Overview

""With over 200 million registered users and net revenues in the billions, eBay is indisputably the world's most popular online auction site, an international marketplace that runs full speed ahead, 24-hours a day, seven days a week. This unique and ever-growing realm offers virtually limitless opportunities for those ready to take advantage of it -- but to make the most of eBay, you need the right knowledge, timing, and techniques to stand out from the crowd. Now completely updated in a third edition, eBay Business the Smart Way gives you the inside track to online auction success. Still the most comprehensive eBay guide available, this trusted resource gives you clear examples, bulleted checklists, and valuable """"insider"""" tips to help you: Set your business up legally. Build credibility and brand recognition. Pick the best business model for your needs. Choose the right type of auction for each selling situation. Use the latest software to manage auctions, inventory, business processes, and accounting. Hire employees and even get help without hiring employees. Learn just enough HTML and Web design to make your spot on the Web look phenomenal. You'll find out all you need to know about licenses, shipping, taxes, and liability, as well as how to create a storefront website, find products to sell, and save expenses by buying business supplies on eBay. Plus, this expanded third edition includes brand new chapters on security concerns and legislation affecting multi-state sales tax, as well as the latest information on PayPal, Andale, Google, Froogle, and eBay-owned features including eBay Stores, Skype, Turbo Lister, Shopping.com, and much more. The book is a tremendous timesaver that lets you focus more on selling your products and less on business processes, helping you to contend with an increasingly crowded and competitive marketplace, escalating online theft and fraud, and continuously changing tax legislation and updates to the site. Whether you're new to eBay or an experienced seller seeking to take your online auction business to the next level, eBay Business the Smart Way lays out straightforward, easy-to-understand guidelines and strategies that combine good old-fashioned common sense with state-of-the-art Web savvy techniques. Comprehensive, practical, and completely up-to-date, this latest edition of eBay Business the Smart Way is the essential key to running a low-risk, high-profit online auction business. It's the one book you need to get the most you can out of this exciting, one-of-a-kind online arena, and see your profits soar.""

Full Product Details

Author:   Joseph Sinclair
Publisher:   Amacom
Imprint:   Amacom
Edition:   3rd edition
Dimensions:   Width: 6.90cm , Height: 1.70cm , Length: 8.90cm
Weight:   0.002kg
ISBN:  

