It's Newbie here, fresh off a 2-week hiatus for the holidays. As you all know, Q4 is pretty much over, but have no fears. Some of the best sales I ever have are actually AFTER Christmas when people are looking for something to spend their gift card money on.
But not to ignore all of you who are curious about how my own business has done this year, I present to you my 2018 Year in Review for my new eBay business.
But before we get into statistics and all that jazz, let's remember: success isn't measured by financial gains but by happiness. Which means if you're like me, don't expect big numbers right away. I relaunched my eBay business this summer and haven't really tried to grow it all that much. To be honest, I'm quite content with just letting it fizzle for a while as I grow adjusted to a new living situation and figure out how to make more of my dreams come true. But for now, I'm just going to enjoy the sales I have.
Now to the Numbers
To end the year, I did a total of $404.89 in sales, which honestly isn't bad considering I started 3 months ago.
To give a better picture, that averages out to $134.96 a month, which to mean is a good measuring stick for the following year.
However, within the last 31 days, I average about $181.53 and hope to bring this up to $200.00 a month with as much little effort as possible. I know that sounds blasphemous, but that's just how I think. With all that said, money is coming in, and I can't really complain.
On the Brighter Side
Putting numbers aside for a moment, the brighter side is that I have not had one return this year. Additionally, I've sold a total of 26 items this year, with the highest sold at $36.25. That was a Canon DSLR Camera Lens, which way undersold.
While the sales have been minimal and humble, the growth has been steady and trickling in. More importantly, I'm still in business, which for many is the ultimate sign of success. Notwithstanding any emergencies, it looks like I'll be in business for another 6 months without having to stress out too much.
Of course, that truly is the beauty of eBay. You don't have to invest much, you don't need major overhead, and you can really pace yourself. For me, that means spending a couple of days sourcing for inventory and trying to clean up storage for the new year. For others, it might mean just some hobby money. Whatever the case, money is coming in. And better yet, I'm not homeless. I couldn't say as much 6 months ago.
What to Expect for the New Year
As with everything, expect more of the same for the New Year. Blog articles will come, I will start looking at how to make this profitable, and hopefully get my YouTube channel to grow. While I try to offer as much wisdom as I possibly can, the truth is I'm still a new seller. And while this is my second year in business, as my title goes, I'm still a Newbie. Which means, maybe less advice and more reflections.
But as with everything, who knows. The horizon is still out there.
Best and much love!
And as always, may your treasure hunting be forever glorious!
It's the end of the year and a time for cheer. And still, as we say, the Holidays ain't over yet. But if there's one thing I know, and one thing you should be thankful for, it's that it's never too late to create an eBay business when you have no expectations. The truth is, I feel like giving up my business every day. But while I look back over my own brief career and see my own growth, I recognize one thing.
I genuinely enjoy reselling.
Perhaps that's why I remain optimistic about the future and fail to give up hope. But as for many of you, I know the struggle. Just when you think you can't get any more sales, you find hope in a used tie selling for the best offer of 20 bucks. Or in my case, a New With Tag J. Garcia tie going for ten. Such is life.
Let's Get Real
The key to creating an eBay business is to simply give up any expectations and just learn to do something because you have no choice. Which means shut off all the YouTube experts including my own dumb ass and start listing. And forget anything you've ever been told was wrong. That's how you do something.
Which for many means stop getting depressed when you don't hit your goals and start learning to accept that everyone's growth in life cannot simply be measured by money and wealth and fame. Nor can it be measured by the value of friendships when you still haven't found what you're looking for.
Nor is it time to get upset about youth that seems wasted over financial ruin and failure.
But to do so, you have to look back on your own journey and see the connecting points and recognize your own path isn't over yet. Nor does it have to be. That is the way to create this business.
Act Not Out of Desperation
Creating an eBay business isn't hard. You list stuff, you sell stuff, you list more stuff. You don't have to worry about storage units, you don't have to worry about business models, and you definitely don't have to blow your life savings in desperate hopes of achieving a quality of life akin to people like the folks over at Scavenger Life.
But what you do have to do is follow your own hear and gut and if you're spiritual at all, inner wisdom and guides who are talking to you all the time. Whether this is the form of your conscious or your natural intuition, the reality is profit is all in the mind.
So don't get upset when you go to a thrift store and walk empty handed. Nor fret when something doesn't sell within a few months. Nor think you have to re-donate everything you purchase the minute it doesn't sell.
And while we're at it, get out of this simple mindset that you can contain your growth and keep yourself at a limit to sustain yourself. The truth is the moment you're not growing you're dead. And if you're going to keep going, you're going to have to think outside of your own little box and see how building a business is more than just a few shelves in a garage.
Take a Step and Fall and Recognize Failure is Just a Learning Curve
The key in all of this is more an act of survival than it is selfish ambition. The reason you sell on eBay isn't that you want to get rich, but because you'll likely need to. And while this is enough to get you off your feet and out into the world, you'll never make it the minute you fall and stop.
Which is why I never judge someone's success based on impressive sales numbers or lifestyle videos. Because at the end of the day, I've seen too many business owners give up their own success the minute things get bad, expecting to just move on.
And while owning your own eBay business may sound great, there are going to be months when you don't make enough to survive off of. Nor will you always have everything figured out. But once you can see past the smallness of immediate failure you remove the judgment and recognize the success that is being granted to you in frustration and sadness.
But to move past this grief of expected doom, you must recognize that not all perish in fires. Nor do you have to give up the moment you think you've seen the worst. Because if there is one thing I know, it's that there's always a new horizon.
Live the Life You Want to Live
If you want to create an eBay business, I have news for you. You're never going to be a millionaire. Nor will you ever become famous and create a life of mansions and Lamborghinis. Sure, you can think a $100,000 in sales is great, but I know guys who make millions by clicking buttons and trading stock. Not that you should expect this to derail your goals, but rather to knock you off this selfish ambition and recognize that without passion for the mundane, you'll never reach nirvana.
