As a successful Ebayer, over time, you may have built up enough funds to consider investing your money outside of the Ebay business you have already built. A consideration would be investing with investment banking firms who specialize in up and coming profitable industries.
This is an important decision that needs to be researched thoroughly in order to get the best return on your investment. There are experts in many fields that you can consider. Among those would be the fields of chemicals, manufacturing and engineering. The key is to look for experts who can give you advice on how to invest and where to invest when it comes to investing in fields you are not familiar with.
One subsector of manufacturing and engineering would be the diverse field of chemical production. You could call on several banks to help you begin your investments into this field. However, like anything else, as an Ebay expert, you already know it is wise to go to individuals who have specific knowledge in the area you have an interest in, to get the best advise.
Instead of considering contacting a generalist bank that offers many diverse products, it would be more worthwhile to consider working with investment banking experts who exist specifically to guide you on mergers and acquisitions and investing in the future of worldwide chemical products. They concentrate on the chemical field so that you don't have to be an expert to invest outside of your own areas of expertise. You will want to rely on a firm that has many years of experience in the field of chemical investment banking and chemical mergers and acquisitions to provide the best advice.
A firm you should research is the Valence Group. You can find information on all of their successes by visiting their website http://www.valencegroup.com/. They have a staff of experts who have dedicated their careers to studying the latest trends in chemical mergers and acquisitions and can provide you with the knowledge and proof of successfully completed investments among other areas you may have an interest in over time.
This may be a field that you have never even heard of, but everyone knows that chemicals are a very important commodity globally. It is certainly an area to consider as the field continues to grow and develop with new discoveries being made every day.
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
Top Ebay Brand Recognition Research for Ebay Products
Just like any major brand name, as you become more advanced in selling on Ebay, you will want to develop brand recognition for your existing Ebay products or begin to expand and search out new and exciting products for your customers.
One of the ways to do this is to find the best market research software to help you gather competitive intelligence so that you do not waste time and money on products that have no potential long term value.
Anyone can sell anything on Ebay. The successful sellers build a business around a market niche. A niche is simply a brand or brands of products that are closely related to one another. For example, if an Ebay seller likes shoes, they may want to sell just tennis shoes. They may find that carrying too many kinds of tennis shoes is a burden because they can only afford to keep so many in stock as they prefer to order from a distributor instead of a drop shipper so they can control the entire sales process. They choose a brand of shoe to sell but find out that their sales are not as brisk as they want them to be. They start to do some research on their own to find out why, but never really catch on.
Companies like thinkpassenger.com who are already experienced in the area of competitive intelligence would be able to help this person develop their brand, market it and promote it. It would save time and money in the long run and bring in more focused and targeted sales. Even though there is a cost up front, if the Ebay seller is truly looking to reach a goal in a specific niche over time, this may be a great way to start their business. Do the research first and save yourself time and money.
One of the ways to do this is to find the best market research software to help you gather competitive intelligence so that you do not waste time and money on products that have no potential long term value.
Anyone can sell anything on Ebay. The successful sellers build a business around a market niche. A niche is simply a brand or brands of products that are closely related to one another. For example, if an Ebay seller likes shoes, they may want to sell just tennis shoes. They may find that carrying too many kinds of tennis shoes is a burden because they can only afford to keep so many in stock as they prefer to order from a distributor instead of a drop shipper so they can control the entire sales process. They choose a brand of shoe to sell but find out that their sales are not as brisk as they want them to be. They start to do some research on their own to find out why, but never really catch on.
Companies like thinkpassenger.com who are already experienced in the area of competitive intelligence would be able to help this person develop their brand, market it and promote it. It would save time and money in the long run and bring in more focused and targeted sales. Even though there is a cost up front, if the Ebay seller is truly looking to reach a goal in a specific niche over time, this may be a great way to start their business. Do the research first and save yourself time and money.
Friday, July 20, 2012
Top Ebay Secrets - The Truth
So, you are interested in the top Ebay secrets? Here's the number one secret. There are no secrets so if you are looking for a fast, easy way to make money without any effort, you've landed on the wrong site.
Ebay does provides a platform where anyone can start an Ebay business and potentially become successful. I offer a book right at the top of this page that will help you get started. I will continue to tell you my story throughout this blog, but if you don't want to wait for my story, go right to the millionaire for answers.
I have been building my Ebay business over the past six years and along with another website and my Amazon sales, I am now able to pay all of my bills. It hasn't been easy though but it has been worth it for the most part. The thing is, many people want the advice, but they don't want to take the action necessary to really get started. Like anything else, nothing comes without effort, trial and error. You can be successful on Ebay. The first step though is doing some research to decide if you really want to put the time and effort necessary into building a successful business.
