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.
About the Author:
Stephanie Chandler is a
small business expert and
the author of FROM
ENTREPRENEUR TO INFOPRENEUR:
MAKE MONEY WITH BOOKS,
E-BOOKS AND INFORMATION
PRODUCTS. She is the founder
of
www.BusinessInfoGuide.com,
a directory of resources for
entrepreneurs and
www.ProPublishingServices.com,
a custom writing business
specializing in electronic
newsletters, information
marketing, and sales copy
for websites and brochures.
*This
article can be reprinted in full provided the author
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