9780814473948

ISBN 10:   0814473946
Pages:   544
Publication Date:   16 December 2006
Recommended Age:   14 years
Audience:   Professional and scholarly ,  Professional & Vocational
Replaced By:   9780814473948
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   In Print  
This item will be ordered in for you from one of our suppliers. Upon receipt, we will promptly dispatch it out to you. For in store availability, please contact us.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgmentsix I. Introducing eBay Business 1 1. Introduction 3 Who Should Read This Book? 6 eBay's Place 8 eBay's Competition 10 You're in Business Now 11 Customer Service 11 Find Your Niche 11 Be Prepared to Work 12 State of Retail 13 Call to Action 14 II. Getting Started 21 2. Setting Yourself Up Legally 23 Sole Proprietorship 23 Partnership 27 Corporations 31 Hybrid Business Forms 34 Virtual Businesses 34 And Then You Grow 35 Taxation 36 Resources 36 Conclusion 38 3. Business Details 15 Sales Tax License 15 Business License 18 Regulations 18 Employees 19 Independent Contractors 19 Insurance 23 Bank Accounts 24 Tax Number 24 Merchant Credit Card Account 25 Trademarks 25 Accounting 26 Branding 27 Inspiration 33 Resources 35 4. Equipment, Supplies, and Space 37 Hardware 37 Software 39 Internet Access 40 Home Router 41 Long Distance Service 42 Business Machines 44 Office Furniture 45 Office Supplies 46 Office Premises 46 Storage, Packing, and Shipping 46 Home Office Tax Deduction 47 Inexpensive Home Office 48 On the Road 50 5. Borrowing Money 53 Business Plan 53 Savings 56 Credit Cards 56 Relatives 58 Angels 58 Banks 58 Other Lending Sources 63 Lenders for eBay Businesses 66 Resources 66 6. Amnesty for Criminals Like You 67 The Case 67 The Situation 69 The Agreement 72 The Reality 75 Pandora's Box 80 Summary 81 III. Conducting Business 83 7. Selling on eBay 85 Types of Auctions 85 Listing an Auction 88 Taboo Items 96 Illicit Practices 100 Your Marketplace 101 Passive Endeavor 101 Text-Box and Banner Advertising on eBay 102 Power Sellers 103 The Heart of the Matter 103 8. Auction Details 105 Advertising 105 Placement 115 Timing 115 Valuation 118 Linking 118 About Me 118 Final Details 119 Where the Work Is 120 9. Photography 121 Taking Photographs 121 Digital Cameras 128 Image Services 130 10. Using Image Software 135 The Digital Darkroom 136 Image Editing 137 File Formats 142 Summary 143 11. Pricing 145 Prices 146 eBay Research 146 Online Research 147 Analytic Research 149 Offline Research 150 Appraisers 150 Trial and Error 152 Selling Strategy 153 12. Special Auctions 155 Special Section Auctions 156 Separate Auctions 157 The Reality 163 Non-eBay Marketplaces 163 13. Fulfillment 167 Drop Shipping 167 Normal Operations 169 The Digital Goal 190 14. Receiving Payment 193 Merchant Credit Card Account 193 If You Can't Get a Merchant Account 196 Money Orders and Cashier's Checks 197 Checks 200 Online Payment Services 201 Cash on Delivery (COD) 203 Bidding Qualification 203 Don't Sell on Credit 203 What Should You Do? 205 15. Finding Inventory 207 Basics 207 Hot Tip 221 Go for It! 221 IV. Handling the Unpleasant 223 16. Dealing with Buyer Fraud 225 Fraud 225 Remedies? 234 Some Afterthoughts 236 Pawnshops 237 17. Security 239 Equipment 241 Software 246 Passwords 250 Accounts 252 Social Engineering 255 Free Email 257 Safe Transactions 258 Case Study 258 Backups 260 Counterfeits 263 Disaster Plan 264 Security Checklist 264 Summary 266 V. Making It Work 267 18. Software Features 269 Auction Management Software 269 eCommerce Software 273 19. Software Assistance 275 eBay's Programming Aids 276 PayPal Extended 280 Andale 281 Broadband 287 Auction Management Services and Software 287 Custom Programming 290 Accounting Software 290 20. PayPal Today 291 Extended Services 293 Website Services 294 Summary 296 21. Expanding Your Market with Datafeeds 297 Datafeed Markets 297 Craig's List 305 Summary 306 22. Selling Internationally 307 Selling 308 Buying to Sell 315 Buying 317 Merged Markets 317 New Yankee Traders in Force 318 23. Customer Service 321 Feedback 322 Credit Card Chargebacks 322 Guarantees 323 Warranties 325 Payment 325 Escrow.com 326 Bonding 327 Square Trade 328 Authentication Services 328 Returns 329 Communication 329 Full Information 329 Software 330 Offline Customer Service 330 Experiment 330 Know Your Customers 331 Not Just This or That 332 VI. Operating Smart 333 24. Storefronts 335 What Is a Storefront? 335 Informal eBay Storefront 337 eBay Stores 338 An eBay Business 343 Marketing 345 Website 347 eCommerce Software 349 Bonding to eBay 353 About Me Webpage 354 eBay's Hidden Market 355 Summary 360 25 Determining Your Profit 363 How Are You Doing? 363 Expenses 368 Profit 371 Your Time As a Resource 371 Summary 374 26. Developing a Strategy 375 Building a Product Profit Model 375 Finding Inventory 380 Commodity Products 383 Value-Added Products 388 Time 392 Not the Same 392 27. Education 393 eBay University 394 Books About eBay 395 College Extension Courses 395 eBay Audios 395 eBay Videos 395 eBay WBT Tutorials 396 Business Seminars 396 Business Books 397 Web Development Tutorials 397 Web Development Books 397 Community 398 eBay Live 398 Summary 400 VII. Other eBay Business 401 28. Selling Services on eBay 403 Advertising 404 What to Sell? 405 Strategy 410 Elance 412 Buying Services on Elance 416 Summary 416 29. Integrating eBay with Offline Retail 417 Trial 417 Combined Accounting 418 A Special Business 420 Customer Service 420 Summary 421 30. Using eBay for Marketing 423 Compared to What? 423 The Plan 424 Other Businesses 427 Summary 429 31. Consignment Selling and Other Businesses 431 Consignment 432 Other Businesses 437 Use Elance 439 32. Buying on eBay 441 Normal Buying 441 Buying for Your Business 441 Organizing Your Buying 445 Guarantee 449 Services 449 Software 450 We Have Stories 450 33. Marketing Media 451 Blog 451 Podcasting 455 Summary 457 Appendix IThe Top 10 Tips for Beginning an eBay Business 459 Appendix IIThe Top 12 Tips for Seasoned eBay Businesses 461 Appendix IIIThe Top 9 Tips for Business Buyers 463 Appendix IVCross-Promotion Example 465 Appendix VHTML Tutorial 467 Defining a Webpage 469 Markups Alphabetically 471 Anchors and Hyperlinks 494 Example Webpage 495 Viewing the Webpage Source 496 eBay HTML 497 Summary 498 Index 499

Reviews

Praise for Joseph T. Sinclair's Previous Books: <p> eBay the Smart Way <p> Check out eBay the Smart Way...for a wealth of tips on growing your business. -- eBay magazine <p> A solid primer for buyers and sellers on the world's No. 1 open market. -- The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette <p> This is a well-written, comprehensive guide. -- Australian Personal Computer <p> 'Must' reading for anyone considering buying or selling on eBay. -- The Bookwatch <p> eBay Business the Smart Way <p> Whether you're thinking of selling or buying online, or are already doing so, this is an easy-to-read, highly informative book that covers eBay from soup to nuts. -- Barbara Weltman's Big Ideas for Small Business newsletter <p> Web Pages the Smart Way <p> I followed Sinclair's chapter by chapter approach over the course of several weeks, reading and experimenting whenever I had a few moments. Et voila! I am (almost) a Web expert. It was simple. -- BookPage

Author Information

Sinclair is one of the world's foremost eBay experts. His previous books for AMACOM have earned media attention worldwide.

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