If you have not yet read our article “Setting a Starting Price for eBay Auction Items,” we recommend you do so now.  When you’re finished come back to this article for more information.

You have only three selling functions where you can set your price, and you have to use one of them:

• The beginning or start bid on an auction sale
• The “buy it now” set price for all buyers
• The reserve price used with a start bid price

Which should you use and why?

• The beginning bid price: Is the most commonly used price method.  Simply, you set a beginning price with expectations that potential buyers will bid up the price.
• The “buy it now” price: Is the second most used price function.  This options is used most frequently by eBay stores.  When you have several of the same items to sell, you may be well served to use the method of pricing. This option allows you to set the same price for all purchasers.  You are not really doing an auction sale because the price is set.   If your price is reasonable you may sell more items using this method.
• The reserve price: Is used in conjunction with the beginning bid price method.  Usual the start bid is low–may only 1 cent.  A reserve, or minimum bid you will accept is added to the process.  Only when bidders bid up to or above your reserve will you be obligated to sell your item.  Of the three options available to you this is the least favored.  Buyers tend not to like this option because it creates a great deal of mystery as to what the minimum price or reserve price might be.  One of the functions of eBay’s success is the anticipation that a buyer will purchase items at bargain prices–even though that may not be true . . . perception is an important issue in the marketing business.

The choice is yours as to which pricing method you use.  As with other elements on eBay, you may have to do some experimenting.  Every situation and items sold has the potential to be “uniquely” different.  While we have used all three forms of pricing, our experience has been to use the beginning bid and hope for the best, but on a couple of items we’ve use “buy it now.”  We tried the reserve price, but found it didn’t draw the buyers or the bidding we’d hoped for.

There are a myriad of opinions of exactly where to start your bidding level on eBay auctions.  We won’t try to persuade you to use any one method.  We recommend you do some research and some experimentation.  The process and success is different with just about every item listed on eBay.  There are additional factors to consider, too, besides the starting price–the item itself, and how much demand there is for it; the descriptive write-up you use to entice potential buyers, to name a couple of the variables.

Setting a starting price for your eBay auction item(s) is another of those crucial decisions you have to make, however.  If you set your starting price too high buyers may become disinterested.  Most eBay browsers would prefer a “bargain” if they can find one.  That’s what eBay is know for.  If you set your starting price too low you may not have enough bidding action to move the price of your item high enough for you to make a profit, and there are listing and “final fee” expenses to consider.

As with many other aspects of engaging in internet marketing using eBay, we recommend you do some research right on eBay.  Look to see what the starting price of  other like items are.  See what the bidding action is on those items at different starting prices.  Check the closing prices–what price they sold for– of these items.  You can also see the sales back 14 days by clicking on ”completed items.”  This will help you get some historical perspective on what like items have recently sold for. 

We recommend you set your selling price at a starting level you feel most comfortable with, but not a “gimmicy” one–like 99 cents.  Most buyers know you really aren’t wanting to sell at 99 cents.  They may even get the impression there is something wrong with your item(s).  You would be better served with a price that is more representative of your cost.  That way any bidding you get will create your profit.  As an example, we have list items at moderate prices with hopes for some bidding action.  When the bidding closed the buyer paid two to three times our starting price . . . not a frequent occurance, but it does happen.  As a seller this is when your adrenaline gets a lift.  Buyers have been happy to pay their closing price too.  Such auctions were a success because both buyer and seller got what they were after.

We also recommend not using the “reserve” feature.  This option tends to cause turn off potential buyers.  It immediately tells a potential buyer that it will cost more to get the item, but they have no clue what that minimum price might be.  You loose the “get a bargin” euphoria that often drives bidding higher–somethime significantly so! Don’t tease or try to trick your potential buyers.  You’re far better off by starting at the minimum price you will accept.  If buyers are interested and feel there is good value there, they will bid–bidders become buyers–a win win situation. 

Recognize that eBay for some items–antiques, collectibles and other “high ticket items”–may not be the best place to market your wares in order to get the best value and price you are seeking.  Brick and mortar consignment shops like antique and collectible stores may get you the value you are seeking from your item(s).  That doesn’t mean you can’t sell them on eBay, just evaluate the best opportunity, and understand the process and expenses for using eBay for these type items.

As a summation, buyers are looking for bargins.  You need to make a profit.  Start your items at fair values, and you’re more likely to makes sales–more of them–and buyers will give you more positive feedback.

