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Casual Articles - Selling on eBay - a Small Business Guide to Selling Successfully and Profitably on eBay
The Best Workplaces report (Financial Times, April 28, 2005) notes many factors in common with Managing Creativity and Innovation.Material reward is not the sole factor in determining satisfaction. Microsoft UK offers acupuncture and deep tissue massages. OC&C Strategy consultants offer skiing trips and Computer Future Solutions have BMWs and Porsches as company cars. Yet people rarely mentioned these perks when they rated their company.This is because satisfaction is also related to i) the gap between the real and ideal self, ii) projects that can be classified as fun or amusing, iii) tasks are competency expanding or challenging, iv) goals are perceived as feasible, v) there is a degree of self-determination and vi) there is recognition.These are the exact same conditions that enhance motivation and creative output.What people noted was the degree to which people felt valued, productive and listened to. Further, they felt their superiors had a high degree of trust for them, allowed them to engage in projects in a self-determined way, there was a general lack of suspicion and an almost non-existent blame culture.This is in accordance with the philosophy that people require psychological safety and freedom – the feeling that they are accepted as unconditioned worth, that it is recognised that they are capable of producing but that their value is not based on producing; that there is empathetic understanding of them.Again, these are the exact same conditions that remove blocks and are the foundations of an optimum organisational culture. These conditions enhance creative output.These topics are covered in depth in the MBA dissertation on Managing Creativity & Innovation, which can be purchased (along with a Creativity and Innovation DIY Audit, Good Idea Generator Software and Power Point Presentation) from http://www.managing-creativity.com. You can also receive a regular, free newsletter by entering your email address at this site.Kal Bishop, MBA**********************************You are free to reproduce this article as long as no changes are made and the author's name and site URL are retained.
Consider your product. It isn't always necessary to pick a product you know about, but there are a few things that you should consider.
Firstly, how are you going to get it to your customer? If it is a big, bulky package, or if it weighs more than 25kg, it is going to cost a lot to get it delivered. It is also going to be difficult to collect it from a customer if there is a fault with the product. Is the package fragile? If so, expect problems with deliveries - no matter how well you think you can package it up.
If your item is too big or bulky to post, phone up a couple
I get the L.A. Times delivered to my door every day, but I don't read it for the articles. It is a Pulitzer Prize winning newspaper, but the articles just don't interest me. Unlike most people, I read the paper for the advertisements because there is a lot to learn from them.Over 90% of the ads run in the Los Angeles Times are horrible! Most of the ads I see are either ego-driven, have no headline, have no call to action, don't appeal to what the buyer is truly looking for or needs help with, or they're trying to be clever for clever-sake, and fail miserably.When writing copy, I live by this premise:"The purpose of advertising is to sell something."Advertising is like an investment that you hope to get a great return on. However, most people treat it like they're playing Roulette in Vegas and bet all their money "on black."The basics of good copy is to think in terms of words that sell.Following are some basics in advertising that should help you make your advertising more effective.Concentrate on your prospects. In the end you must persuade him/her no matter what method you use. And to do that, you must understand how he/she thinks.Know your product - its materials, its manufacturer, its use, etc. Know its features inside and out.Find the problem your product solves. The solution would, of course, be the benefit. It may be a mental, spiritual, physical, or financial benefit, but as advertising legend Maxwell Sackheim once said, "your product must have an excuse for its existence."Never start writing your advertisement until you're totally excited about the task at hand. If you're not excited about your product, it will come out in your writing, and hence, the lack of results your ad produces.Advertising is essentially news. Your ads must inform, educate, enlighten, inspire, or promise a reward for taking action. Apply your USP (Unique Selling Proposition) to your news angle. The USP works great as a news angle because if you're the ONLY one in town that does , isn't that news? If you have the lowest price in town and you tell them why you can beat every one else, isn't that news? It sure is. Ads should educate and inform, as well as persuade and move people to action.Understanding these basics of advertising will put you head and shoulders above your competition. Why? Because in my blu
It's no wonder that a lot of small businesses look at eBay as a way of getting into online sales. It's not all plain sailing though, and many businesses have found that it can be time consuming and unprofitable.
There are some pointers that can make trading on eBay profitable, interesting and fun. Have you noticed how some sellers can get significantly more bids and higher prices, whilst other sellers offer the same items at lower prices and get little or no interest?
