From $5K to $45K: How to Scale Your Amazon Business

From Offline Business to the Global Market 

Aksultan Kobegenov, a 25-year-old entrepreneur from Almaty, is no stranger to business. Before launching on Amazon, he successfully managed a chain of optical stores and earned a feature in Forbes Kazakhstan. However, he soon saw that the local market held him back. Traditional retail also had high costs.

As more competitors went online and shoppers preferred e-commerce, Aksultan noticed a change in buying habits. People found it more convenient to shop from home, and this trend was only accelerating.

Meanwhile, a significant portion of his revenue was being spent on rent and employee salaries for physical stores, reducing profitability. Realizing these challenges, he began researching leading e-commerce platforms to identify the best opportunities for scaling and expanding internationally.

Why Amazon?

• Stable currency – Selling in USD rather than fluctuating local currencies like tenge or ruble.
• High purchasing power – Customers on Amazon have a much higher average order value than in Kazakhstan.
• Scalability – You can earn a lot of money in Kazakhstan over several years. However, you can get similar results on Amazon much faster.

"I wanted to expand beyond Kazakhstan and test myself in global marketplaces. I looked at different platforms, but Amazon stood out.

It is stable, has strong customers, and allows selling at higher prices. Another crucial factor was selling in USD. Unlike unstable currencies in the CIS, the dollar provides predictable revenue and safeguards against devaluation."

Aksultan spent eight months studying the market and preparing to launch his first product under the Private Label model. However, like many new sellers, he faced significant challenges.

He searched for training courses but found that most provided only superficial knowledge or focused on online arbitrage. Moreover, many course creators lacked real experience in successful selling and made money solely from education. He chose the harder but more reliable path—self-education. He studied English-language sources, watched interviews with successful sellers, and tested strategies in real life.

First Success and an Unexpected Ban 

After extensive market research and fine-tuning his advertising strategies, Aksultan’s Amazon business started gaining traction. Within the first six months, he achieved a monthly revenue of $45,000, with net profits ranging between $8,000 and $9,000. However, his success abruptly ended when Amazon suspended his account due to alleged counterfeit product sales.

"It was a shock. We sourced products directly from a factory in China, not from Alibaba, which I thought would guarantee authenticity and quality. However, since our trademark was still in pending status, we couldn't quickly verify the product’s legitimacy. As a result, Amazon banned us under Section 3."

Beyond the suspension, another major challenge was hijackers—unauthorized sellers who listed counterfeit versions of his product, damaging his listing’s credibility and leading to customer complaints.

🔥 Insight: Avoid working with suppliers who cannot provide official documentation. Amazon demands full transparency in supply chains.

Aksultan didn’t give up. He gathered and submitted all required documentation, including invoices, quality certificates, and a year’s worth of correspondence with the supplier. He also created invoice templates for the manufacturer to sign, ensuring they met Amazon’s strict verification standards.

After a lengthy appeal process lasting nearly six weeks, his account was reinstated. However, regaining lost rankings and rebuilding his business required a significant investment in advertising. Instead of reinvesting heavily in Private Label, he decided to pivot to wholesale.

Why Wholesale? 

"I realized that Private Label is a great business model, but it requires significant investment and has a long return cycle. Wholesale, on the other hand, allows for faster cash flow turnover and lower risks since you’re selling well-established brands."

🔹 Why Wholesale?

• Lower risk of account suspension—working with established brands.
• Faster cash flow—purchasing in smaller batches.
• No need for massive investments in branding and marketing.

One of the key factors in wholesale success is choosing the right niches. Aksultan and his team focused on Home & Kitchen, Kitchen & Dining, Tools & Improvement, and Pet Supplies.

"We chose these categories because they have steady demand and high turnover rates. It’s essential to find niches with consistent customer needs but manageable competition. We avoid complex segments like supplements, which have strict regulations and a high risk of account suspensions."

🔥 Pro Tip: In wholesale, look for brands that don’t sell on Amazon themselves but rely on resellers. This increases your chances of securing exclusive distribution rights.

Aksultan’s strategy is to target niche brands that lack an official presence on Amazon. He secures authorization letters from manufacturers, allowing him to become their exclusive or primary seller on the platform.

"Our goal is to find brands that are not selling on Amazon and have no plans to. This allows us to offer them a partnership where we manage everything on the platform, ensuring stable sales. This approach helps avoid price wars and undercutting."

Challenges in Wholesale 

Despite its advantages, wholesale on Amazon presents its own set of challenges. One of the biggest hurdles is getting brands to approve Amazon sellers. Many companies hesitate to work with third-party sellers due to concerns about price control and brand integrity.

"The biggest challenge is getting brands to say yes. About 90% don’t want to work with Amazon sellers, so we have to find ways to convince them. We send dozens of emails, contact managers directly, and push for calls—it’s the only way to secure supplier agreements."

🔥 Pro Tip: If a supplier isn’t responding, don’t give up. Reach out to different departments in the company. The more people hear about you, the higher your chances of getting a deal.

Another challenge is competing for the Buy Box. Since many wholesale sellers source from the same brands, price competition can be fierce, driving down profit margins.

"If you’re selling a product that ten other sellers are also listing, you either have to lower your price or find a way to differentiate yourself. Our strategy is to work with smaller brands to secure exclusivity and avoid pricing battles."

Leveraging Seller Assistant for Growth 

To streamline product research and assess potential niches, Aksultan and his team rely heavily on Seller Assistant. This tool automatically calculates Amazon fees, taxes, and other expenses directly on product pages, significantly speeding up decision-making.

"My mentor introduced me to Seller Assistant early on, saying it was a must-have tool for serious sellers. Initially, I was overwhelmed with the number of products I had to analyze manually. Other plugins required endless scrolling and multiple tabs, but with Seller Assistant, everything is displayed in one place. One click exports all the data into a spreadsheet. It’s truly a game-changer!"

Scaling and Future Plans 

Today, Aksultan’s team includes two dedicated researchers—one focused on brand analysis and another handling supplier outreach. He personally manages negotiations. His partnerships now include well-known brands like OXO, as well as niche manufacturers offering specialized products.

Looking ahead, Aksultan is exploring additional marketplaces like Walmart and eBay to diversify revenue streams. While his focus remains on wholesale, he hasn’t ruled out returning to Private Label when the time is right.

Conclusion: Key Takeaways for E-commerce Entrepreneurs

Aksultan’s journey is more than a transition from a local business to a global e-commerce operation—it’s a testament to how strategic thinking, resilience, and the right tools can build a sustainable Amazon business.

🔹 Key Success Principles:

• Securing exclusive distribution rights with brands not yet on Amazon.
• Using data-driven analytics—Seller Assistant helps evaluate products efficiently.
• Building a strong team—two researchers handle supplier outreach and market analysis.
• Personal negotiations—Aksultan oversees the most critical business deals himself.

The biggest lesson? 

There’s no universal formula for success in e-commerce. But the key principles remain the same: analyze, adapt, persist. Follow them, and the results will follow!

Link to Aksultan’s Instagram  https://www.instagram.com/kobegenovv

Do you want to test your skills on Amazon and achieve success like Aksultan? Try Seller Assistant. A free 14-day trial will allow you to explore all the platform's features and take your first steps in the business.