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Welcome back friend!

And a big welcome to the +66 new readers this week!

Are you rich?

Everyone says they want to be rich. But we often don’t define what that means.

• For some people, rich is profit. Bigger numbers. Winning the scoreboard. Being able to say it worked.

• For others, it’s status. Being known. Being taken seriously. Getting the nod that says you made it.

• For some, it’s security. Knowing they’re covered. Having a buffer. Sleeping at night without wondering what breaks next.

All of those are valid.
But they lead to very different businesses.

Many sellers never choose. They chase a vague idea of “success” and end up building something impressive that runs their life instead of supporting it.

For me (Max), rich means control of my time.

When my mom got Leukemia, I didn’t have to ask a boss for time off. I didn’t negotiate days or explain why it mattered. I turned off my computer and went. I didn’t need permission.

I can go where I want. I can live where I want. When life changes, my business moves with me. And most importantly, I can live the manifesto.

That’s the version of rich I care about.

So before the next hire, the next SKU, the next “smart” move, pause and ask yourself one question.

What does your ideal Tuesday actually look like?
Then build a business that buys you that.

Do You Sell ANYTHING on Amazon.ca? 🏒 🦫 🍁 

Okay, maybe it's not your absolute favorite subject, regardless - we're here to make it a bit better.

Dive into our top-rated course on mastering GST/HST returns for Amazon sellers. Constantly updated to reflect Amazon's evolving reports and tax collections, it's perfect for DIY enthusiasts.

Packed with videos, screenshots, and detailed guides on GST/HST, tax invoices, and more, it's your shield against costly GST mistakes that many sellers fall into yearly.

Facing an audit? We've got you covered with a dedicated section for smooth sailing through audits. Plus, don't forget about our our 1-hour expert calls for a deep dive.

✅The Instant Value Section (IVS)✅

(aren't you glad you opened the email now?)

Huge thanks to our good friend Chris McCabe of eCommerce Chris for supplying this week’s newsletter. Chris truly is the best “Amazon fixer” that we know of. Last week he gave out his personal phone number and told people to give him a call day or night. That’s commitment!

Make Sure to Document All the “Misinfo”

Struggling with Amazon Seller Support? Me too. Start collecting ammo. 🔫 

Here’s the reality: Support is often wrong. And when they are technically right, it usually doesn’t move your case forward. Let’s start thinking about calls and emails as “discovery.” Your real job on those interactions is to gather information you can later use in an escalation.

Every time you interact with Seller Support or Account Health, log the basics. This is not optional.

• The date and time of the interaction

• The person’s name and role or title

• The case ID

• Exactly what they told you

• Exactly what you did next

Keep this as a single running log, not scattered notes.
If you need one, here’s a simple one that will help you stay on track.

As you build that log, watch for patterns that matter in escalations.

• They say they will look into it and call you back, then disappear

• Someone does call back but adds nothing new other than “wait longer”

• A written ASIN notice conflicts with what you were told on the phone

• Different reps give different answers to the same question

• You point out the contradiction and nothing changes

This matters because that log becomes the backbone of your escalation email. Not a rant. Not begging. A clean, factual timeline that shows Amazon contradicting itself. Quote their own messages. Link the policy pages they misquote. Call out contradictions by date, for example: support said X on January 12, the written notice said Y on January 13.

If the case is still stuck, ask one direct question: what is this waiting on? Is something pending on Amazon’s side, something on yours, or is it just sitting in review with no owner?

If they claim no further information is required, say this plainly: “If no further information is required, please confirm the expected decision date. This delay is causing measurable daily revenue loss.”

Be direct. Be specific. Because if you let Amazon spin you, they will.

Here’s the support log file you can swipe.

Coming Soon…

We’ve been building this behind the scenes and it’s nearly here… 💪 

The Top 10 Automations and VA Tasks Every Amazon Business Should Be Using

Most Amazon sellers didn’t build a business. They built a job where Bezos is the boss. If you disappeared for four weeks, would things run… or fall apart?

This guide shows the kind of work that should never depend on you.

• Like PPC getting optimized automatically.

• Or inventory being forecasted so stockouts stop wrecking your rank.

The operational grind comes off your plate.

So you stay on the only work that actually makes you money: sourcing, suppliers, product decisions.

Want to be notified when it comes out?

Email [email protected] and let us know!

Rufus: The Blueprint Part 2 is out and… you already know everything.

Rufus Part 2 is out. Cool. Not much new.

I read Andrew Bell’s breakdown. Credit for the work, but let’s be honest. This is just a long explanation of how Amazon has always rewarded good operators.

There is no secret “optimize for Rufus” playbook.

If your listing is built properly, Rufus already favors you. If it is sloppy, Rufus exposes you.

Here is the real TLDR (stuff you probably already know).