It isn't down to luck. But put in a effort and planning, and you too can become a successful and profitable eBay trader.
I've written this article with an English audience in mind. The legal implications of selling on eBay are from an English perspective. However, most of the concepts will be the same around the world.
Know the Law
If you sell products to consumers, you need to be aware of the Distance Selling Regulations and the E-Commerce Regulations which give protection to consumers who shop via the Internet.
These regulations provide protection to consumers in the following ways:
- Consumers have the right to receive information about goods and services, in writing, before deciding to buy;
- A cooling off period of seven working days in which the consumer can withdraw from the contract;
- Protection from credit card fraud.
Get using eBay
If you haven't registered on eBay, get yourself a user name and start trading. Give yourself a sensible sounding user name that will add credibility to whatever it is you are going to be selling. Register yourself as a business user as this will give you easier access to more business functions within eBay later on, and register yourself as a Seller as well as a Buyer.
Browse some of the listings, notice how different people list their items. If you see a listing that you like - because of the description, the detail, the photographs, the layout - print a copy off. You may well want to do something similar yourself when it is time for listing your own items.
Get yourself a PayPal account and register yourself as a seller, so that you can receive payments.
Buy a few small items on eBay. Get comfortable with the process. Bid on items in auctions, and buy items using the 'Buy It Now' facility.
When you have received your goods, promptly leave good feedback for the seller. They should reciprocate and give you good feedback in return. The more positive feedback you get the better, as this will help your credibility when you start to sell yourself.
Sell a few bits and bobs on eBay as well. It's a great time to clear the decks of jumble that you've picked up over the years.
Research Your Product, Research Your Market Place
Do you know what you want to sell? Who else is selling a similar product? What price are people paying for similar goods? Is your product easy to deliver?
If you have no idea of what products you want to sell, get a copy of The Trader and Exchange and Mart. It will provide you with a whole list of suppliers and could spawn off some other ideas of what you want to sell.
Consider your product. It isn't always necessary to pick a product you know about, but there are a few things that you should consider.
Firstly, how are you going to get it to your customer? If it is a big, bulky package, or if it weighs more than 25kg, it is going to cost a lot to get it delivered. It is also going to be difficult to collect it from a customer if there is a fault with the product. Is the package fragile? If so, expect problems with deliveries - no matter how well you think you can package it up.
If your item is too big or bulky to post, phone up a couple
Flyer advertising is a very good method of advertising. It brings your company brand right to the doorstep of every individual. Whether you are from a big firm or small one, flyer advertising will definitely increase your business position, public awareness of your company and most importantly, boost your sales.I have given consultations on flyer designs for companies and see their sales increase a few folds. I will share my pointers of successful flyer advertising strategies in this article. I will share with you 3 proven ways to dramatically increase your sales through flyer advertisements.A Strong and Impactful HeadlineYour headline needs to be a strong and impactful one. Bold it, Colour it, Highlight it, Make an explosive bubble surrounding the words, because this short phrase is the deciding factor of whether your target audience will actually continue to read on or toss the piece of flyer into the bin.Create an impact on the person holding on to the flyer. Understand your target market. Find out what is the reason that people will need your services or products. From the reasons, formulate emotionally triggering questions or phrases that will create an impact on your target market. For example, a flyer of We Care Tuition Agency (Home Tuition Service Provider) goes like this "Your Child deserves all the ATTENTION he should be getting". Every parent will definitely read on because they want to find out how they can provide the "attention".Remember, add in emotional triggering ideas in your headline. Agitate your audience. Make them want to take action to alleviate the situation. Offer FREEbies! Make them want to keep your flyersAlways offer freebies, discounts, special offers to your potential customers. Other than creating the brand awareness of your company as well as of the product information, you also need to give your potential customers a rare, good opportunity to try out your services/products. Let them be your customers and you can service them over and over again in the future. So it is important that you sacrifice a bit of earnings in the intial stage in order to build up your customer database.On top of that, you need to add some description to your offer. Is it only a one-time offer, or is it the cheapest rate in the whole province. Make your promotion sounds so good such that if the
I've written this article with an English audience in mind. The legal implications of selling on eBay are from an English perspective. However, most of the concepts will be the same around the world.
Know the Law
If you sell products to consumers, you need to be aware of the Distance Selling Regulations and the E-Commerce Regulations which give protection to consumers who shop via the Internet.