In addition to the critical need to select the appropriate category in which to list your item(s), you need to use care when writing your item’s title.  The title is the principal means for prospective buyers to search eBay–hopefully for your specific item(s).  You may spend more time dealing with this element of your listing than with finding the best category. Here are some tips to help you in writing your Auction Titles:

DO’s:

1. Be as specific as you possibly can in the space allotted–this will be a real challenge.  Don’t copy someone the title someone else has used.  Unless your item is exactly the same it may not be of value to you.  Also, just because someone else has used a title, it may not be the best.  Be realistic, thorough and as specific as you can be.
2. eBay’s search feature is a dynamic tool to you and to your prospective buyers, but has limitations.  You need to be sure you use as many Key Words as space allows that best describes your item(s).  This aids in buyer’s search process. Your goal is to direct as many  interested buyers to your item(s) as possible.
3. Consider what potential buyers may enter as search words and add them to your title . . . including misspelled words (usually from brand name items that have spelled the name of their product a little different, but sounds the same.  Xtra vs Extra.  Use the actual title first, and if enough room is available add the other misspelled word.
4. Use all 55 character spaces allowed with as many key words as you can insert.  Filler words are not necessary, but you can add extra spaces between words.  This helps in the ease of reading.
5. Use the Sub-title opportunity (located just below the Title), when additional information would help the buyer make their selections.  This area is not eBay search sensitive, so key words are not necessary.  Defining added benefits or features could be noted here: Additional items that come with their purchase not noted in the main Title, Free Shipping, etc. (REMEMBER:  Sub-Titles carry an additional listing fee–be sure you need the sub-title, and that the extra money spent is worth it.)
6. Use Abbreviations and Acronyms sparingly.  There are many abbreviations and acronyms you can find using eBay’s glossary.  While they may help save space (your 55 character limitation for titles), they can leave the potential buyer wondering what you’re talking about if they don’t know what they stand for.  There are some commonly used abbreviations and acronyms that can work for you:  NIB (New in Box); B&W (Black and White); BIN (Buy It Now), etc. USE THEM SPARINGLY!

 

DONT’s:

1. Don’t rely exclusively on the listing titles others may have used on similar items.  Your own ideas may be much better and productive.
2. Don’t try to be to inventive or cute.  Use the KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid) principle.  Be direct and brief, but do your best to focus on your item(s) true identity.
3. Stay a way from using “L@@K” in the title.  WOW and RARE are also terms buyers tend not to use in their searches, and thus become wasted valuable space for your Title.  Stick with significant KEY words to aid your prospective buyers find your wares.
4. Avoid, where you can using KEY words from similar items that may be a little better than yours.  Honesty is the best policy.  If you disappoint buyers by trying to dupe them, they won’t buy, and most likely won’t place you on their “favored sellers list,”  a place where you really want to be.

As important as writing a good auction title is, you don’t need to spend your life’s work on it.  With a little research, some common sense, and honesty will get your title created that will direct buyers to your wares.

After having read our article on: Category Selection on eBay, you should recognize the importance of listing in the right category.  This is a key principle.  You now know that guiding potential buyers to your particular item(s) is one of the purposes and benefits of listing in specific categories.

One nice feature eBay offers is to list items in more than one category.  You will pay an additional listing fee and your final value fee, should your item(s) sell, for this service, but could be money well spent if it drives buyers to your item(s).  Selling is your purpose, listing is your process. 

Using a Second Category listing is could be beneficial to you.  If in your research for selecting the main or prime category you find it lists a second category of equal strength and traffic, you may want to consider adding the second category.  This is true especially if your item(s) is unique or expensive.  Given the extra fees for using a Second Category, it may not be profitable to use this feature for lower priced items.

You will find the Second Category space directly below the Prime or Main Category block on the listing page.  Follow the same category selection proceedure as you used to select your main category–only select the alternate or second category, and press continue.

If you find three categories an item could be listed under you’re out of luck.  Should this happen you probable haven’t done a thorough enough search when looking for an appropriate category.  You’ll need to dig a bit deeper.

With time, and having listed several items, you’ll gain some expertise at recognizing when and what additional category you may want to use.  Generally, you would use this feature sparingly.

One of the most critical actions you’ll take as you list your wares on eBay is to select the appropriate “category” you want them listed in.  EBay buyers locate the item(s) they are seeking by searching or browsing.  You want to choose the most strategic category for your item(s).   You’ll have to do some ground work here–a little detective work–to find a viable and relevant category or categories to list your wares in.

