SEATTLE: July 26, 2018. Amazon has reported a Q2 2018 revenue jump from US$37.95 billion to US$52.88 billion year-on-year with 60 percent from product sales and the balance from its Amazon Web Services and advertising revenue.

Net income rose from US$197 million in Q2 2017 to US$2.53 billion in Q2 2018.

The company reported a rise in worldwide shipping costs from US$4.38 billion in Q1 2017 to US$5.99 billion in Q2 2018 for an increase of 31 percent. During Q4 2017, logistics costs rose to US$7.36 billion and declined to US$6.06 billion by the end of Q1 2018.

In an apparent bid to be less reliant on the mainstream logistics industry, Amazon announced in late June it would help entrepreneurs launch their own businesses to deliver its packages with the opportunity to earn as much as US$300,000 per annum.

“We have great partners in our traditional carriers and it’s exciting to continue to see the logistics industry grow,” said Dave Clark, Amazon’s senior vice president of Worldwide Operations. "Customer demand is higher than ever and we have a need to build more capacity," he continued.

“As we evaluated how to support our growth, we went back to our roots to share the opportunity with small-and-medium-sized businesses. We are going to empower new, small businesses to form in order to take advantage of the growing opportunity in e-commerce package delivery,” Clark explained..

To keep start-up costs “as low as US$10,000”, the company says it will provide would-be owners access to sophisticated delivery technology, hands-on training and discounts on a suite of assets and services, including vehicle leases and comprehensive insurance.

Amazon is also committing US$1 million towards funding startup costs for US military veterans, offering US$10,000 reimbursements for qualified candidates to build their own businesses.