If the answer is yes, then buy the book. CLICK HERE If you buy it and you don't like it, or decide that Ebay isn't for you, you have a money back guarantee. I'm still not a millionaire but have been steadily growing my business and can now call myself successful online. You can do it to.
Ebay does provides a platform where anyone can start an Ebay business and potentially become successful. I offer a book right at the top of this page that will help you get started. I will continue to tell you my story throughout this blog, but if you don't want to wait for my story, go right to the millionaire for answers.
I have been building my Ebay business over the past six years and along with another website and my Amazon sales, I am now able to pay all of my bills. It hasn't been easy though but it has been worth it for the most part. The thing is, many people want the advice, but they don't want to take the action necessary to really get started. Like anything else, nothing comes without effort, trial and error. You can be successful on Ebay. The first step though is doing some research to decide if you really want to put the time and effort necessary into building a successful business.
If the answer is yes, then buy the book. CLICK HERE If you buy it and you don't like it, or decide that Ebay isn't for you, you have a money back guarantee. I'm still not a millionaire but have been steadily growing my business and can now call myself successful online. You can do it to.
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Where to Find the Best Corporate Awards For Your Ebay Employees
If you sell on Ebay or work for Ebay directly and and you have employees that work for you, this information should be interesting for you (or to anyone who has employees working for them).
Many times employees work hard and little recognition is given to those employees for a variety of reasons. Most of the time it is because a company wants to do something little but doesn't know where to turn to find a small, but adequate and memorable gift. Many companies really do want to take the time to recognize their employees with a special gift or award. Money gifts are always appreciated but money comes in and goes out so quickly that a monetary reward can quickly be forgotten.
Here is an excellent and affordable solution. There are awards and trophies that are unique and that stand out more than others, making a lasting impression. One such company, Able Trophies, has an amazing selection of beautiful etched crystal awards, glass awards and even wood/glass/crystal combinations. When you visit their website you will be surprised by the variety of customized awards. Not only that, you will get an education on the different types of glass and crystal that are available by being provided with a detailed explanation of what is involved in your purchase.
The prices are very reasonable and the end result is just beautiful. Whether you need glass trophies, a group of crystal trophies, a specialized custom made shape out of glass or crystal, or just want a beautiful piece of art work for use as employee service awards or your own personal display, visit Able Trophies for pages and pages of choices and great customer service with their live chat capability and toll free phone number. Your employees will treasure the beauty that these awards offer and will know that you put a lot of thought and effort into finding them something special to recognize their service to your company. Company size doesn't matter because both large and small companies alike can afford what Able Trophies has to offer because of their amazing selection and customization process.
Monday, June 4, 2012
Social Employment Ebayers Take a Look at This!
If you have the skills to sell on Ebay or to write a blog or blog posts, or have skills in other areas that you think employers will need part time to full time, there is a site that you will want to check out. While you are building an Ebay business or writing a blog, or helping others with internet marketing projects, you may want to add some additional work to your portfolio and earn some extra income on the side. Even if you are looking for a new full time job or want to add a second job, then you will want to check out the site sideskills.com
Sideskills.com offers you the chance to list your unique skills for hire, for free. You simply pay a small 7% fee once an employer hires you for a project which gets taken right out before you are sent your payment so you never have to do anything additional. The site matches your skills with employers who have listed a wide variety of full and part time project openings. You can look at projects you are offered and accept or decline them with no penalty. This is a win win situation as some of the part time positions turn into full time ones once a project is complete. You can build an Ebay business and do freelance projects to get the money to fund products for your new business. If you are looking for freelance jobs online then sideskills.com is the place to go. Check it out!
Sideskills.com offers you the chance to list your unique skills for hire, for free. You simply pay a small 7% fee once an employer hires you for a project which gets taken right out before you are sent your payment so you never have to do anything additional. The site matches your skills with employers who have listed a wide variety of full and part time project openings. You can look at projects you are offered and accept or decline them with no penalty. This is a win win situation as some of the part time positions turn into full time ones once a project is complete. You can build an Ebay business and do freelance projects to get the money to fund products for your new business. If you are looking for freelance jobs online then sideskills.com is the place to go. Check it out!
Thursday, April 12, 2012
Is Market Research Necessary to Sell on Ebay?
If you are serious about starting an Ebay business, as a business, and not just as a casual hit or miss listing venue, then you need to learn how to do some serious market research. Even within Ebay itself, you can conduct your own market research. Here is an example. Suppose you like to fish and you want to start selling fishing rods. To find out if it's even worth your time, you need to see how many others are selling fishing rods on Ebay. . . not only how many others are selling fishing rods, but what kinds of fishing rods. If you know of one or two very special types of fishing rods, then research that instead because you may be able to develop what is called a "niche" market around a few really good and profitable fishing rods.
