Casual Articles - Internet and Businesses Online

Public Relations and Signage Companies
Signage companies are in the advertising and marketing business as they sell their signage and install it in order to bring visibility to their customers companies and yet they are not so visible themselves if you might have noticed. So what they need to do is to participate more in a little bit of community goodwill and public relations.How so you ask? Well why not consider having them participate in a neighborhood crime watch program or a community policing mobile watch business program? Why? Well simple really if you consider how these types of bu

t? Lets look at the increases. This chart is straight out of Bill's email:

These Store Inventory format insertion fees take effect Aug. 22, 2006:

Starting Price-- New insertion fee-- Current Fee

$0.01 -- 24.99-- 5? 2?

$25.00 and higher 10? 2?

Some Store Inventory format final value fees also will also increase, effective Aug. 22, 2006:

Selling Price New Final Value Fee Current Fee

$0.01 -- 25.00 10% 8%

$25.01 -- 100.00 7% 5%

A Career Built on Character - Part 1
"Personality can open doors, but only character can keep them open." ~Elmer G. Letterman"The best job goes to the person who can get the job done without coming up with excuses or passing the buck" ~Napolean HillWhat About Politics?Political Astuteness is something that you may not learn in school; however, it plays a significant role in success in business."Man is by nature a political animal." ~AristotleTake Control It's important to keep in mind that you are responsib

We recently received an e-mail notifying us that eBay feels they need to level the playing field of their auctions vs. store listings. EBay feels that store listings are too cheap, and they need to increase the price to encourage more auctions, or core listings.

Bill Cobb, President of eBay North America claims that while 83% of the listings are store inventory listings, 91% of sales closed were of the core listings (i'm sorry, I fail to see the advantage store listings had?). He claims that the increase will mean that store listings will be paying an additional 6% on average. He also says that the current listing prices for store listings do not cover their hosting fees. Bill says that the store listing cost them 50% more than core listings.

I am surprised to see this move on the heels of Google anouncing their own Google Checkout. An answer to Pay Pal. Of course, eBay was quick to ban Google Checkout. That means Google may have to launch an auction site, so will we have a place to use Google checkout? Froogle was not exactly a raging success. Then again, no one had any reason to leave eBay. They may, now.

Let's take a look at an eBay store. This seller sells clothing. This seller has 1,777 listings. Please keep in mind, that is listings, not items. You see eBay does not allow a seller to offer choice of color or size in a listing, so if you have an item with 3 sizes, and two colors, you have to create 6 listings to sell 1 item. This seller is selling at the basic store. That's $15.00 per month. Each listing cost this seller (at current rate) .02 per month. That is $35.54 per month, plus the basic store price, equals $50.54 per month just to list his items. Now you can't do without a gallery picture, that another .01cents per listing, so now we are up to $68.31 per month before we even make a sale. Ahh... the sale has a final value fee. The final value fee is based on the amount of the sale. But wait! That's not all, we have more! Pay Pal is the payment of choice for eBayers. They get their fees too! In short, to sell $792.99 worth of merchandise he payed $157.47 to eBay, and another 30.00 for pay pal fees, and $20.00 in key words search listings means this sellers cost for selling on eBay is $207.47. This seller drop ships, that means he purchases the item after it sells. His mark up is 100% or 2 times the cost of the merchandise. This gives the merchant $396.50 minus his cost of doing business, $207.47, leaves this merchant with a profit of $189.03. Yep, eBay made more on his sales than he did.

Now, dear Bill claims that the increases to store listings will average only 6%. That's an additional $9.45 for this seller. But, is Bill right? Lets look at the increases. This chart is straight out of Bill's email:

These Store Inventory format insertion fees take effect Aug. 22, 2006:

Starting Price-- New insertion fee-- Current Fee

$0.01 -- 24.99-- 5? 2?

$25.00 and higher 10? 2?

Some Store Inventory format final value fees also will also increase, effective Aug. 22, 2006:

Selling Price New Final Value Fee Current Fee

$0.01 -- 25.00 10% 8%

$25.01 -- 100.00 7% 5%

What's Toll Free Numbers Got To Do With Ecommerce?
Sometimes skimping on things can save you good money. But skimping is not always the wisest business strategy. For example, I could’ve written this article in the windows program notepad as opposed to Microsoft Word, and saved a good $500 and never had to buy the latest version of Microsoft Office… However, wouldn’t it be worth the $500 if the improved impression of professionalism put forth in all of my writings some how garnered ten times that in profit? Would you have read this far if I had unknowingly published this article with a horribly obvious typo

ing fees. Bill says that the store listing cost them 50% more than core listings.

These Store Inventory format insertion fees take effect Aug. 22, 2006:

Starting Price-- New insertion fee-- Current Fee

$0.01 -- 24.99-- 5? 2?

$25.00 and higher 10? 2?

