The Amazon Seller's Annual Review: How to Turn Last Year's Data Into Next Year's Profits

You made it through Q4. The sales notifications have slowed down, and your bank account looks healthier than it did in January.

But here's an uncomfortable question: Can you actually explain why some products crushed it this year while others sat collecting dust and storage fees in FBA?

Most sellers can't.

They finish the year, take a breath, and jump straight back into sourcing—hoping next year will somehow be better. They repeat the same mistakes. They keep buying categories that quietly drain their margins. They forget what actually worked and chase shiny new strategies instead.

The sellers who grow year over year aren't smarter or luckier. They just stop once a year to look at what actually happened—and make decisions based on data instead of gut feelings.

That's what an annual review does. It's not journaling. It's not some corporate performance review. It's a few hours spent answering one question:

What should I do more of, less of, and differently next year?

This guide walks you through the full process:

• Audit your numbers to find hidden profit leaks
• Evaluate your systems and tools for what's actually worth keeping
• Build a concrete plan for next year (not vague goals—real projects with deadlines)

Here's the best part: By the time you finish Step 1, you'll probably uncover 2-3 wins from this year you've already forgotten. Sellers almost always underestimate how much they actually accomplished.

Let's get into it.

Part 1: Looking Back

Step 1: Document Your Wins

This might feel like a fluffy exercise. It's not.

Sellers are wired to focus on problems. The listing that got suppressed. The shipment that got lost. The product that tanked. You remember those vividly because they caused pain.

But the wins? They fade fast. You hit a milestone, feel good for a day, then move on to the next problem.

This creates a distorted view of your business. By December, most sellers feel like they "didn't accomplish enough this year"—even when the data tells a completely different story.

Starting your annual review with a wins list fixes that. It puts you in the right headspace to make clear-eyed decisions instead of desperate ones.

What to Capture

Don't just think about revenue. Think about progress across your whole business:

Profit wins

• Best-performing ASINs (by profit, not just sales)
• Categories or brands that exceeded expectations
• Months where you hit personal records

Sourcing wins

• New supplier relationships you established
• Stores, websites, or methods that became reliable sources
• A "big find" that paid off

Systems wins

• Shortcuts or processes you created that saved time
• Tools you adopted that actually made a difference
• Delegations that worked (VA tasks, prep center, etc.)

Problem-solving wins

• Account issues you resolved
• Return rate improvements
• Stranded inventory you recovered
• A bad buy you managed to liquidate without major loss

Personal wins

• Income milestones (first $10K month, first six-figure year, etc.)
• Skills you developed (learning a new tool, understanding PPC, etc.)
• Time freedom you gained
• Stress you eliminated

Why This Works

When you force yourself to write 15-20 wins on paper, something shifts.

You can't look at a list of 20 things that went right and still believe the story that "nothing worked this year." The evidence is sitting in front of you.

It also helps you spot patterns. Maybe you'll notice that wholesale accounts outperformed arbitrage this year. Or that Q2 was stronger than you remembered. These insights matter when you start planning.

Action Step

Time required: 20-30 minutes

Pull up your Seller Central reports (Business Reports → Sales and Traffic)

Glance at your calendar or journal from the past year for memory triggers

Open a blank doc and list at least 15 wins—no filtering, no "that's too small"

Don't overthink it. If it felt like a win at the time, write it down.

Step 2: Review Your Numbers

Step 1 was about mindset. This step is about reality.

Revenue is easy to celebrate. Profit is what actually matters. And most sellers don't have a clear picture of their true profit until they sit down and calculate it properly.

This is where you find the leaks—the products, categories, or habits that feel productive but are quietly eating your margins.

The Numbers That Actually Matter

Not all metrics deserve your attention. Focus on these:

Profitability metrics

• Total revenue — What Seller Central says you sold
• Total profit — What you actually kept after COGS, fees, shipping, prep, returns, and expenses
• Profit margin percentage — Your profit divided by revenue (most healthy reselling businesses run 15-30%)

Efficiency metrics

• ROI by sourcing method — Are you making more on retail arbitrage, online arbitrage, or wholesale? Where should you spend more time next year?
• Inventory turnover rate — How fast is your money coming back to you? Slow turnover ties up capital and racks up storage fees.
• Return rate — High returns kill margins. Which ASINs are the worst offenders?

Money leak metrics

• Storage fees paid — Aged inventory is a silent profit killer
• Disposal/removal fees — How much did you spend getting rid of bad buys?
• Ad spend vs. ad-attributed sales — If you ran PPC, was it actually profitable?

The Questions to Answer

Once you have the numbers, ask:

Which products or categories made you the most profit? Not revenue—profit. These are the winners you should double down on.

Which products lost money or barely broke even? After fees, returns, and storage, some "good sellers" are actually losers in disguise.

Where did you waste money this year? Be honest. Aged inventory you held too long? A bulk buy that flopped? Software you forgot to cancel?

What was your effective hourly rate? Take your total profit and divide it by the hours you worked. This number is humbling—but clarifying. If you netted $40,000 and worked 2,000 hours, you made $20/hour. That changes how you think about what tasks are worth your time.

Build Your Winners and Losers List

This is the most actionable part of the numbers review.

