The actual checklist for a private-label launch (before you order)

Skipping preparation is the most common reason a private-label product fails within three months. The product seems good, the supplier seems reliable, the numbers look right on a napkin. Then the fee calculator shows a different number, or the first batch arrives with a defect nobody caught, or the listing is suppressed because you missed a category restriction.

Here is what to check before you send a dollar to a supplier.

1. Run the fee calculator before you source

Not after you have a sample in hand, before. Put in the estimated box dimensions, weight, and category, and see what the FBA fee actually is. If the fee plus your cost plus a realistic PPC number leaves under 20 percent net, change the product, change the supplier, or change the price. The calculator will not get more optimistic later.

2. Check category restrictions

Some categories require ungating before you can list. Others are restricted by Amazon policy. Search the category on Seller Central before you order. If the category is gated, factor in the time and documentation cost of getting ungated. If it is outright prohibited — consumables without approval, electronics without certification — find a different category.

3. Order a pre-production sample

The factory photo shows a perfect unit. The sample from a first production run shows the real one — color variation, weight, packaging quality. Skip the sample and you are buying a thousand units of something you have never held in your hand. I have seen a "blue" product arrive purple because the supplier's reference was different from the buyer's interpretation. A sample would have caught it.

4. Check the trademark availability

Searches for similar names on Amazon and a quick check of the USPTO database cost nothing. A trademark dispute after you have inventory is expensive. Even if you do not file for registration yet, make sure the name is not already in use by a competitor who can claim it.

5. Model the PPC cost

Find the top-of-search bid for your main keywords using the ad console or a tool. Multiply it by your estimated conversion rate. That is your estimated cost per sale. If it is more than you budgeted, either the keyword is too expensive, the listing needs to convert better, or the niche has too much competition. Check all three before you buy.

6. Calculate the break-even price

Use a break-even calculator with your worst-case numbers — highest possible fee, lowest realistic price, highest ad cost. If the worst case still shows a profit, the product is safe enough to launch. If the worst case is a loss, you are betting on everything going right, which it will not.