New Year’s Day is always very significant to me because it’s the very day that 11 years ago I decided to make some big changes in my life. If I hadn’t made the decision in 2005 to go for it and set about starting a business on eBay, I wouldn’t be sat here writing this now.
What I would probably be doing is still working for someone else, seeing even less of my family and generally plodding through the weeks in a state of boredom and ‘what if’s’.
But because I made a decision when I did, the last 11 years have been an awakening for me. I have made mistakes along the way of course, but have absolutely no regrets, which is why I urge you to push on with your dreams of a comfortable, flexible lifestyle by starting a business on eBay and make this the year that you embrace change just like I did.
Is eBay finished?
I know how difficult it is to actually make a positive change and whatever ideas you have in mind, there’s often only one small seed of doubt that is stopping you from getting started.
I regularly get asked here on eTail Hub whether starting a business on eBay is still a viable opportunity given that it has grown so much in recent years. Of course, eBay has evolved and one would expect that, just like any other business. There is just that little niggle of has it evolved so much that now there is simply ‘too much competition’ which does worry many people. But I have to say that, in my opinion, it’s actually easier now than ever before to go about starting a business on eBay.
In fact, I’ve gone back to basics myself over the past few months and have been steadily working on building up a brand new business, on eBay, from scratch. And I have to say that it’s been so much easier this time than when I was originally starting a business on eBay 11 years ago.
Ok, so I have more experience now, but still, there are more tools, resources and information online now than ever, all of which make it much easier for you to research, source and market your products. Yes, there are lots of big companies, including high street names with a presence on eBay – but they would be missing a trick if they weren’t – alongside much smaller ‘kitchen table’ businesses, built entirely from scratch online.
eBay remains the easiest and quickest place for you to start your own business. After all, where else can you start a business with very little capital, with low overheads, minimal risk and literally thousands upon thousands of ready made visitors from all over the world? It’s a ready made starting block from which you can continue to expand your business incorporating Amazon and then your own web store. And talking of web stores – even that isn’t difficult these days with the emergence of Shopify and EKM Powershop amongst others!
This is the key. Expansion. eBay is certainly a venue where you can potentially make fantastic profits but you should also market your products through other online venues and most importantly, you should think about setting up and promoting your own stand alone web store. Multiple income streams equal multiple profits.
When you’re starting a business on eBay the secret is to build slowly and expand through other channels
If you are serious about building your online business, expanding your sales reach via other channels and making sure that your customer service is top notch should be a priority for you this coming year.
But I’m not suggesting you go full steam ahead and try and do everything at once. I realise that you might feel overwhelmed with the list of things you need to do to forge ahead and make a real success of your business and as I write this I totally understand that you might be wondering exactly how you can do all these things and finally achieve your goals, but as I have always promised, I am here to help you on your journey so that you’ll find things easier to manage.
I want to ensure that you know exactly how to get the best out of your online business because as I have often said, I genuinely want you to succeed. I know it’s not always easy but you can achieve your goals with a bit of determination and positive thinking.
Remember that I have been in the very position you might be in right now so I know what it’s like – the frustrations, the excitement, the mistakes and the sheer relief when you get something absolutely right and the orders come flying in.
So, will this be the year that you go for it? Make the decision to do it now.
I am constantly researching new strategies, techniques and suppliers – and as you’ll know by now, I’m not capable of keeping information that will be helpful to you, to myself for long!
During the coming year I want to continue to offer you my experience, skills, strategies and insights to help you with your online venture. There are exciting times ahead!
Here’s to a fantastic 2016!