Make sure you login to your Ebay account. Go to the Ebay search bar and type in "fishing rods". Look at the results. How many do you see? Do any of the listings have the type of rod that you want to sell? If not, then maybe you can get a captive market by selling your unique rods. Next, look on the left side menu. Scroll down until you see the words "completed listings". Click on enter again and now what comes up are all of the fishing rods that have actually sold and how much they've sold for in green numbers instead of black numbers. That gives you a clue as to whether or not you will make any money selling your fishing rods.
There's lots more to market research then just this, however, this is a great start. I had to pay hundreds of dollars when I first started on Ebay just to find out this basic information. Hopefully you will put it to good use.
Outside of these basics there are companies who specialize in helping you to do market research. These are the types of companies you will want to contact when you get your feet wet and really want to start growing. Companies like "thinkpassenger.com" will help you with your online market research. This unique market research company helps you to bring your brand to market through social network sites and other social interaction. They can take your product and identify the best places to share the information basically at the speed of light. Each client has a program tailored to their own needs. This step is when you jump in feet first with the big boys and play with major brand name companies.
Market research is critical to success when building a serious business online and you should use every tool available at your disposal.
Make sure you login to your Ebay account. Go to the Ebay search bar and type in "fishing rods". Look at the results. How many do you see? Do any of the listings have the type of rod that you want to sell? If not, then maybe you can get a captive market by selling your unique rods. Next, look on the left side menu. Scroll down until you see the words "completed listings". Click on enter again and now what comes up are all of the fishing rods that have actually sold and how much they've sold for in green numbers instead of black numbers. That gives you a clue as to whether or not you will make any money selling your fishing rods.
There's lots more to market research then just this, however, this is a great start. I had to pay hundreds of dollars when I first started on Ebay just to find out this basic information. Hopefully you will put it to good use.
Outside of these basics there are companies who specialize in helping you to do market research. These are the types of companies you will want to contact when you get your feet wet and really want to start growing. Companies like "thinkpassenger.com" will help you with your online market research. This unique market research company helps you to bring your brand to market through social network sites and other social interaction. They can take your product and identify the best places to share the information basically at the speed of light. Each client has a program tailored to their own needs. This step is when you jump in feet first with the big boys and play with major brand name companies.
Market research is critical to success when building a serious business online and you should use every tool available at your disposal.
Saturday, April 7, 2012
WHY CUSTOMERS NEED TO UNDERSTAND THE EBAY 5 STAR RATING SYSTEM
FACTS ABOUT THE EBAY 5 STAR RATING SYTEM
Dear International and other Ebay Customers.
We are writing to you to help inform you of some facts that you may not be aware of as Ebay does not allow full disclosure of these facts on our websites in fear of losing customers. In the past several years, numerous sellers have quit selling on Ebay because Ebay appears to be penalizing the smaller businesses. We need you to know the facts about the 5 star rating system if we are going to continue to sell internationally online. We appreciate if you would take the time to read this since we are not allowed to post many of these facts on our auctions. We will be posting some of them and hoping that buyers take the time to read them. Thank you in advance.
After being online on Ebay for 6 years, due to the new "star" rating sytem, we recently lost our top seller status due to 3 complaints about international shipping prices and shipping times. In each case, we shipped the items within 24 hours (business hours) of receiving the paid order. In each case, we lost money on the shipping charges. In each case, we were rated on how long the POSTAL SERVICES took to deliver the items and on how much the postal services are charging for shipping instead of being rated on OUR performance. In none of those cases did the buyers consider the proper criteria for rating us. We believe that is because they don't understand the 5 star rating system which Ebay will not allow us to explain.
THE PROPER CRITERIA FOR THE SHIPPING RATING IS:
1. How long did it take us to ship the package from the time it was paid for? That's what we should be rated on. If the auction states 24-48 hours then that is the date to look for from the time the customer pays.
2. What were the actual shipping charges determined by the postal services. Simple enough to check. Ask the seller for the shipping weight, go to usps.com and put in the criteria and there it will show the actual shipping charges.
3. Checking the handling fees prior to agreeing to order. Our average handling fee is $2. If it is higher, it’s because we will lose money on the sale but that is when the customer has the choice not to order. Once agreeing to order, they should be agreeing not to penalize us for their choice.
WHAT THE POSTAL SERVICE IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT WE SHOULD NOT BE RATED ON:
1. Postal service costs: The fact that the postal services have raised their prices dramatically over the past two years and are getting ready to do so again is a postal service complaint issue. Also, the fact that the USPS is considering bankruptcy means, if it happens, we and other small businesses like ours, will no longer be selling online as UPS and other services are outrageous and no customer will pay their charges.
