Smashers Academy Review (Updated 2024): What Does Janson Smith Know That You Don't About Amazon?

TLDR - What's The Verdict On Smashers Academy?

Smashers Academy is an Amazon FBA program that seems to focus especially on the UK market. It's ran by a guy named Janson Smith, who lucked out and jumped in during 2018, back when Amazon FBA really peaked.

I like that his website is mostly transparent, especially since so many of these guys have generic, one page websites that don't really give you any useful information. Sometimes they basically say "hey it this is a great way to make money - don't you like money?"

But with Smith, he does a good job of laying things out for the reader. He tells you what's actually in the course, he lists some of the tools that you'll be getting, and he even shares the price of the course.

This could really be a useful program for folks in the United Kingdom who want to get into Amazon FBA, but can't find anything other than American gurus online. As much as there are similarities throughout the industry, there are still many differences between different markets around the world.

Obviously, there are different currencies that are used, but there are also differences in the way different cultures respond to different messaging. As you might know, there are some words said in the UK that would be considered horrific to Americans!

This could also be considered a downside to Smashers Academy.

As useful as it is to British people, this might not be the most practical choice for an American. It sounds kind of funny, but a lot of Americans don't even understand a British person when they talk! And of course, that difference in markets also plays a big factor.

But I think the biggest problem for me is that Amazon FBA is old news.

Smith got in right at the perfect time, right before 2020 when so many people decided to go look online for ways to make money on the side.

These days, things are just so oversaturated and competition is unbelievably fierce to newcomers. And it's not like Jeff Bezos really cares about the little guy - Amazon is taking bigger and bigger slices over the Amazon FBA pie each and every year.

That means less money for you, and more money for Mr. Bezos.

Listen, if I'm trying to start a new online business, I don't want to give myself more challenges than I will already face. Opening a business is already hard work, that's a guarantee.

The big thing I'm hearing about right now is Digital Leasing, something where you actually have control over your next move in life.

Their students seem extremely passionate about what they're doing - not just getting by, but creating their own future - and you can too...if you're willing to step outside your comfort zone.

That said, if you'd like to hear some more about my Janson Smith review, let's keep on rolling.

Who Benefits From Smashers Academy...And Who Should Avoid It?

Area	Score	Description
Time Investment	1/5	Takes a ton of time to grind.
Level of Control	1/5	Amazon bans accounts and raises their cut without warning.
Ease of Implementation	2/5	Not really for beginners.
Profit Potential	2/5	With so many expenses that come along with FBA, it can be hard to make a profit.

There are a ton of charismatic gurus out there who are good at making anything sound like a good idea, but too often, we find out they don't really have a profitable business model at all.

And on the flip side, sometimes we find the perfect business model, but the coaches just aren't able to teach it properly.

All that said, Smashers Academy might be for you if...

1. You've succeeded with other FBA courses (like Sophie Howard)
2. You like the fact you can finally get some UK-exclusive mentorship
3. You like the refund policy

On the other hand, it probably doesn't make sense to join up if...

1. You don't want to always compete against thousands of other sellers
2. You don't like the idea of forfeiting huge chunks of your revenue to Amazon
3. Storing all that inventory is impractical for you

Smashers Academy At A 1,000 FT View

Amazon FBA used to be the hottest thing in town.

But things change.

Back then, a lot of people didn't really know what it was and there weren't so many YouTube gurus around to promote the idea. So if you managed to get on board in 2018 like Janson Smith did, then your competition would not be so fierce.

These days, you're gonna have to compete against thousands upon thousands of other Amazon FBA sellers. And more often than not, it's a race to the bottom.

This is because so many sellers are based in China. That means that they can afford to compete on price alone and win every single time.

It doesn't seem very fair, but that's just the way things are right now.

If you're selling something for $3, and it costs you $2.00 to make it, then you can't afford your competition to start selling it at $2.00. That's how you get priced out of your business, and left in the dust.

And even if you manage to make some decent money for a while, that means you'll have to figure out ways to store your inventory. Do you have a huge garage? Are you willing to pay big storage fees every month?

Sure, you can pay people in China too handle inventory for you, but that's just another expense you'll have to overcome. This is just the way of Amazon these days, you need to already have a strong foothold, or have some quality Chinese connections.

