It’s the busiest time of the year for Amazon sellers – even more so this year with the pandemic – and there’s no doubt that it can be all too easy to get overwhelmed by the sheer amount of work that needs to be done and managed.

This is why it’s highly important to set up tools, systems and practices that will help to make Q4 on Amazon much easier to handle for yourself and your team, in order to prevent overwhelm, exhaustion and burn-out.

2020 is my sixth Q4 since starting my Amazon business back in 2015, and this Q4 is definitely so much easier because of everything I’ve learnt along the way. 

Here are my top 5 tips on how you can focus in on the right areas of your business that will have the biggest impact on your overall Q4 success, and make the period much easier to handle… so much so, that you might even enjoy it!😉

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1. Hire a staff member

There is always so much to get done when running your own Amazon business – even more so in Q4! From sourcing, handling and shipping, to admin, customer service, marketing and even more, it’s too much for you to handle alone.

That’s why investing in a staff member (or a few!) will help to take the load off, help your business in terms of organisation and efficiency and generally, just make life a whole lot easier!

You can now hire a virtual assistant (VA) in any part of the world, who is trained up in pretty much anything. I work with many VAs in many different parts of my business: some of these include sourcing assistants, growth managers and purchasing managers.

Just knowing that there are talented, reliable, trustworthy people taking care of many important aspects of my business freeing me up to concentrate on other areas, is a massive weight off my shoulders and is definitely one of the reasons why Q4 has become so much easier for me over the years.

2. Develop a structure for KPIs

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) are VITAL in any business as they show you where you are succeeding and which areas of your business require more of your attention and focus. This is why developing a structure for your KPIs is really effective: it allows you to easily see which areas of your business require action on a daily basis.

Develop an 80/20 rule across all key areas of your business. This means identifying the 20% of your KPIs that yield 80% of your results – you can do this more effectively by creating a KPI report.

Although all of our KPIs need attention at some time or another, I would recommend starting with the ones that will give you the most return on your focus and actions i.e. the KPIs that give you 80% of your results – and the go forwards from there.

3. Develop a structure for your day

Leading on from the above point, you need to make time to work on your KPIs, as well as time for working on the various different components of your business and your life in general. This is why planning your days as much as possible is essential for a smooth and successful Q4.

Once you’re aware of everything that needs to be done in a 24 hour period, you can then go ahead and plan and structure your day accordingly.

For me, that means scheduling every part of my day: from sleeping and eating to my morning routine and evening rituals. I schedule in time at work, my deep work sessions, time with the family, time spent on personal development, and every meeting or appointment (including those with myself!) all go directly into my calendar.

You will feel more organised, less stressed and will be more strategic in terms of where you’re focussing your energy – leading to a more productive and easier Q4.

4. Invest in time-management and organisational tools

Productivity will always be a winner – especially if you’re constantly working towards a better future. In terms of running your business, the more productive you can become, the less waste you will have.

I multiplied my productivity massively by investing in time-management and other organisational tools. When I first started out on my journey as an entrepreneur, I was overwhelmed by the number of things that needed my attention. Now, utilising the use of free and paid software tools make my life so much easier on a daily basis.

Utilise Google Drive for storage and data, communication tools like Slack to stay in touch with your team, Asana for task management… there are so many tools out there that can help you to run your business much more efficiently and effectively, so make good use of them.

5. Become smarter with your strategies

This final tip, for me, is the most important one of all – especially when it comes to sourcing and purchasing.

You must become smarter with your business strategies in order to become more successful with your business. Get to know your business inside out and use that knowledge to develop strategies and structures that are going to make the running of your business much more efficient.

For example, in sourcing when there are products that are out of stock, you could create an email address specifically for out of stock products where you can receive all notifications and updates to do with this aspect of the business. It’s all about becoming smarter, more organised and more streamlined.

Developing systems and strategies that work are going to make a HUGE impact on your business – and in the hustle and bustle of Q4, you’ll definitely feel their impact in a positive way.

Check out the below video👇🏼

Finally…

Q4 is a whole experience in itself but I do really believe that if you implement all of the above, you can make the experience a much happier and positive one.

What was your favourite tip? Is there anything that you would add from your own experience? Leave a comment below and don’t forget to share this post on social media if it benefited you in any way.

Here’s to a fantastic, stress-free Q4 for us all and here’s, as always, to your massive success!

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