2. Shipping times: Shipping times are estimates. Our ratings are not based on how long it takes to get the package to you. Our ratings, once again, are based on how long it took us to get your package to the PO. We have NO CONTROL over anything after that. I'm not sure why some buyers don't understand that. We don't accompany the postal services on their way to deliver the packages. We've been blamed for volcanoes, earthquakes, winter storms, hail, trucks breaking down, postal services scanning packages incorrectly, postal services losing packages, etc. yet every single buyer KNOWS that we have no control over those things. Still, the seller is the one who is blamed when a package is delayed or lost even though they have provided all the proof necessary to show that they took it to the post office.
In all of our 6 years online, selling on 4 different websites we have had two actual lost packages: Brazil and Boston. The Boston one turned up after 3 months. The Brazil one was never found (we no longer ship to Brazil). 2 packages were re-routed which means they were stuck in the postal system and it took three weeks to be delivered as they went to the wrong post offices but finally found their destination. Several packages were returned because customers provided wrong shipping addresses. Outside of that, the postal services did an excellent job for the thousands of packages we have mailed.
THE NEW STAR SYSTEM
Ebay link: http://pages.ebay.com/sellerinformation/sellingresources/howdsrsarecalcaulated.html
Even though the same 3 individuals gave us positive feedback, they gave us less than 5 stars for all of the ratings, stating that the shipping charges and/or shipping times were too high or long, once again, even though we LOST money on those same shipping charges.
WHAT DO THE STARS MEAN?
Less than 5 stars for every rating simply means a NEGATIVE feedback and we are severely penalized for that. In other words, if a customer gives us 4 five star ratings and one 4 star rating during that same evaluation, that is the same as giving us negative feedback (although they gave us a total positive feedback rating). Ebay does not allow us to disclose this information on our auction listings as we receive WARNINGS for even trying to explain it. We have had to remove all explanations from our listings so our customers have no idea how the ratings can hurt us. On the flip side, what Ebay is not taking into consideration is the fact that there are very few of us who do ship internationally and as a result of their stiff penalties, our international customers will not have the same items available to their children as our USA customers do if we and others decide it isn't worth the risk to keep selling internationally.
POST OFFICE SHIPPING TIMES VARY, OUR SHIPPING TIMES DO NOT
For first class international, even though we ship within 24 to 48 hours, it can take up to 30 BUSINESS WEEKDAYS to receive a package and sometimes even longer. For Priority Mail International - 6-10 BUSINESS WEEKDAYS or even longer. The prices are set by the USPS and your country's postal system. We cannot manipulate those in any way.
The cost FOR SHIPPING is set by your postal service as well. We lose an average of $3-$4 off of our profit for every international package we ship compared to actually breaking even on our USA deliveries.
WHO WE ARE
We are in business to make a profit. We have families and bills to pay. We are everyday working parents and grandparents, just like you. Please see us as people and not machines with no feelings. We ask that you treat us as you would have others treat you.
You no longer have to get in your car to find these items which most of the time are not available in stores. You don't have to make numerous phone calls to find the items, taking up your valuable time. We have taken the time to shop for our customers, pay the same high shipping charges from our distributors to get the items to our location so we can reship them to you, pay for the packaging materials including printer ink, paper, packaging tape. We pay for the gas and mileage to get our customer's items to the post office and, we NEVER make a profit on these items or our time which averages 10-15 minutes per customer.
We are a small family business. It is our work at home business and only main source of income. We are raising and trying to support our families just like you are. Many sellers on Ebay used to be like that until Ebay started wooing the big box stores because of the millions of dollars in fees they get from their listings. The little guys like us now have to compete against them. We continue to stay on Ebay out of necessity because a $1 profit on something is better than $0. We have to sell high volume to make ends meet and that is what we do. We work long hours, often corresponding with our customers way after our bedtimes, especially our international customers whose timezones are completely the opposite of ours. Our prices are some of the lowest on the internet and we finally, after 6 years online, raised them 10% this last year even though our supplier has raised their prices every year.
This is the first penalty we have received in 6 years since selling online with Ebay. We have maintained 100% positive feedback, thanks to our customers who appreciate us. That is not easy to do and we know that at any time that can change. We never take that for granted. We are very upset about this first ever drop in our rating because of this new star system (and lack of the ability to explain it to our customers on our webpages) as it is costing us hundreds of dollars in extra fees. We are being penalized for three months. In other words, even though we have gotten all five star ratings recently, we have to wait for three months until the bad ratings “fall off” as Ebay put it. Within that three months, if we get penalized again, we will have to wait another 3 months and so on. What's even worse is that some sellers are on the 12 month time period. If they get a bad rating within the 12 months, that stays on their record for a whole year! This is almost like health insurance for those who have preexisting conditions. If you go for 11 months without going to the doctors for a preexisting condition that you have and then in the 12th month have to go out of necessity, you are penalized and your preexisting condition rating starts all over again for another 12 months. It's just not a fair system.
