30-04-2013, 09:34 AM
IMO eBay doesn't pay well enough nowadays. Even flogging stuff on there has become expensive for the casual seller.
I used to work in a model shop from age 15-19 on and off, and part of the business was on eBay, the other was on an eCommerce self-hosted website. The eBay shop generated about 15% of all internet sales, and the eBay / Paypal fees were phenominal especially at Christmas time. The fees have only ever gone up.
We're talking about a small shop which put thousands of pounds through eBay too, not just a small home business.
IMO the fees make it an unrealistic business model, your time would be better spent studying web design / programming at home, you spend enough time reading forums, put that time to better use?
There are other problems I can see with this too. Selling lots of small items? A franking machine is a must unless you have a good, quiet local post office. Selling lots of big items? A contract with a local courier for arranging pick-up every day is essential to save money. Also, if you carry any stock with high value you need to have relevant insurance for it (Home Business Insurance) or it won't be covered if it gets nicked from your house.
Aaaaaand another thing...
Becoming an eBay entrepeneur may sound like a wonderful idea (and I'm sure 15 years ago it would've been easier and more profitable) but it really isn't going to help with your reclusive nature, in fact it might serve to exacerbate your problems - locked away in front of a PC screen for hours on end with your only respite being a daily trip to the local postie. Bad move, IMO.
I used to work in a model shop from age 15-19 on and off, and part of the business was on eBay, the other was on an eCommerce self-hosted website. The eBay shop generated about 15% of all internet sales, and the eBay / Paypal fees were phenominal especially at Christmas time. The fees have only ever gone up.
We're talking about a small shop which put thousands of pounds through eBay too, not just a small home business.
IMO the fees make it an unrealistic business model, your time would be better spent studying web design / programming at home, you spend enough time reading forums, put that time to better use?
There are other problems I can see with this too. Selling lots of small items? A franking machine is a must unless you have a good, quiet local post office. Selling lots of big items? A contract with a local courier for arranging pick-up every day is essential to save money. Also, if you carry any stock with high value you need to have relevant insurance for it (Home Business Insurance) or it won't be covered if it gets nicked from your house.
Aaaaaand another thing...
Becoming an eBay entrepeneur may sound like a wonderful idea (and I'm sure 15 years ago it would've been easier and more profitable) but it really isn't going to help with your reclusive nature, in fact it might serve to exacerbate your problems - locked away in front of a PC screen for hours on end with your only respite being a daily trip to the local postie. Bad move, IMO.
Disclaimer: The above is not to be taken to heart and is probably a joke, grow up you big girl.
![[Image: Sig500x130.png]](http://i430.photobucket.com/albums/qq25/chris_rx71/Sig500x130.png)