Some Store Inventory format final value fees also will also increase, effective Aug. 22, 2006:

Selling Price New Final Value Fee Current Fee

$0.01 -- 25.00 10% 8%

$25.01 -- 100.00 7% 5%

What's the Difference Between Successful Businesses and Struggling Businesses?
Have you ever noticed how some businesses seem to do extremely well, and go from strength to strength, whilst the majority just seem to muddle along?Since starting my own business I've met many small business owners and what I've noticed is that the vast majority of them seem to just about get by, but few reach the level of success that they're actually capable of. Some of them end up failing altogether, some lurch from project to project, and some do OK, but never really achieve the success or lifestyle they envisioned when they started their busine

size in a listing, so if you have an item with 3 sizes, and two colors, you have to create 6 listings to sell 1 item. This seller is selling at the basic store. That's $15.00 per month. Each listing cost this seller (at current rate) .02 per month. That is $35.54 per month, plus the basic store price, equals $50.54 per month just to list his items. Now you can't do without a gallery picture, that another .01cents per listing, so now we are up to $68.31 per month before we even make a sale. Ahh... the sale has a final value fee. The final value fee is based on the amount of the sale. But wait! That's not all, we have more! Pay Pal is the payment of choice for eBayers. They get their fees too! In short, to sell $792.99 worth of merchandise he payed $157.47 to eBay, and another 30.00 for pay pal fees, and $20.00 in key words search listings means this sellers cost for selling on eBay is $207.47. This seller drop ships, that means he purchases the item after it sells. His mark up is 100% or 2 times the cost of the merchandise. This gives the merchant $396.50 minus his cost of doing business, $207.47, leaves this merchant with a profit of $189.03. Yep, eBay made more on his sales than he did.

These Store Inventory format insertion fees take effect Aug. 22, 2006:

Starting Price-- New insertion fee-- Current Fee

$0.01 -- 24.99-- 5? 2?

$25.00 and higher 10? 2?

Some Store Inventory format final value fees also will also increase, effective Aug. 22, 2006:

Selling Price New Final Value Fee Current Fee

$0.01 -- 25.00 10% 8%

$25.01 -- 100.00 7% 5%

SBIR - A Nice Add-on Business
If you are a small business and qualify to participate in the SBIR program, it is a natural enhancer to your existing business. If you are small enough you may be able to start a company using SBIR funding, but you will soon come to realize that if your sources of income are not diversified (with SBIR being only one source) you might fall victim to funding cycles and no income. Although the Government provides funding to spawn technology its dual mission is to help that technology grow into viable commercial technology. If you can not bring your SBIR fundin

ey get their fees too! In short, to sell $792.99 worth of merchandise he payed $157.47 to eBay, and another 30.00 for pay pal fees, and $20.00 in key words search listings means this sellers cost for selling on eBay is $207.47. This seller drop ships, that means he purchases the item after it sells. His mark up is 100% or 2 times the cost of the merchandise. This gives the merchant $396.50 minus his cost of doing business, $207.47, leaves this merchant with a profit of $189.03. Yep, eBay made more on his sales than he did.

These Store Inventory format insertion fees take effect Aug. 22, 2006:

Starting Price-- New insertion fee-- Current Fee

$0.01 -- 24.99-- 5? 2?

$25.00 and higher 10? 2?

Some Store Inventory format final value fees also will also increase, effective Aug. 22, 2006:

Selling Price New Final Value Fee Current Fee

$0.01 -- 25.00 10% 8%

$25.01 -- 100.00 7% 5%

Strategic Planning Guidance
Strategic planning is more stressed primarily in military operations, in the government and in business activities. In a business, strategic planning provides guidance regarding financial and marketing strategies, human resources, information technology adjustments and orientation of the company in general.Within a government, strategic planning gives timely guidance for total governmental management and provides norms for the formulation of public policy and new laws. Exploitation of land and water resources, infrastructure development funding for w

t? Lets look at the increases. This chart is straight out of Bill's email:

These Store Inventory format insertion fees take effect Aug. 22, 2006:

Starting Price-- New insertion fee-- Current Fee

$0.01 -- 24.99-- 5? 2?

$25.00 and higher 10? 2?

Some Store Inventory format final value fees also will also increase, effective Aug. 22, 2006:

Selling Price New Final Value Fee Current Fee

$0.01 -- 25.00 10% 8%

$25.01 -- 100.00 7% 5%

$100.01 -- 1,000.00 5% (no change) 5%

$1,000.01 and higher 3% (no change) 3%

Excuse me Bill, but my calculator must be malfunctioning. I believe the top of the chart show a 60% and 80% increase for insertion fees.

Let's assume the store we are talking about has half his listings at under 25.00, and half over. His new insertion fees will be $106.62 that's a 47% increase. This does not include the final value fee increase. Or the fact that this sellers has 2/3 of his items over $25.00

Now granted the seller could try and increase his prices to cover the extra insertion fees. Problem is, this is a highly competitive market and he might price himself out of sales.

The math is done, does this seller have any chance to earn money on eBay? I think Bill has forgotten that buyers come to eBay because of the sellers, so they can buy ...it. If it aint there, they won't be coming. Bill, it's not a good idea to chase sellers away. 83% of your listings... hmmm.

Ok Google (or anyone with an auction site), looks like eBay wants to hand over the keys to.. it.

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Learn how to handle the interview over the phone. Simple it may sounds, the voice plays an important part that may determine your chances of success.

A large grocery store opened a new outlet in my neighborhood. A small basket of red apples sits by the cash register. The sign in the basket reads:

The 9-to-5 grind can make you feel like a just another cog in the corporate machine, constantly punching the clock for someone else’s vision. One day, while dreaming of the world outside the cubicle, you have your big “Eureka!” moment-you’ve come across an idea so perfect that you need to start your own business around it.

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