Our International customers will still be able to purchase from our website if we leave Ebay or stop selling internationally: http://shop.nubysippycup.com On our website we have lower shipping charges on average because we don't have to worry about paying the Ebay fees. We still have to pay Paypal fees which average $1.50-$2.00 per international sale and higher depending on the total cost of the items. Ebay takes 10% off of the selling price and now, this year, they are also taking an additional 10% off the shipping charges. In our opinion, which we and thousands of other small businesses have voiced to Ebay, it is unfair and outrageous. Ebay is a multi-billion dollar company and so is Paypal. Ebay owns Paypal or Paypal owns Ebay and that is also why, over the past few years, Ebay has not allowed us to accept any other form of payment such as checks or money orders because they can't make a fee on those forms of payment. Our customers lose our and we lose out on extra orders because of that. Ebay and Paypal, once again, benefit just like they did from us losing our top seller rating. They are making an extra $300 in fees from us over the next 3 months.
We feel that we should be able to at least explain the star system in a paragraph on our listings but we are warned if we even try. So this is our feeble attempt to let you know, as a customer, that we value your business but we also would like you to know how to rate us on the shipping and handling times and charges. Once again, if we get the package to the PO within 24-48 hours (or whatever time the website states), then we have done our job. We always pay for and provide a customs form number or tracking (USA) to show when we drop the packages off. Look for that date to rate us.
If you placed the order and you saw all of the charges up front, then please be content with that. If you don't agree with the charges, while keeping in mind that we are losing money on the shipping charges, then we would hope that you would reconsider ordering from us rather than giving us a lower star rating for something you already agreed to. The fact that we are willing to take the associated risks so far on shipping international packages should tell you something about us. We care about your families as well and know that you need the products. Help us to stay online by rating us correctly and contacting your postal services if there is a postal question or issue instead.
If we did a bad job, then all we ask is that you contact us BEFORE YOU LEAVE FEEDBACK and that if you do contact us that you don't accuse us of being scammers, or swear at us, or not think before you speak. 99% of our customers are polite and kind and do realize that we are all human and make mistakes but there are the small few who don't understand that mistakes can be made.
Thank you for reading our post and considering all that we have stated here. We hope to continue to sell online for many years in the future.
Dear International and other Ebay Customers.
We are writing to you to help inform you of some facts that you may not be aware of as Ebay does not allow full disclosure of these facts on our websites in fear of losing customers. In the past several years, numerous sellers have quit selling on Ebay because Ebay appears to be penalizing the smaller businesses. We need you to know the facts about the 5 star rating system if we are going to continue to sell internationally online. We appreciate if you would take the time to read this since we are not allowed to post many of these facts on our auctions. We will be posting some of them and hoping that buyers take the time to read them. Thank you in advance.
After being online on Ebay for 6 years, due to the new "star" rating sytem, we recently lost our top seller status due to 3 complaints about international shipping prices and shipping times. In each case, we shipped the items within 24 hours (business hours) of receiving the paid order. In each case, we lost money on the shipping charges. In each case, we were rated on how long the POSTAL SERVICES took to deliver the items and on how much the postal services are charging for shipping instead of being rated on OUR performance. In none of those cases did the buyers consider the proper criteria for rating us. We believe that is because they don't understand the 5 star rating system which Ebay will not allow us to explain.
THE PROPER CRITERIA FOR THE SHIPPING RATING IS:
1. How long did it take us to ship the package from the time it was paid for? That's what we should be rated on. If the auction states 24-48 hours then that is the date to look for from the time the customer pays.
2. What were the actual shipping charges determined by the postal services. Simple enough to check. Ask the seller for the shipping weight, go to usps.com and put in the criteria and there it will show the actual shipping charges.
3. Checking the handling fees prior to agreeing to order. Our average handling fee is $2. If it is higher, it’s because we will lose money on the sale but that is when the customer has the choice not to order. Once agreeing to order, they should be agreeing not to penalize us for their choice.
WHAT THE POSTAL SERVICE IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT WE SHOULD NOT BE RATED ON:
1. Postal service costs: The fact that the postal services have raised their prices dramatically over the past two years and are getting ready to do so again is a postal service complaint issue. Also, the fact that the USPS is considering bankruptcy means, if it happens, we and other small businesses like ours, will no longer be selling online as UPS and other services are outrageous and no customer will pay their charges.