TAKE THE TIME TO UTILIZE THE TOOLS EBAY HAS AVAILABLE.  THIS CAN SAVE YOU TIME AND EFFORT.

Ebay has 34 prime or main categories, and thousands (over twenty thousand) sub-categories to choose from.  Being as right as possible is crucial for your long term success.

Searching requires more exacting input on what buyers are looking for:  i.e. Nikon digital SLR D90 camera.  Browsers, on the other hand, are less specific.  They would simply begin their search for digital cameras entering digital camera, or digital SLR cameras in the search box and browsing through everything that comes up–maybe finding what they were looking for.  If they select only one of the prime categories they could be confronted with browsing thousands of items.

The majority of eBay shoppers have specific items they are looking for; the other shoppers are less specific, and might be considered “impulse buyers,” or browsers.  Given this assessment, listing your item(s) with as specific and focused a category as possible will help result in higher sales for you–because the majority of shoppers are product specific rather than browsers.

To select a suitable category will require some work and effort on your part.  You should first look on eBay to see what category other sellers have listed similar items under.  Try an eBay search of your own using key words you would use in your listing to see what comes up . . . check the category they are listed in.   What you’re looking for are categories that are active and have several thousand auction listings.  This would generally mean there is sufficient activity in that category to assume your item(s) would be seen–that’s what you want to have happen–BE SEEN!  Check to see what kind of bidding action is taking place on similarly listed items.  This will also help you see identify what buyers are looking for in that category–type and price wise.  Consider more than one category.  You may want to list in more than one category if there is sufficient interest and traffic to warrant it.

The hierarchy of eBay listing is structured by showing listed items from the broadest  category, first level, down to the most specific category.  Listed items will show in all ascending categories (from the last sub-category selected, up to the next previous sub-category, up to the prime or main category), but not descending categories.  If you select only the main category you force potential buys to look at all items listed in all the sub-categories down that main category’s line.  Listing in the lowest sub-category that fits your item(s) gets you in all the sub-categories up to the main category, but directs potential buyers to the sub-category you have listed in eliminating their having to go through listings they aren’t interested to hopefully find yours. You want to help shoppers cut through the clutter they are not interested to get to your wares to purchase as easily as possible.

DON’T LIST IN THE WRONG CATEGORY.  EBAY FROWNS ON THIS AND CAN REMOVE YOUR LISTING.  NO LISTING-TO SALE!

If you are one of those individuals who lacks knowledge and skill when it comes to getting on the computer, don’t feel alone.  Many others are rowing in the same boat.  There are ways to gain the knowledge and skill you need to make your internet business functional and profitable.

Each of us has a learning curve.  Some are more versed in computers than others.  There isn’t anyone who knows it all, but some who come close . . . maybe a friend or neighbor.  Not too worry! You can gain the skill and knowledge you need, but it will take some of your time, and perhaps, some of your hard earned cash.  What is important here is that you gain what ever skill and knowledge you need to make your website(s) work for you.

If you are blessed with a family member, a close friend or good neighbor who can help you, or teach you, what you need to learn–hooray!  Don’t be disappointed if they aren’t excited about teaching you.  They may not have the time or patience to teach you what can be some technical stuff.  For those who have none of these, don’t be discouraged.  There are resources you can tap to help you.

Community Education class is a great way to get started.  These  hands on” training programs are geared to every level of expertise.  They offer a good array of topics for you to select from.  The hands on nature of these classes lets you get the specific help you need–regardless of your level of expertise (or lack of expertise).  Their cost usually is nominial.  They do have limitations–mostly being limited to a narrow topic focus.  You may have to take several classes in order to master your needed skill.  This means time and some expense either way.  They don’t always move at the speed you’d prefer, but at the speed the class, as a whole can accommodate, and the instructor.  Be sure to ask any and all questions, or you’ll lose out.

There are programs and tutorials you can take on the internet.  The biggest disadvantage here is the lack of being personal–help when you need it as you need it.  We have no specific recommendation.  We suggest you check the internet and review some of the options–free programs and those you may have to purchase.  You can also purchase  programs to help you gain the knowledge you need.  The most notable one is Video Professor.  They use a CD program.  They too aren’t without there flaws, but seem to have a simple process to follow.  BE AWARE THAT WHEN YOU ORDER YOUR PROGRAMS (THEY OFFER A FREE CD FOR ONE APPLICATION) YOU WILL RECEIVE A PORTFOLIO OF PROGRAMS AND WILL BE CHARGED $185 FOR THE ENTIRE PACKAGE.) Most of the negative feedback we’ve read or heard about has been with this sticker shock.  Be forwarned!!!  That dosen’t mean you shouldn’t consider their program.  You just need to know the cost going in–no sticker shock later.  They offer numerous programs you could well benefit from.  If you are only looking at one program, we suggest you look elsewhere.