These regulations provide protection to consumers in the following ways:
- Consumers have the right to receive information about goods and services, in writing, before deciding to buy;
- A cooling off period of seven working days in which the consumer can withdraw from the contract;
- Protection from credit card fraud.
Get using eBay
If you haven't registered on eBay, get yourself a user name and start trading. Give yourself a sensible sounding user name that will add credibility to whatever it is you are going to be selling. Register yourself as a business user as this will give you easier access to more business functions within eBay later on, and register yourself as a Seller as well as a Buyer.
Browse some of the listings, notice how different people list their items. If you see a listing that you like - because of the description, the detail, the photographs, the layout - print a copy off. You may well want to do something similar yourself when it is time for listing your own items.
Get yourself a PayPal account and register yourself as a seller, so that you can receive payments.
Buy a few small items on eBay. Get comfortable with the process. Bid on items in auctions, and buy items using the 'Buy It Now' facility.
When you have received your goods, promptly leave good feedback for the seller. They should reciprocate and give you good feedback in return. The more positive feedback you get the better, as this will help your credibility when you start to sell yourself.
Sell a few bits and bobs on eBay as well. It's a great time to clear the decks of jumble that you've picked up over the years.
Research Your Product, Research Your Market Place
Do you know what you want to sell? Who else is selling a similar product? What price are people paying for similar goods? Is your product easy to deliver?
If you have no idea of what products you want to sell, get a copy of The Trader and Exchange and Mart. It will provide you with a whole list of suppliers and could spawn off some other ideas of what you want to sell.
Consider your product. It isn't always necessary to pick a product you know about, but there are a few things that you should consider.
Firstly, how are you going to get it to your customer? If it is a big, bulky package, or if it weighs more than 25kg, it is going to cost a lot to get it delivered. It is also going to be difficult to collect it from a customer if there is a fault with the product. Is the package fragile? If so, expect problems with deliveries - no matter how well you think you can package it up.
If your item is too big or bulky to post, phone up a couple
Ozana Giusca is someone who knows how to spot an opportunity.With the rapid development of Eastern Europe, she had a sense that there was a lack of quality resources available to companies in both Bulgaria and Romania to establish successful business ventures. In addition to this, she also found that Western companies needed quality advice when trying to business in the Eastern European Market. Put the two ideas together and Bridge Europe Consulting was born...The InterviewDS: What inspired you to set up Bridge Europe Consulting Ltd?OG: Two things inspired me:(i) The lack of resources amongst Romanians and Bulgarians to develop successful projects,(ii) the need for provision of professional services at international standards, for Western companies considering setting up operations in Romania and Bulgaria.On the other hand, i was helping people with advice, as well as contacts – now I do the same, but I charge for it.DS: Did you have any help setting up the company or were you going it alone?OG: I set it up entirely on my own. However, I did have few brainstorming sessions with the consultants I work with – these are professionals with various skills, that I outsource specific tasks to.DS: What was the biggest challenge you faced in bringing your idea to fruition? How was it overcome?OG: Getting people to pay for consulting services. Persuasion, and development of good relationships with prospective clients always helps.DS: What makes you most proud about your achievements with Bridge Europe Consulting Ltd?OG: Even though very young, it is a brand that people already know and trust.DS: How did you actually fund your business to get it off the ground?OG: From revenues. The initial investment was extremely low, and we have started generating income from the very beginning. These days, all you need is a laptop with Internet connection, and a mobile phone.DS: What attributes make a successful entrepreneur?OG: Drive and hard work. Having a goal and desire for success.You also have to love what you are doing and to believe in what you are doing.DS: What do you believe are the necessary elements for a business venture to succeed?OG: Satisfy a need, find a niche market, have the right ‘offering’ (in terms of packaging, pricing, positioning), have an appropriate action plan, with set targets and milestones. Have t
Get using eBay
If you haven't registered on eBay, get yourself a user name and start trading. Give yourself a sensible sounding user name that will add credibility to whatever it is you are going to be selling. Register yourself as a business user as this will give you easier access to more business functions within eBay later on, and register yourself as a Seller as well as a Buyer.
Browse some of the listings, notice how different people list their items. If you see a listing that you like - because of the description, the detail, the photographs, the layout - print a copy off. You may well want to do something similar yourself when it is time for listing your own items.
