how hard he worked, his income pretty much stayed the same because he was trading his time for money. 

It hit a crescendo when he was out one day gathering carts in the pouring rain. 

tim sanders gathering shopping carts in the rain

Shoot me now!  WTF, ugh I feel you bro. 

TIME TO MAKE A CHANGE

That’s when he decided he had to change and boy oh boy did he change indeed!

Eyes wide open for new opportunities, the light bulb went off when someone came through his line at Costco with a cart stacked and packed with just one item!

Like hundreds of the same thing.  The guy told him he would buy items at Costco and then resell them online for a profit.

Wuttt?

HELLOOOO retail/online arbitrage model.

Our favorite Amazon whiz kid parlayed that experience into what we now know is a multimillion-dollar success story.

Here’s a picture of him slinging goods right out of his parents’ house. 

tim sanders in his parents garage getting his first Amazon shipping ready to go

This lead him on the long, arduous road of acquiring the knowledge and skillset necessary for building out his Amazon FBA biz into what it is today. 

Now, this is him….

tim sanders Amazon FBA dashboard showing 21 million dollars of sales

And he is doing shipments like this....

large order of chinese goods ready to ship for Amazon FBA

My man ain’t fitting that into his parents’ house lol! 

So, Tim is a real seller doing big biz. 

What I also found was that he came off very genuine.  His communication was clear, concise and packed together in a way that was easily digestible.  He didn’t wow you with Ferrari’s or layer in a wannabe rap video with partying, girls and endless debauchery. 

At the end of the day, he just seems like an awesome guy looking to share his Amazon knowledge with you. He's been through the ups and downs of figuring it all out, and now he wants to teach you what to do, and what not to do!

And, he’s gonna whack you $5g’s for it.  Again, that’s not the only cost to this biz though.  Get ready to at least triple that dollar amount if you want a reasonable shot at succeeding with FBA.

You can succeed, but this course's price tag coupled with the inherent cost of doing biz with FBA means you gotta be sitting right and have some money stacked away before you start.

3. How Does Amazon FBA Work?

fulfillment by amazon process

Amazon FBA is pretty simple to understand.  But make no mistake about it. 

You are building a legit business. 

And, news flash.  It’s NOT as passive as you think. 

If you are trying to set up a passive income stream that is more maintenance than ongoing work, you should look into another online business model like lead gen.

I digress, but I need to keep hitting on that so you know before you spend money on a course.  Yes, this course is going to get you to where you need to be, but start to consider the whole picture and you’ll realize knowledge attained from a course is just your first step on that thousand-mile journey.

Simply, FBA is leveraging Amazon to store, ship and provide customer service for your goods.  Instead of holding inventory in YOUR warehouse and YOU delivering your product after a customer orders, Amazon steps in to take that off your hands.

Basic Steps of Amazon FBA

  • 1. Pick a product to sell
  • 2. Source that product from a manufacturer
  • 3. Ship that product to an Amazon warehouse that is geographically relevant to your target market.
  • 4. Use Amazon for inventory management (tools aka seller central)
  • 5. Customer places order online through your Amazon storefront.
  • 6. Amazon sources your product at the warehouse and packs it for shipment.
  • 7. Amazon ships your product to the customer

This model eliminates your need to worry about storing inventory at YOUR warehouse and the daunting task of inventory management, while also granting you access to millions of shoppers through their insanely popular shopping platform.

And, did you know that as an FBA seller, your listing is given preference to those that are FBM listings (fulfilled by merchant)?

Win, win in my opinion.

4. Is Tim Sander's Private Label Masters Course Legit or a Scam?

Simple answer….

LEGIT

For me when I'm trying to find out if something is the real deal or not, I like to check out what other buyers are doing or have to say about it.

It's like, Alright bro, you are a baller and are crushing FBA.  I get it.

But, is this (your process) like some insane math equation that only you and Einstein can figure out?

Because it’s all good if it works for YOU.  Hat’s off my man (or gal).

But when you are putting yourself out there as an Amazon FBA guru and charging a hefty fee for your accumulated knowledge, I want to see other people killin’ it too. 

Utilizing your methodology. 

Check out Tim's student Cyn Meadows who has been absolutely crushin' it.

private label masters success story

private label masters student showing her amazon dashboard

If that isn't enough proof, check out his Tim's other student Ben...

another private label masters success story

another private label masters success story showing off their amazon dashboard

Let's look at one more of Tim's students, Sonal Patel.

yet another private label masters student success story

yet another private label masters student success story showing their amazon dashboard

And, lets see what Tim has done in the last 12 months….

tim sanders shows his sales on his amazon seller central dashboard in 2020

Nuff said.