Which for many of you will lead to your own failure. But for those who genuinely care and see success in selling 25 items a month starting off, you truly will see the fruit of your labor. So don't ask how to create an eBay business will the answer is staring at you right in the face.
Just click the sell button and hit submit.
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As always, much love and may your treasure hunting be glorious!
By now you should be realizing I'm not big on quotas and trying too hard when it comes to reselling as if you can somehow will your self into millions of dollars just by hard work alone. Yeah, that might make you cringe, but the truth is told, there is something purely unappealing about thinking about reselling on eBay as a full-time job and becoming some multi-millionaire. Not that I'm anti-hard work or ambition. Hardly! But I do know what it means to feel inadequate and unsuccessful in times of hard duress and extreme ambition, only to see my fruitful labor be thrown out the window amidst unforeseen circumstances.
But with all this said, I'm here to tell you if you're asking yourself do you work too much? quite a bit, chances are, yes! But have no fear, because even if this is so, you don't have to quit your day job and jump off a bridge. You just have to change your perspective and find success in the mundane, which can allow you to become the greatest seller of all time if your heart so desires.
Raise Your Energy Levels
I'll keep this simple. While I like to think of myself as a budding spiritual guru for the emotionally stunted and Westernized and atheist millennials, I have a habit of bringing too much of my very antiquated Christian background into things. But while that may be a mouthful of nothingness for many of you, I just simply want to remind you that many of my business practices are based upon new thought and medieval spiritual practices that may offend.
Not that you care!
So, when I say you need to raise your energy levels, what I'm simply referring to is changing the way you think about your own reselling business. Which, for many of you, means recognizing how your thoughts shape your world around you, to the point where your own complaints and negativity are bringing you down.
A lot of this stems from lack of motivation but even more deadly, fear, which is where this lack of success stems from. And while that sounds simple enough, the reality is if you think you work too much but refuse to do anything about it, you're coming from the very same dark place. Which means, yes, you're not going to be successful, but worse, you're going to get burnt out before you ever get to taste the fruit of your hard-won labor.
In which case, maybe now is a time for a break and some relaxation. Better yet, maybe reselling just isn't for you. I'll be blunt: reselling and thrifting is in my blood, straight from my forefathers who brought their bartering and trade system to this very immature country. So I know even if I never make eBay my long-term full-time goal, I'll still be hunting down glorious treasure at estate sales and auctions, not to mention occasional thrift store.
But for many of you, this might not be the case. In which case, I have to ask, why are you doing this?
Perhaps you saw a video on YouTube promising you millions of dollars in sales if you just list 100 items every day. Maybe you thought you could make a go at something you never were intended to make a goal at in the first place. Whatever the case may be, now is the time to address these questions and get out if you have doubts.
Still with me?
Is All That Effort Paying Off?
Sometimes we have to pull back from our very 3-dimensional reality and begin to see time as something we have to overcome, not succumb to. Which for many of you simply means letting go of arbitrary ages and timeframes and finding success wherever it can be discovered. Which means if you're pouring all of your energy levels into your new eBay career but coming up with middling to frustrating results, maybe now is the time to think long-term and see the overall arch of your career before throwing in the towel.
If there's one frustrating thing to learn in life, it's that while human endeavor may bring tremendous results and change, often it has to come from a collective mindset rather than a single achievement. Which means, no matter how hard you work, you might still end up in the same spot you are in life regardless of how motivated you were in the first place.
Not to say your hard work is wasteful or being spent on an unnecessary time restricted labor schedule, but just that maybe now is the time to relax and watch the seeds of your business tree grown rather than continually harvest plain dirt.
It's a hard lesson to digest, but often the single greatest moments of triumph and growth have stemmed from complete inactivity.
I like to think of these moments of growth as spurts in our own maturity, which often yield larger gains than single achievements that may seem awesome but are very minuscule. But again, you have to learn to let go of the negativity preventing you from relaxing and trust your own instinct that your fruit has been planted in good soil.
Which brings me to my last point.
When Is It Time to Harvest?
If you plant your seeds in your business early on and keep a steady work pace, you're going to see results. While they may not reveal themselves right away, the truth is your work has not gone to waste. Even if it means you're business failed in the short-term.
But just as no skill reveals itself immediately, so goes immediate profits. But I have to ask: If your business is making enough to at least bring you contentment and enjoyment in what you do, isn't that enough satisfaction for the moment?
Maybe now is the time to relax and let go of this work-all-the time mentality that Westerners and especially Americans cling to. Not that hard work doesn't pay off. Rather, the contrary is true. But maybe we need to begin to adopt some Eastern philosophical principles into the fold, such as relaxation and dareIsay meditation.
But to get to that point you need to keep hope that you're going to be successful while recognizing that God or the Universe simply has other plans for your own ambitions. Not to say whatever high power you subscribe to doesn't care, but rather, maybe you don't see the true beauty of where you're actually headed.
So before throwing in the towel and saying fuck this business, take a second and truly ask yourself if you really need to follow those unnecessary listing quotas and guidelines. And better yet, just take the day off.
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As always, many blessings and may your treasure hunting be glorious!
Today I want to talk about a very common problem many new resellers and people in general face, which is why do I lack motivation. It's a common problem that many of us face, but the truth is it doesn't have to be this way. See, the biggest area that is of concern for many of you is this notion that you know you are not working hard enough or that you are not trying your best. But as if with everything, this is just negativity for the mind that really serves no higher purpose.
I'll be honest, there are many times in my life when I feel like I have no motivation or desire. Often I find my own frustrations to be environmental or simply consequences of no-doing of my own. But while that can give me pause to consider what I could have done differently, perhaps there needs to be some explaining.
