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The eBay scrapheap
publication date: Oct 25, 2006
*******
- Editorial
- Make Money This Holiday
Season Instead of Just Spending It
by LizFolger
- How to Sell Effectively on eBay -
Top Ten Tips by WilliamKing
*******
Hi,
Here's a question I've been asked
several times already this week and
it's something that concerns virtually
all new eBay sellers.
The question varies from:
* What happens if I start an eBay
business and eBay goes bust?
to:
* What happens if lots of big
companies join eBay, won't they put
me out of business?
All in all people worry that their early
efforts to build an eBay business may
end up on the scrapheap through no
fault of their own, mainly due to
heavy reliance on eBay as their
selling portal and because we all feel
threatened by popular stories of big
companies running roughshod over
smaller businesses and forcing them
to close.
Let me tell you why I don't think any
such problems will ever affect us
professional eBay sellers.
First of all, eBay's company shares
are growing at a pace to surprise even
the most optimistic analysts, which
makes it highly unlikely eBay will
ever fail.
MatthewHardcastle, Director of New
Marketplaces at eBay, says the reason
for the growth is several-fold. The
first reason is the rapid growth in
broadband which is now enjoyed by
one third of UK households. Surfing
the Internet is now faster and more
enjoyable than ever before. Secondly,
people are spending a lot more time
online at the expense of watching
television, which means they are
exposed to far more online advertising
than previously and, because they see
major international companies
advertising online, people are
becoming more confident about
buying over the Internet.
Which means the forecast for
Christmas is poor for sellers, offline
sellers, that is, who will once again
lose seasonal profits to Internet
sellers.
Now what of the argument that major
companies will move in and take the
market from smaller firms, in much
the same way that major supermarkets
are killing corner shops and
convenience stories?
Well, pointing to research culminating
in 'eBay PowerSeller Million Dollar
Ideas' published by McGraw Hill,
many PowerSeller bloggers are
convinced that family-run businesses
actually fare better on eBay than their
more impersonal international
counterparts.
The case is cited of CindyWalker,
eBay ID Superiormats, whose family
business selling custom car and truck
mats started on eBay as far back as
1998. The business was a great
success, but even so Cindy took
advice from a marketing guru that a
'more professional looking' eBay web
site would grow her eBay business to
even dizzier heights. Cindy had the
new site designed and, far from
making huge piles of cash, sales
actually plummeted, and fast. It
turned out her customers felt
threatened by the fancy new eBay
web site and expressed feelings of
'remoteness' which had never
concerned them earlier. The personal
site with its customer-friendly feel
was resumed and business returned to
normal.
So there you have it, no excuses now
for not growing a business on eBay,
one that's even bigger and much more
profitable than most you'll find on the
high street!
Happy eBaying!
Until next time,
Avril
***
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***
Make Money This Holiday Season
Instead of Just Spending It
by LizFolger
***
(Avril: Note the article is mainly
focussed on offline sellers but there's
no reason you can't use these ideas on
eBay)
What if you could make more money
than you spend this holiday season?
Sounds like a pretty good idea, you
say? If you'd like to be on the making
money end during the holidays, now
is the time to start preparing. Below
I'm going to give you several money-
making ideas. Pick the one or two that
interest you the most and have fun!
SANTA LETTERS
Making a child feel special during the
holidays is something I think most
adults strive for. And when a child
gets a letter from Santa, the guy they
look up to and respect...that child is
going to feel like a million bucks.
Selling to parents, grandparents,
daycares and preschools are a great
way to get business. And once one
child starts telling their friends that
THEY got a letter from Santa. News
will start to spread. These children
will turn into little walking
advertisements for you. If you really
enjoy this business during the
holidays, you can run this type of
business all year long with letters
from the Easter Bunny, Cupid, the
Great Pumpkin...just to name a few.
CRAFTS
It doesn't matter if you're into
woodworking, sewing, painting,
pottery, or creating handmade paper.
More than ever, people enjoy giving
that one-of-a-kind special gift. You
can sell your wares via the Net, at
holiday bazaars or craft shows, or
even consignment style. Once you
become known for your crafts, word-
of-mouth will keep you very busy.
A HOLIDAY GRATITUDE
SERVICE
Here's a way businesses can say
'Thank you' to the community. It's
also a way to help plump up the
retailers' business in December. Talk
with your local business about what
they'd like to contribute to your
holiday kit that you will be offering to
local residents. It could be a free gift,
a discount, coupons etc. It's a win-
win situation for everyone. The
community receives some discounts
and the businesses get more business.
This type of service can also be run
all throughout the year by offering
newcomer packets to those who have
just moved into the neighborhood,
new baby and new pet packets etc.
You could have a lot of fun with this
one.
