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DIY isn't free. Here's the real cost – money, time, mistakes – of going to Amazon USA solo vs hiring a team that's done it 12 times before.
| Think14 ($2,499 Launch tier) | DIY (year-1 reality) | |
|---|---|---|
| LLC formation + reg agent | $0 (included) | $300 (TX filing) + $99 reg agent |
| EIN (Form SS-4 fax) | $0 (included) | $0 fee but ~8-12 hours research + risk of rejection |
| Operating Agreement template | $0 (included) | $200-500 from an online legal service or attorney |
| US bank account setup | $0 (included, Mercury walkthrough) | Free but 3-5 attempts typical before approval |
| US phone + virtual address | $0 (included) | $15/mo OpenPhone + $25/mo iPostal1 = $480/yr |
| BOI filing | $0 (included) | $0 fee + 2-3 hours + risk of $500/day penalty |
| Amazon Seller US verification | $0 (included, we coach you through) | $0 fee but 30-40% first-attempt fail rate without guidance |
| Trademark filing (USPTO) | $350 USPTO fee (we file) | $350 fee + $300-800 attorney OR risk of bad filing |
| First FBA shipment prep | $0.45/unit at our warehouse | ~$1.30/unit at most US prep centres |
| Form 5472 + 1120 annual | $299 (Brand tier includes CPA) | $600-1,200/yr CPA or $25K penalty risk if DIY wrong |
| Sales tax registration + filing | $299/mo (only needed in Brand tier) | $50-100/state setup + $1,200-2,400/yr filing |
| Total cash cost year-1 | ~$3,000 | ~$2,400-4,000 (range depending on mistakes) |
| Total time investment year-1 | ~10 hours of your time | ~180-240 hours of your time |
| Time to first FBA shipment | 8-12 weeks | 16-32 weeks (average) |
You have unlimited time. You enjoy navigating IRS/USPTO/CBP paperwork. You're prepared to lose 6 months learning what we already know. You have $30-50K of working capital to absorb mistakes (rejected shipments, missed deadlines, suspended accounts). Doing it yourself can also be a great learning experience if you're planning to build multiple US LLCs later.
Your time is worth more than $20/hour. You want to launch products, not navigate bureaucracy. You'd rather pay $3K once to skip 6 months of learning curves. You want a team that's already done all this 12 times across $2.14M of verified GMV.
Most DIY founders we talk to spent ~$8,000 across small mistakes (rejected EIN application, wrong state LLC, mis-prepped inventory, sales-tax penalty notices, suspended accounts) before they came to us. The cash cost looks similar to ours – but the time cost and the launch delay are what kill momentum.
30-min free call. We'll be honest about whether DIY is right for you.
21 steps from idea to first US sale. Free PDF.