If you’re an e-commerce brand handling your own Amazon FBA prep, you’re not alone. But you might be underestimating the cost.
What starts as a simple way to stay lean and in control often turns into a hidden drain on time, resources, and revenue.
Here’s a closer look at the true cost of doing your own FBA prep and how to know when it’s time to outsource.
⏱️ 1. Labor Costs Add Up
Even if you’re not hiring full-time staff, someone is spending time labeling, packing, and prepping shipments. Whether it’s you or a team member, that time has a value and it often costs more than you think.
Example: If a team member spends 10 hours/week on FBA prep at $25/hour, that’s $1,000/month that could go toward marketing, product dev, or customer support.
❗ 2. Amazon Compliance Issues Can Hurt
Amazon has strict requirements for labeling, packaging, and shipping.
Missed labels, improper barcodes, or late shipments can lead to:
• Rejected inventory
• Fines
• Account warnings
Small mistakes become big problems at scale.
📦 3. Space and Logistics Bottlenecks
Running prep in-house means dedicating space for inventory, packaging materials, and staging. If you’re growing, that space becomes a bottleneck fast, especially during peak seasons.
Outsourcing lets you scale without warehouse constraints or late-night packing sessions.
⚖️ 4. Opportunity Cost: What Are You NOT Doing?
Every hour spent on prep is an hour not spent:
• Launching new products
• Optimizing your listings
• Running ads
• Building your brand
It’s not just about what you’re doing. It’s what you’re not doing because of it.
✅ When It’s Time to Outsource
Here are a few signs you’ve outgrown DIY FBA prep:
• You’re spending more than 5–10 hours/week on prep
• You’ve had at least one Amazon compliance issue
• You’re running out of space
• Your growth is being delayed by operational tasks
🛠️ What to Look for in a Prep Partner
When evaluating FBA prep services, consider:
• Amazon compliance expertise
• Turnaround time
• Transparent, flat-rate pricing
• No long-term contracts
• Location that aligns with your suppliers or warehouse flow
📞 Ready to Offload Your FBA Prep?
At Mendtronix, we help e-commerce brands simplify Amazon FBA prep with fast turnaround, flat-rate pricing, and Amazon-compliant service. Whether you’re managing a few SKUs or scaling fast, we make it easy to stay focused on growth instead of packing boxes.
👉 Call or email us to get started:
info@mendtronix.com
800-798-8544