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Drop Shipping Is Your Perfect Home Based Business Solution

2008-07-18T23:38:00.001-07:00

Drop Shipping Is Your Perfect Home Based Business Solution

Drop shipping is one of the greatest businesses to operate from home. With drop shipping you sell another company's products, use their warehouse and shipping facilities, and they provide you with the sales tools you need like product descriptions and images and more - free of charge!

Drop shipping is great for small businesses because you can start with literally nothing & gradually increase to higher levels of success. Drop shipping allows you to leverage other, much larger company's resources!

Any business owner who needs the an inexpensive & efficient means to market items online should look into drop shipping. Drop shipping allows you to sell almost any type of product you want with no warehouse & no inventory.

No inventory = low risk! You only purchase an item from the dropshipper after you've already made the sale! You never get stuck with a garage full of products that won't sell.

Drop shippers packages all of the products for you, they place your name on the return address of the package & then they ship it to your customer. You'll look like you're a multi-million dollar outfit to the customer!

In order to do business with a real wholesaler, some of them (not all) may require proof that you're in business & not just some consumer looking for great prices. So, you may need to file for a Resale Tax ID for your State. It's easy to do I filed my application online in just 10 minutes & even received a temporary certificate that I immediately printed out. I was literally in business within 10 minutes!

If you're SERIOUS about running a business you MUST have one! No ifs, ands, or buts. And, it's so easy to get one, there's no excuse not to.

If a wholesaler doesn't request a Resale Tax ID from you, they're a very small company or they're not real wholesalers, just middle-men.

When you find wholesale companies that drop ship many different types of products, everything from toys to electronics, and they don't request your Resale Tax ID, be aware that probably aren't a real wholesale company. Most legitimate wholesalers focus on a specific product type, like electronics or toys alone.

These middle-men companies just forward your order to the real wholesale company. You won't be able to compete on a level playing field with your competition if you do business with these guys. Chances are your competitors have Resale Tax IDs.

So be aware that you're dealing with a middle-man wholesaler who will have the real dropshipper dropship your products for you. Do yourself a favor & avoid dealing with the middlemen and get a Resale Tax ID. You'll save yourself a lot of money by be able to compete with the big-guns.

After your account is set up with the real wholesaler, you'll get a printed catalog and possibly a CD-Rom with product descriptions and images that you can use.

Middle-men usually don't provide these "bonuses". You just upload the image & description to your web site, decide on the price & wait for the orders to come rolling in!

Drop shipping will allow any person to run a successful & competitive business from home regardless of a lack of start-up funds.

By Mike Nalbone

How To Cut Your eBay Fees By More Than 90%

2008-07-18T23:37:00.009-07:00

Now, are you ready for the REAL TRUTH about selling on eBay?

It's simple; don't list too many items for sale using their auction format. Instead, set up one of their stores. The cost starts at just $9.99 per month.

Why is this a good idea?

Let's do the math:

If you list an item for sale using the auction format, the cost is anywhere from $.35 on up to several dollars PER AUCTION. What's worse is that the auctions are only good for 3, 5, 7, or 10 days.

BETTER WAY: Sell the item in your eBay store. The listing price is just 2 or 3 cents per item...and get this...They're good for a FULL 30 days! For example, I recently sold a $500 item that I listed in my eBay store. The listing cost me a whopping 3 cents! The same item, if I'd sold it using the auction format, would have cost me several dollars!

Using eBay's Auction format to list 500 items at a minimum of $.35 each = $175.00 (and these are only good for 7 days each so you'd have to list them 4 times each per month) $175 x 4 = $700.00

List the same 500 items in your eBay store @ just $.03 each = $15 + the $9.99 monthly store fee = $24.99 and they are listed for a full 30 days each!

You save $675.01 per month! HOLY SMOKES!

I'm sure you can clearly see the benefit here. Of course you will want to sell a few CHEAP items using the auction format to try to generate interest & drive customers to your eBay store where they will buy MORE from you. Make sure every auction listing contains a link to your eBay store & TELL THE CUSTOMER TO VISIT YOUR STORE. Sell 10 or so of your 3 or 4 or 5 dollar items as auctions...just enough to get some traffic to your store.

Now, what is it that the REALLY successful PowerSellers do?

They maximize the "back-end" sale.

What this means to you is that once a customer has bought from you, the hard part is over. Now having done business with you, they TRUST you to deliver the goods. You MUST & I REPEAT, MUST try to get that customer to buy again & again.

Never, ever, send a package to a customer without including a sales flyer, catalog or some other special offer in the package to try to entice them to make another purchase. Email them a special offer every week or so.

You NEED repeat customers. Going after the lone, one-time sale is a losing battle. You will not be successful unless you get them to buy again & again & do this with every person you deal with.

Send a thank-you note via postal mail or eMail to every customer & use that opportunity to SELL THEM SOMETHING ELSE.

Another tip:

Sell CONSUMABLE items. You know, stuff that people need to order fairly often. Like socks, t-shirts, work gloves, food items, towels & linens, printer ink cartridges, sell shipping materials to other eBay sellers. You will get REPEAT orders from these customers for months and even years to come.

By Mike Nalbone

Authentic or Fake?

2008-07-18T23:37:00.007-07:00

1. Admit It: Old business models are no longer working. The Internet is bringing us closer as geographical boundaries, language barriers and cultural differences melt right before our eyes. Is is authentic? Is it fake?? What is Real? HMMM...Is the real question defining reality... ?

2. Get the Facts: According to USA Today "Ebay has become a mirror of our times. More than 125 million people use it; $1,060 worth of products flow through it every second. Among the top 10 search terms on eBay in 2003 were four designer brands: Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Coach and Prada. Which designer brand will win 2005? A simple search on eBay will give you the real time information, pricing and style numbers. This information is free for offline and online retailers. If you plan on buying from the licensed wholesale distributor at regular wholesale prices better make sure your prices are competitive with eBay retailers selling Below wholesale.

3. Think Global: If you think eBay is big, this is only the tip of the iceberg. The Embassy of India recently announced "eBay, the World's Online Marketplace (NASDAQ: EBAY - www.ebay.com) has agreed to acquire Baazee.com Inc. and its subsidiary Baazee.com India Pvt. Ltd., the largest online marketplace in India. The acquisition is expected to close in the third quarter of calendar year 2004. There are currently 17 million Internet users in India, and the number is expected to grow to more than 30 million users in 2006." India Folio

4. Process and Plan: Once you have read the facts, process the facts. How will rapid globalization affect Your business? If Ma and Pa Kettle are surfing the internet while watching TV and ordering from India delivered for 1/2 price, where is your business going? Overtaken by this huge evolution of Internet communication, eBay has washed it's hands of policing counterfeits by instituting a inside Vero Team of registered trademark owners who have been given Carte Blanche to pull auctions suspected of selling goods that are infringing on copyrights.. is it legal? is it working?? A quick search on eBay for the words "Tiffany jewelry" January 14, 2005 produced thousands of results for items offered at below wholesale prices Search eBay . Search results for the words "Von Dutch", Tommy Hilifiger, Abercrombie, produces similar results.

Is Vero losing the battle to protect trademarks and copyrights or is Vero accepting the new pricing mechanism that is the result of the globalization brought on by the fastest growing internet company in the world? Mixed messages from Vero/Ebay regarding their policy is resulting in legal battles. Are Grey Market goods legal? Ebay Powersellers say yes and are fighting back and many are winning Read Taberone's Case - Grey Market Goods Tiffany says it is Not legal and the courts agreed that eBay should be taking stronger measures to protect trademark owners. Tiffany/eBay - MSNBC Report Von Dutch is handling the situation a little differently by posting a black list of companies on it's eBay About Me page. "If you bought products from one of these websites, YOU BOUGHT COUNTERFEIT GOODS." Some companies listed are coming forward claiming the statement is not true and invoices will prove it. Containers of brand name goods are entering the USA faster than ever as manufacturers and factories worldwide see new opportunities.

5. Get on Board! Whatever you decide to do - make sure you take a close look at the tremendous opportunity ahead. Celent Communications anticipates the online payment industry in the US will grow significantly over the next few years, rising to $12.5 billion in revenues by 2005. Consider new sources of inventory through off price wholesalers and importers. Where do you fit in this? Old school, new school? Grey area?

Jane's Closeout Marketplace offers a variety of suppliers including licensed wholesale distributors, manufacturers, off price wholesalers and Ebay powerseller suppliers. Buyers and sellers can use our e-Contract technology to make deals online. Ask questions, everything is recorded in writing between buyer and seller. Additional Benefits include 24 Hour Inpection, Community feedback program, order processing and since 1998 no upfront fees.

Please email comments to: feedback @ janesdeals.com. Thanks to Wholesale411 Community.

Jane Rothman
Jane Pate Arnold

Selling Effectively on Ebay Motors

2008-07-18T23:37:00.005-07:00

Remember back when selling online was a new experience? Dealers tried everything to sell their vehicles online. Today's market has expanded to include several hot online marketplaces but there is the largest online marketplace, Ebay. Ebay has evolved into an online solution for everything from whole towns to your favorite paperback book. Big or small it doesn't matter, Ebay has everything for the savvy consumer.

Vehicles are plentiful on Ebay. Ebay sells a vehicle every minute for the savvy seller willing to invest his time and money in listing his vehicle online. Just how effective is selling on Ebay? A vehicle sells once every minute on Ebay that is very, very effective. Do all vehicles sell that are listed on Ebay? Actually, less than 10% of the vehicles listed on Ebay actually sell.

What are the companies doing that are selling effectively on Ebay? Is there a secret to their success? Consider that a digital camera and some basic design skils is all you need to sell on Ebay. Of course you also need a vehicle to sell. Which vehicle and how much will it sell for? How to type up the description so that that savvy consumer will want to purchase your vehicle?

All of these questions are asked each and every day by savvy individuals and auto dealers all across the United States. A company has come along that can help with your selling situation and take the work out of listing on Ebay Motors. That is right! No work for you! They take the pictures and handle your vehicle sale from start to finish. While handling emails and phone calls in a professional manner to produce a proven sales result.

A Consulting company called www.AutomobileClearingHouse.com has proven that they can sell cars on Ebay with a sell through factor much higher than the average consumer on Ebay. Take the work out of selling your vehicle on the world's largest marketplace. Check out their website and see how easy selling a car online can be.

"We are commited to selling online. Let us put our extensive experience to work for you."

By Cherie Szilvagyi

Real Estate Auction Action - Buying A Home At Auction

2008-07-18T23:37:00.003-07:00

Due in part to the popularity of the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)'s home auction program, more potential homebuyers than ever are buying homes at auction. Homes for auction aren't limited to just HUD, however. Many government entities auction homes for payment of back taxes, and some homeowners even auction their homes on eBay.com!

Homebuyers considering buying a home at auction should take some steps in advance to help them with their bid price, and even whether to bid at all on a specific home. There will always be a degree of risk when buying a home this way, but with a little diligence, potential homebuyers could save a lot of money buying in this manner.

Before the auction, you should have your financing arranged, and have enough cash on hand or in your bank account to cover a deposit on your purchase. You need to check the features, location, condition, and ownership history first. Afterwards, be sure to learn what the property is worth by looking at sales of comparable properties in the same area. Compare homes with the same number of rooms is possible, but be sure to allow for price differences due to pools, decks, carpeting, window treatments, etc.

At the auction itself, resist the temptation to get into a personal bidding war, just "to beat out the other guy". Have a set price limit and stick to it. Other houses will come along, and you don't have to win the first auction that comes your way.

You should know that the price of a home at auction is typically the loan balance (if foreclosed), plus any back taxes owed, plus legal fees and other expenses in foreclosing the property. This will typically be the opening bid amount, and the price will go up from there. Even so, it's possible to get a great deal in an auctioned house, with a little research and planning first.

Also, know that you probably won't be able to get an inspection, and are buying the home "as is". If you can't do any needed repair work yourself, or can't hire it done within your budget, you may not end up getting such a bargain in the end.

By Jakob Jelling

Six Steps Towards Successful Buying at eBay Auctions

2008-07-18T23:37:00.001-07:00

Buying on eBay can be very rewarding, either in terms of being able to pick up items cheaply or for hunting for hard to find items. Although generally the experience is good, there are instances where things can go badly wrong. These tips, based on experience over the last seven years, should help to avoid some of the potential pitfalls.

1. Make use of the various tools provided on eBay to ascertain the target price of items you are interested in. A simple way to do this is to 'search' for completed items.

2. Always check that there are no hidden costs associated with your potential bargain. These may may include unspecified unspecified postage costs, or paypal fees chargeable to the buyers. If in doubt e-mail the buyer and if you don't get a response then don't bid. Remember that when buying from overseas postage costs can be significant compared to the price of the item and also for more expensive items you may be liable to customs fees.

3. Check out the seller's feedback. You should be aiming to buy from sellers with feedback of at least 98 per cent - if it is less and you are interested in an item read the feedback comments to satisfy yourself that the buyer provides a good service. In particular, read the neutral and negative feedback posts to try to work out what may have gone wrong with previous transactions.

4. Don't get carried away and end up bidding more than need or want to. Some items appear very frequently on eBay and it may be worth setting yourself a limit and waiting for the next one to come along.

5. If you find you are often being outbid at the last moment, consider using a sniping software which you can use to automatically submit a bid in the last few seconds of the auctions.

6. Where possible, use Paypal to pay for items on eBay. The sellers get their payment quickly, and there is a degree of protection for buyers if things go wrong. eBay (via My eBay) provides a number of tools for monitoring progress on your transaction.

By Stephen Reynolds

When It Comes To eBay, Don't Follow The Herd

2008-07-18T23:36:00.023-07:00

Q: I want to start an online business. Since I don't know anything about ecommerce and building websites and such, I'm thinking about starting out selling products on eBay, then pay someone to build a website for me once the money starts coming in. The big question is: what is the hot product to sell on eBay to make money fast? -- Bob D.

A: While it's true that selling products on eBay can be a quick, low cost way to launch an online business, following the herd by selling the "hot product" of the moment, is not a great idea. To the contrary, chances are you will be stomped in the ground by the herd and left lying in the dust with your unsold inventory in hand.

We talked about starting a profitable eBay business in a previous column and the advice I dispensed then still applies today.

