Help please!

I am new to this selling online but want to make an adequate living that gives me the money to feed/cloth my family but also allows me the time to spend with them.
I appreciate i am asking for your secrets but any help would be appreciated, where best to sell, good products - good margins, volumes etc.
I am based in the UK and have very little budget - i was made redundant earlier this year and work is limited in my area so i want to do it for me!
Many thanks to anyone that can help - i have just set up a new ebay account but have to wait for my new debit card to come through to get that going.

I don't want to bring you down but selling on eBay is not as easy as it use to be. They have made many drastic changes over the last year and they are going to continue this trend. They are trying to get away from the image that made them what they are today.

There is lots of competition on eBay and if your going to be successful your going to have to find a niche that a thousand other people are not selling also. I do not suggest anyone get into selling online if they do not have the money to loose. I have seen so many people faced with hard times turn to selling online for their first time and end up in worse shape before they ever started. I am not trying to talk you out of anything but I just want you to be aware that it is not as easy as it may seem so be cautious, do lots of research, and keep visiting this forum. I wish you the best of luck and I hope you make a million dollars!

As Wholesalelist has said, not an easy road you have chosen, not an easy road at all. There is always plenty of people happy to take your money by telling you they have 101 secrets to making you rich on ebay, but they are the ones that end up with the money.......your money!

I'm a Powerseller myself, even though ebay to me is just a part time side issue. I sell 99% secondhand items myself, things that I source locally through garage/yard sales, weekend markets and auction house sales.

I don't focus on any particular products, just the price of the products. I find that secondhand gives me better bang for my buck than any new product can even come close to.

Quick example, went to a police seized goods auction yesterday. Just bought a few top up products. apple ipod, auto sony cd, 6mp sony digital camera, lg chocolate mobile, two as new football jumpers and an RC helicopter and car.

I spent just under $200AUD, with past experience in these types of products showing me that I will make on a slow market at least 100%, but if there are buyers around I have the potential to make around 200-250% on my small investment.

The most important advice I could give you about selling online is to sell online, and online does not mean just sell on ebay like so many people seem to think it does.

There are a stack of sites out there where you can list items, most for free with a charge on the sale only. OK, not much traffic, but if you cover enough bases then that traffic all ads up, and until people start using these alternative sites they will never build up their traffic, so help yourself in the long run by not just using ebay, but every online avenue open to you to maximise the potential of a sale.

If you combine that marketing resource, with an open mind. A thought process that keeps you thinking outside the box as to what you can sell, and where you can find it, even places like charity shops. These, along with other product resources I mentioned before are worth their weight in gold!

Good luck with the venture.

appreciate the advise. i realise its not easy but in this day and age you just have to try to do something for yourself it seems. no job security anymore unless you employ yourself!
many thanks - anymore advise greatly received.

The most important advice I could give you about selling online is to sell online, and online does not mean just sell on ebay like so many people seem to think it does.

. . . but if you cover enough bases then that traffic all ads up, and until people start using these alternative sites they will never build up their traffic, so help yourself in the long run by not just using ebay . . .

This is certainly true for me. One thing I'd add as well is that if you have your own hosting, you could set up a simple site or blog to sell a few items that you know sell well locally. By using some of the dropship and/or wholesale options available through this site you might begin to get a feel for what might sell well. Think of developing traffic through word of mouth and local free/inexpensive classified advertising if that is available to you.

Evan

Hi and welcome to salehoo. I do have to agree with the above posters. It is not advisable to try to sell online unless you are willing to loose money to build up your business. If your new to ebay its going to be real hard to get the reputation you need to sell successfully. As your items may sell lower then if you had over 100 feedbacks.

I would suggest you start by selling your own stuff. Junk you have laying around the house that you do not use anymore. This will help you get money for a better startup and you can also build up your feedback level. A good thing to start with would be a CD Collection or DVD collection you may have. These are small value items that can build up your feedback rating fast and give you experience with dealing with ebay buyers and customer service. Then move into larger items you may have for profits.

I know many people start in online sales to help them at home, but spending your profits is an unwise decision if your trying to start a business. If you have 1 bad thing happen your done. Selling online should always start as a hobby then you can push that hobby into a business. You best bet is to rely on a physical job and use online sales as more of a part time deal until you get your feet wet.

One of the biggest things I hear from people is they got hurt cant work and are desperate to sell online to make money and they are searching for that pie in the sky that isn't there to sell on ebay. This is a terrible mistake. If you dont have money to loose then don't sell online.

If your investing what little you have on a last ditch effort you will lose. That is guaranteed.

Selling online is a win loose situation. If you win you make money if you lose money then your basically screwed if you spent your profits. I run a bigger company and its always up and down. Sometimes my company runs at a loss while other times we run on a profit streak. But I always hold profits in the bank so the bills get paid if I have a slow month. Trust me Id love to have that big screen TV, or New car or whatever I see that I want. But my responsible choice is to pass it up. Heck im so busy id never have time to use it.

When I first became ebay seller I was loosing $300 a month just building my reputation up.

When I first started my company we ran at a loss of $4,000 a month for 4 months straight before we turned our first profit. Almost all businesses start like this. You have to be willing to loose money to start earning it.

For example''A new restaurant generally runs at a complete loss for the first 2-5 years of operation. I know it sounds strange but this is very true. So when you see that steakhouse that just opened with lines out the front door. Dont immediately think they are making huge money.

Not spending your profits keeps you afloat when sales are slow or your product line is not generating enough money.

Selling online can be a great thing. But the media makes it look so easy. Its not, If it really was I would be in the Bahamas sipping on a drink on my brand new yacht then helping people on salehoo and working 100 hour weeks at the warehouse.

If you want to get started you have to be dedicated, wiling to take risks and willing to loose money. So make sure you are more secure before you try to venture into online business. If you just need to make a few bucks here and there. Just sell your stuff on ebay. Hit yard sales and buy cheap items you can sell on ebay too.

Over the last few months I have been in the same type of boat. I started selling things out of my garage that we didn't need anymore and now I hit yard sales to see what sells.

The first few times I used yard sales I lost some money and made a little. I try to research things that could be found at the sales so that I know what an item is worth standing among someone else's junk.

This is not a get rich quick way to wealth but, I have made great progress over the last 2-3 months.

I am currently searching for products and suppliers but, I have had more success with used items so far.

The bigget problem I am facing is automating the process. I have 2 very small children and finding time to work around their schedules is really HARD! Working on the internet in any field is VERY time consuming. I have also taken a course in internet marketing. (talk about a time killer job!)

Used items are a great place to start but, it is always difficult to automate that process. At least for me. Needing a million different sized shipping boxes and envelopes + never knowing what size the photo area needs to be is a constant challenge.

I have had more success when I write very long descriptions and I am now experimenting with BUY IT NOW on Ebay.

Due to the recent changes that are going to take place on the site I am also trying new avenues and I worry about the traffic problem.

I am starting to encourage others to get onto other sites in hopes of creating the extra traffic needed. I feel like Ebay would rather not have me because I am starting out. Disappointing at best... but, then I can take my business elsewhere.

My business will survive due to determination not due to Ebay.