Pull a list of every SKU you sold this year and sort by profit. Then create two lists:

Top 10 Winners (by profit)

• What do they have in common?
• Can you source more of these?
• Is there a pattern in category, brand, or sourcing method?

Bottom 10 Losers (by profit or loss)

• Why did these fail?
• Fees? Returns? Slow sales? Competition?
• What warning signs did you ignore when buying?

This list becomes your buying filter for next year. More of what worked, less of what didn't.

Action Step

Time required: 45-60 minutes

Export your sales and fee data from Seller Central (or pull your annual report from your inventory software)

Calculate your actual profit and profit margin for the year

Create a simple spreadsheet with your Top 10 Winners and Bottom 10 Losers by profit

Write down the one biggest money leak you discovered

Don't skip the hourly rate calculation. It's uncomfortable but important.

Step 3: Audit Your Systems and Tools

Sellers accumulate tools like they accumulate inventory. A subscription here, a free trial you forgot to cancel there. Before you know it, you're paying for six different things that do overlapping jobs.

This step is about cutting the fat and identifying what's actually moving your business forward.

The Five Areas to Review

Go through each area of your business and ask: What's working, what's not, and what's missing?

1. Sourcing

• What methods are you using? (Retail arbitrage, online arbitrage, wholesale, or a mix)
• What tools support your sourcing? (Keepa, Tactical Arbitrage, BuyBotPro, etc.)
• How many hours per week do you spend sourcing?
• What's your "hit rate"—how often does a sourcing session produce profitable buys?

2. Inventory management

• How do you track what you own and where it is?
• How do you decide when to restock winners?
• Are you using software, spreadsheets, or just winging it?
• How often do you get caught off guard by stockouts or aged inventory?

3. Repricing

• Do you reprice manually or use software?
• How often do you check that your repricer is actually doing what you want?
• Are you leaving money on the table with prices set too low—or losing the Buy Box with prices too high?

4. Shipping and prep

• Do you prep in-house or use a prep center?
• What's your cost per unit for prep?
• How long does it take from purchase to check-in at Amazon?
• Where are the delays or bottlenecks?

5. Bookkeeping

• How do you track expenses and profitability?
• How much time do you spend on bookkeeping each month?
• Could you produce an accurate profit number right now if someone asked?
• Are you ready for tax season, or is it going to be a scramble?

The Tool Audit

Now list every tool and subscription you're currently paying for. All of them.

This includes:

• Sourcing tools (Keepa, Tactical Arbitrage, SellerAmp, etc.)
• Inventory software (InventoryLab, SellerBoard, RestockPro, etc.)
• Repricing software (Bqool, Informed, etc.)
• Bookkeeping tools (QuickBooks, spreadsheets, accountant fees)
• Misc subscriptions (VPN, store memberships, shipping supplies subscriptions)

For each tool, rate it:

• Essential: Directly makes or saves you money. You'd immediately re-subscribe if it disappeared.
• Useful: Nice to have but not critical. Could live without it.
• Cut it: Not using it enough to justify the cost. Cancel before next billing cycle.

Be ruthless. A tool you pay $50/month for but rarely use is costing you $600/year. That's inventory you could be flipping.

Spot the Bottlenecks

Beyond tools, look at your processes. Where does your business get stuck?

Common bottlenecks for sellers:

• Sourcing — "I spend hours looking and barely find anything worth buying."
• Listing/shipping — "I have products sitting in my garage for weeks before I send them in."
• Cash flow — "I find good deals but don't have capital to buy them."
• Decision-making — "I spend too long analyzing whether to buy something."
• Bookkeeping — "I have no idea if I'm actually profitable until tax time."

Identify your top 1-2 bottlenecks. These are the constraints limiting your growth. Solving them should be a priority next year.

Find the Time Vampires

Some tasks eat hours without producing results. Others feel productive but could be automated or delegated.

Ask yourself:

• What manual task do you spend the most time on each week?
• What task do you dread or procrastinate on?
• What could a $5-7/hour VA do just as well as you?
• What are you doing that software could handle?

Common time vampires:

• Manually repricing inventory
• Entering receipts into spreadsheets one by one
• Responding to the same customer questions repeatedly
• Checking sales rank by hand instead of using alerts
• Researching products you already know you won't buy

Action Step

Time required: 30 minutes

List every paid tool or subscription in your business with its monthly cost

Rate each one: Essential, Useful, or Cut It

Cancel anything in the "Cut It" category today (or set a reminder before the next billing date)

Write down your single biggest bottleneck and your single biggest time vampire

Quick math: Add up what you're spending on "Useful" and "Cut It" tools. That number might surprise you.

Step 4: Reflect on the Year

You've reviewed your wins, your numbers, and your systems. Now it's time to zoom out and think about the year as a whole.

This isn't about being hard on yourself. It's about extracting lessons while they're still fresh—so you don't repeat the same mistakes next year.

Why Reflection Matters for Sellers

Selling moves fast. You're constantly reacting: new deals, new problems, new opportunities. That pace makes it easy to operate on autopilot without ever questioning your approach.

Reflection forces you to slow down and ask: Am I building the business I actually want?

Some sellers discover they've been grinding in a category they hate. Others realize they've been avoiding a decision for months. A few find out they're closer to their goals than they thought.

You won't know until you ask the questions.

