Net Auctions and Auction Information |
|
Start an Easy Home Business: Become an Ebay Trading Assistant
EBay's online auctions have created business opportunities for thousands of people. Now the Trading Assistant program is making it easier than ever to start a business from home. Trading Assistants act as brokers, selling merchandise for others and keeping a percentage of the profits. The profit potential can be great, especially when selling high-value items. Though there are millions of registered users on eBay, many people still don't know how to sell goods themselves. A Trading Assistant fills a need in the marketplace, allowing you to make a profit while helping others unload their stuff. Almost everyone has a box of items in their garage or closet that they would like to sell. Getting Started You will need to decide what types of products you are willing to sell and may want to set a minimum value on merchandise you accept. It can be difficult to make a profit on $5 items so many assistants require the products have a minimum estimated sales value of $10 or $20. Most assistants set their fees between 20%-40% of the ending auction price. You may also want to charge a per-item listing fee of $1-$5, and possibly deduct this from the commission if the auction ends successfully. As a Trading Assistant, you will list the item for sale, handle all buyer questions, collect payment and shipping fees from the buyer and ship the item. You may also need to do some research on your customers' items to determine their value. Search the closed listings to find out what similar items have sold for and list your auctions accordingly. You should create a simple contract that your customers sign to indicate that they agree to your services and fees. You can check out the competition in your area to determine what services other Assistants are offering and how they are structuring their fees. Check eBay's directory by zip code at http://contact.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?TradingAssistant&page=main. You will also need to decide how to obtain the items from your seller. You could offer a pickup service, visit customers' homes and complete a contract there. Or you can offer a drop-off service, where customers bring their items to you. Many assistants operate from their garage so buyers don't have to enter their homes. Promote Your Business on Ebay Ebay offers a directory of Trading Assistants that consumers can use to locate services in their geographic area. To get listed in the official Trading Assistant program, eBay requires that you have a feedback rating of at least 50, have sold at least one item in the past 30 days, and maintain satisfaction rating of 97% or higher. A listing in the official directory is free and you can also download best practices information and other tools from eBay at http://contact.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?TradingAssistant&page=toolkit. Other Ways to Promote Your Business Here are some ideas for getting the word out about your service: ?Create a simple brochure and ask nearby businesses to display them for you. ?Leave brochures or fliers on doorsteps in your neighborhood. ?Place classified ads in the local newspapers. ?Place free classified ads on www.craigslist.org. ?Contact small business owners and offer your services to them. They may want to unload their overstock and your service could provide the perfect solution. ?Post fliers and brochures at colleges, retirement centers, and community centers. ?Ask your kid's school to mention your service in the newsletter. ?Visit garage sales and flea markets and offer your services to sellers. Launch Your Business Make sure you follow the rules of running a home-based business and check with your county offices to apply for a business license and resale permit. Though online sales are not heavily governed, someday they will be and it is better to comply with business laws. Also make sure to set expectations with your customers. Since many aren't familiar with how eBay works, explain the process and set realistic expectations for the final values of sales. Some may expect their items to be worth far more than they can get on eBay, and you don't want to disappoint or worse, upset a client by selling an item for less than expected. If you don't yet have any experience on eBay yourself, it's easy to get started. Begin with some spring cleaning and list some merchandise from your home. Make sure you have a good understanding of how eBay works before you represent your services to others. A Trading Assistant business is a great opportunity for anyone interested in a relatively easy home business. Once you launch your business, repeat customers and word of mouth should help your business grow. Your only regret could be that you didn't start sooner. Stephanie Chandler is the author of "The Business Startup Checklist and Planning Guide: Seize Your Entrepreneurial Dreams!" and the founder of http://www.BusinessInfoGuide.com, a directory of free resources for entrepreneurs. Sign up for the BusinessInfoGuide newsletter to receive hot resources and tips every month.