Take the time and expense to bulk up your knowledge and understanding of the programs you need and will be using in your internet business.  Even if you have someone else doing most of the “hard lifting” on your website, you will be well served to have a clear understanding of what they are doing and why.

The expression, “a picture is worth a thousand words,” could not be more true than when listing on eBay.  Buyers want to see what they are buying.  The more you can show them the better chances your item(s) will sell.  You may need to provide more than one photograph of your item(s) if that is what it takes to adequately show the full measure of what you are offering.  You don’t have to go over board, but you must have adequate photographs to let potential buyers see the features and details.  Most of the time one photograph will be sufficient for your listing, but if there is more detail or benefit from viewing different angles–give it to them!

Here are a few tips to help you with your product photography:

• Use a digital camera with a tripod. Because camera technology has advanced so much, we have digital cameras at our disposal that are not so prohibitively expensive for us to have one.  You must have digital photographs in order to put them on eBay.  You’ll want a digital camera that has a fully functional automated shooting mode (a point and shoot camera)–unless you’re an experienced photographer, in which case you probably won’t gain much from this article.  An automated digital camera will let you see what your photo looks like, and with the help of your computer you can edit and upload your pictures with ease.  A tripod is invaluable in helping you keep your camera steady.  Nothing is more frustrating than looking at a fuzzy out of focus photograph.  Sorry, it’s impossible to hold a camera steady in your hands, try as you might.
• Take Pictures that Adequately Show the Important Parts of Your Product/Item(s). Be sure you take photographs of all the relevant angles  and details of your product or item(s).  There should be one main or principal  that shows the key points and angles.  Remember a photograph is worth a thousand words.  This important detail could be the difference between a sale and no sale!
• Good Lighting is Essential for the Best Photo Exposure. Natural (sunlight) lighting is the best, but isn’t always available.  An overcast day can present the optimum of light you’ll  need to take great photographs out of doors, as well as in the early morning or late afternoon when the sun is less harsh.  Instead of the harsh light flash gives off, use soft diffused light as much as possible . . . which helps avoid losing details in your photo.  A light box or photo tent is a worthwhile investment providing soft light.  They have limitations for use because of their size, but for most of your smaller items, you’ll find it money well spent.
  • Be careful with over exposure of your pictures when shooting with white backgrounds or with bright outside light.  Hopefully, the automatic feature function of your camera will make the necessary exposure adjustments, but be sure to check and adjust the over/under expose setting on your camera.  You may need to increase the exposure by +1 for pictures being taken against a white background.
  • Be sure to use a background that is not reflective where at all possible.  Reflected light and images can be distracting–maybe even embarrasing.
• Be Upclose and Personal with Your Photographs. Shooting your item(s) as up close as your camera will allow and still provide clear images is important.  You want to fill you screen view with as much of your product as possible; this helps keep unwanted clutter out of your picture.  You also are better able to show details that can make the sale for you.  Use your macro setting (allows you to get very close to items with clearer focus of your photograph subject).
• Use a Simple Backdrop. When taking your photographs, make your product the focus of your picture.  Try to keep unwanted and unneeded objects from cluttering your photo.
  • Here is another reason for using a light box or photo tent.  They keep all of the clutter out of your picture, unless you add it.
  • Photographs showing how a product may be used or displayed can be helpful in your sells, but should not be the primary photograph.  Add these additional shots as you need.
• Well Focused Pictures Are Imparative. A fuzzy out of focus picture doesn’t help you at all.  Using a tripod is very helpful in decreasing the shake that often cause poorly focused pictures.  Generally, your digital camera’s auto focus will serve you well, but there may be occasions when you need to manually change the aperture priority.  A setting of 8 or higher may have to be used.
• Transfer Photographs to Your Computer for Optmizing and Editing. You need to transfer your pictures from your camera to your computer.  Using programs, like Photoshop on your computer you can finalize your photographs.  You need to save them as JEPG files.  You can compress your shots to aid in downloading them quicker, and they’ll also come up faster on user’s computers.  You may need to do some cropping  to remove unwanted items in the photograph–white space, clutter on the edges that can be distracting.  You can adjust the contrast of the foreground and background colors, or adjust the picture from lighter to darker.  Each of these tasks can help improve the overall look your picture(s) display.