Step 4: Reflect on the Year

You've reviewed your wins, your numbers, and your systems. Now it's time to zoom out and think about the year as a whole.

This isn't about being hard on yourself. It's about extracting lessons while they're still fresh—so you don't repeat the same mistakes next year.

Why Reflection Matters for Sellers

Selling moves fast. You're constantly reacting: new deals, new problems, new opportunities. That pace makes it easy to operate on autopilot without ever questioning your approach.

Reflection forces you to slow down and ask: Am I building the business I actually want?

Some sellers discover they've been grinding in a category they hate. Others realize they've been avoiding a decision for months. A few find out they're closer to their goals than they thought.

You won't know until you ask the questions.

Questions About Last Year

Set aside 15-20 minutes. Write 1-3 sentences for each question—don't overthink it. Gut reactions are often the most honest.

Performance questions

• What were your 3 biggest wins this year?
• What were your 3 biggest mistakes or money-losing decisions?
• What worked better than expected?
• What didn't work despite your best efforts?

Risk questions

• What risk did you take that paid off?
• What risk did you take that flopped?
• What opportunity did you pass on that you now regret?
• What did you play too safe on?

Honesty questions

• What did you keep saying you'd do but never actually did?
• What problem did you ignore all year that you need to finally address?
• What part of the business do you enjoy most?
• What part of the business drains you?

Growth questions

• What skills did you develop this year?
• What do you understand now that confused you in January?
• What's one thing you'd do differently if you could restart the year?

The One-Advice Question

This question alone is worth the entire exercise:

If you could go back to January 1st and give yourself one piece of advice, what would it be?

Write it down. Be specific.

Examples from real sellers:

• "Stop buying low-ROI items just to feel productive. Fewer, better buys."
• "Hire the VA in Q1, not Q4. You wasted six months doing tasks someone else could handle."
• "Check your storage fees monthly. You bled $2,000 on aged inventory you forgot about."
• "Trust your data. That category wasn't working—you just didn't want to admit it."

Whatever your answer is, treat it as your first priority for next year.

Stories to Let Go Of

This one's more abstract, but stick with me.

We all carry narratives about our business that may or may not be true anymore:

• "Wholesale doesn't work for small sellers."
• "I'm not good with numbers."
• "I need to find a better niche before I can grow."
• "I can't afford to hire help yet."

Some of these stories protect you from real risks. Others just hold you back.

Ask yourself: What belief about your business or yourself has been running in the background all year? Is it still true—or is it just comfortable?

You don't have to abandon the belief. Just name it and question it.

Action Step

Time required: 20-30 minutes

Answer each question above in 1-3 sentences (use a notes app, doc, or paper—whatever reduces friction)

Circle or highlight the one answer that feels most important

Write down your "one piece of advice" and put it somewhere you'll see it in January

Pro tip: If you keep a journal or notes throughout the year, skim through them before answering. You'll remember things you'd otherwise forget.

Part 2: Looking Forward

Step 5: Set Your North Star Numbers

Part 1 was about understanding where you've been. Now it's time to decide where you're going.

But here's where most sellers go wrong: They set vague goals like "grow the business" or "make more money." That's not a plan. That's a wish.

Specific numbers create clarity. They tell you whether you're on track or falling behind. They help you make decisions. And they give you something concrete to work toward.

The Numbers That Matter Most

You don't need a complicated business plan. You need to define a handful of targets that will guide your decisions all year.

1. Revenue goal

How much do you want to sell next year?

This is the headline number, but don't stop here. Revenue means nothing if you're not profitable.

2. Profit goal

How much do you want to keep after all expenses?

This is the number that actually changes your life. Be specific: not "more than this year" but "$50,000 net profit" or "$8,000 per month."

3. Target profit margin

What percentage of revenue do you want to keep as profit?

Most healthy reselling businesses operate between 15-30% net margin. If you're below 15%, you're working hard for slim returns. If you're above 30%, you're doing something right—or you're not accounting for all your costs.

4. Average monthly inventory investment

How much capital will you have tied up in inventory at any given time?

This determines the size of business you can run. More inventory investment = more potential revenue, but also more risk and storage fees.

5. Target ROI

What return do you want on every dollar you invest in inventory?

A 50% ROI means a product you buy for $10 returns $15 after all fees. A 100% ROI means it returns $20. Your target ROI affects what deals are worth your time.

How to Set Realistic Targets

Ambitious goals are good. Delusional goals set you up for disappointment.

Use this framework:

Look at your baseline. What did you actually achieve this year? Start there.

Apply a growth rate. For most sellers, 25-50% growth year-over-year is aggressive but achievable. Doubling your business is possible but requires major changes (more capital, new sourcing channels, hiring help).

Work the math backwards. If you want $100,000 in revenue at a 20% margin, that's $20,000 profit. At 50% ROI, you'd need roughly $65,000-70,000 in inventory purchases over the year. Does that match your available capital and sourcing capacity?

Reality Check Questions

Before you finalize your numbers, pressure-test them:

• What would need to change to hit these numbers? If the answer is "everything," scale back.
• Do you have (or can you access) the capital required? Growth requires inventory investment. Where's the money coming from?
• Do you have the time? A $500K business takes more hours than a $100K business—unless you build systems and hire help.
• Is this a stretch goal or a fantasy? Stretch goals push you. Fantasies just create stress when you inevitably fall short.