5. How Much Does Tim's Course Cost? Any Specials?

I’ve been alluding this this all along.  His course ain’t the cheapest. 

Private Label Masters cost $5k upfront with the one-time offer to reduce the cost by $1,500 if you pull the trigger on that first sales call.

Tim has pivoted from the open enrollment model to an exclusive group that requires an “interview” to see if you are a good fit. 

Look, they are going to take your money.  Don’t fret LOL.

It’s a typical strategy to turn the table around on a prospect by making you feel like you need to sell him on why you should be allowed to join. 

That Jedi mind trick works on some people because you end up talking yourself into the program.

At the end of the interview, all they have to do it show you where to swipe your card. 

Now, we know that Tim ain’t personally taking these calls.  He’s got a sales team.  So they are going to hit hard.

Check out this lady’s experience….

prospect of tim's PLM course discussing her bad experience

No, it’s not a scam.  But, if they ask for your momma secret recipe, you best believe they are going to get it if you want into their program.

Truth be told, I didn’t have that same experience and who knows how that conversation above played out. 

Be prepared.  All I’m sayin’.

Oh, and compared to other FBA courses, this is top of the cost mountain when it comes to price tag.

For me, I’m not at all hesitant when it comes to paying for knowledge.  Self-education outside of traditional institutions like colleges and universities has without a doubt been one of the best investment for turning me into an ecommerce whiz. 

Personally, I don't have a problem dropping $5K on a course, if the content stacks up! 

But, what happens after the course?  How much more do I need to outlay?

With Amazon FBA, you’ll need a fat stack to pay for that first inventory order. 

amazon fba example product from alibaba


...and then you need to cross your fingers that people actually want to buy your product!

Otherwise you're out of a good chunk of change.

That’s why I think if you go with this course, which will undoubtedly set you up for success, you need another 10-15k to fund your first purchase orders.

Again, course cost is all good.  But, what if there was a way to generate money online without all the crazy cost associated with ordering product? 

Pros of Private Label Masters

6. Tim's A Legit Private Label Seller On Amazon

lifestyle photo of tim sanders at a ski resort

Yeah, we kinda covered that earlier.  He is a legit seller and he is crushing it. 

Throughout the training, he keeps showing you his Amazon Seller Center dashboard and the numbers he’s generating. 

Check out this September check-in.

tim showing off his September 2020 sales on facebook

Being a multimillion-dollar seller substantiates his course imo.  Layer on top his student success stories and I give him mad praise for what he is doing in the Amazon FBA community.

Fist bump Tim.

7. Comprehensive Course To Sell Private Label FBA

You’re going to gain access to a 20+ hr video series that covers your Amazon FBA private labeling journey head to toe. 

By far, compared to other FBA courses, this is super thorough. 

Not only in the scope of knowledge you are going to learn, but in the resources he provides to make sure you are an efficient and effective seller.

For instance, check out this tool he gives you to calculate your product profitability.

private label masters product profitability tool

Couple that with the software and chrome extensions he recommends and you are going to pull into Amazon looking like a G.

baller golf cart that you can have if you are successful on Amazon

So, do you want to McGyver your way into Amazon success by trying to connect the dots from random free sources?

That endeavor will leave you like Charlie from the TV show Always Sunny in Philadelphia.

Don’t be like Charlie.

trying to piece together random Amazon FBA information on the internet that you found for free

His course is so comprehensive that it’s hard to succinctly summarize HOW comprehensive it is into a short paragraph.  Go back up to the first section and review all the material covered in the 8 modules. 

Not only do you get that foundational knowledge and a practical way to implement it, but you get tips from an experienced seller that will make you stand above your competition. 

Tips that come from either losing money or from real-world experience testing various strategies to see what works.

As Tim stated during the course….

tim's Amazon FBA journey and the challenges he faced

What’s the saying? 

“A smart man learns from his mistakes.  A wise one learns from the mistakes of others.”

8. Is The Course Updated For 2021

Yeah, it is. 

Don’t fret and think you are going to get swindled into buying an FBA course that isn’t teaching tactics conducive to the current environment. 

Nah, you’re good.  Why do I say that?

Part of this is my experience as an Amazon seller and building two successful 6-figure brands. 

Part of it is that I’ve taken almost every e-commerce course out there and have written a detailed review that summaries my thoughts and the merits of each training course.

