Archive for the “eBay” Category

January 19, 2011 Categorized under eBay - No Comment

How Dropship Companies Can Help Your Bottom Line

True dropship companies are wholesalers who will fill your customers’ orders for you. Shipments are made in your name or your company’s name, so the recipients are none the wiser. This eliminates the possibility that your hard-won customers might somehow manage to order directly from your supplier.

Having your products drop-shipped allows you to accept special orders from customers. Perhaps you are a retailer who stocks a limited inventory. Should a customer express interest in a product line you do not stock, you can offer to order the product for him.

You should have some type of catalog available that has pictures and specifications for the items. You may be able to obtain one from your wholesaler. You can also create your own catalog that combines items from all of your suppliers. Many customers are uncomfortable ordering an item sight unseen. A catalog lets them actually see what they are buying.

Drop shipping allows you to concentrate your investment in inventory on products that are most profitable or quick movers. For example, if you sell tabletop fountains, you might not want to tie up your money in a line of expensive garden fountains. However, there is a good chance that sooner or later a customer will visit who is seeking just such a fountain. By allowing him to order what he wants, you not only make a profit but secure a happy customer as well.

By allowing your supplier to drop-ship for you, delivery time to the customer is reduced. You do not need to wait for the product to arrive, re-pack it if necessary, and then ship it to the customer. Depending on the distances involved and shipping method selected, you can speed delivery by two to five days.

You will probably save on shipping costs when you choose to drop-ship. If you have an order sent to you, you will then have to pay to have it sent to its final destination. In addition, it is not uncommon for a large supplier to receive discounted rates due to volume.

Some dropship companies have no minimum requirements for shipments you want sent directly to your customers. Even some wholesalers who assess a minimum order size when you purchase product for stock will waive the minimum requirements for drop-shipped orders. Locating supplier with liberal order policies can help you convince customers to special order as well as increasing profits for you.

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January 18, 2011 Categorized under eBay - No Comment

Easy Ways To Sell Gift Cards

Are you aware that you can make money with your gift cards? You may want to sell gift cards especially those that you cannot and you do not want to use. Here are some useful ways how you can turn your cards into cash.

Nowadays, you have the option of choosing them as a present to someone rather than cash. Not everyone would find it helpful or useful but surely many would take the pleasure using it. Those loads of unwanted cards are actually more valuable than what you think. Because if you cannot use them then sell them.

Those unwanted cards can be sold to some sites via the internet or shops. This way you can get back the monetary value of the card. It is somewhat challenging to sell because it may take some time since it will be valued depending on the dollar amount on the card. Have some patience, it will worth the challenge.

Through the internet websites, you can now choose to sell these cards to the marketplace to other users or to the site itself. Decide on the best ones you want to sell and they should come from a good source. Select sites that are trustworthy when it comes to buying them. They should have clear policies to keep you away from getting ripped off. Look for the top paying sites. It is better to do a survey to all those old and new websites so that you can surely get the highest value of your gift card.

If you choose to sell your card online to a particular website, it is wise to set up an account with them so you can easily have an idea on the price of your gift card. The price should be the same with the market rate. Again, check their guidelines to be sure there are no hidden fees.

Selling them in a shop or store is another way to make cash. A smart way is to look around some store and find the excellent buyer. Over again, try to find a place that evaluates the card with the best price. Do not get tired trying one after the other. A little patience is worth more than just settling for less. Stores would price the card differently that is why the more you surveyed, the better is the result.

The best thing to do is to sell gift cards online or in a shop. If you do not want to sell, then you can trade or swap them just do not waste them because the money in the gift card is still money anyway.

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January 16, 2011 Categorized under eBay - No Comment

EBay Product Sourcing–Where to Find Those Low-Cost Products

Finding sources of products to sell and locating reliable suppliers may seem like daunting tasks. Although product sourcing is a large subject and may seem difficult to understand, it is actually easier to grasp than it may first appear. It helps to understand that sources for products are practically unlimited, but once you figure out what it is you want to sell and who your buyers are, you have actually narrowed down your choices. For this to make sense, it is important to familiarize yourself with some of the basic product sources available to online retailers.