Get yourself a PayPal account and register yourself as a seller, so that you can receive payments.
Buy a few small items on eBay. Get comfortable with the process. Bid on items in auctions, and buy items using the 'Buy It Now' facility.
When you have received your goods, promptly leave good feedback for the seller. They should reciprocate and give you good feedback in return. The more positive feedback you get the better, as this will help your credibility when you start to sell yourself.
Sell a few bits and bobs on eBay as well. It's a great time to clear the decks of jumble that you've picked up over the years.
Research Your Product, Research Your Market Place
Do you know what you want to sell? Who else is selling a similar product? What price are people paying for similar goods? Is your product easy to deliver?
If you have no idea of what products you want to sell, get a copy of The Trader and Exchange and Mart. It will provide you with a whole list of suppliers and could spawn off some other ideas of what you want to sell.
Consider your product. It isn't always necessary to pick a product you know about, but there are a few things that you should consider.
Firstly, how are you going to get it to your customer? If it is a big, bulky package, or if it weighs more than 25kg, it is going to cost a lot to get it delivered. It is also going to be difficult to collect it from a customer if there is a fault with the product. Is the package fragile? If so, expect problems with deliveries - no matter how well you think you can package it up.
If your item is too big or bulky to post, phone up a couple
Fundraising With Custom Silicone BraceletsLance Armstrong, the champion cyclist and a cancer survivor, first mooted fundraising ideas for the cause of cancer survivors by selling silicone made wrist bands.Legalities and RegistrationCharity organizations or their representatives need to register with respective state governments under section, commonly stated as 501(c) (3) of Internal Revenue Services, for charitable, religious or educational purposes. Not all the registrants are tax exempted, which is a point the donors need to consider. After this, the organizations need to obtain relevant license plates from their local Tag office or Tax Commission.Silicone wristbands and custom rubber bracelets are the most synonymous tools with cancer. Donors have, for long, identified promotional products like personalized silicone bracelets, rubber wristbands to show their solidarity with cancer survivors although they are at will to donate without the token purchases.Arrangements from the Organizers' Point-Of-ViewPlanning a campaign requires promotional products such as awareness bracelets etc. Using custom silicone bracelets with messages can be a good idea. Donors and fund organizers prefer to have a goodwill logo or slogan to be debossed or screen printed on the personalized silicone bracelets. But keep in mind that, screen printed custom rubber bracelets wear out with time.Donors beware of organizations creating brouhaha; these are looked down upon and seen as possible scheming campaigns.Fundraisers organize various events such as bicycle riding; triathlon and marathon as mass motivational ways. It's prudent to check credentials of the organizers in advance.Buying custom silicone bracelets is a public issue as it is for a public cause. Individuals need to be extra careful, especially, when buying online. Websites with appealing visuals or loud marketing pitches often mislead gullible people, as it is difficult to tell a fraud organization. Ensure that your good wishes are not going down the drain and fills you with the sense of having helped a cause.
Buy a few small items on eBay. Get comfortable with the process. Bid on items in auctions, and buy items using the 'Buy It Now' facility.
When you have received your goods, promptly leave good feedback for the seller. They should reciprocate and give you good feedback in return. The more positive feedback you get the better, as this will help your credibility when you start to sell yourself.
Sell a few bits and bobs on eBay as well. It's a great time to clear the decks of jumble that you've picked up over the years.
Research Your Product, Research Your Market Place
Do you know what you want to sell? Who else is selling a similar product? What price are people paying for similar goods? Is your product easy to deliver?
If you have no idea of what products you want to sell, get a copy of The Trader and Exchange and Mart. It will provide you with a whole list of suppliers and could spawn off some other ideas of what you want to sell.
Consider your product. It isn't always necessary to pick a product you know about, but there are a few things that you should consider.
Firstly, how are you going to get it to your customer? If it is a big, bulky package, or if it weighs more than 25kg, it is going to cost a lot to get it delivered. It is also going to be difficult to collect it from a customer if there is a fault with the product. Is the package fragile? If so, expect problems with deliveries - no matter how well you think you can package it up.