Also define your floor. What's the minimum outcome you'd be okay with? If your target is $60K profit but you'd still feel good about $45K, write that down. It takes pressure off and keeps you from feeling like a failure if you hit 80% of your goal.

The Three Numbers Exercise

If the full list feels like too much, just pick three:

Revenue goal — The top-line target

Profit goal — What you'll actually keep

Hours per week — How much time you're willing to invest

These three numbers together define the business you're trying to build.

For example:

• $150,000 revenue / $35,000 profit / 20 hours per week = A solid part-time income with good margins
• $300,000 revenue / $60,000 profit / 45 hours per week = A full-time business replacing a day job
• $500,000 revenue / $90,000 profit / 25 hours per week = A leveraged business with systems and help

There's no right answer. The point is to be intentional about what you're building—not just chase "more."

Action Step

Time required: 15-20 minutes

Write down your revenue goal, profit goal, and target profit margin for next year

Estimate the inventory investment and time commitment required to hit those numbers

Define your "floor"—the minimum acceptable outcome

Gut check: Does this feel like a stretch or a fantasy? Adjust if needed.

Keep these numbers somewhere visible. You'll reference them when making sourcing decisions, evaluating new opportunities, and checking progress throughout the year.

Step 6: Choose Your Strategic Focus

Here's a hard truth: You can't do everything.

Every YouTube video, podcast, and Facebook group will tell you about a new strategy you "should" be doing. Wholesale. Private label. Walmart. TikTok Shop. A new sourcing tool. A better system.

Most sellers respond by trying a little of everything—and mastering nothing.

The sellers who grow fastest pick one focus and go deep. They get really good at one thing before adding the next.

This step is about choosing your "one thing" for the year.

The Three Growth Levers

Every reselling business grows through one of three levers. You can pull all three eventually, but trying to pull all three at once usually means none of them move.

Lever 1: Sell more of what works

Double down on your winners. If a category or sourcing method is already profitable, do more of it before chasing something new.

This looks like:

• Increasing buy quantity on proven ASINs
• Going deeper in a winning category instead of expanding to new ones
• Building stronger relationships with suppliers who already deliver
• Replenishing faster so you're never out of stock on winners

Best for: Sellers who had clear winners this year but spread themselves too thin across too many categories or methods.

Lever 2: Improve efficiency

Make more money per hour worked. This isn't about growing revenue—it's about keeping more of what you already make while getting your time back.

This looks like:

• Eliminating low-ROI products that aren't worth the effort
• Automating manual tasks (repricing, bookkeeping, alerts)
• Hiring a VA to handle sourcing, listing, or customer service
• Switching to a prep center to reclaim your garage and your weekends
• Cutting tools and subscriptions that don't earn their keep

Best for: Sellers who are busy but not seeing profits match the effort, or who feel burned out.

Lever 3: Expand capacity

Add new channels, new sourcing methods, or new capital to unlock the next level of growth.

This looks like:

• Opening wholesale accounts to access more consistent inventory
• Expanding to Walmart, eBay, or other platforms
• Getting a business line of credit to increase buying power
• Hiring beyond a VA—bringing on part-time help or a sourcing partner
• Renting warehouse or storage space to handle more volume

Best for: Sellers who've maxed out their current model and need to add inputs to grow further.

How to Choose Your Lever

Ask yourself:

"What's the bottleneck right now?"

• If you have winning products but not enough inventory → Lever 1 or Lever 3
• If you're working too many hours for the profit you're making → Lever 2
• If your sourcing is tapped out and you need new supply → Lever 3
• If you're spread across too many things and nothing's working great → Lever 1

"What does my numbers review tell me?"

Go back to Step 2. If you had clear winners, Lever 1 makes sense. If you had a lot of losers dragging down your margins, Lever 2 might be the priority. If you were profitable but just ran out of inventory to sell, Lever 3 is calling.

"What do I actually want?"

Be honest. Some sellers want to scale to seven figures. Others want a profitable side hustle that doesn't take over their life. There's no wrong answer—but the answer changes which lever matters most.

The One Thing Exercise

You've picked your lever. Now get more specific.

Complete this sentence:

"If I only accomplished one thing in my business next year, it would be _______________."

Examples:

• "Open 10 wholesale accounts and shift 50% of my sourcing to wholesale."
• "Hire and train a VA to take over sourcing so I only spend 10 hours/week on the business."
• "Eliminate all products under 30% ROI and focus only on high-margin inventory."
• "Launch on Walmart and generate $3,000/month in revenue by Q3."
• "Build a reliable replenishable catalog of 20 ASINs I can reorder every month."

This becomes your filter for the year. When new opportunities come up, ask: "Does this support my one thing, or distract from it?"

What to Start—and What to Stop

Growth isn't just about adding. Sometimes the fastest path forward is subtracting.

What's one thing you should stop doing next year?

• A sourcing method that takes time but doesn't produce
• A category that looked promising but never panned out
• A tool you pay for but barely use
• A habit that eats hours without results (over-researching, chasing clearance that's already picked over, etc.)

What's one thing you should start doing next year?

• A sourcing channel you've been curious about but haven't tried
• A system that would save hours each week
• A hire that would free you to focus on higher-value tasks
• A habit that would compound over time (daily sourcing, weekly numbers review, etc.)