MORE RESOURCES: NC auctions off abandoned safe deposit boxes WFMYNews2.com Oklahoma's largest no-kill sanctuary hosts art auction to raise funds, continue caring for animals KOCO Oklahoma City Cascade Galleria to be put up for auction New Castle News Treasury Auction Relief Rally and Month-End Support Mortgage News Daily What Happens to Fashion After It's Sold at Auction The Business of Fashion Auction brings more than $7.5 million for Ponte Vedra Beach home | Jax Daily Record Jacksonville Daily Record Young auctioneer continues family legacy – The Daily Texan The Daily Texan ‘Titanic’ driftwood ‘door’ that saved Rose sells at auction for $700K The Washington Post Lady Gaga, Amy Winehouse, Martin Luther King Jr.’s Letters to Tony Bennett Being Offered at Auction Variety Unclaimed property auction scheduled for March 27 CBS Pittsburgh This 1916 Babe Ruth Rookie Card Was a Store Giveaway. Now It Could Fetch $500,000 at Auction. Robb Report Spotlight: Brazil's key auctions in April BNamericas English ‘Never let go’: ‘Titanic’ door prop sold at auction WPXI Pittsburgh American Queen Cruise Ship Fleet Heading to Auction Cruise Industry News Pickens Auctions Annual Spring 24 Equipment Sale at Payne County Expo Center Visit Stillwater, Oklahoma Disney concept art, audio-animatronics available for bidding during upcoming auction KTLA Los Angeles Controversial ‘Titanic’ prop sells big at auction KTLA Los Angeles 'Titanic' floating door prop that saved Rose — but sadly not Jack — auctioned off for startling amount New York Post Tilda Swinton, Brian Cox and ‘Saltburn’ Star Alison Oliver Items Up for Auction to Aid Palestinians in Gaza Hollywood Reporter Lady Gaga, Madonna, Amy Winehouse messages to Tony Bennett going on the auction block – WJJY 106.7 WJJY Controversial 'Titanic' door sells for over $700K at auction New York Daily News 2024 fantasy baseball draft sheet: Downloadable auction values and stats for 650 players The Athletic Wood panel from Titanic fetches more than $700k at Dallas auction The Dallas Morning News Allegany County Tax Foreclosure Auction Postponed - THE WELLSVILLE SUN THE WELLSVILLE SUN Mixed Performance. Data Hurt. Auction Helped. Little Changed Mortgage News Daily 'Titanic' door sells for over $700k at auction Entertainment Weekly News Jeff, "The Liquidator" partners with Major Partner Donors to support the Memorial Ribbon Society of Canada in this ... 24-7 Press Release SOLD! 230-acre Iowa century farm brings nearly $4 million at auction Successful Farming Ben Simmons's $17.5 Million Hidden Hills Mansion Is Headed to Auction Yahoo Canada Shine On ‘Titanic’ Door That Jack Tragically Couldn’t Fit on Nabs More Than $718,000 at Auction Rolling Stone 4-H spring, celebrity autograph auctions planned for April 12-13 - The County Press - Thecountypress ACV Auctions Inc CFO William Zerella Sells 32,500 Shares Yahoo Finance The golden Apple: Jobs business card makes nearly $200000 at auction JustCollecting News TITANIC DOOR AUCTION Buffalo News Steve Jobs signed Apple Computer business card achieves over $180000 at auction — about 14X more expensive ... Tom's Hardware GM Financial Announces 2023 Auction of the Year Winners Collision Repair Mag Titanic's Floating Door Sells for Whopping $718750 at Auction, Beating Indiana Jones' Bullwhip PEOPLE Online Pennsylvania unclaimed property auction being held this week; here's what you can bid on Yahoo! Voices Britney Spears' 2012 'X Factor' chainmail halter top up for auction, could fetch five figures Page Six Montrose Auction Doubles Online Exposure For 800-Lot Sale, Reaps Nearly $650000 Antiques and the Arts Online A Boom in Luxury Home Auctions Is a Boon to Buyers Mansion Global Cars, trucks, and jewelry: Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office to hold property auction end of March ActionNewsJax.com |
RELATED ARTICLES