2. Shipping times: Shipping times are estimates. Our ratings are not based on how long it takes to get the package to you. Our ratings, once again, are based on how long it took us to get your package to the PO. We have NO CONTROL over anything after that. I'm not sure why some buyers don't understand that. We don't accompany the postal services on their way to deliver the packages. We've been blamed for volcanoes, earthquakes, winter storms, hail, trucks breaking down, postal services scanning packages incorrectly, postal services losing packages, etc. yet every single buyer KNOWS that we have no control over those things. Still, the seller is the one who is blamed when a package is delayed or lost even though they have provided all the proof necessary to show that they took it to the post office.
In all of our 6 years online, selling on 4 different websites we have had two actual lost packages: Brazil and Boston. The Boston one turned up after 3 months. The Brazil one was never found (we no longer ship to Brazil). 2 packages were re-routed which means they were stuck in the postal system and it took three weeks to be delivered as they went to the wrong post offices but finally found their destination. Several packages were returned because customers provided wrong shipping addresses. Outside of that, the postal services did an excellent job for the thousands of packages we have mailed.
THE NEW STAR SYSTEM
Ebay link: http://pages.ebay.com/sellerinformation/sellingresources/howdsrsarecalcaulated.html
Even though the same 3 individuals gave us positive feedback, they gave us less than 5 stars for all of the ratings, stating that the shipping charges and/or shipping times were too high or long, once again, even though we LOST money on those same shipping charges.
WHAT DO THE STARS MEAN?
Less than 5 stars for every rating simply means a NEGATIVE feedback and we are severely penalized for that. In other words, if a customer gives us 4 five star ratings and one 4 star rating during that same evaluation, that is the same as giving us negative feedback (although they gave us a total positive feedback rating). Ebay does not allow us to disclose this information on our auction listings as we receive WARNINGS for even trying to explain it. We have had to remove all explanations from our listings so our customers have no idea how the ratings can hurt us. On the flip side, what Ebay is not taking into consideration is the fact that there are very few of us who do ship internationally and as a result of their stiff penalties, our international customers will not have the same items available to their children as our USA customers do if we and others decide it isn't worth the risk to keep selling internationally.
POST OFFICE SHIPPING TIMES VARY, OUR SHIPPING TIMES DO NOT
For first class international, even though we ship within 24 to 48 hours, it can take up to 30 BUSINESS WEEKDAYS to receive a package and sometimes even longer. For Priority Mail International - 6-10 BUSINESS WEEKDAYS or even longer. The prices are set by the USPS and your country's postal system. We cannot manipulate those in any way.
The cost FOR SHIPPING is set by your postal service as well. We lose an average of $3-$4 off of our profit for every international package we ship compared to actually breaking even on our USA deliveries.
WHO WE ARE
We are in business to make a profit. We have families and bills to pay. We are everyday working parents and grandparents, just like you. Please see us as people and not machines with no feelings. We ask that you treat us as you would have others treat you.
You no longer have to get in your car to find these items which most of the time are not available in stores. You don't have to make numerous phone calls to find the items, taking up your valuable time. We have taken the time to shop for our customers, pay the same high shipping charges from our distributors to get the items to our location so we can reship them to you, pay for the packaging materials including printer ink, paper, packaging tape. We pay for the gas and mileage to get our customer's items to the post office and, we NEVER make a profit on these items or our time which averages 10-15 minutes per customer.
We are a small family business. It is our work at home business and only main source of income. We are raising and trying to support our families just like you are. Many sellers on Ebay used to be like that until Ebay started wooing the big box stores because of the millions of dollars in fees they get from their listings. The little guys like us now have to compete against them. We continue to stay on Ebay out of necessity because a $1 profit on something is better than $0. We have to sell high volume to make ends meet and that is what we do. We work long hours, often corresponding with our customers way after our bedtimes, especially our international customers whose timezones are completely the opposite of ours. Our prices are some of the lowest on the internet and we finally, after 6 years online, raised them 10% this last year even though our supplier has raised their prices every year.
This is the first penalty we have received in 6 years since selling online with Ebay. We have maintained 100% positive feedback, thanks to our customers who appreciate us. That is not easy to do and we know that at any time that can change. We never take that for granted. We are very upset about this first ever drop in our rating because of this new star system (and lack of the ability to explain it to our customers on our webpages) as it is costing us hundreds of dollars in extra fees. We are being penalized for three months. In other words, even though we have gotten all five star ratings recently, we have to wait for three months until the bad ratings “fall off” as Ebay put it. Within that three months, if we get penalized again, we will have to wait another 3 months and so on. What's even worse is that some sellers are on the 12 month time period. If they get a bad rating within the 12 months, that stays on their record for a whole year! This is almost like health insurance for those who have preexisting conditions. If you go for 11 months without going to the doctors for a preexisting condition that you have and then in the 12th month have to go out of necessity, you are penalized and your preexisting condition rating starts all over again for another 12 months. It's just not a fair system.
