Andik_ java.blogspot.com

eBay made easy: ready to start an eBay business? These 5 simple steps will get you on your way

---

* DON'T DAWDLE. Jim "Griff" Griffith, author of The eBay Bible and dean of eBay Education, says many new sellers feel overwhelmed at first. "A lot of new sellers spend too much time studying the site, and that's a mistake, as you can easily get hung up on 'paralysis by analysis,'" he says. Griff advises you to start small and slow, research the market on eBay, and then put one item up to get started. "If you do it methodically and slowly, you can list your first item in an hour or so and be up and running."

For more ideas on where to find product sources, go to www.entrepreneur. com/ebay/productsources.

Step 3: Manage the Auction Process

There are several types of eBay auctions. In a basic auction, you post your item with a starting price and wait for bidders to drive the price up until a closing time, which can be three, five, seven or lo days later, when the auction ends. You are then obligated to sell to the highest bidder.

You can also set a reserve price, which is a hidden minimum price that is the lowest amount you're willing to accept. Buyers are not shown the reserve price, and if it is not met, you are not obligated to sell the item.

If you have two or more identical items for sale, you can post them in the same auction by using a Dutch (or Multiple Item) Auction.

If you don't like auctions, eBay also has a "Buy It Now" feature that gives bidders the option to buy your item immediately for a set price. Or you can choose a fixed-price listing, which simply puts the item up for sale at a set price, with no bidding allowed.
advertisement

To sell on eBay, you'll pay a listing fee to post your merchandise and a final value fee (a small percentage of the sale price) when the item sells. These fees change from time to time, so be sure to check the eBay site to make sure you can pay all the fees and still make a profit.

A number of books offer advice on reducing the amount of time and effort necessary to create eBay auction pages, such as Marsha Collier's eBay Timesaving Techniques For Dummies, Janelle Elms' eBay Your Business and Joseph T. Sinclair's eBay Business the Smart Way. Entrepreneur magazine's Startup Guide #1824, How to Start a Business on eBay, is available at www.smallbizbooks.com.

Software can also help you streamline the auction management process. Listing programs, such as Turbo-Lister (available for free from eBay) and Zdrop (www.ztradingpost.com), enable you to create multiple auction pages on your PC and upload them as a "batch" to eBay. Full-service auction-management programs like AuctionHelper (www.auctionhelper.com) and Zoovy (www.zoovy.com) handle almost everything, from inventory management to label printing.

Step 4: Provide Great Customer Service

Buyers will ask you questions about your merchandise, and if you don't respond promptly, they won't bid. Top-notch service also means shipping your goods to the winning buyer within two to three days after the auction closes, or as soon as you receive payment.

Previous 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 Next