Part of it, well a BIG part of it, is that there is an active community that puts you in touch with other PLM students jamming out in real time makin’ that online money, money, money.

And, Tim is still selling himself right now.  He’s not the guy that crushed it in the early days that then “cashes out” and says he is just a mentor that is willing to show you the way.

He’s grindin’ yo! 

He drops about 2 videos a month on his YouTube Channel and has been doing that for a couple of years now.  His latest video at the time of writing this course review (October 2020) was posted on 10/18/20.

And the one before that (see below) was on August 29th where he did a Q&A for over an hour with current students.

a screenshot of  a private label masters livestream on youtube

So yeah, it’s updated and you are getting real time knowledge that you can put into action to hustle your way to internet freedom.

9. FBA Community Groups (Free & Paid)

As someone new to the ecommerce world, and specifically Amazon FBA private labeling, you are going to want, no need, a group of others that are on the same path as you.

This bee hive mentality allows you to tackle challenges with a smile because you know there will be someone there to answer your questions.

Maybe someone that has encountered the same issue you are currently facing. 

Or, someone that sees the world through a different lens and has a solution for your problem that has remained elusive to you.

At the end of the day though, there's only so much you can pull out of an Amazon training course. 

No amount of training can replace diving in to the real thing and getting your feet wet!

tim posting a screenshot on facebook showing how active his community is

Here’s another example of the support you’ll get in the Student FB group

a collection of tim's livestreams to show his Private label masters followers how active he is on facebook

This is the Admin in his Facebook group responding to this thread in August 2020.

Private label masters facebook admin responding to a student

private label masters facebook community is 27,000 members strong

Throw on top the 27.5k members to his free FB group and you have a robust community of like-minded people all hustlin’ towards the same goal – Amazon FBA boss status.

Cons of Private Label Masters

10. Not Taught To Source Product From Many Locations

amazon shipping wars between the US and china

Pigeon holding yourself to a specific platform to source your products or adamantly thinking the only answer is Chinese manufacturers can put you in a pickle if shit hits the fan.

Global tension are high and western democracies are starting to look at China more critically.

Hell, they are tryin’ to ban Tik Tok because it’s owned by a Chinese company all in the name of national security.

I’m not political at all.  I’m all about makin’ my money. 

I don’t want to wander down that rabbit hole in this post, but just start thinkin’ about what happens if you only know one way to do something and then one day you wake up and that way is no longer valid.

I'm just thinking it would be cool if they'd dived into a few other ways to source products for selling, as I know a lot of top sellers these days are getting their merch from other places than China.

Remember what I was saying about the never-ending journey of knowledge acquisition?  This is where taking multiple courses comes in handy.

Each course has at least 1-2 unique tactics.  For instance, a gal named Sophie Howard created a course that discusses ways to source outside of China.

Why would you do that?  Source outside of China that is…

Well, if you are only targeting US customers and are going for a specific quality in your products, then sourcing from a US manufacturer might be a better solution for you and your new brand.

11. Higher Priced Course

This course ain't cheap. 

At $5K buy in, this one is not for the little fishes out there.

I get it though.

Private label masters course fee is very expensive

I mean, hot damn that’s insane to put that type of trust in someone’s knowledge base especially when it’s outside of the traditional educational institutions. 

Usually, you can vet a course by the prestige of the institution offering the class or the professor’s credentials.

It’s a brave new world amigo. Our traditional institutions are falling by the wayside and “specialized” training and knowledge is taking its place.

I believe you should judge the worth of education on its ROI.  And if you plan to make a living from this, you’ll be able to see a return in spades. 

The Federal Poverty Level is ~$13k for individuals.  If this simply makes you enough of money to be at that level, you are looking at a 2.5x return on investment.  I think a 3X return is reasonable, so as long as you grind, persist and put some effort into this endeavor, you are going to make your money back.

PLM is on the higher end of the Amazon FBA course cost.  But honestly, it’s not outrageously priced.  Relatively speaking that is. 

And, if you get their discount, they are right in line with other FBA courses.

Let me double tap this point again. 

This biz model takes CAPITAL.

Just like when Michael Bisping was clowin’ on Luke Rockhold’s “Conceive, Believe, Achieve”, I’m gonna keep it real with you.

self talk will help determine your success in amazon fba


Positive self-talk is 100% essential as you are going to bump your head and want to quit, but that isn’t going to cut it. 

It’s gonna be hard and it’s going to take MONEY.

Why?