Rufus Optimization Checklist:

1. Fill all catalog attributes
Specs, materials, size, compatibility, included parts. No empty fields.

2. Fix your title
What it is. Who it’s for. Main differentiator. Skip the fluff.

3. Make Bullet 1 the main answer
Hit the biggest buyer question immediately.

4. Replace hype with facts
Less “premium.” More numbers, materials, measurements.

5. Make every bullet standalone
One bullet = one feature, use, or objection handled.

6. Seed strong Q&A
Add real questions buyers ask. Answer clearly and literally.

7. Shape review language
Your product must lead customers to mention outcomes, fit, ease, durability.

8. Cover keywords and natural meaning
Exact buyer phrases plus plain language descriptions.

9. Upgrade images into proof
Show size, what’s included, how it works, compatibility.

10. Keep stock and catalog structure clean
Stay in stock. Fix variations. Remove duplicates. Make info match everywhere.

Rufus is not magic. It just pulls the truth from your listing ecosystem. If the truth is weak, you lose. If the truth is clear, you win. Same rules. Different interface.

Taking Stock of What you Have

After an awesome visit from Max and his family in CR, things have kicked off for tax season.  In January, a lot of our non-resident clients are filing sales taxes, and onboarding new clients for our new non-resident importing document services (companies not in US or Mexico need a Canadian service provider to host documents for importing to Canada). Click here if this is you!

Having guests in town does force you to take a little inventory on what you have and might take for granted.  We are lucky enough to have wonderful beaches so close that we don’t appreciate them enough.  We often get too busy and don’t enjoy them like we should. It’s a gut check again to focus on what's important, and make the effort to enjoy what you have.  Since then, we’ve been to the beach each weekend and golfing, making sure we are taking the time to enjoy things.

The Deep Dive (Premium Content)

Amazon Newsletter Recommendation

The SmartScout Newsletter is one of my favorites! Run by the endlessly pragmatic & kind Scott Needham, this is a great impactful read every time. If you’re an Amazon operator, it’s definitely one to check out.

Amazon Ads Move Fast - Did you miss this one?

Did you miss this ad change? You can now run “Prompt” ads. The “Prompt” section is the area where AI writes out the most popular search queries for any ASIN. Yes, you can advertise here. Kind of crazy.

Here’s the guide.

The Top Luxury Stays to Book with Points

If you’re racking up tons of Amex, Chase, or other points, you might not know your points are devaluing at about 20% a year. That makes them a trash investment.

So, the best thing you can do is stop hoarding and use them up. If you want to enjoy a fancy vacation for free, then these are our top-3 luxury stays that give you great value for your points.

1. Park Hyatt Paris-Vendôme - Parisian luxury a 15-min walk from the Louvre with an epic breakfast that runs $2,000/nt
   
   Price: 35-45k Chase points/nt
   How to Book: Transfer at 1,000:1,000 ratio to Hyatt
   Pro Tip: Get a Hyatt Guest of Honor award from a friend to unlock top-tier Globalist benefits on your stay
   

2. Al Maha (Dubai) - escape to your own stunning private Bedouin cottage with plunge pool overlooking golden dunes teeming with Arabian oryx
   
   Price: 108k-162k Chase/US Amex points/nt
   How to Book: Transfer at 1,000:1,000 ratio to Marriott
   Pro Tip: Wait for Chase’s yearly 50-70% transfer bonus to Marriott
   

3. Calala Island (Nicaragua) - an exclusive Caribbean private island with just 6 suites that sell for $5,000/nt
   
   Price: 120k US Amex points/nt
   How to Book: Transfer at 1,000:2,000 ratio to Hilton
   Pro Tip: Your 5th night’s free if you have Hilton status, which comes automatically on the Amex Platinum/Business Platinum cards

Special SFTB Discount
Do you want free 5-star stays like these booked using points earned from your business? Stratys–the luxury credit card points travel concierge feat. in The Wall Street Journal–can do it all for you. Our custom points earning strategy build-outs save you $30k+/yr on vacations. Mention SFTB here to get 20% off (i.e., $799 vs. regularly $999) when you purchase by Feb. 15.

Somethings are just “Weird” in Costa Rica.

When you first move here, you notice pretty quickly that some things work… differently. Sometimes there’s a logical reason. Sometimes there absolutely isn’t.

Last month near our place they widened the road to add a passing lane. Sounds normal. Except the new lane runs straight into a telephone pole and a big tree. Instead of moving the pole or cutting the tree, they just paved around them. So now there’s technically a lane… that you can’t really use.

Weird. Just weird.

And then there’s the men’s washroom I walked into at Condor restaurant.

• Kix asks about shipping pallets

• Steve starts a discussion about what to do when an item is delivered even though a customer says it isn’t.

Amazon Fires 16,000 Employees

Amazon just cut another 16,000 jobs. At the same time, they now have more robots in their warehouses than humans.

I am not mad in the “corporations are evil” way. This is the market. Automation. AI. Efficiency. Predictable.

Here is the part that sticks in my trunks:

You can give years to a company. Hit targets. Work late. Miss dinners. Stress over metrics that only matter on their dashboard.

Then a spreadsheet decides you are a cost.

Not a person. A cost.

You are not building security.
You are renting relevance.

This is why we’re here at SFTB.
This is why we encourage everyone to build their own thing.

Become un-fireable.

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To your success,

Rob & Max