Ever wonder how other SaleHoo members are doing? Are they all blitzing eBay or barely covering the bills? Hard at work...or distracted by day time TV?
Over the next couple of months, I'm going to be sharing the eBay journeys of a few SaleHoo members, including their biggest challenges and greatest triumphs. There will also be an opportunity to explore their stores and go shopping!
Today, I'm going to introduce you to Colette and share her inspirational story with you:
How Long Have You Been A Member of SaleHoo, And What Do You Like Most About It?
I’m coming up on one year with SaleHoo. It was a great find over the Internet while trying to learn the ins and outs of wholesale buying.
I liked what SaleHoo had to offer and their terms so I signed up. And glad I did. SaleHoo has been a huge source of wholesale companies and informative articles relating to things I need to grow my business. I especially appreciate the emails letting me know of upcoming events or newly posted articles.
Where Do You Sell Them?
My business is home-based, allowing me to work and take care of my family. As long as the power doesn’t go out or the Internet go down, I’m here to take care of my buyers.
I selected eBay because it’s one of the biggest and the buying traffic is basically guaranteed. As an experienced seller on eBay I feel this forum inspires confidence in both buyers and sellers to take a chance on one another with the end results almost always being happy buyers and great transactions. Currently I sell in Canada and the United States.
What Was The Biggest Obstacle You’ve Had To Overcome In Selling Online?
Initially the biggest obstacle was me and having confidence in my abilities. My background has never been in sales. My strength was more in creating the presentation, organizing, working with numbers.
The funny thing is I never dreamed I’d be an online entrepreneur. I started out on eBay over two years ago selling things we didn’t use around the house any more. And I got hooked. Once everything was sold, if I wanted to continue selling then I was going to have to become a legitimate business and purchase product to sell.
Without that early eBay experience to build confidence and setup procedures for listings, shipping, and buyer correspondence I never would have started my business. It may be small right now but in just under a year it’s already expanded with plenty of room for growth. Now and again I like to daydream about all the things I’ll do with my business when the bottom line allows . . . or when we win a lottery!
What One Piece Of Advice Do You Have For Other Sellers?
Some might consider it a cliché but I strongly recommend that new sellers find a product they truly enjoy working with. Once the routine of work sets in you’re going to be dealing with products and prep work over and over. You’ll need to buckle down to some long hours when new inventory comes in and needs to be processed and made ready for sale. Plus, you’ll also need to organize your time to keep up with bookkeeping and data analysis to project growth or losses and adjust inventory reorders accordingly.
If you love what you’re doing then those long hours just seem to fly by and the problem becomes not getting the work done but learning to set work aside for awhile and enjoy some personal time with family or friends.
What’s Your Favorite Thing About Making Money From Selling Items Online?
Sales mean buyers like my watches; their feedback not only leaves me content with a smile on my face but also tells other buyers that TopCat2x2 offers a quality product and top-notch service. It’s rare for one of my watches to have a problem. However, should the occasion arise, I want buyers to know that I’ll do everything I can to make it right.
In spite of the sales and work I enjoy, the underlying goal has always been to someday reach the point where the business can support itself and provide extra income for the family. I’ve found my niche. Now it’s up to me to make it work the way I want.
Check out Colette's items:
http://shop.ebay.ca/merchant/topcat2x2
Next time we look at the pros and cons of selling on eBay, and reveal our top 8 auction and classified sites to sell on! Plus we review some of the best e-commerce site builders on the internet. You really can't afford to miss this newsletter!
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