One of the best, and simplest, ways to make some quick money online, is to become a seller on one of the several online auction sites. eBay is the most popular, and most widely recognized. Being an online auction seller has many benefits as a side hustle. You can run your business from your home. You can set up auctions to automatically list at certain times of the day, so you don’t always have to be at the computer. Plus, there is guaranteed traffic to the auction website which makes it simple to get new customers.
Before you start an online auction business you should decide whether or not you have the skills or willingness to do so. Although there is a lot of money to be made in auctions, there are also a lot of challenges. . You must also have knowledge of what the market wants so you can provide in demand products that will sell. Money management is a must, since selling on an auction is typically a home-based business. You will be in charge of the finances of the business and need to be responsible for keeping your business and personal finances separate.
Online auction businesses are very simple to start. To start an eBay business, for example, all you need is a registered account with eBay, and a PayPal account. The eBay account will allow you to perform transactions on their website. The PayPal account will allow you to accept payment for items that you sell, as well as pay for the eBay fees. PayPal also give you and the buyers some security.
The fees involved with running an eBay business are minimal compared to having your own store on a separate website. While hosting for a website can cost upwards of $20 per month, eBay only charges you a small percentage of the items that you sell. There are also some other minimal fees involved, and most sellers work those fees into their listing price. Postage is key – make sure you weigh your items and put the right amount on.
Before you decide to sell on an auction site as a business, try a buying from the auction site first. Understand the process from the buyer’s point of view. Take note of how you are treated by the seller and ask yourself what you would do differently. Buying before selling is also a good method because you can build feedback in the auction site system. Feedback is left whether you buy or sell, so building some feedback as a buyer is a good idea. A positive feedback record will make you more appealing as a seller.
Finding items to sell is the biggest perceived problem with selling on auction sites. However, you can start with items from around your home. Look in your cupboards and in your garage for items that can be sold on the auction sites. You will be surprised by what people will buy. Selling from around your home will give you experience with the selling process and will build positive selling feedback.
You can then start to branch out. Look at car boot sales or jumble sales for items that you know will sell well. Around Christmas, parents will be searching for bargains. So stock up on brand new board games or working consoles that you see at car boot sales, and sell them at Christmas time.