There are literally hundreds of thousands of home-based business owners who depend on revenue from online auctions as their main support. For years, eBay was the only game in town, but recently the auction mainstay has hit some rough waters.
Anyone looking to start a profitable home business might have looked no further than their computer---and eBay.com. But in the past few months, eBay has lost its shine, with sellers and buyers boycotting the site and looking for alternative places to do business.
According to reports, 2008 was not a good year for eBay sellers, who had a bevy of complaints against the on-line auction giant and many left in droves.
But what can the thousands of people who have turned their tiny cottage industries into a profitable businesses using eBay do? If you are one of the hundreds of people who are getting frustrated with trying to build a profitable business using eBay, there are other places you can go.
---Amazon.com has a marketplace, aptly called Amazon Marketplace that allows sellers to list items for free. Sellers pay a commission to Amazon only for sales made. Items that Amazon allows are limited to the items it already sells, but Amazon seems to be expanding this list daily. However, you are competing not only with others also trying to sell their items, but with Amazon itself. Still, it is an alternative if you are one of the small business owners who have decided that eBay is not for you.
---Bidville is another site that allows sellers to list any item they have for sell. Sellers pay a commission of up to 5 percent, depending on the sale price of the item.
---If you make your own items, such as jewelry or other craft-time products, Etsy.com might be a good alternative. It’s “the place to sell all things homemade,” according to the site. Etsy charges a 20 cent listing fee, as well as a 3.5 percent sales commission.
---Overstock.com also offers an auction area listing almost every kind of item you might want to sell. Overstock charges fees that are based the percentage of the selling price and also offers a way for buyers to purchase an item outright without bidding.
---Craigslist or other online classifieds are very popular. Though most people use these sites to get rid of things around the house, they are becoming more popular with home-based business owners. The listings are free, you don’t pay fees, but you do have to deal directly with customers.
Wherever you decide is best for you, there are some things you must consider before putting your items up for sale:
---Research price. Make sure you’re not the highest-priced item. See what others are charging for the same item. If you are selling via an auction, setting a reserve price that is too high will only discourage bidding.
---Research your product and don’t get stuck. While all business entails a certain amount of risk, the last thing you want is to be stuck with ten garbage bags full of some toy that has quickly lost its shine.
---Sell stuff that sells. Sell hot items that continue to be hot! Women’s plus size clothing is a solid seller, and on the other side of the coin, exercise equipment and weight loss aids also do well. Designer clothing, sunglasses, handbags and other items also do consistently well---even if they’re knock-offs (which should be disclosed).
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