Write both down. Be specific.

Action Step

Time required: 15 minutes

Choose your primary lever for the year: Sell more of what works, Improve efficiency, or Expand capacity

Complete the "one thing" sentence—make it specific and measurable

Write down one thing you'll stop doing and one thing you'll start doing

Gut check: Does this focus align with your North Star numbers from Step 5?

Remember: You're not committing to only this forever. You're committing to this as your priority for the next 12 months. That focus is what creates momentum.

Step 7: Build Your Project List

Goals are great. But goals don't get done—projects do.

A goal is a destination. A project is the vehicle that gets you there. Without projects, your annual targets are just wishes sitting in a document somewhere.

This step turns your focus from Step 6 into a concrete list of things you'll actually complete.

The Difference Between Goals and Projects

This distinction matters more than it sounds.

Goal: Shift 50% of sourcing to wholesale by end of year Projects:

• Research and apply to 20 wholesale suppliers by February
• Set up resale certificates for 3 new states by January 15
• Attend one wholesale trade show in Q2
• Build a wholesale tracking spreadsheet

Goal: Hire a VA to handle sourcing Projects:

• Write VA job description and task list by January 20
• Post job on OnlineJobs.ph and screen applicants
• Create training videos for sourcing process
• Run 2-week paid trial with top candidate

See the difference? Goals tell you what you want. Projects tell you how you'll get there.

How to Generate Your Project List

Start with your "one thing" from Step 6. Ask: What projects would need to happen to make this real?

Some goals require a single project. Others require several projects working together—either in sequence or in parallel.

Example: Goal is to improve efficiency and reclaim time

Projects might include:

• Switch to a prep center (research options, test one, transition inventory)
• Set up automated repricing (choose tool, configure rules, monitor for 2 weeks)
• Hire a VA for customer service (write job post, hire, train, hand off)
• Cancel unused subscriptions (audit, cancel, redirect savings)

Example: Goal is to double revenue through wholesale

Projects might include:

• Get approved with 10 new brands in Q1
• Attend ASD Market Week in March
• Build wholesale buying criteria checklist
• Create inventory funding plan (apply for credit line or negotiate terms)

Not Everything Ties to Your Main Goal

Some projects support your business without directly connecting to your primary focus. That's fine—just don't let them crowd out the main priority.

Supporting projects might include:

• Clean up Q4 returns and damaged inventory
• Set up QuickBooks for cleaner bookkeeping
• Organize Google Drive or Dropbox files
• Build a simple inventory reorder checklist
• Finally cancel that tool you haven't used since March

These "maintenance" projects keep the business running smoothly. Schedule them, but don't let them become excuses to avoid the harder growth projects.

The Anatomy of a Good Project

For each project, define three things:

1. A clear deadline

Not "Q1" or "soon." An actual date.

Bad: "Set up wholesale accounts early in the year" Good: "Apply to 10 wholesale suppliers by February 15"

Deadlines create urgency. Without them, projects drift indefinitely.

2. A concrete first action

What's the very next physical action to move this forward?

Bad: "Start working on VA hiring" Good: "Write a bullet-point list of tasks the VA will handle (30 min)"

The first action should be small enough that you could do it today. That removes the friction of getting started.

3. A definition of "done"

How will you know this project is complete?

Bad: "Get better at wholesale" Good: "Have 5 active wholesale accounts that I've placed at least one order with"

If you can't define done, the project will never feel finished.

How Many Projects?

Less than you think.

Aim for 3-5 major projects for the year. That's it.

You'll have smaller tasks and maintenance work throughout the year. But your big-move projects—the ones tied to your North Star numbers and strategic focus—should be limited.

Why? Because real projects take longer than you expect. And because focus beats volume every time.

If you list 15 projects, you'll make incremental progress on many and finish none. If you list 4 projects, you'll actually complete them.

Action Step

Time required: 20-30 minutes

List 3-5 major projects that support your North Star numbers and strategic focus

For each project, write down the deadline, first action, and what "done" looks like

Add 1-2 supporting or maintenance projects if needed

Optional: Sketch out which quarter each project belongs in

Start the first action on your most important project this week. Don't wait until January 1st. Momentum beats timing.

Step 8: Design Your Weekly Operating Rhythm

Goals and projects tell you what to do. Routines make sure it actually happens.

Most sellers don't fail because of bad strategy. They fail because the day-to-day chaos of running the business crowds out the important work. Shipments need to go out. Customer messages need responses. A listing gets suppressed. By Friday, you've been "busy" all week but haven't moved the needle on anything.

A weekly operating rhythm protects your priorities. It turns your most important activities into recurring appointments instead of things you'll "get to when you have time."

Why Routines Beat Motivation

Here's what nobody tells you about annual goals: Motivation fades fast.

That energy you feel in January? Gone by February. The excitement about your new project? Buried under daily firefighting by March.

Routines don't require motivation. They run on autopilot. When "sourcing for 2 hours" is just what you do on Tuesday and Thursday mornings, you don't have to decide whether you feel like it. You just do it.

The sellers who win aren't more disciplined. They've just designed their weeks so the important stuff happens automatically.

The Core Activities of a Reselling Business

Before building your schedule, get clear on what activities actually need to happen each week.