Even the worst picture (and we’re not advocating them) is better than no picture at all.  Taking some time to master your camera’s functions and features, and consider the points we’ve shared with you, will enhance your pictures and benefit you as you market your wares to potential buyers.

If you want, you may consider taking a community education class on simple photography at a local school.  Time (and any expense) well spent!

Let’s You Receive eCommerce Payments

As you engage in your internet business you need a way of getting paid for the products and services you offer. For eBay businesses it becomes almost imperative to use PayPal. There are other payment services, but PayPal is well recognized and easy to use.

There are several reasons for using PayPal for payment—especially for eBay businesses. PayPal is owned by eBay. This means they are closely connected. PayPal was purchased primarily to accommodate eBay buyers and sellers a convenient safe way to make payment for goods sold by buyers, and an easy process for sellers to accept payments. You don’t have to wait for money orders to be mailed, checks to clear (if you ever accepted them), and trouble-free way to accept credit card payments.

This payment system is provides a safe, flexible, and quick way to complete the selling process.  PayPal allows for transfer of funds between your PayPal account and your banking account.  You can access your funds through transfers, a check, or use a debit card. Also, your PayPal account can act as a savings account paying you interest on your held balances.

Buyers are not inconvenienced with having to wait for their payments (check or money order) to arrive and clear before their item is shipped. They can use their current credit cards to make there payment, thus not having to supply personal information on accounts—a real safety and account privacy issue in our world today.

PayPal helps in your record keeping. They keep a record you can access on all of the sales and purchased made using your PayPal account. This could be especially important for tax purposes.

PayPal is being accepted by more online businesses. This can expand the value of your own account for purchases and sales on the internet.

PayPal is not without issues or problems that can cause abuse and/or frustration.  Understanding them can go along way in dealing with them:

1. PayPal’s service is NOT FREE! They can charge a modest commission to sellers. Sellers can add this anticipated loss of payment to their shipping expense, or to start their bid price at a higher level to recoup the shortfall. Either way the buyer ends up footing the expense.
2. You need to have a bank account and a credit card to participate. PayPal requires a back-up payment method to draw from. They are not a credit extending entity themselves. Another inconvenience to deal with, and you will need to provide account information.
3. You need to keep track of your purchases because PayPal is so easy to use, and they add your charges to your credit card on account when there is no cash in your PayPal account. This “out of sight, out of mind” circumstance requires you to manage your accounts closely.
4. For your safety to deal with anti-fraud, PayPal can freeze your account(s) as it verifies information to protect you. This can be frustrating and embarrassing, but is not something you should expect to deal with frequently, but when it happens you need to know what is taking place and why.

Our experience with PayPal is that the benefits far outweigh the distractions and minor inconveniences that can be a part of the doing business with them. If you haven’t already signed up, take a moment to do so now with PayPal.

You have had little or no experience with eBay, but you’ve made the commitment to get involved with the powerful opportunities eBay offers for making money using the internet.  Learning all of the functions and tools eBay offers can be a daunting task.  We could go through many pages trying to teach you, but eBay has done a great job of that for you.

THIS SHOULD BE YOUR MOST IMPORTANT FIRST STEP.   IF YOU BRUSH THIS ASIDE NOW, THE COST TO YOU COULD BE SIGNIFICANT IN THE LONG RUN.  WE EMPHASIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF GETTING FAMILIAR WITH eBay.

Take the time to familiarize yourself with the eBay process.  It will take time, a fair amount of time for you to go through the material they offer you, but the nice thing about it . . . yippee it’s FREE!  Your time is your expense and you’ll be rewarded for having taken the time.

The above greeting is one of the items you will see when you go to the eBay Learning Center site.  Once you are on the site you need to click on all of their links and tutorials.  We recommend you browse around each section and tutorial first, just to see what they are providing you.  YOU NEED TO SPEND WHAT EVER TIME IT TAKES TO GATHER THE INFORMATION AND KNOWLEDGE NEEDED TO GET YOU STARTED.

If you by pass this step you will be missing out on some very important instruction and information you’ll need to be truly successful on eBay.  They have honed their skills well.  They have listened to ideas from successful eBay sellers.  You may be the benefactor of not having to learn everything the hard way–trial and error.  Oh, don’t get us wrong.  There will be plenty of trial and error experiences as you get involved.  (Each trial or error over come makes you that more knowledgeable and skilled in your eBay business.)  Don’t be afraid to reach out and try something new to grow and expand your business horizon.

