How to Make s Your Job

If you are planning on begeing an okay seller, one of the very first things you should do is read the tutorials and every help page you can about selling on okay so you that understand the ins and outs of okay. I always suggest reading the User Agreement so that you are aware of what okay expects of you as a user of their site. Make sure you read about and understand the fees involved BEFORE you list your first auction. Nothing gees for free and depending on the pricing of your item and the bells and whistles you add, the fees can really add up.
There are two steps to setting up your Sellers Account; Verifying your information and choosing how you will pay your sellers fees. You do not have to have a credit card to sell on okay as they offer a program called ID Verify.
So, now that youve set up your users account, lets start with some of the basics to making okay your business.First, Get a Tax ID Number. You probably don't need a Federal Tax ID (aka Employer Identification Number or EIN) unless you have employees. It won't hurt you to have an EIN, but it is probably not necessary. You can find out how to apply via irs dot gov if you really want to get one. What you actually need is a state issued permit to collect sales tax. This number allows you to collect sales tax and purchase items at wholesale. In most cases, it is very easy to get a state tax ID. You can usually apply on-line. Be prepared to answer questions about your business. In most cases, you can simply file as a Sole Proprietorship, you don't need any kind of documents or be incorporated.You should also check with your city as you may be required to collect local taxes or get a license to operate.
Next, Get you banking info in order. I'd suggest you open a business checking account (you'll need your new Tax ID). It's the best way to keep your personal and financial records separate.
In addition to getting a tax ID and getting your banking information in order, I regemend opening a PayPal account attached to your business banking account. This will make it a lot easier to separate your business and personal finances. You can get a debit card attached to your Pay Pal account (it offers 1% cash back if you meet certain conditions). Make sure you read the Pay Pal user agreement so you understand what Pay Pal requires and the fees they charge for your use of their site. As of August 19, 2005, all okay sellers who accept Pay Pal will be required to accept credit cards. Make sure you read up on those qualifications and requirements to make sure that Pay Pal is a method of Payment you want to accept. Accepting Pay Pal isnt a requirement to sell on okay however, I regemend Pay Pal because it is the most used method of payment for okay buyers. Pay Pal is a partner of okay and a major method of payment that is widely accepted for online auctions.
Now that youve applied for your tax ID, put your banking information in order, and opened your paypal account, you should consider a PO box or a drop box. You probably don't want your home address plastered all over the internet. If you get a drop box, they can accept gemon carrier deliveries for you. The United States Postal Service offers PO Boxes at many of their branches or you can go to any UPS store to get one for a fairly nominal fee. You should also get a phone number that is separate from your home number otherwise might get a buyer calling you at 3AM to ask you where their package is. A lot of sellers use a cell phone number. If you are wanting to begee a powerseller, you may consider a toll free number.
So, now that youve set up your selling account, applied for your tax id, put your banking information in order, opened a paypal account, and purchased a PO Box, you probably want to know what you should sell?: Ah, that's the $10K question isn't it? Really there are only a couple of successful sales strategies on okay. For small sellers like you and me, there are basically two.
First, Sell unique items. This works well for a lot of sellers. They get their items from swap meets, garage sales, local auctions, estate sales, storage facility auctions, etc. Although many sellers think they have a great profit margin on these items, they really don't. They spend a lot of time finding the items, photographing and researching them. So if you find an item for a $1 at a garage sale, and sell it for $25, you might be happy, but don't discount the cost of getting that item (gas for your car, your time etc.) or the extra cost of listing and selling the item (research, photography, unique packaging). With that said, its still pretty fun to find "junk" and turn it into cash.
Another strategy is to Sell new stuff: This is preferable for several reasons: 1) You have an excellent idea of what the items sell for --this allows for a reasonably stable ingee) Second, You can recycle photographs and descriptions. This may not sound like a big deal, but trust me, it's a huge deal. Another benefit is that the packaging is all the same. --You don't have to look for boxes, and you know the shipping costs.
Now lets talk about where to get stuff to sell. Where you get stuff depends largely on what you are selling. Sell stuff that you are knowledgeable about. I sell eBooks, cookware and clothing, because that's what I like. I know brand names and I know a good deal when I see it. Also, it's more fun to sell what you enjoy. Start in your Yellow Pages and look for local distributors and wholesalers of items you might want to sell. This works best for you, since you won't have to pay extra to have items shipped to you and it may be easier to build relationships with local businesses.
You can also try the Google Directory for Wholesale Trading as well as contact manufacturers and wholesalers directly. Please don't buy any of those drop shipping/wholesale lists that are all over okay and other auction sites. Just as Mrs. Fields isnt telling the secret to her delicious chocolate chip cookies, Sellers are not going to tell you where they buy their stuff. Heck, I like you and I'm not going to tell you where I get my stuff, why would some stranger give away the info?If you have some start up funds, you may want to import your items. You'll make more money this way, but you'll have to make bulk purchases and have some storage room.

A lot of folks ask about Drop Shipping. Drop shipping is where the middle man warehouses and ships items that you sell. It does not work the best for okay, since there tends to be a lot of gepetition and not much profit. You also run into issues with the supplier running out of stock or sending the wrong item. You are the one who will get the negative feedback and you are the one the buyers will gee to for a refund if the item doesn't arrive. The best thing to do is to order the product yourself and have it on hand at the time you start your auction. This way YOU are in control of the product and the shipping.
Now, if you dont want to take the dropshipping route, there are other avenues in which to obtain products to sell. As I mentioned previously Some sellers visit estate sales, garage sales, and storage unit auctions for things to sell. The trick to doing this is you need to be educated in various collectable items. You need to be able to look at a unit and know in under a minute how much the stuff is worth to you, and what you can turn it around for on okay. Look in your local classifieds for auctions and garage sales. If this is of interest to you, invest in some good books on collecting and make sure you do your research before you go out shopping. Have an idea in your head of what you are looking for so that you dont go hog wild over something thats going to end up being worthless.
So, with all of this information, you can now start down the path of a successful okay start-up. It might be slow going at first so dont be discouraged. Success consists not in holding good cards but in playing those you hold well. Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal.