eBay: Can You Really Make Money Here?
by: Keith Lee
As a mother of two, Sarah was always busy. But, this did not stop her from finding her niche in the world. She had been designing beautiful jewelry for her friends for years. She gave them as gifts. She presented them to others who wished to buy them to give to their friends. She made each piece by hand and loved every minute of it. She knew, though, if she wanted to make any real money on this little business that she got going that she needed to find individuals that would pay for them. Her circle of friends was wearing them, of course, but she knew if they loved them so much that others would too.
Sarah took her search online and found eBay. This online auction house allowed her to easily place pictures of her products on their site and soon enough people were bidding on them. She was selling her own products. Later, she would open an eBay store that would promote more than just one product for her. She soon found herself spending more time at the post office than ever delivering her jewelry to her newfound audience.
eBay is by far one of the most sought after internet businesses to dip your hands into. But, if you don't have a lot of 'junk' lying around your home, you may find it hard to understand how you'll make any money in this business. Don't want to spend your days at garage sales and picking up other people's trash so that you have something to sell? Here are some numbers that will make you think twice about these things.
a. eBay has more than 1.2 million registered users. That is your customer based presented to you.
b. Of those, about 25,000 of them are making five figure incomes from their eBay businesses.
c. Not looking for full time? Consider part time eBayers can supplement their income by several thousand dollars a year.
If you aren't like Sarah and can't make a product to sell, as many of us wish we could, you'll find hundreds of other options too.
How Does eBay Work?
eBay is an online auction website. The website is designed to connect those that wish to sell products and those that want to find a great deal on products. The company is built on the fact that people want to get a better deal and love finding one. Just think about how you feel when you do go to that garage sale and find something that you want and can use in good shape for much less than what the retail stores sell it for. You know the shy smile that you get when you realize you are getting something for much less than what others have paid? You can think of eBay as a way to get those deals all the time.
From The Salesmanship Side
So, how do you sell and make an income on eBay? Most individuals start by cleaning house literally. They start by getting rid of things throughout their home that they simply do not need. When you can take stuff you don't use and make a few dollars off of it, you'll want to do it more. Cleaning just got profitable!
But, besides just selling things from around the home, those that are true eBay sellers realize that they need more to sell. Some will have their own products or services to offer. For example, some will sell crafts and such. Others will purchase products for next to nothing and sell them at a slight markup. This is where most eBayers make their money.
Wholesale Options Too Next