RUBBER STAMPING
One idea is to create your own line of
holiday cards with rubber stamps.
MelissaDuquette has found this to be
a profitable business. She explains,
'The card season is upon us and
everyone will soon be searching for
the perfect holiday card to send to
family and friends. This is your
opportunity to break out into business
and create unique hand-stamped
holiday cards. Or why not offer a
class teaching this great hobby?
Rubber stamping can be worked into
so many different businesses.' I've
been to a rubber-stamping party
where we were able to create our own
cards. I had a great time hanging out
with my friends and making my own
unique cards. If you are into rubber
stamping, seriously consider having a
rubber stamping card party. You
would supply everything needed, and
could charge either a flat fee or charge
per card made.
T-SHIRTS
KimMoya runs a T-shirt business and
finds this a way to make extra cash
during the holidays. She says you can
create inexpensive holiday
sweatshirts, and long- and short-
sleeved T-shirts. And she doesn't stop
at T-shirts, but also includes tote bags,
felt and cloth ornaments, advent and
traditional calendars, aprons and
many other items that you can
purchase wholesale and sell at retail
prices!
FLEECE BLANKETS
I don't know about you, but I love
fleece blankets. I was really excited
when I found out I could make these
awesome 'Snuggly' blankets without
having to sew a stitch. Cinda Louden
has been making these types of
blankets for a while now and explains,
'These blankets are made out of Polar
Fleece material. They are soft, warm,
cozy, durable, and wonderfully
'Snuggly.' There's no sewing or
needlework involved; all you do is cut
and tie. Making Snugglies is a great
way to start and create a business,
make a little extra cash, or just make
them for gifts. It's all up to you!'
ONLINE AUCTIONS
The hype of eBay has not gone away,
but has only grown. When among a
group of people, I can usually find
someone who has either bought or
sold something in an online auction.
ColleenWallace has made it her
business to sell merchandise online.
'The holiday season is the best time
of year for me. People are always
looking for unique and interesting
gifts to give their loved ones. What
better place to find something
different than the online auctions,'
says Colleen. Start thinking about
what you might have that you could
sell online. Colleen has found that the
items that sell well are those that can
be used for stocking stuffers, are
limited editions, or are signed items.
BAKING
Then there are the people who cannot
stop baking during the holidays. Are
you the type of person who finds that
at the close of the season, all of your
neighbors' and friends refrigerators
and cookie jars are bursting at the
seams because baking is just your
thing? Believe it or not, this is not the
favorite activity of everyone.
StacyRobinson has found that A
Holiday Home Boutique is a fun way
to network with others who provide a
holiday-related product or service.
Each vendor displays her product or
information about her service, and
friends and neighbors are invited to
come to shop and share fellowship.
'As a cake decorator, I sell
gingerbread houses, as well as display
and serve a holiday-themed decorated
cake - which the hostesses love
because this becomes part of the
refreshments! Visitors to the boutique
get a chance to taste and see my
cakes, and I take orders for holiday
party cakes. I also display a few
'dummy cakes' to showcase my
designs for birthdays, weddings, etc.'
The niche market that has been
Stacy's holiday bread and butter since
1991 is selling gingerbread houses to
real estate agents. She leaves a
gingerbread house with order
information in large real estate offices
for a few days. She also offers free
delivery to the real estate office, or
delivery for a fee to their home-
buying customers and other
colleagues, such as mortgage brokers,
closing attorneys, etc.
PLAN IT RIGHT
These are just a few ideas you can use
to make a little extra cash this holiday
season. Use your imagination.
Remember, people are more than
willing to spend money for that
special gift and holiday service. Why
can't you be the one who pockets that
money? This is such a great time of
year to make your business work.
Being your own boss has never
sounded better, now has it? Start
thinking now if you want this to be
seasonal work, or if you want to
continue your business into the new
year. All of the business ideas I listed
above can be run throughout the year.
This could be the start of something
very profitable!
For additional resources on how to
start the above business ideas visit:
***
How to Sell Effectively on eBay -
Top Ten Tips by WilliamKing
***
More and more people are finding the
virtual world a convenient way to sell
as well as purchase goods. Many of
them use online auction sites such as
eBay to get their product's worth.
Auction sites such as eBay also house
a myriad of products and it is very
easy for one's product to get lost in
the crowd. One can follow certain tips
that will aid in effective selling
1) Familiarize yourself with the site:
It is important to familiarize yourself
with the site. You can just navigate
within the site to get a feel of it. Visit
the site's help section. They have a
special space dedicated to sellers-
ml. This will not only give you the
confidence to go ahead but will also
make you aware of the pitfalls and the
dangers as well as the things you are
supposed to do and things you are
supposed to avoid.