The most successful eBay sellers are those who understand that success on eBay relies on many of the same factors as success in a brick and mortar business.

· Smart sellers research the marketplace and the competition to determine the salability and profitability of the product.

· Smart sellers test the market with one or two before committing to a product line and tying up their cash reserves in inventory that may never sell.

· Smart sellers adjust their product offerings until they find a product or product line that sells consistently.

The last point is perhaps the most important. Long term eBay success does not come from "one off" sales. The key to real eBay success is to find a product that sells well and sell that product over and over and over again.

I asked Timothy Mina, author of the new book, The Online Auction Expert's Bible To Selling on eBay, his thoughts on launching a successful eBay business.

Why is eBay so attractive to entrepreneurs?

"With an eBay business, you set your own hours and set your own goals," Mina said. "You can work as much or as little as you want and whenever you want. Many sellers supplement their income by selling on eBay and many others have turned it into a full time business."

Mina cites the following reasons for eBay's growing popularity among entrepreneurs who want to start an online business:

· You can start up quickly and don't need special skills.

· There is very little risk and investment required to get started.

· The marketplace is huge. There are millions of potential customers waiting to buy what you're selling, 24 hours a day, with the click of a button.

· No stress, no boss. Yes, there is work involved, but the work can be done at your own pace. You are your own boss and you set your own schedule.

· Most importantly, you can follow your passion and do something you love. If you sell something you enjoy selling, online auctions aren't just profitable, they're fun and exciting, too.

Why It's Critical To Find Your Niche?

Mina recommends creating your eBay business with niche items. According to Mina, the benefits of targeting a specific niche market include:

· If you are going to rely on eBay as your primary source of income, it is essential that you find your niche. If the goal of your eBay business is to earn enough money in your spare time to make your car payment every month, it is less important, but still highly recommended.

· If you find a profitable niche, you will become a certified guru of the items you sell you will ideally be the only one on eBay offering the products.

· Your expertise will make it ten times as easy to spot bargains when you're shopping for products to resell. Bargains might be all around you, but if you don't know anything about what you're selling, you won't know how to spot bargains that are right in front of you.

· You will find different ways to add personal value to your products. These low cost add-ons or unique twists to your products will drastically increase your sales and profits by making your items unique and desirable.

· You will have little or no competition from other sellers, so you can corner your niche market.

· By dealing with the same type of customer over a long period of time you will get to intimately understand the mindset of your target customer and what your customer wants. This will help you sell your products better and allow you to market your products in ways others haven't thought of.

· You will be knowledgeable and enthusiastic about what you sell, and you will be attentive to your customer's desires. This results in satisfied customers, name recognition, and a lot of repeat business.

· You're going to find something you're passionate about and specialize in it. If you love what you're doing, you have a much greater chance of sticking to it and loving it. So it won't even feel like work - it'll be like you're getting paid to play.

How do you find your niche?

So how do you find your niche? Mina recommends doing an inventory of your hobbies and interests to help you identify a niche you would enjoy working in.

Ask yourself:

· What are you passionate about?

· What do you collect?

· What do you like to read about?

· What do you do in your spare time?

· So you have a favorite pastime?

· What was your major in college?

· What jobs have you had?

· Are there any other fields in which you have a great amount of knowledge?

· What clubs do you belong to?

Mina also recommends that you spend time on eBay studying the category listings. This may give you additional ideas for hobbies you can turn into an eBay business. Once you have defined your hobbies or interests, brainstorm how you can turn them into a business.

· How can you turn your expertise into a product?

· How can you add value to current products related to your interest?

· What product can you sell that may be one of a kind and have little or no competition?

· Can you think of novel ideas that people who share your passion would love?

· Is there anything related to your hobby that you can create yourself? An ebook or a how to, perhaps?

The Down Side Of Using Dropshippers In The Ebay Auction Arena!

2008-07-18T23:36:00.021-07:00

Ok, let me just say right up front that I am not against drop-shipping! I love the concept. If you are dealing with a particular wholesale drop-shipping distributor that is serving your Ebay ambitions well, then hold onto that company with bonds of steel, for truly good drop-shippers are hard to find!

Drop-Shipping sounds like the utopian business model. No up front investment in inventory. You don't have to carry packages to the Post Office, United Parcel, or Fedex. All you have to do is set up your own business, auction, or retail website and advertise the products that the company provides. Once the orders come in, you forward it to the drop-shipper and they send the product directly to your customer.

But, the devil is always in the details. Dropshipping is best suited for a stand alone E-Commerce website, mail order, or catalog advertising venue. If you are considering using a wholesale drop shipper for your Ebay auction, then you might want to take a step back and let me provide you with some "points to ponder."

Back ordered products..The reality is that drop-shipping companies run out of product and will be back ordered. Ebay bidders purchase product in "real time." They are under the impression that the item you auction, is the item they bought, not a product that is subject to shortages.

One or two customers might be understanding about the situation, but most will not. If you happen to run out of product on a regular basis then your negative feedback rating will go through the roof, and your reputation will suffer.

One way to combat shortages is to buy a pallet of product in advance, and have the drop-shipper store it in their warehouse so that you are assured of an ample supply. This method sort of goes against the idea of Drop-Shipping (buying the product in advance) but if you are selling on Ebay, you would be best served by employing this method.

Also, if possible, find a drop-shipper in your area, or within a comfortable traveling distance. If you run into any supply or shipping problems, then you could be on hand to visit the facility, should any shipping or logistic concerns arise.

Fees..Some dropshippers will charge you a sign up, or entry fee of about twenty five to fifty dollars just for the privilege of selling their product. You are also charged a "processing fee" for sending the product to your customer.

The "price for processing" can range anywhere from seven to twenty dollars per item, depending on the type of merchandise you are selling. These expenses, plus Ebay fees, can take a big chunk out of your bottom line. Finding a product that can bring you a profit, as well as offseting these types of expenses, can be a delicate balancing act.

Circumventing your customers..While I do not believe that this is a pervasive practice among drop-shipping companies, anecdotal evidence has suggested that some unscrupulous enterprises can cut you out of the sales loop. They could they easily substitute your return address for their company logo, selling directly to your customers.

Market saturation..One of the largest wholesale drop-shippers in the county is the B&F System, BNFusa.com. A lot of Ebayer's started selling their products, one in particular, called Giovanni Navarre leather jackets. At first, it was a profitable item. After a while, everyone started selling the same product. Too much of the same supply, creates market saturation, ultimately destroying profit potential for the seller.

The Giovanni Navarre leather jackets are still being sold on Ebay today, but I doubt that they still provide a very profitable return for the seller. Even though B&F carries over 500 products in 14 different categories, they are intimately familiar to the Ebay community. You could probably make a great profit from just about any B&F product if you were to sell them off line, and out of the auction arena.

When a company becomes too well known to the general public it becomes almost impossible to make money from products that have flooded the marketplace. In addition to finding a drop-shipper who is close to home, it might be a good idea to find a DS company that is not well known to the Ebay market, or who's products have not been scattered all over cyberspace.

These days however, it is hard to find drop-shippers that will cater to the smaller seller. Most will find it more profitable to sell in volume than by the piece. The larger wholesale dropshipping distributors are used by retail catalog operations. To get involved with the larger operations, you would have to be doing a tremendous sales volume.

If you still want to pursue drop-shipping as a source of supply for your Ebay auction, then I would suggest that you read other opinions, and become as educated as you can about the drop-shipping company you do business with.

A good and inexpensive start to finding drop-shipping companies is the Drop Shipping News: http://www.drop-shipping-news.com . Remember, when it comes to Ebay auction selling, "own what you sell." Never leave customer service, or your feedback rating in the hands of other people!!

By Robert C. Potter

The Benefits of Buying and Selling Locally

2008-07-18T23:36:00.019-07:00

Shop at a flea market in Oaxaca, Mexico. Trade with a vendor in London, England. Or sport your wares to collectors in Geneva, Switzerland. You can virtually do just that when you shop or sell goods at an online auction site. You know those global auction Web sites, the ones that allow you to bid on thousands of items against millions of other competitors. Sure, they allow you to expand your world and uncover cool knickknacks from around the world. But these very same sites also open the door to you getting ripped off by someone four thousand miles away. More than 8 billion dollars were spent on auction sites in the last three months of last year, but how many dollars were lost along the way?

Aside from these global auction sites, there are the LOCAL classified sites that are transforming the Web into the spot for neighborhood shopping. These local classified sites offer convenience, selection, and low prices that would expect to find online, along with the safety and privacy of local shopping. Best of all, you can feel good about buying from-and also selling to-your neighbors.

Wheel and deal on collectibles, vintage clothing, sporting goods, even real estate-all with people you know and trust in the comfort and privacy of your living room or study. The benefits of these local classified sites don't stop with these intangibles. They have concrete advantages, such as:

Spontaneous delivery.
Package deliver in your neighborhood may not be instantaneous, but you definitely won't have to wait two to six weeks if you buy something locally.

What shipping?
You can agree to drop off or pick up the sale item at one of your homes, or meet at a convenient middle-of-the-road spot. You also won't need to worry about finding those shipping peanuts under your couch, your sheets, and in your fridge two months later.

No frazzle.
Tracking codes are supposed to help you locate your packages in transit, but sometimes they can be more of a headache-especially when they don't help find your lost package.

A friendly face.
Local classified sites let you meet the person whom you're doing business with. Of course, you control if, when, and where this happens.

The test drive.
Whether you're dealing with a car, a mattress, or a tennis racket, you can actually touch and try out your item before you put down cold hard cash. For sellers with product as promised, that makes closing the deal that much easier.

Simple switcheroos.
Local shopping opens up the possibility of refunds and exchanges if you and the person you're doing business agree.

More ample assortment than auctions.
Imagine buying a refrigerator or a couch at an auction site. Then imagine receiving that package at your door! Not very realistic, right? These sorts of purchases and sales, though, become a definite possibility with local online classifieds.

No tax tests.
You open a can of worms buying and selling across national and international borders when it comes to taxes. Who owes what? And whom? Local commerce simplifies the whole issue, if taxes are applicable at all.

A step ahead of scams.
Knowing whom you do business with, face-to-face transactions, simpler lines of communication-these qualities of local classified sites all reduce your risk of getting with shysters and scam artists.

A stronger community.
Shopping around your hometown not only gives you a warm, cuddly sense of community. It also provides the practical economic support that keeps communities and businesses vibrant and healthy.

So there you have it. There are no losers when it comes to online classified sites that allow you to do your shopping locally. Buyers and sellers enjoy an old-fashioned sense of community, while enjoying the high-tech benefits of convenience, safety, and comfort that come with Web shopping. Let those auction risk takers have their Oaxaca, London, and Geneva. You've got your Houston, Texas.

By Donald Lee

Effective Online Car Sales on Ebay Motors

2008-07-18T23:36:00.017-07:00

Remember back when selling online was a new experience? Dealers tried everything to sell their vehicles online. Today's market has expanded to include several hot online marketplaces. The largest online marketplace is Ebay. Ebay has evolved into an online solution for everything from whole towns to your favorite paperback book. Big or small it doesn't matter, Ebay has everything for the savvy consumer.

Vehicles are plentiful on Ebay. Ebay sells a vehicle every minute for the savvy seller willing to invest his time and money in listing his vehicle online. Just how effective is selling on Ebay? Actually, less than 10% of the vehicles listed on Ebay actually sell. A selected few dealers sell at 80 to 100% of their online car sales.

Who are the auto dealers that are selling effectively on Ebay? Is there a secret to their success? Consider that a vehicle, digital camera and some basic design skills are all you need to sell on Ebay. Which vehicle and how much will it sell for? How to type up the description so that the internet savvy consumer will want to purchase your vehicle?

All of these questions are asked each and every day by savvy individuals and auto dealers all across the United States. A company has come along that can help with your selling situation and take the work out of listing for a car dealer on Ebay Motors. That is right! No work for you! They take the pictures and handle your vehicle sale from start to finish, while handling emails in a professional manner to produce a proven sales results.

A Consulting company called www.AutomobileClearingHouse.com has proven that they can sell cars on Ebay with a sell through factor much higher than the average auto dealer on Ebay. Take the work out of selling your vehicle on the world's largest marketplace. Check out their website and see how easy selling a car online can be.

"Committed to selling online, put our extensive experience to work for you." At www.AutomobileClearingHouse.com, their moto says it all!

By Cherie Szilvagyi

An Emerging Market in eBay Consignments: The eBay Trading Post (Part II In A Series)

2008-07-18T23:36:00.015-07:00

In 2002, the eBay consignments business was born, referred to by eBay as the Trading Assistant Program.

It's possible that eBay didn't foresee just how much they would benefit form their eBay consignments program. Designed to unite experienced eBay sellers with people who want heir merchandise sold on eBay without having to do it themselves, the Trading Assistant program has enjoyed enormous success.

As big as eBay had become -- larger than all other online auction venues combined -- they were still missing out on a large segment of the population; the technophobes. These people would sell goods on eBay if they had access to a computer and a digital camera, and had the time and inclination to learn how to run an auction. But they either don't have the technology or they lack the desire to become auctioneers, or both. Since they're not on line, they're not likely to learn about Trading Assistants who advertise primarily through eBay. And even if they saw the ads, they probably wouldn't trust them.

You see, people active in the online community are already comfortable with the environment, which has an element of anonymity. But a non-computer person is more likely to want to deal with a real, brick-and-mortar retail business. They may not trust someone who runs auctions out of their home.

How to reach these people? Introducing the concept of the "Trading Post"...

A Trading post is to eBay consignments what the typical consignment shop is to the average community. It's a drop off location that allows consumers to drop their stuff off and have it sold for them as a service. It's a retail location that markets itself to consumers as a local, experienced ebay consignments seller -- a Trading Assistant with a brick-and-mortar store.

While any ebay trading assistant can establish an ebay consignments service out of a retail location, only a Trading Post can put the eBay brand on their physical storefront. (A trading assistant can only advertise inside their store). With this privilege comes a higher standard, ie, eBay has "raised the bar" on their requirements.

A Trading Post must meet the following additional requirements:

-Offers a staffed drop-off location or storefront with regular drop-in hours, so that clients can visit the location without calling ahead.