Sourcing

• Scanning/searching for new inventory (RA, OA, or wholesale)
• Evaluating deals and making buy decisions
• Placing orders or making purchases

Inventory management

• Reviewing inventory health and age
• Identifying restock opportunities on winners
• Monitoring stranded or suppressed listings
• Deciding what to liquidate or remove

Shipping and prep

• Prepping products for shipment
• Creating shipments in Seller Central
• Dropping off or scheduling pickups

Pricing

• Reviewing repricer performance
• Adjusting prices on slow movers
• Checking Buy Box percentage

Admin and bookkeeping

• Logging expenses and receipts
• Reconciling inventory costs
• Responding to customer messages
• Handling returns or cases

Growth work

• Working on your major projects from Step 7
• Learning new skills
• Building systems or SOPs

Daily vs. Weekly vs. Monthly

Not everything needs to happen every day. Sort your tasks by frequency:

Daily (15-30 minutes)

• Check Seller Central for urgent issues (suppressed listings, account health alerts)
• Respond to customer messages
• Quick scan of sales and inventory levels

Weekly (scheduled blocks)

• Dedicated sourcing sessions
• Shipment creation and drop-off
• Repricer and pricing review
• Bookkeeping (logging expenses, reconciling)
• One focused block on your main project

Monthly (part of a monthly review)

• Full inventory health audit
• Profit and loss review
• Progress check on annual goals
• Tool and subscription review

The key insight: Your daily tasks should be short maintenance. Your weekly blocks are where real progress happens.

Building Your Ideal Week

Here's a simple framework for structuring your week. Adjust based on whether this is a full-time business or a side hustle.

Step 1: Block your sourcing time

Sourcing is the engine of your business. If you don't protect time for it, everything else stalls.

Decide how many hours per week you'll source and when. Put it on the calendar like an appointment you can't cancel.

Example:

• Tuesday and Thursday: 6:00–8:00 AM sourcing (before the day job)
• Saturday: 9:00 AM–12:00 PM sourcing

Step 2: Block your shipping/prep time

How often do you need to send shipments? Once a week? Twice?

Batch this work. It's more efficient to prep 50 units in one session than 10 units five times.

Example:

• Sunday afternoon: Prep and create shipments
• Monday morning: Drop off at UPS

Step 3: Block your admin time

Don't let admin tasks bleed into your whole week. Contain them.

Example:

• Friday: 30 minutes for bookkeeping, customer messages, account health check

Step 4: Block your project time

This is the time you work on the business, not just in it. Protect it fiercely.

Example:

• Wednesday evening: 1 hour on main project (wholesale applications, VA training, etc.)

Step 5: Define your daily check-in

Keep this short. 15 minutes max to scan for fires without getting sucked in.

Example:

• Every morning: Quick Seller Central check, respond to urgent messages, review overnight sales

The Minimum Viable Week

Life happens. Kids get sick. Work gets crazy. Emergencies pop up.

You need a fallback plan for those weeks—the bare minimum to keep the business running without falling behind.

Ask yourself: If I could only do 3 hours this week, what would I do?

For most sellers, the minimum viable week is:

One sourcing session (to keep inventory pipeline moving)

One shipment (to keep cash flow moving)

Daily 5-minute check-ins (to catch urgent issues)

Everything else can wait a week without major damage.

Write down your minimum viable week. When chaos hits, you won't have to think—you'll just execute the essentials.

Common Rhythm Mistakes

Mistake 1: No dedicated sourcing time

"I'll source when I have time" means you won't source. Block it or it won't happen.

Mistake 2: Checking Seller Central constantly

Refreshing your app 20 times a day doesn't make more sales. It just fragments your attention. Check once or twice and move on.

Mistake 3: Never working on projects

The urgent always beats the important—unless you schedule the important. If "grow the business" isn't on your calendar, you'll stay stuck doing maintenance forever.

Mistake 4: Overloading the schedule

Be realistic about your time. An overstuffed calendar leads to guilt and burnout. Start with less than you think you can do. You can always add more.

Action Step

Time required: 20 minutes

List the core activities your business needs weekly (sourcing, shipping, admin, projects)

Decide how many hours per week you'll commit to the business

Block those hours on your calendar with specific activities assigned

Write down your "minimum viable week"—the 3-hour fallback for crazy weeks

Set one recurring alarm or reminder to protect your most important block (usually sourcing)

Don't aim for perfect. Aim for a realistic rhythm you'll actually follow. You can adjust as you learn what works.

Part 3: Making It Stick

Step 9: Schedule Your Quarterly Check-Ins

Here's the uncomfortable truth about annual goals: 12 months is too long.

By March, most sellers have forgotten what they wrote down in January. By summer, the plan is buried in a Google Doc they haven't opened in months. By Q4, they're scrambling through the holidays with no idea whether they're on track.

Quarterly check-ins fix this. They create shorter feedback loops so you can catch problems early and adjust before it's too late.

Why Quarterly Works

A year feels abstract. A quarter feels real.

Twelve months from now is hard to imagine. Ninety days from now? You can see it. You can plan for it. You can hold yourself accountable to it.