There are other areas within eBay that can help you as you build you business.  They are discussed individually, but some of the important ones you can experiment with yourself are: eBay University, My eBay Page, eBay Community, to name a few.

THERE’S NOT TIME LIKE THE PRESENT TO GET STARTED SO GO TO eBAY’s LEARNING CENTER AND GET STARTED . . . WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?

You’ve made the decision to earn money on the internet (web). You have chosen to sell products through eBay. If you have never sold anything on eBay you may be asking yourself, ?How do I go about it?

You may be looking for a “short-cut” to get to your “riches,” but following some simple rules and basic processes will reward you more in the long run. Here is a list of items for consideration as you begin your business selling on eBay:

• Register with eBay (no cost to register).
  • Be sure you understand their User Agreement (read it).
• Do some research—leg work—first.
  • Check out the numerous help tools eBay offers – the more you know and understand the better off you’ll be. This could well save you time and money in the long run.
• Unless you are already experienced selling on eBay start small and work up as you gain confidence and experience.
  • Select one specific product or item to sell.
    • If you can buy it in quantity at the store—so can everyone else—not a good item to sell.
    • Search your own things that could be sold:
      • Clothing (near new with good life left in them) and Accessories
      • Collectibles and Antiques
      • Household furnishings and Decor
      • Craft Items
        • Select items that are unique or hard to find that can be inexpensively and easily produced.
    • Look on eBay for ideas—a couple of suggestions:
      • Review eBay’s “hot items” list.
      • Scan the keyword.eBay.com.
      • Review eBay Pulse.
      • Use the tools from other auction/selling sites:
        • Amazon’s or Yahoo’s: “Top Products” list
      • Look for items that are produced locally and have a local feeling to them. Every geographical area has something they are known for. Remember, not everyone lives where you do, but may enjoy or need that “special something” from your area.

Selling things people want and need is essential to your success. Knowing what those wants and needs are will be your biggest challenge. Through eBay you are taping a very large market potential. Your research will help you narrow your focus—target your energy to those who want what you have to offer. DON’T SKIP THIS IMPORTANT RULE.

• Find out what it would cost to ship your item.
  • Consider the packing container (box or envelop), label, insurance (if this is an option), etc. You need to be sure your sold items reach your customers in a safe, fast, cost affective way (buyers don’t like to feel you are profiting on shipping expenses above what you earned on the sale):
    • U.S. Postal Service (USPS)
      • Priority
      • Parcel Post
    • United Parcel
    • Federal Express
    • Each of the shipping services, and eBay itself, has online shipping calculators to help you. You will gain skill through experience as you ship more items. DON’T MAKE THE MISTAKE OF OVER CHARGING FOR SHIPPING!
  • This part of your business can’t be over stressed. Nothing will cause buyers more grief than not receiving their purchase in a timely manner. Be upfront about when you ship purchases. Some sellers ship once a week—let your buyers know what day that is, and about how long it will take for deliver based on the type of shipping service you use. Damaged goods come in second. Be sure to wrap, cushion and box/crate your goods sufficient to expect your wares to arrive in perfect shape. Happy customers leave positive feedback.

Remember the key to your success is “making a profit.” This means you must be sensitive to the cost of selling your items—which includes the item itself and your overhead. Overhead is so often over looked. If you purchase or manufacture your items at a reasonable cost your “mark-up” can be priced at a level buyers will be interested in buying. You don’t want to set your price lower than what it costs to acquire it and sell it, or you won’t make a profit. Set a price that is too high and you may not sell enough to make your efforts worthwhile. You want to hit that ?sweet spot? where you’re selling enough to make a reasonable profit from your efforts. DON’T FORGET YOUR TIME HAS A VALUE TOO!

Finding or selecting items that are consumed (not food necessarily) can create repeat business. Satisfied customers will buy more from you if they need or want what you have. Once an item has been used they will want or need more. Your can be their source.

Quality is always in favor. People generally will buy as much “quality” as they can afford—especially when they feel there is good value in the price to the quality.

Don’t be afraid of competition. Some competition is healthy. Look around your community on the business corners. Some locations have several fast food restaurants or gas stations . . . all competing for he same customer, but the variety seems to work in their favor. Too much competition means you are probably selling the wrong thing. Your item(s) are not unique, are too easy to get elsewhere, etc.

Know your target market, know your product(s), price it right, and you have the foundation of being successful.

You can read all the books you want to about learning to swim, but you’ll never know if you can swim until you get into the water.

DO YOUR HOMEWORK AND GO SELLING!