How to Make a Business Selling on eBay

Start a home-based business with the click of a mouse.

Starting a business selling items on eBay is a way to earn extra money and work from home. Be your own boss and have fun scouring garage sales and discount stores for inventory. You can even turn clutter and unused items around your house into profit and remember that one man's junk can be another man's treasure.

Instructions

Open a Store on eBay

1. Go to ebay.com and click "Register" to open an eBay account. Fill in all required information, including name, address and email. Choose a user name and password. Once your account is confirmed, you can buy and sell on eBay.

2. Click "Sell" on the top right of the screen. Choose "eBay Stores." This page includes a variety of information regarding eBay stores, including FAQs, monthly fees and how to build, manage, promote and track your eBay store and sales. Bookmark this page for future reference.

3. Click on "Subscribe to eBay Store" and choose your subscription level (sorted according to monthly fee), from Basic for entry-level sellers to Anchor for high-volume sellers. Selecting each level title will display the features and benefits of each option. Choose a store name and click "Continue."

4. Review all information and choose "Subscribe" to open your eBay store or "Back" to make changes.

5. Customize your eBay store in a variety of ways, including adding a logo, custom color scheme, store description, promotional area and much more. Various tools in the seller section allow you to track inventory, calculate shipping costs and promote sales.

Purchase Items to Sell

1. Research items you want to sell by searching active and completed listings on eBay to see how much money similar items have sold for.

2. Shop at garage sales, consignment shops and thrift stores (such as Goodwill and Salvation Army) to find inventory at the cheapest prices. Check back at thrift stores weekly as they frequently put out new donations and the best items will be purchased quickly.

3. Purchase items in like-new condition with few flaws and look for name brand items to maximize your profits. Choose a variety of products to sell, or specialize with unique items or handmade crafts.

4. Add inventory to your store by listing items for sale in auction, fixed-price or buy-it-now formats. Experiment with several options to see what works best for you. To save time, list items in bulk and in advance with Turbo Lister, a free downloadable tool on eBay. Offer shipping discounts or percent-off markdowns to increase sales.

Tips & Warnings

• Use a spreadsheet program to keep track of your sales and profits for tax purposes.

• Keep in mind eBay fees, such as insertion and final value fees, when creating a start price for an item.

• List any defects, no matter how minor, on an item so there are no unexpected surprises when buyers receive their purchase.

References

• eBay Stores: Overview

Resources

• The Thrift Shopper