Because you WILL have some products that flop.  100% guaranteed.  That is if you keep going.  Pushing for more in an attempt to better your brand or increase your income.

Those product duds are dead money.  Have you factored in product samples, outsourcing branding/optimization, shipping cost or product launch with PPC ads?

If you don’t have the necessary capital to invest, how are you going to keep your head above water?

Anyway, you can do this!  And, you ARE going to do this. 

If you don’t have the money for a course like this right now, save up, start digging around for free information and come back when the time is right.

12. Low Profit Margin Compared To Local Lead Gen

amazon revenue pie breaking out the different fees

Profit is what we are in the game for, right?  20-30% profit margins aren’t baaaad, but you know what’s better?

80-90% profit margins baby!  That’s what you get with local lead gen!

There are so many ways to make money.  And if you are down with a 20-30% profit margin and tight on cash, I’d suggest checking out dropshipping.  Just search our reviews on different dropshipping courses. 

You can essentially do the same thing as Amazon FBA (of course, there are differences), but you don’t have to put out that huge upfront cost of procuring your inventory.

With lead gen, your cost is a nominal fee for hosting and domain rights. 

If you are willing to put in the work yourself to build and rank a website, you can keep your cost very very low.

As you’ll see in the section below, you aren’t really in control of your online money-making destiny with Amazon.  If you break their ever-evolving rules, you’re out. 

And so is your ability to profit. 

With lead generation, YOU own the website.  YOU control the power dynamic between yourself and the one paying you money. 

Essentially the roles are reversed and you are the Amazon. 

See, with lead gen, you build and rank a website and funnel leads (jobs) to a local business owner. 

In return for generating leads, they pay you a fee. 

Either per lead, commission on the business generated or a monthly retainer. 

You know what your cost is? 

Pennies on the dollar. 

For instance, I’ll scoop a domain from NameSilo for ~$10/yr (less than $1/month).  I pay Siteground ~$10/month to host my domain. 

You don’t need a calculator to do the math here. 

My tree site in Michigan pays me about $2k/month and has been paying me that since 2014.

$$$ Cha-Ching $$$

Now, I put in work, for sure!  I built the website, did some backend work to beat out my competition, but once I was ranked and climbed the Google mountain, the site went on auto-pilot and I basically have done nothing to it while it generates me cash money. 

And my profit margin is INSANE.

You can see why I like this model waaaaay better.  Amazon’s still cool though.  Just depends on what you want.

If you want to build a brand on another company’s platform and have a bunch of moving pieces that you need to maintain, then that’s cool.  I’ve been there, done that and I’m not gonna lie to you. 

It’s pretty baller to know you created a brand that sells.  But again, what is your WHY? 

WHY are you trying to make those digital dollars? 

Sure, you can hire a VA to handle your Amazon biz once it’s up and profitable.  But that cuts into your profit margins too. 

It’s a juggling act that has a lot of moving pieces.  Like I’ve been saying, you are building a legitimate biz from end to end and essentially using Amazon to manage inventory.

Lead gen is different.  It’s way more profitable AND way more passive. 

It’s not even apples to apples because the profit margins are night and day.

13. Amazon Keeps Raising Fees

amazon fee schedule showing the various fees associated with FBA

Jeff Bezo’s is a smart man.  He understands the value his platform brings to the table as it pertains to sourcing potential buyers of your products.   And he charges for it. 

As is their annual tradition, in 2020, Amazon once again raised their FBA fees.  Here is the official statement:

Amazon's 2020 FBA fee statement

(Image source)

This happens every year, so just a heads up if you were thinking things were gonna stay the same. 

And this year? SPOLIER ALERT…. storage fees are going up A LOT.

For example, their standard size storage fee during January to September is going up 8.7%. 

SHUT THE FRONT DOOR. 

Ok, that might have been much.  But a 10% fee raise is pretty significant.

What happens if your product cost goes up too?  Double whammy.

You honestly don’t have any control here.  If you want to use their platform to tap into the scores of worldwide buyers, you have to fall in line and take these raises on the chin. 

As of December 2019, over 214.8 million users visited Amazon’s website per month.  Wal-Mart came in second at 138 million. 

You want access to that pool of buyers.  Trust!

Your margins WILL decrease, which means you better be nimbler and on point with how much inventory you order because you don’t want to get whacked on these storage fees.

Some years are worst than others, but the general trend is up. 

FBA storage and fulfillment fees

(Image source)

Concluding Thoughts

I thought Tim did an excellent job presenting his methodology in a clear, concise manner that was easy to understand. 

