Top 10 eBay Trading Assistant Drop Store Reality Checks

Running eBay consignment business can be complicated, time consuming and nerve wracking ...

As a company, consignment selling on eBay is not easy to get rich quick scheme some would have you believe. While initially setting up a business eBay consignment May sound like a ticket to Easy Street ...

What better than selling other peoples stuff and making 40% commissions on sales?

Once in the store inventory without having ...

When one gets right down to facts, not so easy ...

eBay item has its own rewards and challenges, as well as any other job. The difference here is the dependence of eBay sellers have a shipment to external influences. Outside factors have much to do with how well Ebay consignment based business will succeed or if it will even survive.

Some of these external influences are:

1. eBay - eBay itself controls whether you have a job at all. If you make only three bad decisions, your account may be closed forever and will be closed. Tough is an eBay consignment business without eBay. Knowing the rules eBay is sometimes enough to stay out of trouble. However, as we have all seen recently, eBay can change the rules at any time and these rules are interpreted by different eBay employees with different view points at different times. One day you may be perfectly fine, the next day all 250 items that are listed this week can be removed even without e-mail alerts. Be aware of the risks, because the list of fees you will lose your own.
   
2. local - Your local or state governments may opt for a moment that went down to surgery for breaking the rules you are breaking the day before. (SEE Pennsylvania)
   
3. Customers - Your first buyers - sellers are its life blood, without them you have nothing to sell. All they want to work for minimum wage and have a hard time understanding why you need to "charge so much." Customers can also lead you into danger with the external factor of 1 - eBay, if only one buyer of shill bidding, or gives you the stolen goods for sale ... can lead to your business can stand and do not deserve.
   
4. costs - I do not really work trafficking, no inventory, your landlord knows that and so that you are an insurance agent. You are operating as insurance companies want to classify it as a Pawn Shop. When the insurance company underwriters to see the code for "Pawn Shop", whatever that code may be on the form agents for the offer ... Now think of a weapon, and robbery and all sorts of unpalatable situations dealing bailee insurance coverage. They cite the high rate, if you return a quote for coverage at all ... and you'll end up paying much more than just trade order for a similar exposure. - Other costs, including eBay fees, PayPal fees and software costs somewhere to become a reality nobody in the office or franchise eBay alert.
   
5. Hours - If you thought eBay consignment 9-5 type of job for the store owner, you May have been fooled. Running an eBay consignment store, or drop in to a lot of time. Each item you agree through the door must be handled and processed in several steps in the intake and processing for shipment. Plan for each item takes up at least one hour of an employee or owner of the time, start to finish, if your lucky. Multiply that 250-400 things you should be trying to handle a week and you get the picture. Reduce the number of cases processed by raising the bar on what you accept is one possibility ... but then you reduce the total number and increase the amount of time each item will cost more demand for your man-hour pool. (Higher priced items get more questions, demand better pictures and need more careful handling and packaging).
   
6. eBay sellers and buyers - As a consignment seller is necessary to include a number of sacrifices in the list of data parts on Ebay auctions detailing the facts. ie "This is not a new item, no guarantee can only be returned if it is not exactly describe it, you will pay for return shipping, etc." ... All these necessary protections are reasonable from the point of view as a consignment seller. They were not reasonable from the standpoint of the majority of buyers on eBay. If an eBay buyer smell a potential problem, they bolt and not tender. Your standard disclaimer hurt your chances of selling your items. This is a catch 22nd Customers are your second set of customers for each item you list, and I hope to sell. This second set of customers, the customers are very curious and they need to know certain facts about certain items are listed for sale. Some of these issues May be difficult to answer. This in turn causes you to be a fake answer, ignore the question of the customer, or refer the issue to the seller. Your first buyer the seller may respond in less than honest way to get the sale. All these questions and answers take time and, in the case of incorrect answers return from your dealer customer, you can put in a bind with the customer the customer. - At the end you are in the middle of serving two customers for each item sold.
   
7. Unsold items - this is the fact that not every item will sell on eBay. Some items will sell, no matter how you lower the price. If you run these items as auctions on eBay too long for its first customer a list of eBay seller fees will be constructed to an unacceptable amount. Even if you charge a fee up front, eBay fees have lost money if the item does not sell. How to make money on each item passed through the doors only of man power and a list of eBay fee perspective, you would need to charge advance fees for its first customer - the seller of $ 25 or more. (Think of electricity, lease payments, insurance costs, etc, etc. ..). We all know the mechanics charge $ 35 to only an estimate of repair on the car, but when it comes to eBay consignment is very difficult to get reimbursed from your first client - the seller that you have spent your time.
   
8. Employees - Do you need employees? Yes, you ... One person can not handle the amount of product necessary to meet the monthly overhead of full eBay drop store operations. Three full-time people is a common minimal benefit to their business. (Do I believe a successful meeting overhead and pay the landlord). So, why are the employees of an external source of influence on your business? Most entrepreneurs I know why, but in this case thinking can be a little different. Finding good employees, who understand the intricacies of this business is the first challenge, keeping them is another. Once you have met the challenges, your next obstacle involves trusting other people to handle and describe the goods do not have. If the description is inaccurate or the right keywords are chosen for the title of an item on eBay, you can lose money for himself and his first customer vendor. As a business owner your job is to bring in sales and marketing handle. You depend on your staff for the presentation of the product (eBay description). If you plan to describe each item is ... You should have good employees. Good employees with computer skills, customer service skills, no criminal record, etc. .. not cheap, nor are they easy to find and retain. Offer incentives to those employees in the form of commissions on the sale and will open up a whole new can of worms. Shill Bidding - Your employees can not have any incentive to offer the shipment of items themselves. If they do, you will lose ... perhaps the whole job. Be very wary of offering a commission on sales.
   
