The Bob Shop Advantage
In these lean times of run-away petrol prices, rising credit interest rates and ever-higher grocery bills, every additional source of income is a sought-after commodity. Even people who hold a full-time job are starting to feel the pinch. Things are that much more difficult for first-time job seekers or people who find themselves in-between jobs.
The good news is that you can turn to the Internet and earn some extra cash to help make ends meet. Especially convenient are the existing online auction sites and market places, like the South African bobshop.co.za, which brings together buyers and sellers, allowing them to trade among themselves, to buy and sell virtually anything, from a second-hand toaster to a state-of-the-art iPhone.
Start like many started before you: look through your basement and garage for things you no longer need or want. You are bound to have a few ghastly Christmas or wedding gifts that are gathering dust. Just because you do not like them, it does not mean that somebody else will not.
After you run out of your own clutter, look for someone else's. Go to your neighbourhood flea markets and garage sales. If things are going well, you may want to include wholesale stores in your list of suppliers.
You can sell consumer items online. You can sell your own handy work. You can sell your knowledge on any subject imaginable in the form of eBooks. In short, you can sell almost anything, from a comic book to a car.
Yes, everything sells on online, but most of all, what sells on online is good old honest hard work. The difference between a successful online seller and a not so successful online seller is often more linked to how hard they work than to what they sell.
Selling on an established online auction sites and marketplaces is similar to any other business in the sense that it involves work. However, it is much cheaper. Anyone who owns a computer with internet connection can do it from the comfort of their home, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. There are practically no other expenses. The site provides you with a state-of-the-art, inexpensive sales channel direct to consumers. You need not spend time and money advertising your goods. The site takes care of this and has an already large customer base. On many of the established online marketplaces you do not run any financial risk, because there are no listing fees. And even if there are, they are usually minimal and well worth the investment.
Although setting up a shop with an established online marketplace is a straightforward affair, involving a not-too-steep learning curve and a small initial outlay, do not be lulled into thinking that online selling is easy. On the contrary. It involves a lot of hard work, just like any other business.