-Has a feedback score of 500 or higher

-Has at least 98% positive feedback

-Has sales of at least $25,000 on eBay each month

Online, clients can search for Trading Posts specifically, and Trading Posts may receive priority placement in search results. (Yes, even some online clients prefer the retail setting). Also, Trading Posts are displayed with a special icon next to their User ID. If you're a Trading Assistant who also meets the requirements, you automatically qualify as a Trading Post and do not need to take additional steps.

Walt Duflock, Director of the eBay Trading Assistant Program and a real life trading assistant, has announced eBay's intention of having "secret shoppers" and "customer satisfaction surveys" to see if there are certain Trading Post locations eBay would like to support more than others.

Regardless of your status on ebay, there are tools that everyone can use to build their success as TAs, available on the ebay site. I've found many of them quite valuable. For example, among their efficiency tools, they recommend using contact management software. eBay regards this as a great tool for getting "a better understanding of how many prospects it takes to actually create one new client and how long it takes for a client to go from initial contact to hiring you as a TA."

And as far as support, some of the Trading Posts have become so large that they no longer rely on eBay for help. Some have developed their own proprietary systems for tracking customers and inventory, and managing their auctions. The largest and most successful ebay consignment business will even get you started with your own franchise which includes the use of their proprietary systems. All you need to come up with is $55 K plus operating expenses.

But, never fear. You can start your ebay consignment business on a shoestring, and this is how the majority begin. Since 1998, eBay and similar auction sites have been growing by leaps and bounds. eBay consignments are still in their infancy, but I predict a very bright future!

By Carolyn Schweitzer DDS

eBay Consignments: The Giant Opportunity Hiding on eBay (Part I)

2008-07-18T23:36:00.013-07:00

More and more, people are becoming aware that they have potential cash sitting in their closets, attics, and basements. But not everyone has the time or the know-how to tap into it, so these items remain where they are or are given away. Or worse, they're tossed out with the trash. eBay is about to change that.

eBay Consignments are a Growing Opportunity for experienced eBay sellers and a boon to consumers who want to unload their "stuff"

Heres a common scenario:

Renee has a basement full of record albums from the 1940's that she inherited from her Uncle's estate. She has no interest in them, and would love to see what she could get for them on eBay. The trouble is, Renee is not only unfamiliar with how eBay works, but she's also a "technophobe". She breaks out in a rash every time she sees a computer or a digital camera. But Renee has heard something about eBay consignments.

So, Renee asks her neighbor Anne, the eBay whiz, to help her out. Anne does a quick check of recently closed eBay auctions to see what similar items have been selling for. She adjusts Renee's expectations with this information, and the next day Renee drops off her cartons full of records.

Ann takes a couple of digital photos, writes a general description for the lot, and launches the eBay auction. She invites prospective bidders to email her with any questions.

Things go smoothly, and a week later the lot is sold. Renee is pleased with her earnings and extremely grateful to Anne. She asks Anne what she owes her for her hard work. Anne, good neighbor that she is, only accepts enough to cover her eBay expenses and tells Renee she can take her out to lunch some time.

An Opportunity Seized

This kind of informal arrangement has been going on between members and nonmembers of the eBay community for several years. Many auctions will state that "I'm selling this item for a friend", or "a woman in my neighborhood found these in her attic and asked me to sell them on eBay".

eBay, who has a knack for keeping an ear to the ground and spotting to trends, saw a golden opportunity in this kind of arrangement. In 2002, they launched the "eBay Trading Assistant" program.

The program is run on the same basic principal as eBay consignments, only more formalized. Sellers can now advertise themselves as Trading Assistants on eBay, and people with items to sell can use eBay's Directory of Trading Assistants to find someone in their area.

Because of eBay's minimum requirements for becoming a "TA", only those sellers with experience and a good reputation (or high positive feedback ratings, in "ebay language") have the privilege of selling items for others.

Benefits for Everyone

The system benefits the Trading Assistant by expanding their reach far beyond the next door neighbor. When a seller joins the Trading Assistants Directory, he or she is telling the world that they are willing to sell for others.

For those seeking out eBay consignments as a means to cash in their "stuff", the system offers an "official" source of experienced eBay sellers and information about how things work.

And of course all of this brings more business to eBay. As always, eBay is simply the portal for consignment selling, not an employer of the Trading Assistant. So each individual "TA" makes their own rules about how they wish to structure their eBay consignments business.

How it Works

Trading Assistants are experienced eBay sellers who have indicated their willingness to sell items for others for a fee. People who want to hire a Trading Assistant can search the Trading Assistant Directory to find someone to sell for them. All the terms of how the services will work are negotiated between Trading Assistants and their clients. You can become a Trading Assistant if you meet some basic requirements (1 past sale in the last 30 days and a feedback rating of at least 50 with fewer than 2% negative feedback points).

Cost and Requirements

Currently, it costs nothing to become a Trading Assistant and be listed in the eBay consignments Trading Assistant Directory. eBay has not expressed any intentions of charging for it, but they do reserve the right to change their policies.

To become a Trading Assistant, you need to meet the following requirements:

-You've sold at least 4 items in the last 30 days.

-You have a feedback score of 50 or higher.

-97% or more of your feedback is positive.

-Your eBay account is in good standing.

Note: The ability to join the directory is a privilege, not a right, and eBay can remove the ability of a TA to post to the directory if they receive complaints and/or find evidence of unprofessional behavior.

Interestng Facts

According to Walt Duflock, eBay's director of the trading assistant program, consignment selling has really taken off since the program's inception:

-The TA Program began in February 2002

-There are more than 50,000 registered trading assistants worldwide as of August 2004

-"Collectibles" is a very active category for TAs and TA clients

How to Find or Become a Trading Assistant

To find a "TA" At eBay, you'll be asked to enter your ZIP code code to find a Trading Assistant near you who can handle your ebay consignments. To find someone who specializes in particular items or services, you may select an item category or use their "Advanced Search" link.

Provided you meet the requirements listed above, you can fill out eBay's online application to become a TA and start your own eBay consignments business right away. Although you can run your business however you choose, and you're not employed by eBay, they do provide some assistance:

eBay provides extensive resources for the trading assistant program, among them Trading Assistant Worshops such as the recent one entitled, "Getting the Most Out of the New Trading Assistant Directory". The "Trading Assistant Toolkit" is an extensive directory of tools and education to help Trading Assistants market their services better and find more clients.

eBay also offers an Advertising Reimbursement program, which helps PowerSellers market their products and services offline by subsidizing a percentage of their

advertising efforts. And eBay has produced at least two training manuals outlining Best Practices for marketing, selling, fincance, efficiency, and working with clients.

With all of these resources at hand, anyone interested in eBay consignments, whether to tap into "the money in the attic" or to further their eBay auction success, is not likely to be disappointed.

Be sure to look for Part II, in which eBay takes the program to the next level with the Trading Post.

By Carolyn Schweitzer DDS

Auctions Make Money!

2008-07-18T23:36:00.011-07:00

An untapped online business resource--outside of your basic Yahoo and Ebay, among others--is setting up your own auction sales venue.

Since most families have items in their home that have outlived their usefulness, they can get started at online auctions for mere pennies.

And, most selling online at auctions does not have start-up or membership fees. There is a nominal fee per item listed and a percentage commission on each sale. Still, you come out ahead.

With this minimum investment, many are flocking to auction sites to gain additional income to get their families and selves through the seemingly ever present economic downturn.

Besides the low financial risk, individuals see auctions as one of the select few online vehicles where scams are not associated, or not as prevalent as with most online business opportunities. Plus, a majority have ongoing fees which you must absorb; auctions do not.

As with most home business opportunities, to be successful at online auctions also takes time to learn the ropes. Many auction sites do much of the work for you, providing standard formats for the sellers to insert data. Sites further assist in communications between buyer and seller as well as additional support.

Perhaps the toughest part is finding the right products to sell. Don't think for a moment that Uncle Charlies' false teeth in a jar that you've preciously held onto for years will fetch thousands of dollars, although nowadays you never know. Irregardless, with sites such as Ebay with over a thousand categories, that remedies that headache!

The Secret To Real eBay Success

2008-07-18T23:36:00.009-07:00

Q. I hear so much about people who started selling on eBay and eventually turned it into their full time business. Is it really possible to build a profitable business just selling junk on eBay? -- Alex K.

ANSWER:

If Fred Sanford were alive today, Alex, I'm sure he'd be earning his ripple money by selling quality junk on eBay. While it's also true that one man's junk is another man's treasure (I have a garage full of treasure to prove this point), your chances of building a profitable business selling "junk" on eBay (or anywhere else, for that matter) are slim to none. While there is a lot of junk/treasure for sale on eBay, it is typically sold by individuals who have "I break for yardsales!" bumper stickers on their cars and not serious business people.

For serious entrepreneurs, however, selling on eBay can be a good way to start a new business if you are willing to put in the time and energy required to make the business a success. eBay is also a good option for existing businesses to expand their reach by selling online. Everyone from small used car dealers to giant companies like Dell Computers have discovered that eBay is an excellent place to hawk their wares simply due to the huge number of folks who visit the eBay site on a daily basis. Nowhere else on earth will you find such a large pool of potential customers.

Consider these numbers:

· There are nearly 69 million eBay users who spend $59 million every day.

· Most eBay sellers are home-based businesses that sell everything from porcelain dolls to locks of Elvis' hair to $100,000 Mercedes convertibles to $5 million dollar vacation homes.

· Every minute of every day more than 150 new items are listed for sale, more than 500 bids are placed, and seven new people register to shop on eBay.

· At any given moment, eBay is conducting some 12 million auctions, divided into about 18,000 different categories

· About two million new items are offered for sale every day, and 62 million registered users scour the site to find them.

· One company is grossing more than $5 million dollars a year selling brand new pool tables on eBay. Their eBay store is so profitable that they have closed their retail location and now sell solely online. That's right, $5 million dollars from the sale of pool tables: proof that you can sell just about anything on eBay if you know how to do it.

Be aware, however, that eBay is no magic bullet. As any eBay Power Seller (a seller who sells a minimum of $10,000 in goods per month) will tell you, building a profitable eBay business takes hard work and requires long hours, and often the financial rewards do not make it worth the effort spent.

When it comes down to the mechanics of it all, running an eBay business is no different than running a brick and mortar business. You still have the same considerations regarding product selection, inventory purchasing, product pricing, inventory management, order processing, fulfillment, customer service, etc.

You must also consider the legal and accounting aspects of the business. Just because you're selling online does not mean that Uncle Sam won't expect his piece of the pie. Revenue generated by an eBay business is just as reportable and taxable as revenue generated from a brick and mortar store. And if you sell to customers within your state you may also be responsible for collecting city, county or state sales tax.

One of the biggest obstacles to building a successful eBay business may be the stiffness of the competition. Many sellers sell identical items and the price wars often get ugly, but that's to be expected in a free market place, which is exactly what eBay is.

You may be the only store in town that's selling that one of a kind, custom made just for you, broke the mold after they made it, Dale Earnhart Memorial Bobble Head Action Figure (Earnhart fans would string me up if I called it a Doll), but do a quick search on eBay and you'll probably find a hundred others just like it.

So, can you build a profitable business selling on eBay? Certainly, thousands of people have done it and so can you. Here are a few tips to help get you started.

Sell Quality Products

Don't sell junk! Leave the knick-knacks and fake leather jackets to the less informed. You should offer only quality products at a fair price.

Research The Competition

Once you have your product in mind, don't invest a dime on inventory until you have spent some time on eBay to see what the competition is doing. If you want to sell motorcycle helmets, for example, you should look at current auctions to see how many others are selling similar helmets and what prices they are charging. This step is vital since you may discover that you can't compete with current sellers on price or there is simply no market for what you have to offer.

Start Slowly

Many people believe that the more items they have for sale on eBay the better. They will invest thousands in inventory and spent hundreds on listing fees (yes, eBay charges you to list items for sale and collects a final fee if the item sells). Those are the folks that usually end up with ten thousand Ginsu knives forever in their garage.

Test, Test, Test

A fair portion of eBay auctions result in no sales, so it's best to test the waters before jumping in with both feet. List a few items and see how they sell. If an item doesn't sell, list it at least twice more. Some items might not sell the first time, but may the second or third, then sell steadily from then on. If an item gets no bids the first time, consider adjusting your price or your terms. If an item sells well, keep it in stock and then experiment with another item.

Do Your Homework

eBay is too broad a subject to be covered fully here, but there are a multitude of books available that can help you start an eBay business. In fact, I bet you'll find most of them for sale at this very moment at eBay.

What's my bid?

Dropship Your Way To Ebusiness Success

2008-07-18T23:36:00.007-07:00

Q: I would like to start my own eBay business, but I really don't want to invest in a ton of inventory until I can get a better handle on what might or might not sell. I read another column about dropshipping, but I'm still a little fuzzy on how the whole process works. Do you think using dropshipping is a good way to start an eBay business and if so, how do I get started? -- Candace M.

A: Dropshipping is a topic that I first addressed in my column way back in April, 2003, which is decades ago in Internet years. But with the continuing growth of eBay and it's positioning of itself as a viable way for anyone looking to launch an ebusiness, the topic of dropshipping is now hotter than ever. It is also now more misunderstood than ever.

Dropshipping has been around since Sears first started selling goods from its mail order catalogs over a hundred years ago. However, the idea of dropshipping still confuses many people who don't understand exactly how the process works.

By definition, dropshipping is a method of selling and distributing goods wherein the distributor or supplier of the product (the dropshipper) ships the product directly to the end user (your customer) on the retailer's behalf (that's you).

The process of dropshipping involves three parties who take a product from manufacturing to market. They are a manufacturer, a distributor, and a reseller.

Let's use a blue widget as a sample product to demonstrate the process: Blue Widget Manufacturing (manufacturer): This is the company that manufactures blue widgets. Blue Widget Manufacturing does not sell directly to the public or supply the retailers who ultimately sell the blue widgets to the end user. They prefer to use distributors to handle the task of taking their blue widgets to market. Blue Widgets sells blue widgets by the truckload to distributors who pay $5 per blue widget.

A1 Distributing (distributor/dropshipper): A1 Distributing is the company that purchases blue widgets in bulk from the manufacturer and supplies them to resellers at a cost of $7 each. The distributor does not ship blue widgets to the reseller, but ships orders directly to the reseller's customers as the widgets are sold.