He takes you from start to finish and gives you a solid foundation for becoming a private label Amazon FBA seller.  My friend, let me say it again, you NEED a solid foundation if you want a shot at succeeding.

This business model is near market saturation and gets more and more competitive as time ticks by. 

The cool part that I liked about Private Label Masters is that it’s a holistic approach that provides you with proprietary software (well, if you count custom excel sheets) and a litany of tools to guide the research and development of your new brand.

You won’t see Ferrari’s, hyperbolic statements or bro-life.  He keeps it clean and really puts an emphasis on mindset and the fact this won’t be an overnight success story.

Throw on top the active FB community and monthly livestreams and you have tons of people lockstep with you helping you succeed.

I’ve taken a ton of FBA courses as I’ve walked the entrepreneurial path and this was my favorite one. 

But remember, my ability to fund my first FBA biz and build my knowledge base started with my first few lead gen sites that I rented out.  My lead gen biz was so passive, I decided to start looking at other ways to make money online, hence my exploration into FBA. 

And after I explored and built other online income streams through FBA, dropshipping and others, I’ve always come back to focus my efforts on my lead gen biz.

14. Do Tim's Students Actually Make Money?

In a nutshell - yea they do!

And for me this is the one factor you need to consider when picking any course!

Are others succeeding using his methodology?

Here are some more screenshots of student success stories. 

Go ahead, let that motivation juice flow.

FBA success story using private label masters student with his partner

Amazon FBA success story using private label masters showing dashboard

Amazon FBA success story using private label masters

Don’t get it twisted.  These students worked their ass off to succeed.  I know because I’ve built multiple 6 figure brands using Amazon FBA.  It ain’t easy boss.

Hard work is cool and will get you far in life.  But, if you are cash strapped, it doesn’t matter how hard you are willing to work.

With this model, you need MONEY.  Period.

And Tim doesn’t really talk about that, which is why I’ve been pounding the table on this fact.  I hate when people aren’t fully aware of what they are getting into.

Because then comes the regret.  The resentment.  The woe is me attitude.  Or, you make the right decision to pay for the best course (Tim’s), but upon digging in, you realize you don’t have the money to do it right. 

Then you force yourself into a corner and might not be able to build a brand in the niche you want.

Anyway, yeah, people are crushing and so can you.  I KNOW you can do it!

15. Who's A Good Fit For Tim's PLM Course?

Anyone that can invest the time, capital (at least $15k) and gray hairs into starting a legit brand and business. 

Also, I wanna say this is a course best suited for a ‘green behind the ears’ Amazon seller.

But that doesn’t mean you won’t find good value if you already have experience.  I bought the course after successfully starting my first 6 figure brand.

And I learned a lot from it.

If you like structure, if you like a professional presentation, if you like to learn from people that are truly masters in their craft, then this course is for you. 

It’s as close to a turn key solution as you’ll get in the FBA course world. 

And if you need community, they have that too.

So, if you have the drive to really dedicate yourself to doing this thing, then go for it.  Make sure you have $15-20k before you start, otherwise you are going to be operating with one hand tied behind your back.

16. What Alternatives Are There To Tim's Private Label Masters Course?

I did a review of what I consider the top FBA courses.  If you are dead set on this model to make money online, then jump over there to give yourself the best shot at picking a course that’s right for you.

In that review, I cover 6 of the best FBA courses currently on the market. 

I rate each course based on the presence and quality of:

  • Mindset Training
  • Business Setup Training
  • Product Selection Basics
  • Product Sourcing Training
  • Q&A / Community (FB Group or Online Forum)
  • Overall Relevance of the Training on Today's Amazon (very different than 2016 when I started)
  • Overall content structure

If you don’t want or can’t fork over $5k for Tim’s course, then rest assured that there are alternatives.

Like, I’d suggest Amazon FBA Ninja if you want to get your black belt in Facebook  Ads.

Need a kick in the ass or feed on hype and motivation?  Check out Nine University.

Maybe you are already doing your thing and just looking to fill some gaps or build on what you already know.  Mobile optimization might be top of mind, so check out FBA Sales Accelerator.

As you can see, different courses offer different benefits.  It really just depends on where you are at with your knowledge and what your goals are for taking a course.  If you are just starting out, Tim’s Private Label Masters course is the way to go.