If you find yourself in a position in life where you're reselling on eBay just to get by or help yourself move ahead in life, you might find yourself stuck in a situation where you can't do anything to really grow at a faster rate. Sure, you can list 20 items every day and source three times a week. But the reality is no matter how much work you put into your business, there just isn't much to show for yourself. At least not right away. And honestly, it's that testing of patience that can be deadly.
I'll be honest, patience is a strong suit of mine, but lately, there is no motivation to really try anymore. When I first started selling on eBay 2 years ago my goal was to pay off some very high credit card debt and eventually get off disability. The credit card debt got paid, but rather than become a full-time reseller I got sidetracked by politics and found myself going down detour after detour. Now that I'm back in the game, though, I find myself facing similar problems. Whereas as eBay at one point in time seemed like an ultimate career move, now it feels more like a hobby and something to do on the weekends.
Not that there is anything wrong with that!
But for me, the true value of flipping other people's trash for online treasure lost it's luster to the point where I don't see much growth, at least not by how I can measure it.
Does that mean I'm not going to ever become a full-time seller or no go anywhere in life? Hardly! But it does mean that at many points in my second go as an online reseller I simply don't have the focus or motivation to become better at it that I once did. I blame much of this on lousy spiritual teachings that taught that a higher power would simply just lift his finger and make my life better as if there is simply a divine presence that will magically make our lives better. But while this teaching has put me in the dumps, the reality is my environment still seems to be playing a key role.
For me, my goal in life was just to get on my own two feet and take care of myself. After losing an apartment in 2012 and moving back my dad for 5 years, my life became hopeless and desperate. I honestly never thought I would move out of my house and get back on my own. But as of last Thursday, I now rent a one bedroom apartment that I can call my very own. So while the motivation for reselling is gone at the moment, the reality is there were goals still being accomplished.
Does that mean eBay is finished for me? I'd like to think no, but as with everything, where life takes us never seems to be where we were headed. And yet we get to our destination anyway.
Which is why I ask what you have accomplished as you sit in your chair depressed about the state of your business. Perhaps you're religious and lack faith in a God that seems to care about your own success and triumph. Perhaps you're just dumbfounded why following all of the YouTube gurus seems to have led you astray. Whatever the case, just have hope and know that if I can get out of a homeless shelter and survive, then you're business can do so as well.
But just remember, even if you're not motivated, you still haven't thrown in the towel. And that is the first step to true success. Even if it feels like you're not going anywhere. As for me, eBay seems to be all I have left at times. While it can be a fun hobby, it's better knowing I don't have any expectations this time around with it. But a sale would be nice. Just don't ask me to do anything about it today.
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As always, much love and God bless! And may your treasure hunting be glorious!
As the holidays roll around us this merry December and your sales feel like they're hitting the dumps, the question begins to form in our minds. Should I be doing this full-time?
Knowing when to quit your job may seem like a no-brainer for many of your, but for much more I suspect, the prospect seems daunting. Will I ever make enough? Will I continue to sell as much? Can I really do this?
While the decision may be a tough one, the simple answer is you know you're ready to quit when you can't tolerate your day job anymore and know eBay is the right thing to do in your heart. Honestly, it's that simple.
But for me, the reality is, eBay is just a passion that happens to make a lot of money. But before I throw in the towel for this article, let me remind you, all opinions are my own and that I hate working a day job. Does this make me absolutely biased? You bet! But it also means I know the value of my time and the wisdom that comes from looking at overall value rather than dollars per hour. Which is why eBay for me is an absolute must.
But again, who am I to tell you what to do?
What I can say, however, is that you will know when the right time strikes to quit your job and pursue many this full-time hobby as well, a full-time gig. And that means knowing when to walk away from the corporate machine and saying fuck you to the stupid ladder we all seem bound to climb. But to do so, you gotta have guts. And you gotta have passion. And you gotta love eBay. It's that simple.
Sure, I can sell you all the top 10 reasons why quitting your job and switch to eBay full-time is the right move, but that would be disingenuous to your own pursuits. Because at the end of the day, the only person who knows when to quit their job is you, and by you, I mean your guidance system.
Perhaps it's your gut feeling, perhaps that voice in the back of your head, or maybe simply a higher power. Whatever the case, only if you can trust that sensation you're feeling and take the plunge, which believes me, you will, will you know exactly when to quit and do this job full-time.
Sure, we could also talk about finances and accounting bullshit. But the truth is, no amount of money will deter you from you know in your heart to be true. Which is that if you're reading this article, you know you're going to quit. And when you know this, it can be frightening. But it can be done.
But have no fear. Because where there is a dream, there is a way. It's a spin on an old cliche and yet remains true to this day. Because what you have in your heart must dictate your mind, and your mind must be made up. But only you can know when that is. And only you can push the button and dictate the terms.
And trust me, fear is a powerful thing. But so is a leap of faith.
So which one are you going to let win?
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As always, much love and blessings! And may your treasure hunting be glorious!
A question that gets brought up all the time in eBay reselling circles is whether or not does eBay best offer work? While the idea of accepting a lower price for your very valuable and precious item may seem like a let-down, have no fear. For I am going to give you some positive news.
Really let go of how much profit you're making and learn to lave the cha-ching sound that pops up when you make a sale. Honest to God, if you can find joy and happiness in knowing that something got sold, then you are going to do very well on eBay in the long-term, especially if you're leveraging best-offers to increase the likelihood and chance of selling something at a discount price.
But are you brave enough to sell something for less than expected?
Think Like a Business Owner
Ever walk through a JC Penny store or Sears Outlet and notice all the discount prices going on. While you might laugh and say these are just promotions when you accept best-offers you're essentially doing the same thing.
While motives for discounts may sound murky, the reality is their gimmicks to entice you to buy something. Which is why you should be considering best-offers as your own little gimmick to get a customer to purchase inventory.
Ditto if you're looking to move something fast.
As crazy as it sounds, eBay reselling can quickly become a downward spiral into hoarding if you're not moving inventory at a pace that allows you to replenish it while maintaining steady growth and listings. While you may not think about storage and how much space you're actually going to need when you start out, you might find yourself in a pickle when that closest becomes full of unsold stuff.