2) Pay attention to the appearance:
Appearance matters. Imagine yourself
in the shoes of the buyer. This will
give you a better idea of how things
should be done. The appearance of the
text should be neat. Select fonts that
are normally seen on a website. Try
not to select fancy fonts. Try to
highlight important matters and points
in a tasteful manner. Remember the
appearance can make or break your
sale. No one would buy an item that is
presented in a shabby manner. An
untidy appearance also creates a
negative impression of the seller.
3) Title: eBay requires the seller to
give a title and a short description of
the product. Be sure that the language
used is simple and free from
grammatical mistakes. One should
bear in mind that eBay attracts all
kinds of visitors. Hence the
description should be such that it is
understandable to everybody.
Similarly, the title should be short, yet
informative. A reader should be able
to make out about the item after
reading the title.
4) Picture: 'Picture speaks a thousand
words' is an oft-repeated phrase. Be
sure to include a descriptive picture.
A picture lets the prospective buyer to
get a feel of the product. The buyer
gets a good idea about the item that is
being offered for sale. Imagine a wall
unit being offered for sale, but there is
no picture of it. Will you prefer
buying it? Most of us will say 'No!'
Remember to get a nice picture of the
item that you wish to get listed on
eBay. The picture should be clean,
focused and taken in lighted
conditions. Hazy, unfocussed and
dimly lit pictures are a strict no.
5) Show it, don't tell: If you are
selling used items; make sure that you
give a good description about the
condition of the product. Do not use
ambiguous sentences such as 'almost
new', 'a bit damaged' etc. If it is
damaged a bit, then tell it in concrete
sentences. For e.g., scratches on the
rear part, scrapped from the left
corner etc. This will give the
prospective buyer an idea of the
extent of the damage. It will also
increase his confidence in you and
will help you to sell the product more
effectively.
6) Be clear about the accessories: If
the product you are selling comes
with certain accessories, make sure
that you mention whether you are
offering the accessories or not. Do not
keep the buyer in the dark. Doing so
will give a bad name to you. For e.g.,
if a certain mobile phone offers
accessory like head set when
purchased from a seller, and if you are
selling the same model as a second -
hand, be sure to mention whether or
not you are offering the head set. This
is a great way to arouse buyer
confidence that will go a long way in
selling the product. Furthermore if the
product you are selling does not
include accessories, then try to add
some to it. People are always willing
to pay a bit more for added value. For
e.g. if you are selling a chess board
then adding a chess board stand can
dramatically increase your profits and
chances of selling. It's all about
staying ahead of your competition and
this technique alone can really help
you to beat all the competition out
there.
7) Be specific: Include details such as
guarantee policy, return and exchange
policy, shipping details, in straight
and clear terms. The prospective
buyer should not have any confusion.
Remember that eBay has a system
wherein buyers leave a feedback. A
positive feedback will help you to sell
other products effectively on eBay.
8) Time the listings: eBay requires
the sellers to list the timings for the
opening and the closing of the bid.
One must be careful of the timing of
the listings. It is no use if you time the
listings such that the target market is
not awake. For example, if you the
target buyers for your product are
located in USA, one must time in
such a way that the maximum number
of Americans are on the Internet
during that time. Also remember,
most of the bids are placed on the last
day and more importantly at the last
hour. Keep this factor in mind before
deciding upon the timings or else you
will lose out on good or high bidders.
There have been many studies and a
lot of research has been done in
determining the best timings for your
listing. Whatever you decide just
make sure that you end up your listing
during busy hour which normally is
between 7:00pm to 11:00pm
9) Flexibility in receiving payment:
Make sure that you have specified
your preferable mode of receiving the
payment. eBay offers a lot of options.
Be flexible. If you keep on insisting
on PayPal, you might lose a highest
bidder who can make payment only
through a check or money order.
Keeping your options open will
certainly help you maximize your
profits.
10) Be agile: Be quick and agile
while delivering the goods. Since the
buyers can leave a feedback, a laxity
shown by you in the final stages can
hurt your credibility and might force
the buyer to give a negative feedback.
Also pack the item carefully. Nobody
is going to accept a damaged product.
It will be a waste of the buyer's as
well as your time and efforts. Do
remember that someone who has
purchased from you in the past and
had a great buying experience is more
than likely to purchase from you
again, therefore providing a timely
delivery and a well packaged product
would most definitely result in many
repetitive customers.
These are some of the main points
you should keep in mind if you have
to carry out a successful sale on eBay
and maximize your profits.
WilliamKing is the director of UK
Wholesale Dropshippers (www.uk-
wholesaler.co.uk), Wholesale UK
Directory
and Dropshipping Directory
(http://www.aidandtrade.com). He has 18
years of experience in the marketing
and trading industries and has been
helping retailers and startups with
their product sourcing, promotion,
marketing and supply chain
requirements.
***********
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