Big Bob's eBay Widget Store: Big Bob sells blue widgets to the public from his eBay store. Bob orders the blue widgets from A1 Distributing as he sells them (usually one at a time) and has A1 ship the blue widget directly to his customer. Bob sells blue widgets to the public for $10 each, which means that for every blue widget sold he nets $3.

How The Process of Dropshipping Works

Here are the seven steps involved in starting a dropship ebusiness:

STEP 1: Choose A Product To Sell

The very first step in any sales process is deciding what product to sell. There are many factors that should be considered before deciding on a product to sell, but for now let's say that you decide to sell CD players on eBay.

STEP 2: Locate A Supplier Who Will Dropship For You

Using a research tool like Google, Thomas Register, or an industry-specific resource like The Ultimate eBay Dropship Power Pak, you search for and find a company who will dropship CD players for you. The company offers you a 35% mark up over cost, which means that they will supply the CD players to you for $100 each and you should be able to retail them for $135. You make sure that the dropshipper has a good stock of CD players on hand so you don't end up selling a product that must be back-ordered.

STEP 3: Set Up An Account With The Dropshipper

You contact the company that can supply the CD players and set up a reseller account with them. This can often be done online or by phone, but some companies will require that you complete and return a reseller application to open an account. Some companies may also require a tax ID and business license.

STEP 4: Advertise The Product For Sale On eBay

Now that you have your supplier lined up and know that the product is in stock, it's time to make a sale. You advertise the product using an eBay auction. Since you know what you must pay the dropshipper for the product, you know what the minimum amount you will take for the product. In this case you start your auction at $100 since that is your cost. If you are confident that you can get more than $100 for the product you can start with a lower price, but remember that if the product goes for less than what it costs you to fill the order, you will lose money. Also remember that the dropshipper will charge shipping, so you should figure that into your sale.

STEP 5: The Product Sells

Great news: your CD player sells for $135 and your customer pays you with a PayPal instant payment. I highly recommend that if you are selling on eBay you use PayPal or some other online processor to accept instant payments. This allows the customer to pay you faster, which lets you place the order with the dropshipper faster, which gets the product to your customer faster.

STEP 6: Place The Order With The Dropshipper

After your customer pays you, you should contact the dropshipper immediately to order the product on your customer's behalf. The dropshipper then ships the order to your customer under your company name and address.

STEP 7: Follow Up After The Sale

This is where many new ebusiness people drop the ball. Just because your customer has paid you and you've placed the order with the dropshipper does not mean that you are out of the loop. Quite the contrary, if there are problems with the order you are the one that will be held responsible in the eyes of your customer.

Be proactive in your customer relations. Follow up with your customer to let them know that the item has been shipped. Offer yourself as the personal contact for any issues that may arise. This is also a great way to sell that customer more products. Invite them to check out your eBay store or website if you have one.

Many people are afraid to use dropshipping as a method of sales due to the horror stories that fill the Internet about unscrupulous dropshippers who take the money and don't fill the orders, merchandise that is eternally back ordered, unscrupulous middle men posing as dropshippers, etc. Make no mistake, the dropshipping industry - like most other industries - does have its share of shady characters who would rob you blind given the chance, but there are also hundreds of honest dropshippers who can help you build a profitable eBay dropship business.

Ebay And Dropshipping, A Marriage Made In Heaven?

2008-07-18T23:36:00.005-07:00

eBay is the 'BEST' opportunity you can use right now to make money online in the dropshipping business from the comfort of your own home.

Thousands of people just like you use eBay auctions on a daily basis to sell and buy products on the Internet; now it's your time to START your own dropshipping home-based business and succeed in the eBay auctions 'game'!

There are no special skills required for this dropshipping business, all you need is a computer, Internet access and some basic computer / Internet knowledge.

Dropshipping is when you sell products on the Web, forward the orders to the dropship supplier and, in return, the dropshipper ships the product to your customer (buyer).

You act as the middleman between the dropshipping supplier and your buyer. You can take orders by credit card, PayPal fax or any other method you can think of. You can sell via your own Web Site, Yahoo store, or even through e-mails.

Your profit is generated on the difference between your selling price and the price the dropshipping supplier charges you.

Thanks to dropshipping you can start making money 'instantly' without any investment in inventory, warehousing, shipping, equipment, employees or office space.

Having products drop shipped by suppliers, allows you to concentrate on truly important aspects like advertising, sales and promotion.

Pay attention! There are lots of companies claiming to be 'Drop Shippers'. However, a legitimate drop shipper is a factory-authorized wholesale distributor, or sometimes the actual manufacturer of the product. A legitimate drop shipper should not charge you an 'account setup fee' or ask you to place a 'minimum quantity order'.

Make sure you find legitimate drop shippers who have the product(s) you want to sell, talk with them on the phone or by e-mail and let them know that you are truly serious about doing business with them.

Customer support counts in the dropshipping business, so don't hesitate to contact dropshipping suppliers before you proceed to work with them.

This will help you decide if you really want to do business with a particular drop shipper or not.

To succeed in the dropshipping business you'll have to LOOK for hard-to-find products that people desperately need and want to purchase.

The key is to sell products with little or no competition.

Do some research for product's you want to sell that you think will have little or no competition on eBay.

I suggest you RESEARCH for quality products & legitimate dropship suppliers, MONITOR the eBay auction listings to see if there's any competition and TEST the market (e.g. find out if people really want to spend CASH on the product you want to sell)

Remember! Dropshipping makes it EASY for you to start and run your own home-based businesses on a shoestring budget; and eBay is the 'perfect' MEDIUM to expose your product to potential buyers all over the globe!

By Ron Keegan

How To Compete With Amazon.com

2008-07-18T23:36:00.003-07:00

If you are selling online,here is the down side of our business....you will never be able to compete with Amazon. (Or Kmart, or Target, or any other big outlet) Here is why, They buy directly from the manufacturer in such huge quantities that they are getting the product for a price that you and I (as small business owners) will never realize. That is an unfortunate fact of business.

The other problem is that they often use products like this as what they call a 'loss leader.' They are willing to take a huge loss on the product in the hopes that the customer will buy other things. If you are like me, you cannot afford to do that. So what do we do?

The answer is very simple....if you can't compete with Amazon, don't! You are not the size of Amazon, so don't compete with them. (I know sounds too simple, but stay with me) So, if I can't be the cheapest price, or compete with Amazon, how can I make any money? ( I know, I asked the same thing when I started) The answer is, if you have a great product, you sell it for a reasonable price, and you have a great sales letter....people will buy from you. (I don't have a degree in marketing, so I can't explain why) But they will.

Here's the thing, if every small business in the world tried to compete with Wal-Mart, or Amazon, there would be no small business around. But, there are and they continue to thrive. What you want to do is to not compete with Amazon, but others on Ebay, or wherever you are advertising your site, that are selling the same product. Try and see what they are selling it for and stay in that range. And most of all, don't worry about being the lowest priced!

I know that sounds funny but, you would be amazed that if you write a GREAT sales letter...then pricing has very little to do with it. (And that has been proven time and time again) In the members area of Drop Ship Connection there are great resources and software that can help you write a great sales letter.

One mistake, between you and me, that I see people making every day on eBay or on a website is that they are not even bothering to write a sales letter. They list the product specs and throw up a picture and expect it to sell. The mistake they are making is that eBay is not a store that has products on a shelf for everyone to pick out.

With the competition on eBay, and the internet as a whole, it should not be looked at like a store for people to pick and choose, but rather a mail order system on steroids. Think of all of the junk mail that you receive in your mailbox; Most of it (if they are trying to sell you something anyway) is going to be in the form of a sales letter. (The main page of The Drop Ship Connection is an example of a sales letter.) You really have to make people want to buy your product from you with a great sales letter, then price is not an problem.

So why is there not much difference between what Amazon sells it for and the wholesale distributors you list; Are you sure they are real wholesalers? My answer to this question is always...yes all of the wholesalers are verified as true wholesalers or manufacturers. However, you will never get the same price Amazon gets...that's just an unfortunate fact.

You are not buying hundreds of thousands of units shipped on pallets with a HUGE discount because of the size of your order. You are ordering from a wholesaler who maybe got two pallets in, then has to pay people to break them up into single units and repackage them for distribution to your customer (obviously they have a higher overhead, so they are going to pass that on to you). And, if they are the manufacturer, again they have to pay people to ship them out individually in packages vs. a huge pallet. (More work, more money)

About The Author

Tony Keeler is the founder of MAR Services who publish several successful websites:

Drop Ship Connection - The Web's #1 directory of wholesale distributors who drop ship.

$2 Software - All of the marketing and advertising software you've seen out there for $50.00 or more for only $2!

Taxing Your eBay Profits

2008-07-18T23:36:00.001-07:00

As a small business person-slash-advice columnist I dread the first quarter of the new year. Not because in my mind my own business fortunes start at zero again every January or because I have already dismissed every New Year's resolution I made when the clock rang out the New Year.

No, the reason I dread the first quarter of the new year is that my email box floods with questions about business taxes and the IRS, my two least favorite subjects on earth. It's not that I am opposed to paying my fair share of business taxes. It's that I consider the IRS to be a little like Beetlejuice, the movie demon who appeared only after his name was called three times in a row. My fear is if I write too many IRS columns their dark agents may appear on my doorstep, ready to drag me away to an uncertain fate.

Oh well, one must do his duty no matter the consequences, so here we go?.

Q: I am starting a small retail business. While talking to a potential supplier last week he asked for my EIN number. I had no idea what he was talking about, so I told him I would have to get back with him because I didn't have the number handy. What is an EIN number and why do I need one? -- Robert P.

A: Robert, do you remember the old Johnny Rivers song "Secret Agent Man?" There was a line that said, "They're giving you a number and taking away your name." An EIN isn't as cool as a secret agent number, but it works much the same way when it comes to your business' relationship with the IRS. Instead of identifying your business by name, the IRS identifies your business by EIN.

EIN stands for Employer Identification Number and is also known as a federal tax ID number. The EIN is a nine-digit number that the IRS assigns to businesses and is used to identify taxpayers that are required to file various business tax returns.

Does your business need an EIN? According to the IRS the answer is yes if:

· Your business has employees

· Your business is a corporation or partnership

· You file returns for Employment, Excise, or Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms tax

· You withhold taxes on income (other than wages) paid to a non-resident alien.

· Your business has a Keogh plan

· Your business involves trust, estate, real estate mortgage investment conduits, non-profit, farmers' cooperatives, or plan administrators.

Applying for an EIN is a relatively painless task. You can apply online at the IRS website (irs.gov), apply by mail or telephone, or if you do business in a state that participates in the Federal Employer Identification Number project you can apply through you local IRS office (sorry, Alabama is not one of them).

You will need an EIN number prior to filing business returns with the IRS, so make sure you give yourself plenty of time to obtain one. For more information on EINs and your business, consult your accountant.

And while we're on the subject ?

Q: I made extra money selling things on eBay last year. These were items I picked up at yardsales mostly. My husband says I am responsible for paying income tax on the money I made, but I disagree. This is just my hobby, not a business. What do you think? -- Gladys A.

A: With so many people selling on eBay these days this is a question I get quite a bit. In fact, I have plans for a future "eBay and taxes" column, but I believe your question is more, "is it a hobby or is it a business?"

Again, I went to the horse's mouth (at least I think it was the mouth) for the answer. According to the IRS there are a number of factors that help determine if your hobby can be considered a business and thereby make you susceptible to the IRS tax rules governing business.

Do you carry on the activity in a business-like manner? If you conduct your eBay activities like a business, i.e. you keep business records, track your profit and loss, keep a separate checking account, etc. then whether you think so or not, your hobby is considered a business.

If you put considerable time and effort into your venture, the IRS may contend that you do so for profit and not fun. It seems the folks at the IRS don't believe in doing things strictly for pleasure. My guess is, neither do you. If you weren't making money selling on eBay I doubt you'd be bothering getting up at 4am to hit all those yardsales. Then again, maybe you would?

If you depend on income from your eBay activities for your livelihood, it's a business, not a hobby.

There are a number of other factors the IRS considers to determine if a hobby is really a business, but in your case I think that covers the basics.

For detailed answers to any tax question you should consult a qualified accountant or tax attorney. God forbid you rely on a guy who is afraid to mumble the letters "IRS" three times in a row.

The Quickest Way To Have A Product To Sell On The Internet

2008-07-08T21:48:00.001-07:00

Creating a product from scratch that you can sell on the Internet will take some time to do.

Writing a book, for example, can take weeks or months to complete. If you're not a writer, or if you've never written before, this can be a daunting task. You will either not start, or abandon it halfway.

However, you can instantly get a book to sell and keep most or all of the money you generate from it if you can find an author willing to sell you resell rights to his book. This is rare, but you may be lucky enough to find a few that you really like.

I'm using a book as an example here, but it can well be any product. I use books because of its awesome power of duplication that suits an Internet Business perfectly, especially when they're in electronic form (e-books).

Resell Rights can come with the product together (which means that you buy the product, and you can immediately resell it), or you can buy it separately from the product (which means that you buy the product, and then the resell rights to it so that you can resell it).

Either way, you can now have an INSTANT product by just paying for the resell rights. Then all you concentrate on is setting up your Internet Business, and marketing it to your Prospects.

You've cut short your time by weeks or months in not having to create a product of your own.

Resell Rights
==========

Books with Resell Rights usually come in 2 flavors:

1. Basic Resell Rights
================
Here you have the right to resell the book to your Customers, but your Customers have no right to resell them.

2. Master Resell Rights
=================
Here you have the right to resell the book to your Customers, as well as the right to resell the Basic Resell Rights itself to your Customers. Your Customers who buy both the book and the Basic Resell Rights can then resell the same book to THEIR Customers. Sometimes Master Resell Rights are bundled together with the purchase of the book only.

This means that you don't have to pay separately for Master Resell Rights.

Depending on your objectives, either type of Resell Rights can be suitable for you. If you don't want to have too many competitors, Basic Resell Rights is the right one for you. If you want to have many competitors, then Master Resell Rights is right for you.

It boggles the mind of some people who can't understand why anybody would want to create more competition for himself. The simple answer is this, the more competition you have, the more money you will make! I reveal this totally amazing concept in my awesome Mini-Encyclopedia at http://www.internetbizmodels.com which contains eye-popping, jaw-dropping and heart-stopping information on 19 different Killer Internet Business Models as practised by TOP Entrepreneurs from around the world.