Our International customers will still be able to purchase from our website if we leave Ebay or stop selling internationally: http://shop.nubysippycup.com On our website we have lower shipping charges on average because we don't have to worry about paying the Ebay fees. We still have to pay Paypal fees which average $1.50-$2.00 per international sale and higher depending on the total cost of the items. Ebay takes 10% off of the selling price and now, this year, they are also taking an additional 10% off the shipping charges. In our opinion, which we and thousands of other small businesses have voiced to Ebay, it is unfair and outrageous. Ebay is a multi-billion dollar company and so is Paypal. Ebay owns Paypal or Paypal owns Ebay and that is also why, over the past few years, Ebay has not allowed us to accept any other form of payment such as checks or money orders because they can't make a fee on those forms of payment. Our customers lose our and we lose out on extra orders because of that. Ebay and Paypal, once again, benefit just like they did from us losing our top seller rating. They are making an extra $300 in fees from us over the next 3 months.
We feel that we should be able to at least explain the star system in a paragraph on our listings but we are warned if we even try. So this is our feeble attempt to let you know, as a customer, that we value your business but we also would like you to know how to rate us on the shipping and handling times and charges. Once again, if we get the package to the PO within 24-48 hours (or whatever time the website states), then we have done our job. We always pay for and provide a customs form number or tracking (USA) to show when we drop the packages off. Look for that date to rate us.
If you placed the order and you saw all of the charges up front, then please be content with that. If you don't agree with the charges, while keeping in mind that we are losing money on the shipping charges, then we would hope that you would reconsider ordering from us rather than giving us a lower star rating for something you already agreed to. The fact that we are willing to take the associated risks so far on shipping international packages should tell you something about us. We care about your families as well and know that you need the products. Help us to stay online by rating us correctly and contacting your postal services if there is a postal question or issue instead.
If we did a bad job, then all we ask is that you contact us BEFORE YOU LEAVE FEEDBACK and that if you do contact us that you don't accuse us of being scammers, or swear at us, or not think before you speak. 99% of our customers are polite and kind and do realize that we are all human and make mistakes but there are the small few who don't understand that mistakes can be made.
Thank you for reading our post and considering all that we have stated here. We hope to continue to sell online for many years in the future.
Saturday, March 24, 2012
Do You Need Business Bookkeeping For Your Ebay Business?
Business bookkeeping is essential on Ebay or for any online business. The mistake I made when I got started was thinking my business would not grow so rapidly, but even though it started out just as selling a few things here and there, when I found my market niches, it started to grow. I wasn't really paying attention to the amount of additional work that would be caused by my finances, but I wish I did.
Every year at tax time I'd be in a panic because I literally had a weeks worth of work to do. I know what you're thinking. . .I should have kept up with this all along. Yes, I do agree. In the beginning of my Ebay business, that would have been possible without help. But now, forget it. I am not a numbers person because I don't like to do any type of accounting. So now I let OUTRIGHT, a convenient and affordable (free if you choose it to be) online business bookkeeping service do most of my work for me. Right now I am not paying anything for this service. I sell on several different sites. Outright combines all of the figures from those sites into different categories and shows the basic profit and loss statement. I will be upgrading soon because I need some additional help.
I would encourage you, if you are just starting out, to sign up for OUTRIGHT right at the start of your business. You will save yourself a whole lot of time.
Every year at tax time I'd be in a panic because I literally had a weeks worth of work to do. I know what you're thinking. . .I should have kept up with this all along. Yes, I do agree. In the beginning of my Ebay business, that would have been possible without help. But now, forget it. I am not a numbers person because I don't like to do any type of accounting. So now I let OUTRIGHT, a convenient and affordable (free if you choose it to be) online business bookkeeping service do most of my work for me. Right now I am not paying anything for this service. I sell on several different sites. Outright combines all of the figures from those sites into different categories and shows the basic profit and loss statement. I will be upgrading soon because I need some additional help.
I would encourage you, if you are just starting out, to sign up for OUTRIGHT right at the start of your business. You will save yourself a whole lot of time.
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Finding People With Skills to Help You Run Your Ebay Business
You've started your Ebay business and things are going really well for you. You find that your once part-time position has turned into a full-time position. You have some extra funds and you no longer want to work a full day. Instead, you make a list of things or tasks that you would like to have others handle for you. Now you have your list, but you really don't know where to go next. The important thing isn't just placing an ad just anywhere, but on sites that are spam free and can actually provide talent for the skills you need.