Which is why best-offers are a great way to get rid of the stuff, and quick!
Would You Rather Sell Something Now Or Hope For A Better Tomorrow?
The question sounds almost like a Christian mythological teaching, but let's get real. If you're tired of waiting for your stull to sell at high prices and are continually declining low-ball best offers, you might be missing the forest for the trees.
Yes, you should have a mind on maximizing profits and getting to a point where you can sell less stuff and make a higher income, but chances are if you're new to this ballgame, you might not be working in your best interest. Which means sometimes you might want to accept a lower-selling price if it means a quick sale and income to keep you afloat.
Granted, this is a short-term strategy that will allow you to gain steam and increase your short-term income, but at the end of the day, that might be the deal breaker if you're going to succeed.
But again, are you willing to take a lower-selling price?
Is Your Item Really Worth as Much as You Think It Is?
Another great thing about best-offers is that it can mimic the effect that auctions have. Which is mainly, if you're unsure about how much an item is worth, a best-offer can give you a clue!
Does that mean you'll always get a fair deal? Absolutely not! But it does mean you'll get an idea of what people are willing to pay for items in the short-term. Granted, you can always cling to an item and wait for someone else to come along, in which case you're probably already doing well-enough in your business that you can weather losing a quick sale.
But again, if you're new and not sure if you're even going to be successful, now is the time to seriously consider most of the best offers that come your way and increase your likelihood of getting to a point where you can become more discretionary.
Not that accept a low-offer is going to break your business. As with everything, trust your own gut and use your wisdom and knowledge. But don't let stubbornness blind you out a good sale just because you refuse to accept reality and acknowledge your item might not be worth as much as you thought it was.
Accept a Least Offer that You're Willing to Live With
At the end of the day, if you price something relatively high and accept an offer at least value that you're willing to live with, you're going to make a profit and do well. But you have to accept not everyone is going to pay top-dollar, nor is your competition going to list items at as high of a price as you are.
It's an ugly truth about competition, but there will always be someone underselling a top-dollar item in hopes of a quick flip just to undercut your own profit. And while this may prove fruitless and frustrating, it's going to kill your business if you're not willing to budge on how much you can accept for an item.
So the best way to achieve results and get a good sale is to set a least-value amount that you automatically accept on your listing and live with a lower-priced sale. That, or wait for your message box to blow up with offers that you have to manually review every time. I'm not here to tell you how to run your business but I can tell you that using this automated service is a real-time saver.
And while you think it may not work, believe me when I tell you half the time I accept best-offers I don't even realize that they were best-offers in the first place. Such is the insanity of selling shit on eBay.
As always, though, keep in mind that while you can and should use best-offers to leverage your profits and help your business, they will only work if you're smart about what you're selling and willing to take a lower profit in the sake of a quick sale. That, or you're going to need to invest in a storage unit eventually.
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As always, God bless and much love. And may your treasure hunting be glorious!
Another day here, another dollar, err, maybe not...
One of the biggest complaints I see as a reseller on eBay is this very common complaint that sales are slow... As if this is anything new. The reality is if you're making money listing on eBay, I got bad news for you...
It isn't easy as you think!
Let me explain!
Why Reselling Takes Time...
The reality is, and I don't care who you are, is that reselling takes a lot of time and devotion. Yes, there are overnight millionaires and surprise success stories, but let's get real. Fame comes quick to many, but many will be burnouts.
Ditto with eBay.
Which is why you'll never hear me write a testimony claiming to help you get rich quick! Yes, I did well when I first started reselling online, doing an average of $2,000 a month by the 6-month mark, but I'll let you in on a little secret...
Most of those sales were coming from FBA on Amazon, and to be honest, wasn't going to last. Yes, I did well, but by a year in on eBay, I was selling only $500 a month. Most of the money was made selling baseball hats and coffee mugs, but there was an ugly truth. Making money online takes time. Sometimes years!
Not that you should be discouraged or give up. On the contrary, you should see this as motivation to keep going for the long haul, because if you're truly serious about eBay, you're going to want to be in this business for the long haul.
Which brings me to my next point...
Making Money on eBay Isn't As Easy As You Think
I'll say it again. Making money on eBay isn't as easy as you think. Yes, there are success stories. Plenty of YouTube resellers who will tell you that you can make $100,000 a month in no time!!!
But let's break this down a bit.
Most of those resellers who are telling you you can make a ton of money in a relatively short amount of time are 9/10 trying to sell you something. They're either trying to get you to click their video for some lucrative ad revenue or they're trying to sell you a tutorial on how they made money.
But here's something to chew on... While I don't knock people who are trying to sell you something in order to teach you how to make money, I also don't want my readers coming away with this idea that just because someone else found a ton of quick success is going to do the same.
Again, not that this isn't possible. Rather, it's just the reality of life. No two people's situations are the same, as are either one's luck.
Which means just because someone else found success doing something a certain way doesn't always guarantee you will find similar results.
But there is something greater to keep in mind...
You can still be successful!
Here's Where I Tell You To Find a Greater Cause...
If there is one thing I truly know in life, it's that God will not make you successful unless genuinely need to be successful. Which means if you don't daydream about buying Lamborghinis and McMansions™ you're probably not going to become a millionaire overnight. Honestly, this is just the way the cards fall. Because when it comes down to it, unless you truly need a million dollars, there's no reason why the universe will ever provide it for you.
Not that you don't deserve it. Nor that you will never achieve this goal...
As someone who stayed in a homeless shelter, I know not to scoff at people's dreams and ambitions. I've seen murderers and pedophiles go on to become family men and own their own homes, so when I say you can do something great with your eBay business, I mean it.