Discover what to do, step by step, and what tools and software you require to get your Internet Business up and running without having to waste your time and money doing the wrong things, from the beginning.

I've spent 9 years creating it, and it actually formed part of my full 4-day Boot Camp that my attendees paid up to $2,000 each to attend. At only $97 WITH Master Resell Rights as a bonus to it, this means that ANYBODY can buy a copy, and they can immediately resell it, as can their Customers, and their Customers' Customers, and so on.

As I've mentioned earlier, the more Customers you have who can resell this Mini-Encyclopedia, and the more Customers THEY have who can do the same thing, the MORE money YOU can make!

By Sen Ze

Image Hosting For Online Auctions

2008-07-08T21:47:00.019-07:00

Use eBay picture service or host your own photos?

If you use the eBay picture service, your first photo is free. But each additional picture will cost you $0.15 and the supersize picture will be another $0.75.

This can cut into your auction profits if you need, let's say, 3 or 4 pictures showing different angles, and one supersize picture for the "WOW" effect!

So I found a way to have as many pictures I want in my listings without having to pay all these fees to eBay: I do my own image hosting!

They are a lot of image hosting services to choose from online. Some are free, and others charge a small monthly or yearly fee.

Currently I use Photobucket image hosting. They have a free starter package (which gives you 25 MB of disc space) or a premium package (unlimited disc space) to store your pictures. You can subscribe to the premium package for 3 months ($9.00) or one year ($25.00).

Now, how to load your pictures on your photo-hosting service?

First, you have to resize your images. One reason for resizing your photos is that Photobucket limits the size of the pictures you can load - 250 KB for the free package and 1 MB for the premium package.

The second reason is that you don't want to slow down your eBay listings with huge images! Big pictures take forever to load, and potential customers will hit the back button instead of waiting.

So I recommend limiting each picture to a size of 500 pixels maximum. I use the free Irfanview image optimizer to resize my pictures.

Once your photos are resized, you can upload them to your image hosting service, which is very simple.

For Photobucket, you have to log in into your account. Once you are in, there is a white window on top of the page marked "picture", with a "browse" button on the right. Click on "browse", and a new "choose file" window will appear. That window shows the files in your computer. From that window, select the file containing the picture you want to upload to the Internet.

Once you have found the right picture, highlight it with your mouse and then in the "choose file window", click the "open" button. The name and location of your picture will then appear on the Photobucket screen.

Now click the "submit" button, and voila! Your selected picture is on Photobucket. You can even load several pictures at the same time by using the "submit multiple pictures" feature.

All right, your picture is now on Photobucket. But how do you insert that picture in your eBay listing?

Once your image is hosted on Photobucket, you will have to copy the URL of that photo (which is directly under it) and paste it into your eBay listing. Use the following html code to display the picture correctly in your listing (don't forget to inverse the quotation marks at the beginning and at the end of this code!); paste your Photobucket image URL where it says "the URL of your picture":

EBay: No Way?Yes Way (Ten Seller Themes)

2008-07-08T21:47:00.017-07:00

Hearing that there are more than 1.2 million registered eBay users, that more than 25,000 members make five figure income as full time eBay entrepreneurs, and that more than 250,000 part timers make several thousand dollars a year of supplementary income from eBay enterprises would make anyone comment in disbelief with, "No Way". But the correct response to this is, "Yes, way." In fact, it has also been reported that the number one eBay entrepreneur makes over a million dollars a year. As Austin Powers would say, "Yeah, Baby." Or should we say, "E-Baby."

So what's the deal with eBay, anyway? There is a lot more to it than one would think. It can be simple for an occasional buyer, but it gets increasing complex as users/sellers become more entrenched at deeper levels of use. Here are 10 key ideas or themes for sellers to consider about this phenomenon called "eBay".

1. What 's for sale? While some sellers are out scavengering the garage sales and their own garages, others are purchasing quantities of items wholesale to put up for auction. One would think that the right product is of paramount consideration, and most sellers agree that the unusual or the hard to find is the best bet. However, this is not always true either. Timing, meaning the right person at the right time seeing your item, is where it is at. You have to be visible and be out there with a clear message or product that seems like a steal, or at least reasonably priced. With the thousands and thousands of items for sale, there is no shortage of competition. However, the good thing is that there are a lot of buyers out there that should enable the sale of just about anything.

2. Communication and descriptive details about your product is a key in getting noticed. The description of your item and the pictures to display it will get the buyer's attention. If a person is a serious seller, having an adequate digital camera is a must. Again, photos are extremely important.

3. The well written detailed description to accompany the item is of great benefit. Being open and honest about the item will demonstrate integrity as a seller and will keep people coming back. Being available to answer questions for prospective buyers and remembering to be courteous and helpful follows along with the never-to-be forgotten premise of "the customer is always right."

4. With customer feedback being a key element in the ratings statistics that will promote you or haunt you during your eBay career, it is important for a seller to be professional and kindly in all business dealings. People like and appreciate personal attention. Take the time to give it. Being positive, accommodating and helpful is a winning combination for good customer relations.

5. Shipping information and how you present it can win over a customer because they notice when a buyer is tying to take advantage and ask an unreasonable amount for shipping. Of course, a seller must take into account time spent, the handling charge, when pricing the shipping. Time is money, and a seller should be compensated for all aspects of the service that is provided.

6. Some advice about setting up your auction items would be to consider having your item run seven days with an end of bidding time somewhere between 7 PM and 9 PM on a Sunday night. That seems to be the consensus amongst the top sellers. There has been much dialog on just how to increase the amount and number of bids, but there are too many variables to consider. Suffice to say, it really does depend on the product itself (and what the condition and competition is our there).

7. Some of the most unique aspects of selling have to do with the seasonal items that permeate the auction block at certain times of the year. If a seller wants to work year-round, he or she will have to broaden the horizon by finding seasonal items for all seasons. Yes, you can sell Christmas items and move right into Valentines Day and Easter and so on. Why not? These are what people are looking for.

8. One controversial topic is drop shipping. If a seller is getting a product from a third party, drop shipping is a convenient way for the seller to deliver the product. It keeps them out of it. However, that means that a back ordered item could result in a poor rating for the seller because the item was delayed. Most buyers picture the item in the hands of the seller and expect to receive it within a few days. The pros and cons of this arrangement need to be carefully considered.

9. Now to the fun part. How do you get the money? More and more people are using PayPal. It is quick, efficient and simple. A seller can make other arrangements and accept a check or money order, but the wave of the future is setting up an account with PayPal. In addition, setting up an online account with the United States Postal Service will also save countless hours in the lines at the post office. Work smarter, not harder, etc., etc.

10. A seller can look at other things to sell besides a physical product or item. Many are getting into self publishing or offering a service. Some expanding entrepreneurs are opening up a consignment shop situation, which helps those who want to sell but "don't do computers." The possibilities are unlimited.

Selling products and services from a home-based business can be an exciting, and hopefully profitable, situation. Go into it with a solid plan based on accurate information and with the knowledge that it is going to be hard work, just like any other job.

For more on eBay selling and using online auctions visit the How To Sell On eBay Resource Page located at http://www.sbmag.org.

Copyright usage: No permission is needed to reproduce this story. The About the Author statement with hot links must remain in tact. Request for reciprocal links will be considered. mailto:barb@sbmag.org.

By Barbara Snyder

How To Sell Santa's Slip-Ups

2008-07-08T21:47:00.015-07:00

Shoppers spent more than $15.5 billion this Christmas on gifts on the Internet alone. Just imagine how many millions went to unwanted polka dot sweaters, electric nose hair clippers, and thigh masters. That wasted cash piled up under the Christmas tree. We've all had it happen to us. In fact, you had it happen to you this year. You unwrapped the pretty red bow and tore through the shiny paper on that present from your Uncle Mortie, and immediately, you had to put on your best poker face.

How did you know I needed a sushi roller kit?" you exclaimed with as much excitement as you could muster through gritted teeth.

The problem is you don't eat fish sticks, let along raw salmon.

You can't be too sore at poor Uncle Mortie, though, and the other friends and family who gave you unwanted holiday gifts this season. Buying Christmas gifts is difficult work. Then again, getting rid of a doosie of a Christmas gift is no piece of fruitcake either. That is, unless you know how to use the Internet to return your unwanted gifts from the comfort of your own home or, better yet, sell them for better use.

You're probably wondering how it's possible to sell off Santa's slip-ups when you feel bad enough returning them. In most cases, your friends or loved one invested time and money into shopping for your gift. They browsed countless Web pages. They trudged through the mall. And they were sentenced to hard time in the cashier line. All of it they did to please you.

At the same time, however, your friends or loved one couldn't read your mind as Jolly Old Saint Nick supposedly can. They could never tell if you'd appreciate that coffee table book on coffee tables, or that matching set of plaid socks and necktie. They could only guess at your inseam or your blouse size, or whether you look best in blue or black. And they had no way of telling that your third cousin on your father's side got you the same exact gift. With no list of who was naughty and who was nice, Uncle Mortie and company added to the millions wasted worldwide.

This waste doesn't have to be. Your loved ones only wanted to make you happy with their presents. So it stands to reason that if their gift didn't do the trick-because it was the wrong size, a duplicate present, or completely off the mark-they would want you to fix the situation. Whatever it takes, they would want you to be happy, right?

That leaves you with two options. You could return the gift to the mega store or the maul-er, mall. You would join the thousands of your neighbors with the same idea, all of whom are cramming into your local stores and cash register lines to return their unwanted gifts. Then you would also have to face the thousands of bargain shoppers out there looking for those post-Christmas specials, a rush that lasts well through January.

What's worse, some stores won't let you return goods if you don't have the original credit card or receipt. That means you could at best be left with gift cards with expiration dates at stores that you may not like. At worst, you could be stuck with your gift, not knowing what to do with it.

Now you're seeing the light. No, it's not the light from the inflatable 12-foot Santa Claus and reindeer on your neighbor's front lawn. It's the light from your computer monitor: the Internet. Today's Web can link you with someone who will think Uncle Mortie's gift is a precious treasure. This person, whether they're in Peoria or Pawtucket, North Carolina or the North Pole, is willing to pay good money for it.

Classified Internet sites can link you to this person faster than it would take you to stow the sushi set up in your attic. The best classified sites out there will also be free of transaction and membership fees. What's more, they allow you to negotiate price directly with your buyer and plan shipping arrangements, all with privacy and precision in mind.

You'll end up with cash to buy that special something you really wanted. Your buyer will be pleased with Uncle Mortie's gift. Uncle Mortie, well, he'll be glad the gift he gave you, doesn't just sit in the attic.

By Donald Lee

Increase your eBay Profits the Easy Way

2008-07-08T21:47:00.013-07:00

Sometimes the simplest things can boost the number of visitors and bids to your auction listings and increase your eBay profits.

Robert G. Allen, author of Multiple Streams of Internet Income, writes, "If you are going to play online, then act like your life depended on it. Embed your web address and e-mail address in your off-line brochures, on your business cards, in every marketing message, and in every advertisement you place."

This advice rings true for eBay, Yahoo!, and Amazon auction sellers as well. You need to make it easy for web-surfers to find your current auction listings. The more visitors your auctions have, the higher your eBay profits.

Create a signature file and add a link to your auctions with every e-mail that you send. Most e-mail programs will allow the reader to click on any phase that begins with http://. Your signature should include a short marketing message that directs the reader to your current auction listings. Here's an example:

STAR WARS COMIC BLOWOUT! - All auctions open at 99 cents with NO RESERVE Click --> http://auctions.yahoo.com/user/fearlessdf

To create a signature file in Microsoft Outlook Express 6 simply:

>On the Tools menu, click Options, and then click the Signatures tab.

>To create a signature, click New and then either enter text in the Edit Signature box or click File, and then find the text or HTML file you'd like to use.

>Select the Add signatures to all outgoing messages check box.

Additionally, you should consider promoting your auctions by including a link with every post you make on bulletin board discussions (such as Yahoo! eGroups), news groups, and in the various free classified ad listing services around the internet. According to Allen, these venues can often create the opportunity "to reach huge numbers of people, multiple times, over a long period of time."

Make sure you include the web address to your auction listings on the thank-you note you include in the package sent to your winning bidders. A repeat customer is much easier to develop than a new customer.

It's a waste of time and money to post an elaborate auction listing if you are the only one who knows that it is there. Don't overlook or underestimate these powerful grassroots marketing campaigns when you are looking to drum up bids on your online auctions and increase your eBay profits.

By Doug Feiring

eBay: What Should I Sell?

2008-07-08T21:47:00.011-07:00

There is an art to picking profitable products. It's not just what you want to sell but rather what will sell. Unless you pick a product in demand in the marketplace, you will fail. A fundamental principle of the capitalist system is "supply and demand". It represents a delicate balancing act between "what people want" and how much of "it" is available.

Every Christmas, we see one toy that everyone wants. One year is "talking Elmo" and the next year it's something else. But, it never fails to occur. Because everyone wants "it", so "it" is in high demand. If the supply of the product isn't sufficient to meet the customer demand, prices soar, as do profits for the people selling them.

You could hope you pick one of those products and make a lot of money in one season, or you can be smart and have a profitable business all year round. How? Understand trends in our society and how they help you predict the products which are or will be in demand, now and in the future.

Current Trends In American Society

By reading and watching current news, we should be able to spot trends. These trends will have an impact upon people and therefore, the products they need or want. For instance, some current trends in the United States are as follows:

· Americans are fatter than prior generations (particularly children)

· Baby Boomers (a very large potential market) are getting older. Many are in the 50s or 60s.

· More and more people purchase online from the security and comfort of their own home

· Americans are more security conscious since 9/11

· Travel by car or recreational vehicle is up over previous years

· Diabetes is making major inroads into the general population

These are just some of the trends impacting our culture now. We need to take those identified trends and make some assumptions about them. With these assumptions come product decisions, profitable product decisions.

Using a Trend to Pick Profitable Products

Let's choose the Baby Boomer trends upon which to focus. We know that the Baby Boomer Generation represents a large, and very wealth, segment of the current American society. If we choose to focus upon this group of consumers, we know we have a large potential audience. More importantly, we know we have an audience who can pay.