Pros and Cons of Private Label Masters

The Good and Bad of Tim's Course

Pros

  • Active and profitable Amazon seller
  • Large social media presence with Facebook Group and YouTube channel
  • Organized, structured and professionally presented course material
  • Complete process from end to end.  Holistic approach
  • Updated for 2020 selling environment

Cons

  • Only teaches how to source from China
  • Requires a lot of tool subscriptions that cut into your bottom line
  • Blurred screen during some examples leaves you guessing

Parting Thoughts on Private Label Masters

FBA is a great business model for someone seeking to start their own brand and operate a legitimate business.  Your profit margins are decent and you can make good money, but don’t be fooled into thinking this is a truly passive way to make money online. 

Tim’s got legitimate street cred in the Amazon FBA world and is very knowledgeable about his craft.  He’s going to give you everything you need to make FBA work.

How Does Amazon FBA Stand up to Others? 

17. Control

Here’s the rub with Amazon FBA.  You don’t have 100% control over your business as you are using someone else’s platform as the “brick and mortar”. 

You see what I’m saying right? 

Amazon is big brother and if Mr. Bezos gives you the boot, whether the reason is just or not, they have the ability to hang a “closed” sign on your business’ front door overnight. 

And, as you now know from my Amazon fee section, they can slowly erode your profit margins by raising FBA fees. 

The fee trend is up my friend.  And I’m willing to bet it ain’t reversing or going down anytime soon.

The biggest factor when thinking about this “lack of control”.  Your pre-purchased inventory. 

UGH!

What if Amazon changes their terms or cancels your listing or whatever.  And you have thousands of dollars in inventory that hasn’t sold? 

COULD……… YOU ………IMAGINE!!!! 

You wanna go through that nightmare?  Sure, you could build out an ecommerce store on Shopify, but what about now storing your inventory? 

What about dealing with returns if you are a small seller?  What about sending money to China that is 10,000 miles away?  Political climate anyone? 

Look, this ain’t Halloween and I’m not tryin’ to scare you. 

Just start to think about the derivative to the derivative.  Go a couple layers deep.

The reason I like lead gen is simple.  YOU own the website. 

Got beef with your hosting company?  Throw the deuces and go somewhere else. 

You make your money by invoicing the local business owner for your leads.  He ain’t paying?

YOU’RE FIRED!

Guess what?  There are 20 other business owners that would happily take those leads.  Go down the list.  Hell, check out Homeadvisor.  You’ll find 10-15 local business already paying for leads. 

You are big brother and you sit atop the decision-making mountain. 

You don’t have to reign with an iron fist.  Not trying to say that.  But, you have control through and through.

Plus, you aren’t selling a product.  And there’s not a lot of moving pieces. 

AND you hold the most valuable assets to a business. 

Leads and customers are the lifeblood of a business.  Without them, there is no business.  Your services will NEVER go out of style.

18. Entry

Let’s be real.  The barriers to entry are low with FBA.  The skillset isn’t as much technical as it is grind. 

And, fat stacks sitting in your account that can fund your endeavor. 

What this means is competition is high.  Sure, not all the low-level guys are doing damage and crushing it, but there are hundreds to thousands of listings for almost any product you can think of. 

Finding that undiscovered niche is rather tough.

So, get ready to deal with a bunch of me-too sellers.  If you are crushing it, someone is going to see that.  And copy it.  And, there goes those precious profit percentages because you are now spending more on ads. 

Don’t forget about big brother aka Amazon.  You ever heard of Amazon Basics?  You wanna be their guinea pig to see if a product is profitable and then have them use that data to jump into your product category? 

Go ahead, Google it.  It ain’t commonplace.  I’m not saying that, so don’t get it twisted.  But if they come into your niche, they will obliterate you.

I ain’t trying to look over my shoulder every day, month, year waiting to get knocked off my profitable perch.

With the barriers to entry so low, you really need to consider diverting some of your resources to building a branded site on a platform like Shopify or WooCommerce. 

Are you ready to get into the website building game?  If you are going to do that or “need” to do that as a safety blanket for the FBA biz model, why not look at lead gen? 

Generating leads is a highly technical skill.  So much so, billion dollar publicly listed companies are built around that business model. 

Ever heard of HomeAdvisor, Thumbtack or Angie’s List?

Front page of Google has 10 spots.  There’s your competition. 

TEN.

And once you are ranked, it’s hard to get knocked off.  That’s why the skillz to do it are highly valuable.

How many local business owners have the skills to rank a website?  Or have someone they are paying to work on their website. 

You think Timmy the tree guy is an expert cutting up his online competition? 

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.

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