There are always exceptions to the rule, but I really don't understand why someone would try to start an Amazon FBA business these days when there are so many better options available.

Do you really think you could sleep easy at night worrying about one bad review destroying your entire business?

And of course, there's that whole problem of Jeff Bezos taking more and more of your money with each passing year.

None of this really sounds like you are in control, does it? To me, it doesn't sound like you're becoming your own boss at all.

Instead of all these headaches and hassles, why not try Digital Leasing instead?

They're doing some innovative stuff over there, offering more upside but with a nice level of stability as well.

Listen, I fall for the "high risk, high reward" kinda stuff all the time, too. And sometimes it's worth it! But if you have the opportunity to choose between that and "low risk, high reward"...well, just make the smart choice

Who Is Janson Smith?

Janson Smith is a British Amazon FBA guru who operates out of London England. He got into the Amazon game around 2018, and has since grown his empire into a 7-figure situation.

Not bad!

Because he got in at the perfect time, he was able to profit in a big way when the 2020 online explosion happened. He has since developed his smashers Academy course, although he seems to be focusing a lot more on the new Honest FBA program that he operates with some friends.

He claims to still sell 15 products through his Amazon FBA business, and he makes a lot of money selling Helium 10 software as an affiliate marketer.

Not much is known about Smith's personal life, but he seems to be doing very well for himself at a young age.

How Much Does Smashers Academy Cost?

The Smashers Academy cost is about $2500 USD, although they do also offer a "sale price" of roughly $1250 USD.

There is also an installment plan for about $475 per month, or $1425 USD total.

I do appreciate the transparency, although the same cannot be said about Smith's new Honest FBA course, ironically.

Oh, and keep in mind there will be other additional expenses like Amazon fees to factor in.

What's Janson Smith's Refund Policy?

Above is a screenshot from Smith's Honest FBA course, although apparently it was the same condition as SA:

14 day refunds are in play if you haven't finished more than 20% of the program, there is also a "Smashers Guarantee" where you can get a refund if your product doesn't at least generate sales that cover your course cost.

Personal Opinion On Smashers Academy

So, how do you choose the right program?

• Make sure your energy lines up with the guru
• See if this is really something you could do for the rest of your life
• Ask yourself if this is a profitable business model

Most Amazon programs are tough to like, and this one isn't much different.

However, in all fairness, let's do a quick 3 things I like about this one:

1. Smith has been around since 2018, so not a rookie
2. Transparent course content
3. Decent refund policy

...and, to be fair, 3 things I don't really like:

1. Amazon FBA is super oversaturated
2. Expenses can add up quickly
3. UK-exclusive content

Is There A Smashers Academy Scam Going On Here?

Social Media Page
Facebook	https://uk.linkedin.com/in/smashers-academy
Instagram	https://www.instagram.com/janson.smith/?hl=en
YouTube	https://www.youtube.com/@JansonSmith

"Smashers Academy scam" is one of the most frequently searched-up phrases around this course.

...but does that mean Janson Smith is running a scam?

I doubt it.

Smith has been transparent on his smashers Academy website, so I think he is most likely not running a scam here or anything like that.

Although, some courses acknowledge that it's easy to get your account banned and lose everything with Amazon, while providing help with avoiding that. But I don't see anything like that here, and it would have helped my perception of what's going on.

I just don't really believe in this course, mostly because it doesn't even matter how good a program is when the business model sucks! That doesn't mean Smashers Academy is some "get rich quick scheme", but it does mean your Amazon journey will be trickier than you think it is.

Instead, try something solid where you'll be helping out local companies, while making a steady paycheck every month, and you don't have to live with anxiety worrying about your website being taken down overnight.

With Digital Leasing, you get shown exactly what to do to take control of your own life.

They teach you all you need to know, and making it happen is up to you from there.

The choice is yours!

What’s Inside Smashers Academy?

Smashers Academy brings you 200 lessons within 23 modules, which is a lot of content in my opinion.

While they don't mention some aspects like advertising costs, they do claim that their students' success comes from the other aspects they discuss.

Here's some of what you'll get:

Module 1 - Introduction

as you might guess, this module is all about giving you a basic overview of Amazon FBA.

