Fulfillment refers to the process of shipping products to customers. Entrepreneurs can either ship products themselves or outsource to third-party logistics (3PL) providers like Amazon FBA. Self-shipping involves managing packaging and delivery either manually or at scale with staff and warehousing. Alternatively, 3PLs manage storage, packaging, and shipment integration with e-commerce platforms.
Shipping can be priced using flat rates (e.g., $5 per order) or calculated with live rates from shipping carriers based on dimensions and weight. Entrepreneurs are encouraged to experiment early rather than spending extensive time researching upfront. Switching fulfillment systems later is simple due to low switching costs.
To maintain healthy finances, it’s recommended to create multiple bank accounts for general expenses, savings, taxes, and reordering inventory. This helps allocate revenue appropriately and prevents unintentional overspending.
While cash accounting is suitable for most new businesses, accrual accounting provides better insights when managing long-term inventory or large capital investments. Entrepreneurs should transition to accrual-based systems as their business scales and consult experienced accountants for setup and compliance.
Instead of aiming for perfection, entrepreneurs should focus on consistent, incremental progress. Planning for a few months and learning from others’ mistakes can accelerate success. Daily small tasks, particularly those that drive revenue, contribute more to long-term results than isolated big pushes. Prioritize action over planning paralysis.
Successful products often face counterfeiting threats. To mitigate this, entrepreneurs should secure intellectual property protections like trademarks and patents. Enrolling in Amazon’s Brand Registry and Transparency program helps control listings and validate authenticity.
Brand Registry enables control over product ASINs and allows filing infringement claims. Transparency adds scannable codes to packaging, ensuring legitimate deliveries. Though counterfeit prevention isn’t foolproof globally, these tools can significantly reduce risk and protect brand integrity on major platforms like Amazon.
