5 Easy Amazon Side Hustle Ideas for Beginners
In today’s world, many people are turning to side hustles as a way to boost their income and gain financial security. Amazon stands out as a top choice, offering a range of opportunities to earn money both online and offline. The key is selecting the avenue that’s the best match for your skills, interests, and goals.
In this article, we’ll provide an overview of five side hustle ideas to help you make money on Amazon.
5 Amazon Side Hustles
5 Amazon Side Hustles
Amazon is traditionally known for its vast online marketplace, but it also offers numerous opportunities to earn extra income that cater to a variety of interests and skills. Below are five side hustle jobs to consider:
Way 1: Become an FBA Seller
Selling on Amazon FBA (Fulfillment by Amazon) allows you to list products on Amazon’s marketplace while Amazon takes care of storage, packaging, and shipping for you. This model is more profitable than other side gigs because it’s scalable—allowing you to expand your product range as your business grows without extra manual work. Plus, you can earn higher profit margins by capitalizing on the difference between your purchase price and selling price.
However, it also requires managing different aspects of a business, such as inventory, customer support, and marketing, which can take time and effort. If you want to keep this kind of business as a side gig, you need to minimize your efforts and streamline processes.
Here are a few tips:
Outsource your customer support and inventory management: Hire someone to track your inventory levels and address customer inquiries.
Outsource promotion: Use freelancers or agencies for PPC and social media marketing.
Resell: Save time and money by focusing on reselling products instead of creating your own.
One of the most critical aspects of a lucrative Amazon FBA business is product selection. You need to find profitable products with low competition, which can be a tedious and time-consuming process.
This task can be streamlined by using specialized tools. One of the top choices is the AMZScout Product Database, which helps you identify profitable product ideas in just a few minutes. Let’s explore how this tool can assist you further below.
Find Ideas for the Most Profitable Products to Sell on Amazon with Ease
The AMZScout Product Database includes data on over 600 million products, helping you quickly identify profitable items with minimal effort. Here’s how to use it:
1. Go to the AMZScout Product Database. Enter your email address to start a free trial (no credit card details are required).
2. Start your search. You can optionally include names of products or niches (like "sneakers"), and refine your search using 16 customizable filters. These include universally applicable options like:
Category: Choose from 24 different categories based on your interests or niche.
Desired Revenue: Set your target monthly revenue.
Weight: Focus on lightweight items under 5 lbs to minimize your shipping costs.
Optional: Check the "New and Trending" box to discover hot products.
3. Generate a list of ideas. Click "Find Products" to see products that match your criteria. Review the results to select items that interest you. Pay attention to key indicators like:
Estimated monthly sales: A volume of over 300 units/month is usually a good sign of demand.
Number of sellers on the listing: A range of 2 to 15 sellers typically indicates manageable competition, giving you a better opportunity to carve out a share of the market.
Type of sellers: Ensure that Amazon is not one of the sellers on the listing, as their presence may indicate higher competition if you plan to resell the same product.
![Analyze AMZScout Product Database results]( "AMZScout Product Database Results")
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This simple process helps you identify products with the potential for profitability fast, allowing you to focus on items that are in demand. By streamlining product research, you save time and can efficiently build your Amazon FBA side hustle.
Way 2: Share Affiliate Links
Affiliate marketing is an excellent side hustle because it doesn’t require any specialized knowledge— all you need is an active social media presence, which most people already have. Affiliate marketing involves sharing special links to products on your blog, website, or social media, and earning a commission for each sale made through those links. The key to success is building an engaged following, which can take effort and consistency.
Here are a few tips to help you succeed:
Explore different formats: Experiment with videos, blog posts, or social media to see what resonates best with your audience.
Select only quality products: Promote only those items you truly believe in to build trust with your followers.
Collaborate with others: Partner with influencers or other content creators to help you attract a wider audience.
Optimize your content for SEO: This will help you rank higher among search results and attract more organic traffic.
However, this method has some drawbacks: building an audience takes time, and earnings can be unpredictable since you only earn commissions on actual sales.
Way 3: Publish Written Work on Amazon KDP or Audible
If your hobby is creative, you can easily monetize it without requiring much experience, and do it in your free time. Publishing on Amazon's Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) or Audible is simple—just create your own content (e.g., an ebook or audiobook) and sell it directly to a global audience. With royalties of up to 70%, you can earn confidently with this fully legit venture, as you own all the rights to your content.
Here are a few tips to help you succeed:
Use AI: If you’re short on ideas or want to refine your content, AI tools can help you brainstorm or improve your work.
Build a social presence: Royalties can be modest, especially for lesser-known creators. Boost your visibility and sales by investing in ads or building an audience on social media.
Research trends: Check which genres and formats are popular—for example, books that feature WhatsApp-style conversations are trending.
Scale your portfolio: Don’t stop at one creation. Publish multiple works to cross-promote and increase sales opportunities.
This side hustle offers the potential to make passive income, as your content remains available for purchase indefinitely. This method is especially suitable for creative individuals who enjoy crafting unique ideas and stories.
Way 4: Start Your Amazon Merch on Demand Business
Amazon Merch on Demand is an excellent side gig for those with a creative flair, and offers a chance to turn designs into a steady income. The platform handles everything for you, including printing, shipping, and customer service, making it a hassle-free way to get started.
Here’s how to start:
1. Sign up for an Amazon Merch on Demand account. Provide your personal or business details. Amazon will review your application within a few days.
2. Pick a product category. Choose from a wide selection of items, like T-shirts, phone covers, and more, on which your design can be featured.
3. Submit your artwork. Upload your design, propose a selling price, and specify other details.
Once your work is reviewed and approved, Amazon will create a product page where customers can buy products that feature your design. When someone purchases one of these products, Amazon will handle the production and shipping, and you receive a royalty for each sale.
Although this type of side hustle is simple, royalties are usually modest (around 10%). To increase your earnings, consider focusing on creating trending designs and actively promoting your products.
Way 5: Work for Amazon Flex
This method is perfect if you’re looking to make extra money quickly. By delivering groceries, packages, and other items to customers, you can earn up to $25/hour, according to Amazon. Additional perks include cashback offers on fuel, Amazon purchases, and more.
To participate, you’ll need to meet Amazon’s requirements:
Be 21 or older
Live in a city where Flex operates
Have a valid U.S. driver’s license
Own a mid-sized or larger vehicle with active insurance
Use a smartphone to install the Flex app
Have a bank account
However, there are also some drawbacks with this option. The app doesn’t always specify delivery routes in advance, and you may be assigned to deliver in other cities within your region, which can reduce your potential profit due to travel time. Additionally, being a safe and efficient driver is essential to succeed with this method.
These side hustle jobs appeal to entrepreneurs with varying initial requirements and interests, making it important to choose the one that best aligns with your preferences. Keep in mind that these business models also aren’t mutually exclusive, so you can also combine them to maximize your chances of success.
Conclusion
When choosing an Amazon side hustle, one of the key factors to consider is profitability, with selling on Amazon being among the most rewarding options. Consider using the AMZScout toolkit to help you identify the most promising products to sell. This approach allows you to devote relatively minimal effort while maximizing your earnings potential.