If your item is too big or bulky to post, phone up a couple
Software integration isn’t just a buzzword for online businesses, it’s an absolute must. Having your entire business automated is the ultimate goal in efficiency, and if you’re still wondering if it’s right for you let me offer a few reasons I believe every online business needs to explore their software options. Available integrated solutions vary greatly depending upon the size of your company and other business requirements, so I will not attempt to review what’s out there or offer software recommendations.Within any e-commerce business website there are points of conversion on the site, whether it be a contact form, email subscribe, quote request, or a web order. When a visitor turns into a client, lead, or subscriber, you need a way to gather the information submitted without having to perform redundant data entry into contact management, accounting, or project management applications.Redundant data entry is a costly business expense because data is processed through an inefficient method known as “rip and tear” whereby orders and/or leads are manually entered from email data. Instead of the information being automatically saved to a database where it can be used later in contact management or accounting applications, the data isn’t available until data entry clerks have re-keyed it. This also dramatically increases the chances of data entry errors and some orders or leads may never be entered at all.Another problem with having several disparate databases throughout a company is process tracking. If you don’t have the software to effectively track orders, leads, projects, etc. all the way through until completion, how do you know if tasks are being completed or not? Orders may leave your business without proper quality assurance being performed or in some cases (yes, this happened to me) orders ship without the customer being charged at all.You won’t stay in business long sending out orders/performing services for free or paying the high costs of replacement shipments to fix mistakes that could have easily been avoided. Integrated business applications ensure that all departments within the company are on the same page and guarantee that team members can relay status information to the customer for enhanced customer satisfaction.An additional concern when you ignore the importance of creating your business logic from the beginning is future expansion and the scalability of your business. As you hire new
Consider your product. It isn't always necessary to pick a product you know about, but there are a few things that you should consider.
Firstly, how are you going to get it to your customer? If it is a big, bulky package, or if it weighs more than 25kg, it is going to cost a lot to get it delivered. It is also going to be difficult to collect it from a customer if there is a fault with the product. Is the package fragile? If so, expect problems with deliveries - no matter how well you think you can package it up.
If your item is too big or bulky to post, phone up a couple of parcel carriers to get some quotes. Use a reputable parcel carrier like ByBox, Initial City Link or Amtrak. If your item isn't so fragile, consider carriers such as DHL and ParcelForce.
Consider how you will resolve warranty problems. Do you have a supplier who has the facilities and resources to help you, or are you on your own?
The next step is to research your market and find out who is selling something similar on eBay. This is fairly easy as eBay itself provides some useful tools to help you get going, with the Advanced Search function.
Once you click on the Advanced Search function, you can start specifying what you are looking for in much more detail. You can exclude words from your search, you can specify a minimum and a maximum price, you can specify business or private sellers, whether the items should be new or used, and you can specify a range of how many bids the item should have in order to be included in the search.
More interestingly, from a viewpoint of someone wanting to research a specific product on eBay, you can specify Completed Listings only. This means you can see how many similar products to yours have been offered on eBay over the past month, what they sold for, if they sold and the number of people who bid on them.
I recently wanted to sell a car on eBay, and wanted to see what similar cars had sold for over the past few weeks. Using the eBay Advanced Search option, I requested a search for cars similar to mine, within a similar price range.
Very quickly, I was able to ascertain what other cars had been offered, how many bids each auction got and whether the cars sold or not.
It's a great tool - you can identify if your particular marketplace is saturated or if you are one of only a few sellers.
Now look at these auctions in more detail to find out clues as to why some sold for more than others. You'll soon notice a pattern:
- Lots of photographs and well written information with prominent contact details do well, with lots of interest, lots of bids and a good sale price.
- Listings lacking one or more of the above attract less interest.
- Animated cartoons, musical effects, difficult to read fonts, or a poor description in two or three lines and typed ENTIRELY IN CAPITAL LETTERS do worst of all.
This is a big eBay secret: spend time on your listing, make yourself look professional. You'll reap the rewards.
If you now know your product, your market and your competition, you're a big step along the way. But can you make money? It's time to...
Forecast!
Forecast your sales to ensure you can make a profit. Take into account:
- Delivery Costs - to the customer, and to you in the first place
- Warranty Failure Costs
- The time it takes to manage the sale and after sale
Then you can identify your break even price. Compare this with the average price of bids on eBay for the products you are planning to sell and see what the difference is.
Test, Test, Test
Before you buy a huge bulk of product, try and test the market with a small sample. This may mean you having to buy your
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