So What Are YOU Going To Do About eBays Fee Increases? Unless you have been hiding under a rock, I am sure that by now you have heard that eBay is raising its fees. So what's a small merchant to do? Here are some suggestions. Why Ebay Is The Best Place To Make Your First $1000 Online I'd like to begin with a question - and I'll bet the answer is going to surprise you (it sure did surprise me!).Q. How Drop Shipping Works One of the most frequently asked questions on the Net is: "What should I sell online?"Many people know what products they want to sell. However, they don't know how to do this. How To Increase eBay Profits Some sell on eBay to clean out their garage or attic.Some sell to make a little extra money here and there. 8 Collectible Dolls That Sell Well on eBay From the beginning, eBay's primary growth came from thecollectibles market. There are two basic models for eBaysales:1. USP on eBay If you have dabbled at all in the world of Internet marketing, you may have heard the term "unique selling proposition" or USP. USP is a technique that Internet marketers use to set themselves apart from the competition. EBay Income Possibilities If you've ever read an article about eBay, you will have seen the kinds of incomes people make - it isn't unusual to hear of people making thousands of dollars per month on eBay.Next time you're on eBay, take a look at how many PowerSellers there are: you'll find quite a few. 7 Simple Steps To Profit Without Your Own Product Most people do not succeed on the internet because they are selling products no one desperately wants.If you want to be truly successful sell only things that people really really really want to buy!Sounds simple? It is. Learn How To Be A Successful eBay Seller Anyone can sell anything on eBay. Open an account, list your product, and wait for the bids to start coming in. Make BIG MONEY on eBay - Your Unlimited Cash Cow Let me be brutally honest; until recently, I had never bought anything on eBay, I'd never sold anything on eBay, and, dang-nab-it, I disdained auctions. (Bidding wars just weren't my bag. Multiple Income Streams on eBay within 30 Minutes! POWERSELL Status, the secrets revealed.If like thousands of people you have been using eBay and wondering how to gain a regular income, and work from home, this article will help you. Online Auctions Business Online auction sites are a great way to find a bargain on almost anything and an excellent way of getting the best price for selling something of your own. Online auctions are different from their real-world counterparts. A WIN-WIN Scenario On eBay For Buyer/Sellers: Tips For Hunting Want It Now Postings "Ask And You Shall Receive" Policy Works!You're one-of-a-kind baby clothes sat for the last month oneBay with no buyer. Why? Perhaps your item is sospecialized that buyers have a hard time finding you. All Terrain Vehicles (ATVs) Sell Well On eBay ATV auctions are healthy markets on eBay. All terrain vehicles have changed in the last few years (naturally) and the major change has been from one person ATVs to two person models. Profitable Paper Piecing on eBay -- Part 2 Basic Paper Piecing TipsHere are some tips that will help you create paper piecings that will sell!Save some time by eliminating the "tracing" of patterns. Take your pattern, lay it over your cardstock and use your stylus to "trace" it onto your cardstock. How To Sell Internationally On eBay Without Risk Many people just getting started on eBay have reservations when it comes to selling to International buyers. Possibly they've heard a few second-hand horror stories, or they feel it's simply not worth the extra hassle. Drop Shipping Is Your Perfect Home Based Business Solution Drop Shipping Is Your Perfect Home Based Business SolutionDrop 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. Do You Pay Taxes On eBay Income? Q: I read your last column about paying income tax on eBay sales if you are doing it as a business, but as someone who only sells on eBay occasionally I'm still confused if the IRS rules apply to me. Can you tell me more?-- Norman L. Be Realistic When Selling on eBay As some of you know, I spent many years buying and selling both on and offline and several of my products are based upon my own experience in this area. I know that the vast majority of my customers and subscribers have an interest in trading whether it be on eBay or at the local market but more and more I am seeing people with completely unrealistic expectations of what they will be able to do. Everything You Need To Know About Ebay Money Making Opportunities Ebay money making opportunities are simply the best thing to come along since the wheel. Seriously, everybody from grandmothers to middle school kids are cashing in on what's been called the $14 billion ebay pie. |
home | site map |
© 2006 |