What is ebay?
Internet
auction website eBay is one of the fastest growing retail phenomenons
of our time. The opportunities offered by an eBay business stretch
way beyond the chance to sell unwanted bric-a-brac or discarded
christmas presents. eBay has allowed millions of people to go into
business who previously wouldn’t have considered it, while growing
numbers are making healthy second incomes by buying items and selling
them online for profit. The simplicity of setting up an eBay business
is a big attraction for many people.
eBay was started by
Pierre Omidyar in September 1995 as a result of his wife’s desire to
add to her collection of sweet dispensers. The site now has over 181
million customers worldwide, 10 million in the UK, with up to three
million items from Britain on sale every day. With so many customers
online, it is not surprising that many people choose to start an eBay
business.
As any user will know, eBay features just about
everything for sale, from the weird and wonderful to the plain and
practical. With thousands of UK customers looking for an eBay bargain
every day, it’s unsurprising that some entrepreneurs have decided to
take advantage and use the website to generate a full-time eBay
business.
In fact, more than 724,000 professional sellers in the US alone use eBay as a primary or secondary source of income.
Julie
King, from Newcastle, gave up her job as an IT consultant after she
found she could buy and sell designer shoes and handbags on eBay for a
profit. Her eBay business, Killer Heels, now makes over £6,000 a month
buying shoes and bags from wholesalers and selling them on eBay.
Amid
all the wacky eBay stories that regularly invade the press, such as the
housewife who put herself up for sale for £25,000, there are plenty of
thriving businesses taking advantage of the eBay phenomenon.
Wilmamae Ward sold vintage clothing through her eBay business, The Gathering Goddess.
“I
had been buying beautiful vintage clothes on eBay for several years and
had amassed a huge collection for which I no longer had room,” she
says. “I decided to sell some of my collection back on eBay. I was
amazed at the prices achieved so I began to sell more and more and it
just snowballed. eBay allowed me reach many customers
“I
soon decided this was a business I would love doing as I was able to
indulge my fashion obsession and make a great living at the same time.
It also enabled me to work from home and make my own hours.
“In
addition, unlike a bricks and mortar shop which has to rely on passing
trade and extensive marketing, eBay provide all of this on a global
basis without the overheads.
“I'd be mad to open up my own shop. It makes complete sense to me to have my business on eBay.”
"Starting
an eBay business was quite easy, I think the most important thing is to
find a niche that few other people are competing in, if you can do this
then this is probably the best way to start an ebay business."
eBay provides a unique opportunity for entrepreneurs. Starting an
eBay business can be lucrative if done properly, this eBay guide will
help you start and run a great eBay business. Whether you are looking
to sell personal items on eBay or run a full ebay based business, this
guide provides the information you need to get started on eBay and
become an eBay success story.