There is a company that offers a unique way to find part-time or full-time talent. Everything is done online. You join for free and then make an agreement with the person you are going to hire and the company takes a small percentage (certainly less than the Ebay fees!) out of the final candidate's payment. The company name is SideSkills. It's a freelance marketplace and a great way to find talent through people you already know and by building a network of other contacts that will help you identify people who are seeking positions within the skill levels you are seeking. The site is easy to use and they offer step by step video tutorials as well to help you get started.
You should check out this site if you are looking for someone to help you in your Ebay business, to help build you a small website to help you get off Ebay or enhance your Ebay business, to help you design a logo, or write articles pointing to your Ebay products and even more. No more spam replies sent to you, only qualified candidates based on your own criteria.
There is a company that offers a unique way to find part-time or full-time talent. Everything is done online. You join for free and then make an agreement with the person you are going to hire and the company takes a small percentage (certainly less than the Ebay fees!) out of the final candidate's payment. The company name is SideSkills. It's a freelance marketplace and a great way to find talent through people you already know and by building a network of other contacts that will help you identify people who are seeking positions within the skill levels you are seeking. The site is easy to use and they offer step by step video tutorials as well to help you get started.
You should check out this site if you are looking for someone to help you in your Ebay business, to help build you a small website to help you get off Ebay or enhance your Ebay business, to help you design a logo, or write articles pointing to your Ebay products and even more. No more spam replies sent to you, only qualified candidates based on your own criteria.
Saturday, January 21, 2012
Why Credit is Important When Starting An Ebay Business
When starting an online business, including an Ebay business, it is important to have an established line of credit available for your use. This line could be in the form of a credit card, a personal loan, cash or a home equity loan. You will need the funds to be able to purchase items from a wholesale vendor if you want to make the most money on Ebay.
Selling stuff from around your house can be a great start, but it is just that. . . a start. Once you run out of items to sell from your house, your Ebay business will slow to a screeching halt. That's when you can start selling stuff from family and friends, however, that is extremely time consuming compared to actually trying to figure out a product that you can buy in bulk from a wholesaler and resell. When you run out of their stuff, then it's time to evaluate where your interests lie and find a wholesaler who can help you achieve your dream.
Once you have a product (or products) in mind, you will need to contact a wholesaler or distributor to buy your items at the lowest costs. In order to do that though, you will need to make sure that you have good credit. You can get a free credit score and a credit report very quickly online. It's always a wise idea to know up front what type of credit you have simply because most vendors are going to be concerned about whether or not you have the ability to pay.
When dealing with a distributor or wholesaler, you will need to fill out an application and provide references as well as bank account information. If you already have good credit, even if you have never done business online or don't have any vendor references, the distributors will more than likely give you a starting line of credit. Sometimes they ask you to pay via cash, check, or credit card for a few months to make sure you are legitimate. When they see that you are paying them regularly, they will then establish a line of credit with you.
If you already have vendors you have been dealing with, you can use those vendors as references to establish a line of credit. It doesn't hurt to keep up with your credit score by getting a credit report periodically to make sure all is well and no one else has accessed any of your information.
Once you have worked with your first vendor online, it's much easier to find other wholesale products and get decent lines of credit for future sales and earnings on Ebay.
Selling stuff from around your house can be a great start, but it is just that. . . a start. Once you run out of items to sell from your house, your Ebay business will slow to a screeching halt. That's when you can start selling stuff from family and friends, however, that is extremely time consuming compared to actually trying to figure out a product that you can buy in bulk from a wholesaler and resell. When you run out of their stuff, then it's time to evaluate where your interests lie and find a wholesaler who can help you achieve your dream.
Once you have a product (or products) in mind, you will need to contact a wholesaler or distributor to buy your items at the lowest costs. In order to do that though, you will need to make sure that you have good credit. You can get a free credit score and a credit report very quickly online. It's always a wise idea to know up front what type of credit you have simply because most vendors are going to be concerned about whether or not you have the ability to pay.
When dealing with a distributor or wholesaler, you will need to fill out an application and provide references as well as bank account information. If you already have good credit, even if you have never done business online or don't have any vendor references, the distributors will more than likely give you a starting line of credit. Sometimes they ask you to pay via cash, check, or credit card for a few months to make sure you are legitimate. When they see that you are paying them regularly, they will then establish a line of credit with you.
If you already have vendors you have been dealing with, you can use those vendors as references to establish a line of credit. It doesn't hurt to keep up with your credit score by getting a credit report periodically to make sure all is well and no one else has accessed any of your information.
Once you have worked with your first vendor online, it's much easier to find other wholesale products and get decent lines of credit for future sales and earnings on Ebay.
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