But you have to have some perspective. And this is where many resellers fail. They fail to see a light at the end of a tunnel or get caught up in day-to-day struggles without focusing on long-term results and planning. Which is why if you're going to make money on eBay, you better start thinking of this business in terms of dollars and prospective business models to follow, rather than just listing stuff hoping it will sell.
Not that it won't!
At the End of the Day, We're All Going to Be Successful
I genuinely mean this. At the end of the day, you will be successful. If you stay in the ring long enough to outlast your opponent, which is fear and doubt.
To me, that is the true adversary of an eBay reseller. And trust, it can get to anyone. Even if you've made a ton of money on the selling platform, your success can be wiped away in an instant the moment eBay decides to flag you for a listing violation, or perhaps when they decide to tinker with their mysterious algorithms.
So yes, enjoy your success, if you truly are a child of the light, but keep in mind nothing lasts forever. Nor do you have to fear the unknown.
But if you're like me, and your goal is to make money, get real. This shit isn't easy. As anything in life should be.
AS the saying goes, if you can't trust yourself, who can you trust?
And so it is, as any reseller knows all too well, that the true test of a good flipper is should you trust your gut instinct? To which I would reply, a resounding yes.
Yes, I know there is something hypocritical about writing an eBay blog that gives advice and tips to resellers, not to mention a YouTube channel, but I wouldn't be honest if I told you that half of the stuff I post here is based off my own gut instinct.
So when I recommend you do the same, I mean it. I practice what I preach.
What is the Gut Instinct?
Simply put, the gut instinct is your guidance system. Some say this is your inner compass, others your feelings, but to you and you only, it's what you know deep down is right. Which means you know what is going to sell on eBay.
Not to say, you're always right or that you will always find success in what you believe, but then again, yes you will. Because as with everything, what some define as failure is to others simply a push in the right direction. Which means when you purchase something in hopes of flipping it for a profit on eBay or Amazon, you're trusting your gut instincts to give you an edge over the competition.
And yes, that means finding stuff without a smartphone.
Hold Up, No Smartphone!
Yes, I honestly mean that. I know in some circles that is blasphemy or simply bad teachings, but I will restate it again. As a reseller, you should be aiming to get to a point where you rely less on a smartphone and more on your own natural instincts as a hopefully by now seasoned reseller.
And let's be honest, not only is using a smartphone tacky, but also an easy way to stand out in a crowd.
You won't believe the horror stories I've read about people using their smartphones at garage sales, only to have greedy sellers raise the prices once they spot these unwise resellers. But the truth is, when you're on your smartphone out in the open, you become easy prey to scorn and raised prices. Not to mention people who just think this behavior is downright rude.
And believe me, I get it. I started out with reselling doing the same thing. I used smartphones for a year to learn my craft, and I am in no way demeaning this behavior if you truly feel in your gut it's teaching what to resell. See what I did there?
But I'm going to tell you, that not only is a smartphone a crutch, but is absolutely crippling your own natural instincts as a reseller.
My Gut Tells Me I'm Hungry
Good, go get something to eat. But when you come back, get serious. Which is be honest: wouldn't you rather go out and find stuff to sell without the hassle of having to constantly look shit up on the internet?
Or better yet, wouldn't you like to know that you're that damn good at reselling that you can walk into a thrift store like a smooth criminal and find stuff in the snap of finger before your competition can even google faux leather wooden shoes. Yeah, I made those keywords up on the spot. That's what my gut does.
So get real and start telling yourself that you too can trust your gut instinct. And before you go all crazy on me for suggesting you don't use a useful tool, let me remind you of the horror that is the obnoxious millennial browsing the internet when they should be looking out for other people walking.
So get off those phones and start trusting your gut. And while we're at it, post some solds!
Today I want to discuss a topic that seems to be on a lot of people's minds as they struggle when they first start their own eBay business. Simply put: this is my top reasons why businesses fail. It may seem counterintuitive to discuss failure but I see this everywhere I go when I discuss owning your own business. Everyone seems obsessed with success and the good times but doesn't seem to comprehend why things can go south, usually quickly.
The biggest reason businesses fail is because the owner usually calls quits right when you just feel like giving up. You may think that sounds crazy, but it's a truth. You can blame luck and unfortunate circumstances, but at the end of the day, it's because you give up without recognizing why you even tried in the first place.
As with everything, life is a journey, and while that may sound like spiritual crap, there is a universal truth to that. Not everyone is going to become a millionaire nor end up as the next Bill Gates, but I do believe everyone has the potential to find peace in what they're going through if they're willing to find peace with what they've been through.
But first, let's discuss some top reasons why businesses fail.
1. Successful People Never Quit
It sounds like a zen saying on the back of a fortune cookie fortune, but the truth remains. Ask any successful person how they got where they ended up at and they'll tell you they never quit.
And just to give this idea some perspective, this isn't just related to businesses. Successful people have found stumbling blocks in every field.
Stephen King, perhaps the most widely read English author in history, is always quick to remind people of all the rejection letters he received when he first started trying to get published. Same with many musical bands and acts. There's always the narrative of having to learn the ropes and endure hardship just to say you persevered and found success.
Which is why it's important to remember that when you venture into owning your own business, you must keep in mind that there will be an uneccesary hardship that generally is out of your control. Perhaps it's the universe conspiring against you, perhaps it's a trial from a god.
Whatever the case is, there's going to be a struggle and the urge to throw in the towel. For some, this might be the greatest blessing they can receive, but for others, it will be a simple push to keep going and find success. Which is why I tell new eBay business owners to keep going just when you feel like giving up.
2. You Were Never Passionate About Your eBay Business in the First Place
This is another one that is hard to hear for many, but the truth for a lot of people is that they went into eBay expecting quick cash and a new hobby. But for many, eBay is a labor of love and something they genuinely enjoy doing.
Which means, if you don't enjoy spending money on used ties in the hope they might sell in a year or two, you're probably never going to enjoy your business. Which means it's no surprise that your business ended up failing.