Determining the products we will offer starts with making some assumptions about our targeted market. What does that mean for the Baby Boomers? We need to take what we know about that market segment and then make some assumption based upon that knowledge. Let's try.

What We Know: What We Can Assume:

We know they are getting older. We can assume they don't like that. We know they are fatter than prior We can assume they don't like that generations. and want to do something about it.

Let's just look at those two trends and how they help us choose products. If this generation is fatter than the last generation, we can assume larger size clothes are needed right now. Is that true? At eBay, plus size women's clothing sold for a total of $90,903.37 in the last 30 days! There's a profitable product selection for the present.

If we assume they are fatter and don't like it, they must want to do something about it. What might they do? Exercise or diet. What does this mean for possible products? Exercise equipment or diet pills. Is this true? At eBay, exercise equipment sold for a total of $1,125,144.50 in the last 30 days and weight loss pills sold a total of $130,795.34 in the last 30 days! Two more profitable, "in-demand", products at eBay, right now.

Choosing the right product for a profitable business does not have to be difficult. Just follow the four easy steps; analyze, assume, test, and choose. You simply have to read and watch the world. Look at leading news articles and magazine stories. What appears to be uppermost in the minds of potential consumers? What assumptions can you make about the trend? What product(s) does that translate to? Sell that product and you will earn money. Continue to follow those four steps and you will be profitable for a long time.

By Michele Schermerhorn

eBay Auction Bidding Strategies--Overcoming the most Frustrating Situation on eBay

2008-07-08T21:47:00.009-07:00

The Problem...

It's happened to the best of us.

You've been watching the auction all week, and finally you're about to claim your prize--a rare bronze statue from the Qing Dynasty. Or something just as tantalizing.

You log on a few minutes before the auction closes, and confirm that you're still the top bidder -- no one has challenged you in several days. You're already picturing "your" statue prominently displayed on the living room mantelpiece, your friends green with envy as you tell them about the great deal you got on eBay. You refresh the page a few times, to make sure you're still number 1. You even up your bid a little just to make sure no body tries to outbid you at the last minute.

50 seconds to go...30...10...the auction has ended and the statue is yours!! You refresh the page for the last time so you can see your eBay ID announced as the winning bidder. And that's when your heart drops to your toes. It's not your eBay ID at all, but some joker who calls themselves "SpeedyFingers123".

How could this have happened?

You were the winning bidder with only 10 seconds to go!! Speedy or not, it just doesn't seem humanly possible.

Well, you're right. No one is that fast. SpeedyFingers123 (I made that one up, so if it's your actual eBay ID, please don't sue me!) won the auction in the final 4 seconds. It isn't humanly possible because "speedy" didn't actually place the bid. The bid was place on his or her behalf, from a remote server, using something called Bidding Software.

You've Been Sniped!

The act of placing a bid during the final seconds of an online auction is called "Sniping" and it's perfectly legal on eBay. Bidding wars and sniping are an eBay sellers dream and a buyer's nightmare. Why, you're asking yourself, don't these people just use eBay's trusty proxy bidding process? Why not just discreetly enter the maximum they're willing to pay at the beginning of the auction, then let the cards fall where they may? Well, for a couple of reasons. First, it's not human nature. If all you have to do is outbid the next guy by fifty cents or even five dollars to win, wouldn't you?

Second, it doesn't make economic or strategic sense to place a bid anytime before the last five minutes of an auction.

Think about it. eBay encourages bidders to use the proxy system and place bids early. What this means is that an inexperienced bidder who wants an item will want to be the highest bidder right away, and will keep upping their bid to hold that winning position. They'll only stop when the bidding exceeds their budget. Then the next guy comes along and continues the process. If this starts at the beginning of a seven or ten day auction, and ends with a bidding war in the last 10 minutes, the final price for the item can spiral out of control. Many items sell for far more than fair market value because people get caught up in "bidding fever" -- all they want is to WIN, they're not even thinking about whether the price is realistic.

What to Do?

A better strategy would be for everyone to "watch" the auction until the very end. Again, there's two good reasons. One, the price doesn't spiral up as just illustrated. Two, the auction has zero bids, so it attracts fewer bidders-- less competition. It's a fact that once an auction has at least 1 bid, it becomes a magnet for additional bidders. Shoppers scanning an auction page tend to jump to the ones with bids, figuring there must be something that attracted other bidders. The more bids, the more interesting the item looks.

Wouldn't it be great if a seller started a two carat diamond ring at $0.99 and no one bid until the last five minutes, and they all bid in fifty cent increments? Someone might win the ring for just a few bucks!! Of course, that never happens, but it would be the ideal situation for a buyer-- and it would put eBay out of business in a hurry. eBay encourages early bidding and smiles upon the snipers of the world. eBay makes their profits on listing fees and "final value" fees. The more the item sells for the higher the "final value". This makes eBay very happy. That's why you'll never find any tutorials anywhere on eBay telling you to wait until the end of an auction to bid.

The Solution...

OK, so now that we understand the benefits of sniping, lets get back to our friend "SpeedyFingers123". Speedy probably started out in life just like I did. She learned everything she knew about eBay from eBay and never realized there was such a thing as bidding software. Never knew a computer could do your sniping automatically, bid on your behalf in the last 2 to 8 seconds of an auction, and do it while you're asleep. With sniping software, you tell the software program which auctions you're interested in and how much you're willing to pay. eBay never knows you've seen the auction until your friendly sniping service swoops in and places your bid with only seconds to spare. Neither does your competition. They never see you coming. The only way you can lose is if someone else uses the same program sets their maximum bid higher than yours.

(Yes, my friend, you can still lose. There's no guarantee of winning an auction no matter what system you use, if someone else is willing to pay more. If you set your maximum bid at a million dollars for a hunk of Elvis' belly button lint and some nut is willing to pay a million ten, you're still going to lose!)

"Bidding Fever" Cured

Let's face it, there IS a positive side to losing an auction. It's the satisfaction of knowing that you didn't lose your head and spend more than you could afford!! Trust me, I've been there, done that, and come to regret it. With sniping programs, you can "set it and forget it" and walk away knowing that if you don't win, you couldn't have afforded it anyway.

What's that I hear you saying? "But I could have had it if I'd just upped my bid by another fifty cents!" Hey, did you listen to anything I just said? Do you want to drive yourself nuts? It's only stuff, after all. You can't take it with you, and there will always be more. The beauty of eBay is that there will probably be another just like it, or at least something just as fabulous.

You're in Control

There's another big advantage to using bidding software. Two things, actually. First, sniping programs allow you to do something called "contingency bidding". Suppose you're interested in several very similar items and you want to win at least one of them but not all. Provided they're not all ending at the same time, you can create a contingency plan telling the bidding software to cancel your bids on the other items as soon as you win one of them.

Second, you can change your mind about an item you're bidding on at any time (except in approximately the last 15 minutes). On eBay, it's a huge "no-no" to retract a bid. You can only do this under the most dire of circumstances. Do it too many times you'll be politely asked to leave. Permanently. But, because eBay doesn't register your bid until the Sniping program enters it for you, (at the very end of the auction) you can cancel your "snipe" with no penalty. You're canceling what you've programmed into the sniping software, not an actual bid on eBay. Isn't that nice? No more "watching" an auction you're unsure about, and then forgetting to bid on it. No more babysitting your computer so you can be there for the final moments of the auction. No more finding out you've read the description wrong and you're bidding on an item you don't want. Or finding something you like better after you've already committed yourself to another item, and having to pass on it. (Or worse, spending way too much on both!) And, finally, you have the satisfaction of knowing that winning doesn't depend on the speed of your fingers or your internet connection.

Believe me, the first time you snatch an item away from SpeedyFingers123-- or anyone else for that matter-- you'll be hooked.

By NetBrainer LLC

Photos on my eBay Auctions: How Do I Add Them?

2008-07-08T21:47:00.007-07:00

On another forum I'm involved with, someone's asked a great question: I want to sell products on eBay, but I want to include photographs with my items. How do I do that? What kind of camera do I need, and what settings should I use?

The first step is to buy a digital camera. You can use a film camera, get the prints developed and then scan them in, but you can now buy an entry-level digital camera for the same price as a low-end scanner, and it's a lot easier to use!

A few example cameras that have a good reputation, from Amazon: A very inexpensive camera - on sale currently - is the Digital Concepts VGA Camera (currently $49), and if you want to get a known brand, as I'd recommend, then you can't go wrong with the Fujifilm FinePix 1400 (about $70), the Kodak DC215 (about $60), or the slightly more expensive Epson PhotoPC 750Z (about $100).

Getting good results from a digital camera isn't trivial, however, particularly if you're trying to take a picture of a book, statue, CD cover or item of clothing. That's where it's nice to be able to take fifty pictures, download them all to your computer, and pick the best one of the lot. Unlike film photography, this won't cost you a nickel. Just time...

A general tip for taking good product shots is to have lots of light. If you're in a room with ceiling lights, turn 'em all on. If you have floor lamps, move them over and point them directly on the item. In addition, use a neutral color blanket or sheet as a background for the item: you don't want to distract potential buyers with your household clutter. Then hold your camera very, very steady (consider having it on a chair or, ideally, a tripod) and slowly click the button to take the shot. If your shots are blurry, try moving back a foot or so and taking another photograph.

Once you've taken a product photograph you like (and don't be discouraged if it seems hard. There are professional photographers who specialize in product and catalog photography and it's quite an art!) then crop it tightly so that the photograph is about the product and as little else as possible. If you're using a blanket as a background, for example, it should only be visible on the edges of the photograph. Bidders will appreciate a product photo that reveals a lot of detail about the product and nothing else.

Finally, within your photo editor (Photoshop, Paintshop Pro, Graphic Converter, iPhoto, whatever), make sure that the final image resolution is 75dpi, not 300dpi, then resize the image down to a maximum width of 400 pixels and a maximum height of 300 pixels: and do it with "keep image proportions" enabled so that you don't distort the photo. Save it as a JPEG, not a GIF, since it will keep the nuances of color much better.

Great. Now you have a photo ready to upload to eBay with your next auction! When you're entering the auction information, you'll get to a step where it offers you the chance to add a photograph, and that's what you want to do. Click on "upload photo" and pick your saved image, then it'll automatically be sent to the eBay servers along with your other auction information, and you'll be well on your way to becoming a true Powerseller!

When I add photographs to my eBay auctions, I use a rather more expensive (about $2000) camera setup, a Nikon D100 digital with studio lighting and similar gear. You can see some of my photographic work at Colorado Portraits.

By Dave Taylor

Instructions on How to Put Picture on Ebay

2008-07-08T21:47:00.005-07:00

Like many folks, you have heard of online auctions. Heck, even non-computer users have heard of Ebay. Everyone starts out as a bidder. The brave move on to be sellers. Little, by little, you learn the ropes.

One of those "ropes" that seems to always give people problems is working with their auction photo. Previous photo experience may have only been limited to the seller's children or pets. Suddenly, they find themselves wading thorough terms such as "pixel," "uploading," and "compression."

Sure, Ebay has tutorials, but it's not the whole story. Isn't it frustrating that "help" files are always "streamlined?" Doesn't it seem like the step-by-step details are missing? I pondered this one day, trying to look through the eyes of someone who's never heard of "image hosting" before. For example, did you know that there are 5 screens that you have to pass through before you get to the screen for uploading your pictures to Ebay? Did you know that you can practice uploading pictures without making an actual auction listing? I'm sure you feel braver already!

Just make your way to the fifth screen and don't continue after that - (because the listing was not completed, it will not be listed. If you go to sell a real item, your "mock" listing will be there - your choice will be to start a new listing or finish your last (mock) listing - ?starting a new listing will delete any drafts or "mock" listing.)

I bet you're really mixed up when you find out there are 3 choices when you get there: "ebay picture services," "basic picture services," and "picture manager." Who wouldn't be confused? I clearly outline these choices in my free online auction tutorials including which one you need and why (hint: it's not the same for every person).

The instructions for how to put picture on ebay can be found here: http://www.auctiontongue.com/com_ebay/instructions_on_how_to_put_picture_on_ebay.htm Ebay suggests that there are four ways to "capture" your digital photo for your auction listing: digital camera, regular camera and scanner, film-to-digital image service, and video camera and VCR tape - that's where Ebay leaves you hanging.

Please don't give up yet! Remember - we're all in this big internet mess together, and together we'll figure it out. There's no way around learning to use your digital devices, except sitting down and reading the owner's manual. From there, you may find additional help on the internet. You have to do your part, first.

If you decide to buy a digital camera, read my "How to Buy a Digital Camera for Auction Use" http://www.auctiontongue.com/com_ebay/index.html It tells precisely what features you need to look for and what will cause you trouble.

If you do buy a digital camera, it's a whole other story getting the image onto the computer. I thought you would enjoy some step-by-step photos of that process, too, so I included them at http://www.auctiontongue.com/com_ebay/index.html

If you have a regular camera and scanner, or a friend has a scanner, try my tutorial "Scanner overview." I even put together "Navigating Your Computer" so anyone could find and locate their auction pictures with ease.

I hate to tell you this, but there's more for you to worry about. Ever go to an online auction and you wait and wait for it to load and nothing happens? Usually the culprit is a large file-sized auction photo. It's the number one mistake beginners make. It makes your auction look unprofessional. The chances are slim anyone will hang around to place bids at that auction.

What's that? Do I have a tutorial to solve that? Why yes I do! If you can't tell already, I like helping people learn about the internet. I like to see people getting excited about their auctions. Believe me, your despair will be short-lived, and you will soon be an auction pro with some great auction stories to tell.

- See you at the Auctions - Renee from AuctionTongue

By Renee Matt

How To Increase eBay Profits

2008-07-08T21:47:00.003-07:00

Some sell on eBay to clean out their garage or attic. Some sell to make a little extra money here and there. But for some, eBay represents a chance to create a second income or start a home business. Product choice is important. But to really increase profit you must know how to increase the number and amount of bids per item. An eBay seller must maximize each product's profit margin. This article describes techniques to make as much profit as possible.

1. Sell like products at the same time. Bidders look to see what else you have for sale they might be interested in. Combined shipping saves postage for the buyer. Packing in the same box saves time and packing costs for the seller.

