From $200 to $13 Million: Flipping Used Books to Amazon Empire (with Corey Ganim)

Frugalpreneur: Building a Business on a Bootstrapped Budget

In this episode of the Frugalpreneur podcast, host Sarah St. John sits down with Corey Ganim, a self-made entrepreneur who shares his journey of bootstrapping an Amazon-based business from scratch. Corey recalls the pivotal moment that pushed him to pursue entrepreneurship full-time: witnessing a senior manager at IBM frequently missing family time due to work commitments. Determined to avoid that fate, Corey ramped up his Amazon side hustle, which initially involved flipping used books found at thrift stores.

Starting with just a couple hundred dollars—$200 for equipment and $100 for inventory—Corey describes how he reinvested profits to gradually scale his business, reaching over $13 million in sales. He emphasizes the importance of resourcefulness and a frugal mindset, using free or low-cost tools like Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace to acquire inventory and even leveraging 0% APR credit cards to finance growth early on.

Corey opens up about his biggest mistake: underestimating how long true, sustainable scaling takes when bootstrapping, and making some hasty decisions as a result. On the flip side, he highlights the value of being disciplined about every expense, a habit that’s served him well even as the business grew.

To help others interested in the Amazon wholesale model he now follows (buying bulk products from manufacturers and reselling them on Amazon), Corey offers a free step-by-step online course at freewholesaleguide.com.

The episode is packed with practical advice and real-world insights for anyone starting or scaling a business on a tight budget.

Timestamps:

00:00 – Introduction & Episode Purpose

- Host Sarah St. John introduces the Frugalpreneur showcase format: bootstrapped entrepreneurs share their tips, tactics, and tools, plus valuable takeaways for listeners' own business journeys.

00:35 – Corey’s Entrepreneurial Turning Point

- Corey recalls the pivotal moment in 2019 that motivated him to take his Amazon side business seriously.

- Realized through a corporate anecdote (his manager, John) that he didn’t want to miss out on life and family due to endless corporate travel.

02:31 – Bootstrapping the Amazon Selling Business

- Started immediately after college graduation with a label printer and scanning tool from his mom (approx. $200 investment).

- Began by flipping used books from thrift stores on Amazon with just $100 in startup inventory.

- Highlights the “snowball” potential: reinvest profit for exponential compounding growth.

04:02 – Growth and Scale

- Systematic reinvestment led from a couple hundred dollars to over **$13 million** in product sales.

- Emphasizes disciplined scaling, only investing more capital down the line—with slow, steady growth.

05:46 – Biggest Bootstrapping Failure

- Underestimated the time required to scale; thought he could hit $1M in sales within two years, but realistic bootstrapping took longer.

- Early mistakes from “get-rich-quick” mindset: poor product and partner choices.

- Key lesson: adopt a long-term, patient growth strategy.

06:47 – Bootstrapping Success: The Frugal Mentality

- Lack of excess capital forced careful, intentional spending.

- Avoided unnecessary expenses (e.g., expensive websites, assistants).

- Developed financial discipline and appreciation for responsible scaling—a mindset he still applies today.

07:40 – Corey’s Actionable Bootstrapping Tips

-Leverage free/low-cost industry resources:

- Example: posted on Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace offering free removal of unwanted books—led to profitable inventory at zero cost.

- Smart use of 0% APR credit cards:

- Used cards with promotional rates or delayed payment windows to purchase inventory.

- Cautions to understand personal risk tolerance before adopting this strategy.

09:48 – Transition to Wholesale & Free Resource

- Now operating a wholesale model: buying bulk, brand-name products directly from manufacturers/distributors to sell on Amazon.

10:48 – Episode Wrap & Call for Future Guests

- Sarah thanks listeners and encourages entrepreneurs with relevant stories to apply to be guests on future episodes.

Episode Links

- Corey’s Free Amazon Wholesale Guide: https://freewholesaleguide.com

- SuiteDash (Business Automation Software Mention): https://suitedash.com

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