Please note, this doesn't mean you have to be obsessed with thrift stores and garage sales to become an overnight success. Hardly the truth at all.
But if you're not passionate about what you do, then there's a good reason you're never going to really find success because honestly, this isn't what you should be doing. If that's the case, you should just quit and start living a life focused on what you genuinely are passionate about.
Granted, that last sentence can be tough to hear if you're like me and find yourself hardly passionate about anything at all. Perhaps it's a leftover feeling of I don't give a shit attitude from my Generation X friends and idols, but there definitely is a habit among many people to say they're not passionate about anything.
But again, don't let the obsession with a field and passion get mixed up. Being passionate simply means you have to keep doing what you're doing not because you enjoy it, but because it's the only thing you know how to do. And honestly, that is what makes you successful. Because you have nothing else left to turn to.
3. You Expected Success to Just Be Handed to You
This is another tough pill to swallow if you're like me and expect talent to win the day every time. Yes, it's amazing to have gifts and feel special, but at the end of the day, God, the universe, or your parents etc. are not simply going to hand you success. They're going to expect you to work for it to prove you're capable of achieving something on your own. Which is why it's important to remember nothing is simply handed to you.
Granted, there are people who are born rich or happen to stumble into success. If that's the case you find yourself in, ignore this, because you have bigger problems. Mainly being regret that you never lived your own dream.
But for those who genuinely care about their own hard work and success, there is the reality that you're going to have to go through a trial in order to succeed. Does this mean you should just bite the bullet and smile as you endure struggle after struggle? Hardly no.
But there will come a time when you realize it's over, no matter how much you expect your problems to resurface. In which case, congratulations, you've survived the worst.
But remember, the more you do something, the more you get used to problems that at one point seemed too tough to get through.
Which brings us back to my point that successful people never quit. Which is exactly what you should keep in the back in your mind every time you expect God to just hand you something good and pat you on the back.
Does that mean He'll never lend a hand? No. But don't walk around every day expecting God to just give you the keys to the kingdom without at least giving it your all. Afterall, what's the point of even living if you never actually do anything on your own?
Conclusion
The reality is if I can do it you can do it. I know that probably makes you want to barf, but remember I started my own business while on SSDI praying to God to help me pay off some rather large credit card debt.
I found success quick but as I relaunched my business after a 2-year hiatus to work in politics I found many struggles. I was in the process of getting an apartment and surviving without a car, which is why I found myself often not getting enough sales to fund my own business. It wasn't that I was not succeeding, it's just that I wasn't putting even half the effort that I did when I first started.
Which is why I encourage you to keep going. And if at the end of the day you really fail the point where you never own a business ever again, ask what you learned from that experience. Chances are, you'll find peace when you know the answer.
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As always, God bless and much love. And may your treasure hunting be forever glorious!
Today I want to talk about a very special topic that is near and dear to my heart: how to start an eBay business with no money. For those of you who follow me over at YouTube, (if you don't get on it!), I have videos from the past 6 months documenting my own journey as I restarted my own eBay business. If you listened to some of my early videos, I would talk about how I just got out of a homeless shelter and am in the process of starting a new life. Check it out:
Please excuse me not wearing a shirt. I come from the philosophy that sex sells. :)
Really though, this is the honest truth. I just got out of a homeless shelter and within 4 months had a full-time (I use that term loosely mind you) eBay store up and running. How you ask? Simple...
Get Some Cash
Duh, right?
The reality is though, if you don't have cash, you have no hopes of starting a legitimate eBay business. Yeah, you could sell some stuff you have laying around the house and probably make some money that you could use to buy and flip other stuff. But if you're in a situation like I was, this probably isn't feasible.
At the time I relaunched my own eBay store, I was homeless and living in my mother's trailer. Cue an Eminem song. To be honest it was depressing and I was flat broke. I was waiting for a disability check to go through and was considering just biting the bullet and going back to washing dishes at a restaurant. But one thing I had going for me was very minimal support from my father, who would loan me $10-20 bucks every two weeks.
You'll laugh, but that small amount of money is what I used to launch my business. Every time I had a little bit of cash I would walk, sometimes up to 6 miles! to a garage sale or thrift store and buy some stuff.
The key here is that I was very careful and selective and really only bought stuff that cost a dollar or less.
This meant a bunch of Ugly Men's 70s ties and some coffee mugs, but the truth was I was just getting back into the swing of things. Still am actually.
Which is what you should start to consider.
Take Small Risks
The next thing I advise to take small risks. If cash really is a problem, the only solution you might have is to get a job. Not everyone has the curse that is disability to provide for them, which means you might have to get a part-time job or take a loan or skip out on McDonald's here or there. Not that your stomach will suffer from this.
Whatever the case is, find some cash and take small, and I mean very small, risks. If you're comfortable selling something like vintage ties, or souvenir coffee mugs, use this as a way to get into the habit of looking for something that can be sold for a pretty high ROI while taking very minimal risks.
Yeah, the prospect of selling $10-$20 ties might not sound thrilling, but remember at this stage you're just getting your feet wet. What you really should be focusing on, at least in my opinion, is ratings and generating steam to really launch your business.
That means less focus on profit, and more focus on reps for what you want to do.
And honestly, this is nothing.
You can go to a thrift store and spend 5 bucks knowing you have a potential $200 of profit. That is no small feat. And yeah, while you're not guaranteed to make $200, at least not right away, the truth is you're just now getting a taste for becoming a reseller.
In which case, congratulations, you're not an eBay reseller. But this is just the tip of the iceberg.
Start Selling Stuff!
By now, you'll probably have cold feet and hear the lingering doubt in your mind. You can't afford this stuff. There's no way you can sell stuff without money.
I'm here to tell you this all hogwash. The truth is, you can sell stuff and you can make money. But again, you have to let go of these fears and just take a leap of faith.
For many, that might be a problem if you don't have enough sales.