Trade Shows As an ecommerce merchant, one of your most potentially valuable resources are trade shows. Trade shows are essentially exhibitions where distributors and manufacturers present the product lines available for sale. Such exhibitions allow distributors and retailers to network. For distributor, it means finding potential retail outlets, and for merchants, it means finding viable new sources of hot products. Trade shows are held in cities and towns all over the United States, Europe, and Asia. For those of you in the U.S., it is not difficult to locate trade exhibitions near you, and often your local chamber of commerce can provide you with a schedule of events for your area. Some Internet resources that can help include the following websites: Tradeshowweek.com, Tsnn.com, and biztradeshows.com.

Wholesale Distributors Wholesale distributors are a standard resource for any retailer of physical products whether they engage in online, retail ecommerce or brick and mortar storefront sales. Wholesalers are the authorized distributors for manufactured products and are the next step in the flow of manufactured goods to the retail market. Wholesalers are responsible for warehousing their product lines and are in charge of all phases of getting products from the warehouse to their retail customers (meaning you, the merchant). That means they handle shipping and handling and any other needed transportation to get the product to destination as well as order tracking, and in some cases even returns. The wholesaler also handles sales and is responsible for the sales force needed to put its products into the hands of retailers. In order to purchase from a true wholesaler, you must have a sales tax permit, sometimes called a resale certificate, which is granted by your state department of revenue. This is often free of charge. This allows you to purchase wholesale goods without paying sales tax. A true wholesaler must always demand proof of your sales tax permit, and having such a permit is often the minimum requirement you need to prove that you are a real business. The Internet is not always the best place to find true wholesalers because it is not important to their business, but you might try gowholesale.com and proproductsourcing.com leads and tips on supply sources.

Liquidation-Close Out Another source of low-cost goods comes from retail liquidations and closeouts. Liquidated retail goods are generally either new or good-as-new off market products; it is not unusual to find brand names at low cost. However, the key to cheap closeout items is buying in bulk, and you generally cannot get liquidated stock unless you buy in bulk lots. This is sometimes a problem for small online sites because they may not be able to afford to buy goods by the truckload. Usually you can purchase by the pallet and less frequently is smaller lot quantities. Some of the better known online liquidation specialists are liquidation.com, viatrading.com, and worldliquidators.net, and rhinomart.com. However, you will find many if you do a Google search under, “liquidation closeout wholesale.” Even if you plan on selling new items, consider adding liquidation stock into the mix to increase your bottom line.

Auctions Another source of low-cost goods is auctions, both online and off. Although many people leverage eBay for this purpose, as a source of cheap goods to resell on eBay, traditional auctions can be a goldmine. Other examples of offline auctions would include government auctions, police auctions, estate sales, foreclosure auctions, and storage unit auctions. Whether or not auctions will work for you depends on your business model, but this could be a way to add inventory to your site at little additional cost. Auctions have long been an eBay seller secret for products to resell on eBay or other online venues. There are many online resources to help find auctions taking place all over the U.S., and you might the following helpful: auctionzip.com, auction.com, and farmauctionguide.com. For auctions of government property, try govsales.gov.

Establishing Your Business If you are serious about your ecommerce business, it is important that you actually establish yourself as a real business, which means meeting certain legal requirements. This does not have to be complicated, but it does mean doing a little research to understand the minimum requirements for legality in your local area. If you are essentially a single person, you are able to run your business as a sole proprietorship. Although many people rotely recommend incorporation, it may not be necessary, and I would advise consulting a business attorney to discuss the best form and structure for your business and necessary tax obligations. You will need to find out if you need a business license (probably not if you are doing business solely over the Internet), and you may also want to register a DBA (Doing Business As . . .), in order to legally do business under an assumed name in your local area.

Further, as a retail merchant you will need a sales tax permit in order to set up accounts with and purchase goods from wholesale distributors. The sales tax permit is essential to prove you are legitimate. It is helpful, though not always necessary, to have a bank account in your business name and/or a credit card in your business name. This helps demonstrate your legitimacy as a business. However, more important than a mere bank account is your ability to prove you can pay. In my own experience, I have found that a sales tax permit and proof of ability to pay generally satisfy most wholesalers.

Learn more about online home business and discover great tips on ecommerce product sourcing.