9. Stadium Limited - eBay ... To eBay ... Everyone I know is painfully aware that I sing praises eBay every opportunity to get ... I am totally and completely believe, as the market eBay is unique, but it is only one market. Putting the entire business plan and future prosperity in the hands of just one service or one out of things to sell your submission ... is a very risky proposition. I think that events of the past week have proved to be true (See REDOL). eBay changes the rules when they want. They did not care about the investment you made in your business. When you set up an eBay consignment shop or a TA job, your banking on the fact that eBay will be there with you 100% and will not change the rules or raise fees, or eliminate your ability to offer their services (as in the case of eBay Motors recently) to the public. Almost every successful internet business today sold in more "channels" or in more places. Stand alone eCommerce websites, Amazon, Yahoo, Buy.com, supplies, and even Craig's List. eBay is not the only game in town any more. As an eBay consignment seller, especially if tied to a franchise, you are pretty much locked into a single solution or a place to sell their wares. This choice is not savvy marketer could in good conscience, if not long-term stability and profitability in his / her goals.
   
10. Progress - Read the tea leaves ... eBay is changing and morphing into a new, and some think a better place. eBay is too big and too many high dollar, high profile new merchandise dealers to stay where it is used Pez dispensers can be sold at a profit. Repeatable inventory sales is the future ... or actually now eBay. No seller will have to repeat the shipment of goods to compete with the big sellers on eBay. When you use a list item for your customer - (seller), and learn how to complete a new item or one very similar, can be purchased for pennies more than you know your customer should receive for their almost new items ... you know the game is up. eBay has become a land of mass merchandising.

is used auction items will remain as the core of eBay, but the role of auctions will continue to decrease over time. See recent quotes new eBay CEO John Donahoe. In addition, as people become more internet savvy and sell their things on Craigslist or kíJj free eBay demand for specialists to provide these services will be reduced. Progress is inevitable, when the industry is an eBay consignment was born in most of our customers' shipments did not know how to turn on the computer or surf the web. It is now estimated high speed Internet connection will be available in 70% of U.S. homes over the next few years.

Bake sold on eBay and the kids are inventing new and interesting online worlds like Second Life or Club Penguin. If you do not know what the last two places, you are more internet savvy pioneer and became one of the old-school Internet professionals. Kinda feel like a blacksmith?

What do you do?

If you are contemplating opening an independent eBay Store items fall, the one that sells nothing but the goods passed through the doors of the consignment customers ... Please study your numbers, your costs, your soul ... before paying any of their own funds for this type of venture. As a former agent for the franchise eBay drop store chain, I can tell you the numbers do not look good back country in 2006. It's 2008, and many of the factors limiting the market prospects for profitable stand alone eBay drop shops only have become more competitive.

If you are thinking about adding eBay Selling and eBay consignment in a limited way to the already existing business ...

a great idea! Just be aware of the challenges of shipment and be sure to include sales of other new and unique merchandise in your eBay business plan. eBay Selling and eBay Stores website can be a great asset for any small or large work should encourage exposure, sales and ecommerce revenue. Using the consignment to boost their existing income or offer trade in program for regular customers is a great way to increase your overall business. This is what we do for our clients in all business started and I can tell you it works. There is no better and cheaper way to get your brand and your products before or more customers around the world. As long as your Outlook focuses on advertising and exposure to the benefits and possible aspects of the service to existing customers, you will find eBay to be a very rewarding program for your business.

If you are currently an eBay drop store franchise owner or ...

to look for ways to move your business into other markets. Most franchises are trying to offer to import the good from the Far East as a way to soothe their franchise, that does not generate revenue originally designed for eBay drop store consignment business. I think that these measures are someone foolhardy. Yes, every eBay store owner can drop in profit from the sale of goods ponavljati.Robe offering concessions do not seem to be reproducible, however. (lots of small no-name brand merchandise the second run). Be careful about what types of goods the import or purchase to supplement their stories sell. You do not want to end up owning a container full of widgets which can also be sold. Some decline in the shop started selling pallet loads of returned electronics and other goods purchased from a broker. It is difficult to add to your bottom crta.Visoke rates of return inherent with this type have already returned merchandise will do nothing for your feedback rating, or operating costs.

Bottom line for the current owners drop store is ... look for the exit.

If your shop is just on the edge of viability, or never reached profitability, then you should be looking for better ways to make your money work for you.

can do what I did with all the business and started to move their business to the shipment only model with that of business services. Become what you are in your community - eBay and eCommerce expert. Use the knowledge gained during this time eBay rise and fall of eBay consignment to further their goals in business. Business to Business coaching and consulting is one of the most lucrative professions in the world.

If it is set up and trained correctly can earn enough money for one afternoon to cover the overhead of consulting his shop for a month. How many businesses in our community will be interested in learning about how to sell products on eBay without having to pay a commission on each item sold? What if you could set them up with software, eBay Store design and the tools they need and then be there for them as a paid consultant to help them get online and selling smoothly and efficiently? Can you sell your local Chamber members to a service like this?

I am sure you could ... Sometimes there is a possibility in the darkest moments. If the consignment sales business is floundering, maybe you should look at it differently. See the time spent as a training program for its future.

Become a Mentor Internet Business ... but Ebay Drop Store owner. It even sounds better ...

is not it?