See, PayPal does this for a lot of new sellers, which means holding onto your money until 2-3 weeks pass. If that's the case for all you newbies out there (don't mind the pun), then you're going to have to bite the bullet and go slow. Yes, PayPal will eventually learn to trust you and give you money after your buyer has paid, but I believe as of today that takes 25 sales to get to that limit removed.
Which means if you're strapped for cash, you're going to have to limit how many items you sell on eBay when you start out.
Not that this should be a problem. eBay usually only allows 10 items to be listed for you newbies, which means you're going to have to go slow, money or no money.
But the beauty is to see this as room for growth and know that you'll never go back, which means now is the time to learn your craft and keep going. But as with everything, this takes patience, which for most can be unbearable. But have hope!
Start Getting More Cash
Here's the gamechanger.
As an eBay business owner, you're going to want to start getting more cash. See, you're going to want to make a profit eventually and hopefully, make a living or at least side income off what you're doing. Which is the point of owning your own business, isn't it?
And the only way to do this is to build your inventory and increase your ratings as a reseller. See, the more you sell, the more the platform and buyers begin to trust you. You may not see this at first, but with every sale you make, you earn a better reputation and begin to build trust with your buyers. Which means by the time you have a few sales under your belt, you should have at least earned some more spending money.
But guess what, unless you want to call it quits now, you're going to have to spend that money again!
On what you ask?
Invest in Your Business
For most, this means buying more inventory and listing more. As you start to increase your ratings and work towards blowing past eBay and PayPal's infuriating seller limits, you'll begin to get more listings available and eventually have funds released immediately after you sell stuff.
Which means no more using your credit card to pay for those costly shipping fees.
Yeah, I speak for myself mostly here. Because that is exactly what I was doing to pay my own shipping fees at first. See, I would spend my money on inventory, and when something sold, I would use my credit card to pay for the shipping.
I did this for about two months but once PayPal had learned to trust my instincts as a seller, I was now given the gift of immediate payments, which included shipping fees.
Which is awesome.
But guess what, before you start counting your dollars, you're going to want to invest most of the money back into your business.
Why you ask?
The more you invest in yourself up front, the more you have potential to make more as you grow and become established in whatever niche or market you happen to sell in.
This means now is the time to invest in storage, inventory, or shelves and other stuff that can help your business grow. For me, this meant buying a decent laser printer and a postal scale so that my business could become functional and operating with a semi-level of professionalism. Which is what you should be doing.
To Sum This All Up...
As I said earlier, the only way you can start an eBay business or any business for that matter is to get cash. If you're serious, now is the time to consider liquidating assets that might be hard to let go of.
When I first started my eBay business 2 years ago, this meant flipping an electric piano and drum set I had in my garage. As a musician, it was tough to let go of these items, but the cash I raised for these two instruments was enough to get my business up and running without having to get a second job.
When I relaunched my business 6 months ago, this meant getting a $100 loan from my step-father as well as donating plasma to a local plasma center. Yeah, that might make some cringe, but as someone who was homeless for four months, the risk was hardly enough to discourage me.
Once I had cash, I was out in the thrift stores and garage sales buying small stuff. Which meant a lot of small investments, mostly all under a dollar, and some small risks.
But within 3 months I began to see the fruit of my labor. I sold sometimes in auctions for a relatively mild sum of $10 per tie, as well as selling a used camera lens I had laying around for $50 bucks.
But those small sales were enough to keep me afloat and as of yesterday was enough to allow me to invest in a basic store subscription. Which is what you can do as well.
So there you have it. Get cash, take small risks, start selling stuff, and begin to reinvest in your business. For me, this means storage and shelving units as well as more inventory. For you, it might mean just paying for gas to get to a thrift store. Whatever the case, though, start selling now and stop making excuses.
But first, make a sale!
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As always, God bless and much love. And may your treasure hunting be forever glorious!
Let's get real folks. You're either here because you found this on a Facebook group or because you just don't know what the fuck to do when starting your own business. But have no fear! Because I'm going to explain to you exactly how to answer the question: what do you need to start your own business?
And you know what the answer is???
Stop giving a shit!
This is Where I Stop Reading
Good.
For those of you who stay, much appreciation. But let's get back on track.
The real way to start your own business is to stop giving a shit. Yeah, you'll need other stuff, like financial resources, or a social environment that at least is conducive to your growing on your own journey, but don't let this stuff fool you.
The number one thing you need to start your own business is a can-do attitude that is free of doubt, negativity, and the number one ambition killer judgment. Which means if you're 30 dwelling on your 20s that seem to have been robbed from you, now is the time to stop giving a shit.
Because as I can tell you, I was robbed of my 20s to mental illness and negativity. And a lack of awareness.
But you know what I never let get me down: fear of the unknown.
Which is why you need to stop giving a shit if you want to start your own business.
But Really, What Do I Need Newbie?
Honestly, everything.
Owning a business can suck.
I started mine at the age of 29 selling used baseball hats and coffee mugs online through platforms such as eBay and Amazon. And I'll tell, I had no resources.
I was fucking flat broke.
No joke. I was on SSDI, or as you call it Social Security, receiving a $900 check that had to pay for food and car payments. But I'll tell you what. I didn't give a shit.
Every month I went at my business hard and spent every penny I could scrounge up. I stopped eating fancy foods, invested in ramen noodles, and never regretted a thing. Within 3 months, I was doing two grand in sales, not bad if you ask me, and had paid off $4,000 in credit card debt after a year.
That video was posted in December of 2015, almost 2015. A measly 6 months after I had started my own business. And you know what propelled my success: not giving a shit.
So when I tell you to throw caution and care to the wind, I mean it. Blow your lunch money, spend a day away from your kids, and stop worrying about profits. And just do it.
Yeah, they'll be bumps in your road. There always is. But as with everything, you have to keep doing it. Which is why I recommend just going out there and getting your business license, and registering your own business, and stop making excuses.