2. Bundle a less desirable item with a more desirable item increases sales. This is an old offline auction technique. If the bidder wants the better item he has to buy both. If two sellers offer the same item, the buyer bids on the two item auction. Bundling two low cost items together also increases bids. A buyer may not be willing to pay shipping for one item, but would for two.

3. Remember seasonal issues. Don't sell snow skis in July, water skis in January. Be sure to offer seasonal items early enough to allow for shipping. Don't expect to sell many Christmas items that must be shipped during the second week of December.

4. Understand profit margins. Don't buy to resell for only a $5 profit when you can make $20 on a different item. Determine your desired monthly income and choose products appropriately. Want to make 1000 a month? That is $250 a week. That's ten successful actions at $25.00 profit, or five items at $200 a month, or ten items at $100 each. Also packing 10 items takes less time than packing 20 items. Always consider time as a cost.

5. Don't forget back end sales and secondary products. Offer similar products during the payment process or on your auction store/web site. If you sell underground fences for dogs, an up-sell item is a customized collar. A secondary product could be a pet door. Another secondary product could be a ebook on "Travel Safely With Your Pet". A back-end sale to the ebook could be a item that helps your family travel safely with your pet.

6. The List - For many successful online sellers the mailing list is where their money is made. Using a autoresponder, sellers automatically email customers on their list at regular intervals. Including content with announcements of upcoming sales increases back end sales. Once a customer buys, they are more likely to buy again from same person or company.

7. Customer demographics should be considered. Collectors have expectations non-collectors don't. Example, some book buyers that are allergic like to see "book from non-smoking home" in ad. This would earn you a higher bid. What does the customer expect to see in a description?

8. Auction terms and conditions should be included with each auction. What shipping options are available? Do you take questions? Do you ship only certain days? What kind of payments do you take? Type whatever standard terms you offer in a word processor and cut and paste into your auctions. This saves time. For some sellers, typing the content for each auction is one of the most time consuming tasks.

Profit involves keeping costs reasonably low and creating higher bids. We've described some techniques for increasing profit. Sit down and mentally run through the process of auction selling and come up with some of your own ideas. EBay is a great business opportunity but like any business, sellers must be wise in their product choice and sales techniques.

By L. C. Peterson

To eBay or NOT to eBay

2008-07-08T21:47:00.001-07:00

FACT: eBay's Gross Merchandise Sales (GMS) 2003 - GMS, the total value of items sold, was a record $24 billion, representing a 60% year-over-year increase from the $15 billion reported in the full year 2002

FACT: Over 79 million times a day, eBay users find products and brands of their choice.

FACT: In the final quarter of 2003, reported and increase of 41.2 million active users, up 3.8 million from the previous quarter.

(Exerts from January 21, 2004 - eBay? Inc. Announces Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2003 Financial Results.)

When I read the 2003 Financial Results, the first thing I thought of is 'what a lot of traffic'.

Think about it 79 million times a day people are looking at the eBay site for products or services.

And if you think anything like me ? the next thought would be, 'can I drive some of that traffic to my site'

The answer is YES!

This scenario is the 'norm" in an auction.

Seller lists item

people visit auction

some make bids

highest bidder wins (one winner)

product sold and delivered

Question: What happens to all the people who visited the auction and didn't bid or bid and didn't win?

Answer:Lost Revenue, Lost Opportunity

It doesn't matter what kind of service or product you are selling or decide to sell.There are TECHNIQUES that can help you DEVELOP constant flow of traffic, SALES and GENERATE LEADS.

If you use eBay solely as an auction site, then you will make a few dollars, a couple of thousand if you are bulk selling.

Power eBay Sellers know that they real money comes when you drive people from your auction sale to where ever else you need to send them.This of course should firstly be to your own website, but you can send them to affiliate sites just as easy.

eBay is more that a giant flea market, you see, eBay auctions attract millions of TARGETED customers.You don't have to go in search of subscribers - they will come to you.

By Gillian Tarawhiti

eBay Online Auction Sniping Secrets

2008-07-08T21:46:00.017-07:00

Since their introduction several years ago, online auctions, such as eBay, have been one of the hottest destinations on the World Wide Web. Auction sellers are attracted by the prospect of a broad venue for their products and the possibility of high profits resulting from emotion-driven bidding wars. Bidders on online auction sites are drawn to the unique shopping opportunities and potential to purchase hard-to-find items at low prices. One technique many successful auction bidders employ is called sniping.

Auction sniping is waiting to place your bid until seconds before the auction closes. In most cases, the last-minute bid precludes competing bids and assures the sniping bidder the winning bid at the lowest price. Some web sites estimate that sniping occurs on 5 percent of all eBay auctions that close with bids.

While this technique is not without controversy - mostly from disgruntled sellers or competing bidders - it is permitted on most online auction sites including eBay. In fact, an eBay Community Development representative related eBay's position on one of eBay's message boards:

From: daphne
Topic: Re: Snipers How To Workshop

Just for the record, contrary to what some people think, there's no rule against "sniping," or bidding in the last moments of the auction. You will hear all kinds of debates about which method (proxy bidding or sniping) is more effective, and eBay would recommend proxy bidding, but bidding at the last moment of the auction is perfectly acceptable and legal. :)

Daphne
eBay Community Development

There are several advantages to sniping on auctions. The first is that the sniper prevents counter-bids and is more likely win the auction. The most significant advantage is that sniping prevents emotional bidding wars. These are events that auction sellers dream about - two or more bidders start running up the price of a listed item because they get caught up in the excitement of the moment. More often than not, the sniper will win the auction at a lower price if they do it correctly.

There are some problems associated with sniping manually. First, you must be online to bid when the auction closes. This may not be convenient if the bidding for that PEZ dispenser you've been drooling over ends in the middle of the night or while you are at work. Second, depending on your connection speed, your last second bid may be submitted too late. The auction might close before your bid reaches eBay.

Not to worry though, there are several software and web-based solutions to automate the sniping process for you.

Sniping software programs, such as iSnipeIt reside on your computer. You simply enter the item number you wish to bid on and input your maximum bid. At the appropriate time, the sniping software connects to the internet and places the bid for you. This requires your computer to be on, the sniping program to be active, and a connection to the internet. One advantage to having sniping software resident on your computer is increased security. Most desktop applications don't require your eBay ID and password to reside on servers continuously connected to the internet. However, the timeliness of your snipe depends on your connection speed and your internet service provider. This can be a problem for some people.

Online services such as http://AuctionInsights.AuctionStealer.com mitigate these connection issues. They have high-speed connections to the internet and can place your last second bid regardless if your computer is on or not. While web based services are generally more expensive than a desktop software application, their reliability is remarkable. An advantage to online sniping services is that they respond quickly to frequent changes in eBay's web site that can disable a desktop software program. The hapless auction sniper who is attempting to use a desktop solution is often out of luck until the programmer modifies his or her code and the user installs the update.

Sniping online auction sites such as eBay can be of great benefit to the bidder. It saves them money and greatly increases the chances that they will win the auction. Give it a try on the next auction you bid on!

By Doug Feiring

Police Auctions & Government Auctions Professional Resource Information

2008-07-08T21:46:00.015-07:00

Police Auctions Information:

No, a police auction is not where you go to buy a policeman. Most people do not realize that police agencies, including local police departments, county sheriff departments, as well as state and federal law enforcement agencies end up with a lot of confiscated, lost, or abandoned property. This property ends up in the agency's possession as the result of arrests, forfeitures, and just plain carelessness on the part of the property owner who sets a camera down in some public place and walks away.

Once the agency has accumulated enough property they will hold a police impound auction. The purpose of the police impound auction is two-fold. First, they want to empty out their property rooms which, in the case of some state and federal agencies, may be the size of a warehouse. Second, they want to turn this unclaimed or forfeited property into cash. This cash usually goes back into the agency's budget, but it is sometimes earmarked for the particular government's "general fund". No matter where the money ends up, police auctions are usually a big money raiser for larger departments.

Forfeited Property & Police Impound Auction:

Items that fall under this category are usually the creme de la creme of the police auctions industry. This is where you can find anything from motorcycles and cars, to boats, airplanes, and homes!

Forfeited property is generally the result of drug arrests where it was determined that the seized property was either used in the commission of drug-related crimes, or was purchased with money that was received as the result of a drug-related crime.

When you bid on this type of property at a police impound auction you are agreeing to accept the item "as is". You need to be aware that the term "as is" does not simple refer to blemishes or minor damage. If, for example, you buy property at auction, and that property has tax liens placed against it, you will be expected to clear those liens before you can take rightful ownership. The same holds true for mortgages or car loans.

You can find some real bargains at police auctions for this type of high-value merchandise but you need to perform your due diligence so you don't end up in red ink after the transaction.

Unclaimed & Abandoned Property:

You would be shocked at what kind of property that people either lose or simply walk away from. You would be equally shocked at how many honest people find that property and turn it into the police department. Ultimately, if no one claims the property, and the owner cannot be otherwise be located -- it ends up at a police auction where it is sold to the highest bidder.

Auction Process:

Most jurisdictions have specific laws, or ordinances, that deal with how the auction will be conducted. In almost every instance, the agency that is conducting the police impound auction is required to publish a full description of the items that will be auctioned as well as the date, time, and location of the auction. they will also publish payment terms which may be cash, money order, certified check, or any other payment method that they choose to accept. They will usually also publish additional terms such as how long you have to remove the property form the auction site once you win the bid, plus any legal disclaimers that the lawyers think need to be mentioned. This publication is normally placed in at least one major newspaper that serves the area with in the law enforcement agency's jurisdiction.

The purpose of this publication is first: to notify the owner of the property that they have one last chance to redeem it before it is sold at auction, and second: to generate publicity for the police auction so that it will be well attended.

Depending upon the size of the agency, and the agency's experience conducting auctions, a police auction will either be run by the police department itself, another government agency that is responsible for fiscal matters, or an outside auction company.

The police auction might be held on the steps of the County Courthouse, a room inside of some government office, or a public arena. The location of the police auction depends a lot upon the size of the agency and how much property is being auctioned off.

Some police auctions require that you register as a bidder in advance, while others let everyone and anyone show up at the day of the auction. Bidders are usually allotted time to inspect the goods before the actual police auction begins. You should take advantage of this time because it is a very bad idea to bid on anything that you haven't had time to inspect.

Once the auction starts, you simply bid on the items that you want. Have a budget in mind and don't bid more than you're willing to pay. It's easy to get caught up in the bidding frenzy and end up paying far more than you intended to.

Police auctions can be fun and profitable. Especially police auto auctions. Watch your local papers for announcements, or contact the law enforcement agencies in your area and find out when they are running the next police auctions.

Government Auctions:

Insiders know where to find government auctions to buy homes, cars, boats, airplanes, motorcycles - even furniture, designer clothes and jewelry. The property available for public bidding at government auctions is often surplus goods the government no longer needs or confiscated as evidence in criminal cases. Since government auctions are not well publicized, insiders can buy goods for pennies on the dollar. Whether you want to find bargains for yourself, or to resell your purchases for a profit, government auctions are an effective way to increase your net worth and bottom line.

Own luxury goods at Wal-Mart Prices:

When the government auctions off property, all closing bids are final. Many people attending government auctions for the first time can't believe the prices! Everything you buy at the auction is yours to keep - no strings attached. With prices this low, it feels like your stealing it - only it is yours to legally keep, courtesy of the government. If you have champagne taste but a beer budget, attend a government auction. Rolex brands have sold for Timex prices. Why buy a Ford when you can buy a Mercedes for the same price? Traveling? Put away your checkbook at the discount luggage store. Go to a government auction and spend the same money for Louis Vuitton or COACH! You never know what a government auction will have, but it can always be yours for a price well below fair market value.

Starting a business with government auctions:

No organization in America buys more office goods than the government. Auctions are how they dispose of surplus goods no longer needed. Computers, desks, office chairs, AV equipment, copiers and trash cans - the government auctions them all off. Conserve your capital for operating cash and profits. Smart business people find the office equipment they need at government auctions. Imagine the thousands of dollars you could've spent on furniture and computers while you write out your check for pennies on the dollar at the government auction. Since our government buys the best, you know the auction will be loaded with bargains to keep your business humming along. When you are ready to start or expand your business the smart way, begin your office equipment search here at the auctions.

Making government auctions your business:

After attending your first government auction and experiencing great values firsthand, you may decide to start your own resale business. Many people buy cars for hundreds of dollars and resell them for thousands of dollars. Some people spend a day at a government auction procuring goods and bring them home to sell on their own. E-bay is a popular way for people buying goods at the government auction to resell them right from home. Without a retail store, you can save thousands in business expenses during the year. Your on-line business you can create with government auctions is limited only by the size of your garage! Become a power seller!

You "Don't Need Experience" to bid at a government auction

If you can hold up a bidding number, you can win at a government auction. Of course, with any auction, you will want to inspect the items you are interested in buying before the bidding begins. If you are interested in a computer, but could not turn it on to see if it worked, how much would a non-working computer be worth to you? Since all sales are final, there are no returns. Avoid disappointment, and don't bid on anything you can't personally inspect. Government auctions provide amazing values, but don't lose your common sense in all the excitement. Know how much the property is worth before the auction begins, and your experience at the government auction will be a positive one.

Garage Sales, Flea Markets, and Special Events... Oh My!

2008-07-08T21:46:00.013-07:00

The activity chart is an ingenious way to find, in order, events happening in your community throughout the day. Plug in 'www.noonernight.com' on your computer or cell phone and retrieve lunch specials, happy hours, music and nightlife events.

Unlike newspapers with static ads, noonernight.com utilizes dynamic time updates.

To see upcoming events, simply enter a zip code and distance. The day and current time are highlighted in a bar graph form. Each event submitted spans the designated time. So planning a day or week can be done at a glance.

Not everyone can afford to advertise his or her events in the newspaper on a daily basis, which is why noonernight.com was developed. To let the public know what's going on and when and where. A fantastic service for everyone to use.

Adding events is simple, fast, and free.

Noonernight.com is a great advertising and promotion tool that can be used to:

-Submit where your band is playing tonight.
-Advertise breakfast, lunch or dinner specials.
-Know about community events.
-Locate county fairs and festivals.
-List open houses.
and much more.