Quarterly check-ins also match the natural rhythm of a reselling business:

• Q1: Post-holiday recovery, planning, and slow season building
• Q2: Ramping up, testing new strategies, mid-year adjustments
• Q3: Pre-Q4 preparation, inventory building, system strengthening
• Q4: Execution mode, peak sales, cash flow management

Each quarter has a different feel. Your check-ins let you adapt your approach to match.

What to Review Each Quarter

Keep it simple. You're not redoing your entire annual review—just checking the dashboard.

Progress check (15 minutes)

• Review your North Star numbers from Step 5. Where do you stand?
• Are you on pace for your annual revenue and profit goals?
• Which of your 3-5 projects from Step 7 are complete? In progress? Stalled?

What's working (10 minutes)

• What went well this quarter?
• Which decisions paid off?
• What should you do more of?

What's not working (10 minutes)

• What didn't go as planned?
• Where did you fall short or get stuck?
• What should you stop doing or change?

Adjustments (15 minutes)

• Do your annual goals still make sense, or do they need revision?
• What's the priority for next quarter?
• What's one thing you'll do differently in the next 90 days?

That's it. Four questions, roughly an hour. Not a massive undertaking—just enough to stay on course.

The 90-Day Focus

Each quarter, pick one primary focus. This keeps the year from feeling overwhelming.

Ask: What's the most important thing to accomplish in the next 90 days?

Examples:

• Q1 focus: Get approved with 5 new wholesale accounts
• Q2 focus: Hire and train a VA to handle 50% of sourcing
• Q3 focus: Build Q4 inventory to $80,000
• Q4 focus: Execute Q4 and hit $100K in revenue

Your annual plan stays the same. But your quarterly focus zooms in on what matters most right now.

When to Schedule Check-Ins

Block time in the first week of each quarter:

• Q1 check-in: First week of April
• Q2 check-in: First week of July
• Q3 check-in: First week of October
• Q4 check-in: Your annual review (which you're doing now)

Put these on your calendar today. Not as a vague intention—as an actual appointment.

Set it for a time when you can think clearly. Weekend morning. Weeknight after the kids are in bed. Whenever you won't be rushed or distracted.

Two hours is plenty. One hour if you stay focused.

What If You're Off Track?

You will be. Everyone is at some point.

The goal isn't perfection. It's awareness. When you catch a problem in April, you have nine months to fix it. When you catch it in December, you've lost the year.

If you're behind on revenue or profit:

• Is it a sourcing problem (not enough inventory)?
• Is it a margin problem (buying the wrong products)?
• Is it a sell-through problem (inventory sitting too long)?

Diagnose before you react. The fix depends on the cause.

If a project is stalled:

• Is it still a priority, or has something changed?
• What's the actual blocker?
• Can you simplify or break it into smaller steps?

Sometimes the right move is to push harder. Sometimes it's to cut your losses and redirect energy elsewhere. The quarterly check-in gives you the space to decide intentionally.

Action Step

Time required: 10 minutes now, 1-2 hours per quarter

Open your calendar right now

Block 2 hours in the first week of April, July, and October for quarterly check-ins

Copy the simple template above into a doc you'll actually use

Set a reminder for one week before each check-in to gather your numbers

Don't skip this step. Scheduling the check-ins is what separates "I have a plan" from "I have a plan I actually follow."

Step 10: Share Your Plan

You've done the hard work. You've reviewed your numbers, set your targets, chosen your focus, and built your project list.

Now comes the step most sellers skip: telling someone about it.

This isn't about bragging or seeking approval. It's about leverage. Public commitment changes behavior in ways private intentions don't.

Why Sharing Works

There's a reason people hire coaches, join masterminds, and post their goals online. Accountability works.

When a goal lives only in your head, it's easy to quietly abandon it. No one knows. No one's watching. You can revise history and pretend you never really committed.

But when you've told your spouse you're going to hit $50K profit this year? When your accountability partner knows you're supposed to apply to 10 wholesale accounts by February? When your mastermind group is going to ask about your VA hire next month?

That changes things. Not because of shame or pressure—but because you've made it real. You've turned a private wish into a public commitment.

Who to Share With

You don't need to post your goals on social media (though you can). You just need one or two people who will actually follow up.

Option 1: A spouse or partner

If you have a partner, they're affected by your business whether they're involved or not. Sharing your plan helps them understand what you're working toward—and why you're spending Saturday mornings sourcing instead of sleeping in.

Bonus: Partners often notice things you miss. They might ask uncomfortable questions that sharpen your thinking.

Option 2: An accountability partner

Find another seller at a similar stage and commit to checking in regularly. Monthly is usually enough.

Structure it simply:

• What did you commit to last month?
• Did you do it?
• What are you committing to this month?

No judgment. No advice unless asked. Just honest reporting.

Option 3: A mastermind or community

Many seller communities have accountability threads or small groups. The structure is similar to an accountability partner, but with the added benefit of multiple perspectives.

Look for groups where members are serious and at a similar level. A group where everyone just vents about Amazon's latest policy change won't help you grow.

Option 4: A coach or mentor

If you're at a level where the investment makes sense, a coach can provide both accountability and strategic guidance. The financial commitment alone often increases follow-through.

What to Share

You don't need to share your entire annual review. Focus on the pieces that matter most:

Your North Star numbers

• "My goal is $150K revenue and $35K profit this year."