Okay, So What Do I Need Tho? For Reals...
Well, not that I've given my inspirational talk for the day, you'll probably want to know what you actually need to start your own business. So I'll tell yeah.
Whatever the fuck it takes to make a profit.
For some, such as online resellers like myself, that includes getting a vendors license to sell on platforms such as eBay and Amazon. For others, it might be a car loan or a house loan. Maybe you need employees or a partner to help you with running a store. The truth is, there is no glove fits all answer.
The only thing you'll get from me is a can-do attitude and an honest assessment. Which is: why the hell are you on the Internet trying to figure out how to start a business when there are people all across the world who can answer this question?
So let me ask you: what do you need to start your own business.
Your answer may just be what you're seeking.
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As always, much love and God bless. And may your treasure hunting be glorious.
Today I want to discuss how to start an eBay store. It's something many of you newbies such as I myself might be considering, and if that's the case, then now's the time! And best of all, it's not that complicated.
Why you ask?
You see, if you're really serious about reselling, and you really want to make some money, then chances are, you'll want to start a store. And while that prospect might sound frightening, or dare, too expensive, the reality it's not hard at all!
But first, before we get into this how-to stuff, let's consider some benefits of getting a store...
Cost vs. Quantity
Let's just be honest.
The only way you're ever really going to get your quantity up without having to spend hours each day fidgeting with social media ads or pesky relists is by using my favorite method: the list it and forget it.
It's a method made famous by many resellers, including my personal favorites Scavenger Life. And while that might boring, and gasp!, time-consuming, the reality is it's actually quite a proven method.
Back when I was a true newbie in 2015 I was making at least $500 in sales on eBay in my third month alone, all by building quantity and selling moderately priced vintage stuff. Sales were good and consistent but the true key to my success was that I invested in a store early.
Which is why I highly recommend anyone considering starting an eBay store to do the same.
Take it this way: If you're a new seller without a store, you'll probably start out with a few free listings, maybe 10-20, depending on how much the eBay Gods favor you, and eventually you'll get up to 50 free listings. And while that may sound great, the reality you'll end up blowing through those listings fast if you're aggressive and hungry enough.
Which is why a store might be a better option.
Take it this way: Once you use up your 50 or 20, or however many free listings you have depending on the promotional offers, you're going to get charged.30 per listing. While that seems low, once you start growing your inventory and really building some income, you'll start to see your fees increase.
This might be fine if you don't plan on going above, I don't know, 100 listings, but chances are you really want to make a go at this.
This is where a store comes in.
Instead of paying the high .30 per listing once your freebies are used up, you can upgrade to a basic store for a measly $24 a month, or just pay the annual cost of $240, which ends up being about $20 a month. That might seem like a high cost, but the benefits certainly outweigh the costs.
With a basic store, you receive 200 free listings, plus a discount on future listings once you max the freebies. As of writing this, a basic store will reduce future listings to .20, giving you essentially 250 free listings and a discount when you really bulk up you're inventory.
And that's just for a basic store!
With a premium and anchor store, the discount lowers to .10 and .5 respectively. But don't worry about those, because chances are you don't even qualify for them yet.
So to keep this simple, let's do the math:
A year subscription to an eBay store will cost you roughly $20 a month, giving you 250 free listings. If you chose not to subscribe to this but listed the same amount of items, you would be paying $60 dollars in fees!
Which is why a store makes sense just on the cost factor.
Okay, I'm In... So How Do I Start a Store
Glad you asked.
Starting an eBay store is actually pretty straightforward. If you click on your accounts tab under your profile name you'll see a link that says "subscriptions." I've included a screenshot of mine for reference.
Click the Subscriptions tab
From there, you'll want to select the subscribe link for a basic store. Again, I've provided a screenshot for reference:
Again, click the subscribe link
From there, you'll be taken to a selection screen that asks you to choose which store subscription you want. It seems to be pretty redundant to make you select which store you want after you already selected a basic store from the previous screen, but this is eBay we're talking about.
Here you can see the breakdown of the store subscriptions
Select which plan you want: either the yearly subscription or the monthly subscription. As I said, I recommend a yearly subscription. While you're locked into a contract you're saving $60 dollars a year, and let's get real, if you're at all serious about this business, you should be in it for the long haul!
After you've done that there's a box on the bottom of the screen that asks you to create a store name.
Please feel free to steal my store name...NOT!
Once you've done this eBay will take you to a final screen that asks you to confirm your store subscription and reminds you to look at the terms and conditions. You can see mine here:
Man up and just do it!
From there you'll have to enter your payment information and voila! You're now an official eBay store owner!
Congratulations
Some Final Considerations
Wasn't that easy???
But the fun part now is designing your store to tailor to your own preferences. I won't go into much detail here, but things you'll want to now consider are creating some store categories for your inventory as well as creating a banner.
Feel free to let your imagination do the work.
As for a banner, you can head over to Fiverr.com and find a cheap artist to create your banner for, you guessed it, 5 bucks.
After that, you now have the luxury of reduced listings fees as well as a renewed commitment to a business. If you're at all serious about making a living doing this, I highly recommend doing this.
As an added bonus, once you have a store subscription, you can now take a vacation! Thanks to eBay's vacation settings for store owners, if you're away for an extended period of time you can set your store so that your listings are hidden.
So welcome to the good life!
Just to Sum It Up...
Again, let's do the math.
If you've reached your max 50 free listings, barring eBay hasn't given you any other promotions, you're looking at .30 per listing. Say you list an additional 100 items, you're already looking at $30 in fees. Compare that to $20 bucks for a store and the choice becomes a no-brainer!
Besides this, a store means you're committed to this and are in it for the long haul. Gone are the days of listing a couple of items and hoping you get a sale. Now you're looking at building inventory and having customers find a central location for all your listings.
So quit diggin' your heels in the sand and just do it already!
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As always, much love, and may your treasure hunting be glorious!
