The holiday season is approaching at breakneck speed so now’s the time to start thinking about how exactly you can capitalise on Christmas and all that holiday cheer…
So, to give you a head start I thought I’d give you an example of how I plan to cash in during the next 3 months…
How to capitalise on Christmas
First off I want to dispel a myth that’s been circulating amongst my readers – the myth that you need a lot of money to get started selling on eBay. You don’t. I started my eBay business with around £150 and in the example I’m going to use today I spent just £173.96 including VAT and next day delivery for 50 items.
From my initial investment of £173.96, I expect to make a total net profit (that’s after all costs have been accounted for, including my stock, all eBay fees, PayPal fees, postage and packaging) of £189.00 and obviously I’ll get my initial investment back too.
I expect to make that profit within a week of adding these new items
We (currently) have 11 weeks until Christmas, so if I sell out each week, re-order, sell out and re-order and so on, just spending small amounts on stock at a time, the profits will build up and I stand to make a net profit of over £2000 in this 11-week period from these products alone.
How can I be so sure?
Because I’ve sourced at excellent prices, my listing descriptions will be enticing and most importantly I’ve researched the market and I am confident that my new stock will sell quickly.
I’ve chosen products that are perfect for this time of year. Now I’m not saying that they are ‘seasonal’, in fact these products will sell all year round, it’s simply that we have just entered the three most lucrative months of the year – the Christmas season!
If you want to make some extra pounds or are looking for an ideal time to take action and get going, then it’s not too late – although you won’t want to leave it too much longer, to buy up some stock and get it listed!
Remember, it doesn’t have to be ‘seasonal’ stock. In fact it’s better if you research and source products that are year round sellers so that you have a good base for your business when Christmas ends.
But, the fact is, over the next three months anything goes if you can put a ‘Christmas’ or ‘Gift’ like twist to it.
Seriously, even the most mundane of products can be jazzed up to entice those Christmas gift buyers so don’t worry if you’ve already got a product up and running – just amend the listing to suit.
Now, I know these buyers are on their way for two reasons: firstly a friend of mine (renowned for her ‘early present buying tactics’) posted a comment about buying her first Christmas present on Facebook last night, and secondly the word ‘Christmas’ is starting to appear in eBay searches. If my friend is doing it, and other eBayer’s are doing it you need to get in there too!
So, I took my own advice and made sure that my new stock is perfect for Christmas gifts but also falls into the category of ‘everyday purchases’ too. There are tons of products that fit this description:
Socks
Lingerie
Fashion Accessories
Toys
Exercise Equipment
Gardening Tools
DIY Tools
Gadgets
Novelties
Scarves / Gloves
Baby Goods
Electronics
Sports Equipment…
I could go on, but I won’t because there are far too many to list here. Use your imagination, a bit of creativity and you can adapt your products to suit the market.
Here’s an example to prove just how easy it is:
Let’s say you sell DIY tools. You sell these all year round. Now imaging a busy son desperately searching for the perfect gift for his father. He knows that Dad has an interest in DIY but isn’t really sure how to find a present that will fit the bill. Perhaps this young man heads to eBay and searches for the phrase ‘DIY books’ or ‘DIY tools’ – he’ll be greeted by hundreds of results and certainly won’t know where to start, especially as he isn’t particularly handy himself…
Suddenly a listing catches his eye: ‘Super 5 in 1 Tool Set Kit – Ideal Christmas Gift For The Handyman.’
Need I say more?
Okay, I may be overdramatizing somewhat but you get the general picture; a simple reference to Christmas or even to ‘gift wrapping’ will help your listings to stand out amongst your rivals, guaranteeing your success.
I hope I’ve explained that it is absolutely possible to spend a fairly small amount on stock and still make a decent profit that you can build on, and, that at this time of year, whatever you are selling, you need to use the old brain matter a little and apply some creativity to your listings to entice those extra buyers.
Other eBay sellers, including myself, will be doing this – you’ll miss out if you don’t!
Finally, I know you might say, “Right. OK. That’s all very straight-forward, I just need £150 for some stock. But I haven’t got £150.”
Well, I am very aware that this is not a particularly small sum of money and that you simply might not have it available. Get up early and do a Car Boot Sale to raise some cash or sell some personal items on eBay – it’s surprising how quickly you can make a decent amount just from selling your own stuff – but, I do have to say that most businesses would never have got off the ground without taking a small risk.
Do you want to do this?
If you do, you’ll find a way, and the next three months are the perfect time to start.