Your strategic focus

• "I'm going all-in on wholesale this year and cutting back on retail arbitrage."

Your major projects and deadlines

• "I'm planning to hire a VA by March and attend my first trade show in Q2."

Your quarterly focus

• "For Q1, my main priority is getting approved with 5 new wholesale suppliers."

Keep it concise. One page or a 5-minute conversation is plenty.

How to Structure Accountability Check-Ins

If you're doing regular check-ins with a partner or group, keep them tight:

Monthly format (15-30 minutes):

Review: What did you say you'd do last month?

Report: What actually happened? (Be honest—no spin)

Reflect: What helped? What got in the way?

Recommit: What are you committing to for next month?

Quarterly format (30-60 minutes):

Review progress against annual goals

Celebrate wins (seriously—don't skip this)

Discuss challenges and get input

Set focus for next quarter

The magic is in the consistency, not the format. A 15-minute monthly call you actually do beats an elaborate system you abandon.

What If You Don't Have Anyone?

Some sellers are flying solo. No spouse who cares about the business. No seller friends. No community.

Option 1: Find an online community

Facebook groups, Discord servers, Reddit communities—there are thousands of sellers online. Introduce yourself. Start engaging. Build relationships. Eventually, you'll find people worth connecting with more deeply.

Option 2: Use a public commitment tool

Apps like Beeminder, Stickk, or even a simple social media post can create external accountability. Some people commit money to a cause they hate if they don't follow through. (Nothing motivates like the threat of donating to a political opponent.)

Option 3: Create your own accountability system

Write a letter to your future self. Schedule it to arrive via email in 90 days. When it lands in your inbox, you'll have to face whether you did what you said you'd do.

Or record a short video of yourself stating your quarterly commitments. Watch it at your next quarterly review. Confronting your past self is surprisingly effective.

A Note on Vulnerability

Sharing your goals feels risky. What if you fail publicly?

Here's the reframe: Failure isn't the risk. Stagnation is.

Everyone who shares goals publicly falls short sometimes. That's not embarrassing—it's human. What's actually embarrassing is being in the exact same place next December because you never committed to anything.

The sellers who grow fastest are the ones willing to say, "Here's what I'm going for," knowing they might not make it. That willingness to be seen—and to be wrong—is what separates people who dream from people who do.

Action Step

Time required: 15-30 minutes

Choose one person or group to share your plan with

Write a short summary of your North Star numbers, strategic focus, and Q1 priority

Send it this week—don't wait for the "perfect" time

If you're using an accountability partner, schedule your first monthly check-in now

Even if you do nothing else from this guide, do this. A goal shared is a goal multiplied.

Conclusion: From Reacting to Building

Most sellers will never do this.

They'll finish Q4 exhausted, take a few days off, and jump right back into sourcing in January. Same categories. Same methods. Same problems. They'll stay busy without ever stepping back to ask if they're building something—or just running in place.

That's your edge.

An annual review isn't complicated. It's not some advanced strategy reserved for seven-figure sellers. It's a few hours of honest reflection that 90% of your competition will skip.

The Real Shift

This process isn't really about goals and projects. It's about changing how you operate.

Reactive sellers:

• Source whatever looks good in the moment
• Fix problems as they explode
• End the year unsure what actually worked
• Feel busy but not profitable
• Hope next year is better

Proactive sellers:

• Know exactly which products and methods drive profit
• Build systems that prevent problems
• Make decisions based on data, not gut feelings
• Protect time for work that grows the business
• Enter each year with a clear plan

The annual review is what moves you from the first column to the second. Not overnight—but consistently, year after year.

You Don't Need to Do This Perfectly

If the full 10-step process feels like too much, don't let that stop you.

A messy annual review beats no annual review. Every time.

If you only have 2 hours:

• Do Step 1 (Document Your Wins) and Step 2 (Review Your Numbers)
• Set your North Star numbers for next year
• Pick one strategic focus

If you only have 1 hour:

• Pull your profit numbers and identify your top 5 winners and biggest losers
• Answer this question: "What's the one thing that would make next year better than this year?"
• Write it down and tell someone

If you only have 15 minutes:

• List 10 things that went well this year
• Seriously—just that

Something is infinitely better than nothing. Start where you are.

The Compound Effect

Here's what happens when you do this every year:

Year 1: You get clarity on what's actually working. You stop a few money leaks. You feel more in control.

Year 2: You double down on winners. You cut what's not working faster. You build your first real systems.

Year 3: You're operating from a playbook instead of guessing. You've compounded lessons from two years of reflection. You're growing while others are still figuring out the basics.

Year 5: Your business looks completely different—not because you found some secret strategy, but because you made small, intentional adjustments every single year.

Most sellers restart from scratch every January. You'll be building on a foundation that gets stronger each year.

What to Do Right Now

Don't wait until January 1st. That's a trap.

The motivation you feel reading this will fade. The holidays will get busy. And suddenly it's February and you never did your review.

Start today. Start with Step 1.

Open a blank doc. Set a timer for 20 minutes. List every win from this year—big or small, business or personal. Just get them on paper.

That's it. That's the first step.

Once you've done that, the rest gets easier. You'll have momentum. You'll want to keep going. And by the time January hits, you won't be setting vague resolutions like everyone else.

You'll have a plan.