by Naireman
Growing up in a family that was built around tradition and business men was tough for me. I wanted to become independent, and start work for my own. Being a woman who loves beauty supplies and fashion, working for Avon at home wasn't cutting it.
So I decided to take matters into my own hands and start working with eBay. I'd go out to outlets and find out products were actually cheaper there, and most people were willing to pay double the amount I paid for the item on eBay!
So that drove me into purchasing more than one item. And when I got home it was as simple as taking a decent picture of the item, writing a good description and then posting it. You can now even do this on your smart phone which is really easy and convenient. Before I knew it I had around nine bids the next day which resulted in some healthy sales. This motivated me to go out and pay for more products and list them as soon as possible to repeat my earlier success.
Soon I grew a friendly relationship with my costumers and they began placing more orders with me. But I soon ran into problems as I didn’t have enough stock and customers would ask for a certain colour or size and I wouldn't be able to find what they were looking for.
I began losing costumers which was very worrying and that following week my income was down. I needed a quick come back so I decided ask around for advice from a friend who had more experience than me in the online business world. I was told to arrange a sale or return agreement with a wholesaler or shop meaning that if I didn’t sell the item I was able to return the stock without charge. This will now let me have a broader range of products without having to pay upfront for everything. Anyway I managed to set this up with a few wholesalers on a temporary basis to see how things went.
From here I decided to open up my very own eBay store and began sending emails to customers who have purchased from me before. The emails would explain how I now have better stock, a broader range of products, and that I would also give out weekly deals and season sales in my store as well as weekly giveaways! Customers were very excited and would tell their friends and family. Before I knew it, I was one of eBay’s top sellers!
I benefited very well with eBay's online business, simply because it showed and taught me things I haven't tried before. It also gave me great publicity and now going forward I would also like to open up my own online store and possibly create and sell some of my own fashions and designs! Even though it’s early days I’ve got some big plans that I’m really excited about.
The advice I'd give to a person who is looking to start an online business is to be patience, everyone has a setback. When it happens don't be afraid to ask around or search for help and ideas to help you get back on your feet. Business can be tough, but you have to take the rough with the smooth and press ahead even when things don’t go your way. After all you are an aspiring entrepreneur aren’t you?