Smart Ways Your Business Can Benefit From Online Auctions

2008-07-08T21:46:00.011-07:00

It seems as if everyone is talking about online auctions. And why not. There are thousands of online auctions on the internet with more popping up everyday. People love them because they can usually find great bargains. Businesses are now also seeing the benefits of online auctions. Below are five ways your business can benefit from online auctions.

1. Get Rid Of Excess Inventory

You could sell your excess or discontinued products at an online auction. Your unsold inventory is doing you no good sitting around, collecting dust. It's an effective way to make extra income and it won't be a total loss for your business. You could even get lucky and make a profit depending on how much people will bid for your excess inventory.

2. Test Pricing For New Products

An easy way to test new product prices is to see what people will bid for them at an online auction. First, sell your product at three different online auctions. Next, calculate the average selling bid from all three auctions and that will be your selling price for your new product.

3. Sell Your Products

You can get your product in front of a large audience by selling it at an online auction. Some of the bigger auction sites draw over millions of hits a year. The key to being successful is to sell your product at multiple online auctions at the same time. Let's say you sold one product a day from just one auction site. If you sell your product at one hundred online auction sites that would be one hundred sales a day!

4. Start Your Own Online Auction

Drive traffic to your web site by starting your own online auction. People will visit your web site to find bargains and to sell their own products. You will get plenty of repeat visitors from people rebidding on products and adding new products to sell. You could also charge other businesses to advertise on your web site.

5. Lower Your Business Costs

You can find lower prices on business supplies and equipment at online auctions. I'm not saying all the time, but before you go pay retail for a new printer try bidding on one first. A company may be selling them at a lower price at an online auction because they have excess inventory.

---------------------------------------------------------
By Julia Tang

Get Yourself A Piece of The eBay Pie

2008-07-08T21:46:00.009-07:00

Ebay is without a doubt the greatest internet marketing phenomenon of all time. Millions of people log on every minute and every second there are hundreds of items listed, sold and bought, and of course money is made. It has become the world's largest marketplace, where the potential for selling an item is exponentially increased due to the sheer volume of people who can view the item for sale.

The attraction Ebay holds for the most people is the possibility of selling or buying anonymously, and getting a great bargain. And for the first time ordinary people are making extraordinary incomes selling literally everything from beanie babies to diamond rings and cars. For those who venture out of their comfort zones into the cybermarket place, the following may com in handy as a guide to selling on Ebay:

A. RESEARCH WHAT IS LIKELY TO SELL, DON'T JUST SELL ANYHTING

Contrary to what you might think, not everything sells on Ebay. Your success on Ebay depends on selling what people want and need, and what they will pay for. You can find this out by browsing closed auctions of items you are interested in selling, see how many bids there were for the item and how high the bid price went. The more bids and the higher the closing price the more successful the auction.

B. ASSESS THE COMPETITION

It's no use selling an item that there are hundreds of thousands to choose from. Your chances of success will be severly diminished. The rarer the item and the fewer the number of people selling the same item the better your chances of making a sale. Find out how many similar items there are for sale by using the search feature on Ebay. Avoid items that are oversupplied and that everybody else is selling.

C. FIND THE CHEAPEST SOURCE OF THE ITEM

The best way to begin is by using a dropshipper. This is a wholesaler who will ship single items on your behalf to your customers and does not charge you a fee to do so. You don't have to keep inventory of the items you sell, and you order the item to be shipped to the buyer after you have sold it on Ebay, thereby reducing your risk to near zero. Remember the principle "Buy low and sell high" That is the key to maximizing your profits.

D. LEARN THE TRICKS OF THE TRADE

It is prudent to learn as much as you can about how Ebay works before you start, as there is more to it than meets the eye. There is no surer way to fail than to jump in without doing your homework well and believe me, it is work. If anyone says otherwise they're simply not telling the truth.

E. START WITH A SMALL MONTHLY BUDGET AND STICK TO IT

Don't spend more money that you can afford to lose. As with all businesses it takes time to tweak your skills to perfection. It is very easy to fall prey to internet sharks who promise fantastic returns in a short period of time. It simply does not work that way.

F. GIVE IT TIME

Forget about making a lot of money in a short time. It is slow tedious work,a ndmake some allowances for failure. Don't get discouraged. Find out what works and what does not work and improve yourself as you go along.

By Michael Schandorf-Lartey 2004

Four Huge Mistakes Ebay Sellers Make (Even Some Moderately Successful Ones)

2008-07-08T21:46:00.007-07:00

No matter how many times I see it happening, I'm
constantly amazed at the number of people who are
literally throwing money away by making incredibly
simple mistakes when they sell items in an online
auction.

Over the last seven years, I've been making a great
living buying and selling products on eBay and other
online auction sites, and I've perfected a technique
that pretty much guarantees anyone can start making a
profit right away. That technique starts with avoiding
mistakes like these -- mistakes I've seen people make
every day for those same seven years.

If you're doing any of these four things, you're
leaving money on the table with every single item you
sell.

* Listing an item at the wrong time. It's a proven fact
more buyers browse Internet auction sites on Sunday
evenings than any other time during the week. If your
auction is scheduled to end at any other time than
Sunday evenings (specifically between 9 p.m. and 11
p.m. Eastern time), you're not getting the maximum
exposure for your auction at a time when people are
most eager to buy.

* Not giving your photos the attention they deserve.
There are two common mistakes people make with the
photos they use to entice buyers on eBay. One is not
having enough pictures to accompany your item's
description. Over the years, I've learned pictures of
your item are one of the most important components of
your sales page. (There are many reasons for this, but
I don't have the space to go into much detail here.)
Multiple pictures from various angles will ALWAYS help
you get higher bids for your products. The second
mistake is not making sure the pictures are up and
running on whatever server you're using BEFORE you list
your item. How many times have you been browsing an
auction site and seen a blank box where a picture of
the item should have been? That's a seller who's losing
money because of a very simple, and very common,
oversight.

* Using "Las Vegas style" listings. I'm sure you know
what I'm talking about here. A Las Vegas listing is one
that uses all kinds of flashing animation, multicolored
text and other bells and whistles in an attempt to
entice bidders. In fact, it does just the opposite.
Listings like these are distracting, hard to read, and
will always discourage people from bidding, resulting
in a lower final sales price. The descriptions that you
give of your item on your sales page ARE NOT designed
to get a buyer's attention (you already have that if
they've clicked on your listing in the first place).
They should be designed to get someone to actually
place a bid.

* Using a reserve. Using a reserve to guarantee that
you'll get a minimum price for an item will absolutely
kill your auction. Trust me, I've seen it happen too
many times to not accept this as a given. In fact, I
often use other seller's auctions that have a reserve
as a way to pick up items at ridiculously low prices
that I can sell "the right way" for a huge profit a few
days later -- but that's a different article
altogether. For now, just realize that nothing scares
away potential bidders better than seeing the "Reserve
Not Yet Met" tag. If you're truly concerned about a
minimum price, simply set your starting price a little
higher.

By John Reese

How to Make Money from Internet Auctions

2008-07-08T21:46:00.005-07:00

If your business is not using eBay and other Internet auctions, you could be missing out. Here are just a few ways of generating additional income, profits and cashflow from online auctions.

1. Convert Excess Assets to Cash

Sell personal or business items that you no longer use. For example, are there slow moving inventory items in your store? A major camera store chain sells their slow movers, quite successfully, through eBay.

2. Buy and Sell Anything

Sometimes people put things out in the garbage because they don`t need them anymore and don`t know anyone who could use them. You can successfully sell some of these items by Internet auction.

As well, if you pick up bargains from garage sales, flea markets, importers, wholesalers, closeout dealers or other sources, these items can also be sold through online auctions.

3. Drop Shipping

There are suppliers who will ship one item at a time for you. You don`t have to stock any inventory. You simply pay your dropship supplier out of the money you receive from your auction sale. They will ship the product directly to your customer.

For further information about drop shipping, visit: http://www.yenommarketinginc.com/dropship.html

4. Self-Publishing

Do you have expertise in a specialized area of interest to people? Then, you could publish your own information product.

A very popular format for self-publishing information products is the electronic book (or e-book). E-book compilers, some of which are free, are readily available on the Internet. When people buy your e-book, they can download it from your website or receive it by e-mail.

You could sell such self-published information products on eBay and other Internet auction sites. Incidentally, online auctions are an inexpensive method of testing the market for your information (or other) products.

For further information about self-publishing, visit: http://www.yenommarketinginc.com/selfpub.html

5. Reprint and Resale Rights

You may not want to produce your own information products presently. Or, perhaps, you may already have an information product, but would like to supplement your income with additional, related product offerings. This is where reprint and resale rights come in.

You can buy the rights to reprint or resell excellent information products created by other people. Some of these rights are inexpensive.

In addition to selling these products from your own website, you can use Internet auctions to create extra sales. Another advantage of online auctions is that they can create additional traffic for your website.

For further information about reprint and resale rights, visit http://www.yenommarketinginc.com/instantpub.html

6. Sell Your Services

Do you design logos or websites? Do you sell consulting or other services? These, also, can be successfully sold through eBay and other auction sites.

7. Run an eBay Consignment Shop

There are still people who don`t have a computer or who don`t use eBay. You could sell on a consignment basis for them, taking a commission on the successful sale. You would need to charge for advertising expenses incurred, such as eBay listing and selling fees.

8. Promote Affiliate Programs through Auctions

Some affiliate programs have brandable e-books that contain your affiliate link. When people order from the e-book that they bought from your online auction, you get credit for the sale. As well, some of those purchasers may sign up as affiliates, earning you additional commissions.

Some of these e-books have valuable information that is worth the nominal value you would sell it for on eBay. In other cases, such an e-book is readily available for free. In this latter case, you might consider selling another related product and offer the e-book as a free bonus.

For further information about affiliate programs, visit http://www.yenommarketinginc.com/affiliate.html

9. Supply Fellow Online Auctioneers

During the gold rush days, it is said that those who sold picks and shovels were more likely to make money than those panning for gold. Similarly, since there is such a big market for online auctions, you can make money supplying eBayers with information and auction tools to help them start and grow their own online auction business.

10. Internet Auction Consulting

As you gain experience and expertise in online auctions, you might consider charging for your knowledge.

Consulting services, seminars, information products and other ways of packaging your knowledge can earn you additional income streams.

For more information about consulting, visit: http://www.yenommarketinginc.com/consulting.html

These are just a few of the ways you can profit from Internet auctions.

For more information about Internet auctions, visit: http://www.yenommarketinginc.com/auctions.html

RESOURCE BOX:

By J. Stephen Pope

Negating Negative Feedback on eBay

2008-07-08T21:46:00.003-07:00

Taking some pride in my one hundred percent positive feedback score on eBay, I was horrified to see a negative feedback appear against me.

What had I done wrong? Had I overlooked an auction win and failed to deliver product as promised? Had I given poor, slow service? Was I rude to the auction winner?

Certainly, if I had been guilty of any of these things, the negative feedback may have been deserved. But, wait a second! The auction had just ended!

Within minutes (perhaps seconds) of the auction`s end, I was being awarded negative feedback. Not only did I not receive any chance to fulfill the order or to right any wrong that I may have committed, I also received an e-mail from the perpetrator threatening to have me suspended from eBay if I didn`t meet certain demands.

This wasn`t fair! Obviously, I had been victimized by an online bully. (You would honestly think that people had more productive things to do with their time.)

What could I do about it? I e-mailed eBay and told them my story. I mentioned how libel was a cause for civil action. I forwarded to them the e-mail extorting me. Extortion is a criminal offense.

Happily, eBay took action. The negative feedback that appeared on my member profile was almost immediately removed. eBay also took disciplinary action against the suspected abuser.

Yes, it took extra time and effort to deal with the problem, but isn`t your reputation worth it?

By J. Stephen Pope

Join the Home-Based Business Revolution

2008-07-08T21:46:00.001-07:00

Greetings, Friend.

So you've decided to go into business. Great. Now what?

If you're like most new internet, home-based entrepreneurs, you have no idea. Let not your heart be troubled!

There are many ways to run a home-based business on the internet, none of which are easy. Don't be fooled - there is a lot of hype out there, and those "overnight success" promises you'll find that are so prevalent on the internet these days are, in fact, to good to be true. I know, because I tried many of them. But did I give up? No, I didn't - because I knew that I was on the right track and that if I just kept working at it and kept learning and growing, I would eventually start to reap the benefits of my labor.

So, what are the right ways to do business on the internet? Follow these simple, straightforward principles and you'll be on road to success:

- Don't try to rip people off. People aren't stupid. You may see some short-term success, but if you're not offering a quality product at a good value, regardless of price, the word will get out, and your reputation will be ruined.

- Offer information. Think about it - what do you get on the internet for? When you go to Google or Yahoo, what are you looking for? Donuts? Well, maybe, but most likely it's information. (Maybe it's information about donuts). The point is that people are looking for information, and most people are willing to pay for it if they see a value in doing so.

- Use eBay. If Mohammed can't bring the mountain to him, he must go to the mountain. Did you know that eBay is the #16 site on the web in terms of traffic according to Alexa? That's huge! Sell on eBay to make money and use your auction traffic to drive traffic to your sites where you sell more.

- Start slowly and keep working at it. It's easy to get discouraged. When I started, I had a nonexistent marketing budget, and it's pretty hard to get started with nothing. In the beginning, I just read a lot of information and tried things that made sense. Most of my attempts failed, but eventually - surprise! - I got a sale. And then I got another sale. It was a start, and I kept working at it, and I still am.

These simple ideas for getting started will help you avoid the pitfalls and learn to do business on the internet properly. Don't be afraid to try things or to purchase information yourself, if it is good information. Sometimes the only way to make progress is to invest in it, and even though I had practically no money to start out with, I slowly bought things the things I needed along the way, and eventually things started happening.

Selling on eBay is a great way to jump-start your business, regardless of whether you intend to be an eBay seller long-term. The quickest way to get started is to affiliate with companies who will drop ship products for you. You make the sale, then use the proceeds to order the product from your supplier, and they ship the product to your customer, either under your name or in a plain box with a generic packing slip. You support your customer from the sale through fulfillment and handle any questions, problems or returns. The personal attention you provide is a value to your customer, which will help build your reputation.

Visit www.realdropshippers.com for more advice and articles on dropshipping and internet small business and resources to help you get started with selling on eBay.

Here's to your success!

By Paul Brown