Module 2 - Business & Admin

This is the "boring stuff" that covers accounting, insurance, etc. Very important!

Module 3 - Setting Up Your Amazon Seller Account

Again, pretty self-explanatory - they hold your hand while you learn about how to set things up on Amazon.

Module 4 - Product Research | Fundamentals

If you pick the wrong product, your whole operation will go under pretty quick. This is also where Smith starts selling you on his Helium 10 affiliate software.

Module 5 - Product Research | Practice

This is where Smith shows you his own examples of product research.

Module 6 - Product Research | Discovery

It seems like you basically have to buy the Helium 10 software, because this module focuses on one of its tools specifically.

Module 7 - Product Research | Verification

This is where you'll verify all the nitty gritty details of your product.

Module 8 - Product Research | Selection

Lots of people sell the same thing - how can your offering stand out?

Module 9 - Branding Your Product

Brand name, logo, packaging, etc...all critical for people judging books by their cover.

Module 10 - Sourcing Your Product

Where are you gonna get your product? Supply line logistics are critical.

Module 11 - Barcodes

Pretty straightforward - how to operate barcodes.

Module 12 - Placing An Order With Your Supplier

More on how exactly to execute your supply chain logistics.

Module 13 - Arranging Your Shipment

A little redundant with some of these modules here, as this could probably fall under the last module.

Module 14 - Shipping To Amazon

Gotta make sure you're operating within the Amazon rules.

Module 15 - Your Amazon Listing

This is your sales page, your virtual storefront - you'd better know how to make it work right.

Module 16 - Launching Your Product

Ever heard of "failure to launch"? A hot start can really help a product take off, whereas a dud can doom it.

Module 17 - Pricing

You don't wanna price yourself too high so that people don't buy your product, but you also don't wanna undercut your competition too much that everyone ends up losing money.

Module 18 - Reviews & Ratings

Just a few bad ratings can knock your "stars" into a place where you don't want them to be. Consumers are constantly comparing ratings, so be wary and give incentives on how to earn positive ratings.

Module 19 - Intro To Pay-Per-Click Advertising

PPC advertising is a great way to boost short-term sales numbers.

Module 20 - PPC Campaign Setup & Analysis

Again, these modules could probably be condensed into a smaller number, since this is more of the same thing as module 20. Here, you'll go into all the ways to prepare and execute a proper ad campaign.

Module 21 - Maintaining Your Amazon Business

Once things are up and running, you'll still need to do some work in order to keep the business functioning.

Here, you'll learn some things like:

• Sales conversions
• Avoiding stock issues
• "Listing hijacker" defense
• Refunds, Returns, Replacements
• Manually sending out products
• Lost stock, removing inventory
• How to get paid!
• VAT exemption opportunities

Module 22 - Scaling Your Business

OK so you've got your business up and running, great. But now you need to learn how to make more and more money, right?

This is where Smith instructs his students on how to break into other international markets, since he is primarily focused on just doing things in the United Kingdom. This module will not be very relevant to Americans.

That said, he does teach you things like cash flow, leveraging influencers, and a bunch of other things that can help expand your bottom line.

Module 23 - Miscellaneous Topics

This one is just about "the scraps". Anything that Smith may have overlooked or random subjects that don't really fit in with the other modules will be found here.

Conclusion Of My Smashers Academy Review

So...should fork over the big bucks for Janson Smith's services?

I wouldn't.

Smashers Academy might not be the worst course or anything like that, but it's just so hard to overcome a bad business model. And while it's certainly possible to build your own brand with a private label product, I just don't understand why you'd wanna pick something with so much risk.

Do you really want negative reviews to bring down your business? Some of your rivals might give you some just out of shady tactics, which could really hurt you.

In my opinion, there are just too many better programs out there, ones with real financial opportunity.

Now, you might have even checked out some other courses like Ecom University or Ecom Good Life to see how they stand out in comparison...

...but those aren't really great options either.

Digital Leasing is one that actually gets the job done, helping anyone from a brand-new rookie trying to to figure out how to carve out their slice of financial freedom, all the way to an existing lead generation business that wants to take things to another level.

Who knows, maybe you'll even work from the beach one day...

What's My #1 Way To Make Money In 2024?

I have spent years researching, reviewing, and vetting dozens of business models and thousands of programs.

While there may be no “perfect business”, the research IS conclusive:

Digital Leasing is the #1 online business model for those just starting out.

Whether you’ve never made a dollar online, or you’ve been in this space for a while but never really “made it,” Digital Leasing is for you.

Why?

1) It’s Flexible: got an hour a day? You can do this. Ready to drop everything else and dive in full time? You can do this. Yes, the more time you put in, the faster you see results. But even with a little time each day, you can move the needle in a Digital Leasing business.

And because this system is so flexible, you don’t have to constantly be working to make more money. It’s called PASSIVE INCOME because if you stop working, the money doesn’t.

Imagine taking 3 months off to just tour around Europe, rent a cabin in the woods to write a book, hike the Appalachian Trail, or live on the beach and surf all day.

This is only possible if you have an income stream that’s not tied to your time.

2) You Own & Control EVERYTHING: With Janson Smith's course, you don’t really own anything. Yes, you technically own the products before you send them into an Amazon warehouse, but that’s it.

With Smith, you don’t own the sales platform, you don’t own a brand, and you don’t own the customers.
Not to mention, Amazon can literally shut you down at any time if they believe you’ve violated their constantly changing terms of service.

So you’re building a business that could be completely taken away from you in the blink of an eye, after pouring years of work into it.

With Digital Leasing, you own the assets, which means you have all the power and all the control.

3) Little To No Startup Costs: It’s possible to get into Digital Leasing with zero dollars upfront. Because, using the strategies outlined in this program, you can get a client to pay you BEFORE spending a penny out of your own pocket...even before you do any work. 

Even without getting paid in advance, you can have your first Digital Rental Property up, running, and generating profits for less than $100.

4) No Inventory: As mentioned above, with Smashers Academy, you'll be spending 4-5 hours a day prepping and packing products to send to Amazon - it's a huge time commitment.

With physical products, you’ll always have limits on your time and freedom.

With Digital Leasing, a 100% online business, you never have to worry about that.

5) Easy To Duplicate: Ok, here’s the best part: once you have your first Digital Rental Property up and running, you can literally DOUBLE your income with a few clicks, a couple keystrokes, and a single phone call (and you don’t actually need the phone call).

Remember: each Digital Rental Property is worth $500 to $2,000 a month in semi-passive income (over 95% profit). Every time you decide to create another one and increase your income, it gets easier.

Because you have more knowledge, more experience, more results, and more momentum. 

If you wanted to double your income with Amazon FBA, you’d have to double your inventory OR your profit margins. And, guaranteed that’s a lot harder than a few clicks and a few minutes of your life.

6) Make Money Helping Real People: This part is what makes it all worth it. Amazon FBA is a decent way to make yourself money, but it doesn’t improve anyone else’s lives.

After all, there’s always someone else selling rubber spatulas and umbrellas. That might be fine in the short term, but in the long run you may feel like you’re missing a purpose.

With Digital Leasing though, you’re actually helping people by solving your clients’ biggest problem…

Small, local businesses need more customers, and with Digital Leasing, you are unleashing a flood of happy, paying customers for these businesses.

You make money by helping them make money. 

Not a big, faceless corporation either...a small business owner who’s using that money to put food on the table for their family, start a college fund for their kids, or take care of a sick parent. 

Once you see how Digital Leasing makes a real impact in the lives of real people, you’ll sleep like a baby with a big smile on your face.

Now, the choice is yours. You could continue browsing, looking at opportunities like with Janson Smith, who could one day make you money if Jeff Bezos takes it easy on Amazon Sellers again.

You could continue researching, never making a decision. 

OR, you could take a look inside, consider what you really want, and join a program that makes your dreams a reality. At the same time, joining a community of over 2,000 successful students that are living life on their own terms thanks to Digital Leasing.

A consistent, reliable, semi-passive stream of income that doesn’t depend on you or your time to keep producing profits. 

All while genuinely helping real people who are grateful and happy to pay for it. 

If this sounds more like what you want out of life (or if you just want some nice side income), click here to learn more about Digital Leasing.