The time of the entrepreneur is upon us and sites like Associated Content, eBay, and other online self-employment sites is making becoming your own boss possible. With the economy in the state that it’s in there is no telling when things will be back to normal and there will be jobs for everyone. That being said now is the time to strike and make a name for yourself as a free-lance writer or an online merchant.
Buying and selling on eBay is a cinch. The key is to know what you have, to know what people want, and to know how much items are worth. When you go to a flea market or yard sale you shouldn’t just look for things that you would like in your own home, try picking out one item each time you go somewhere to try and re-sell on eBay. Before you buy however there are some things that you need to do.
When you start your eBay seller account and want to list your first item it is best to peruse the site a bit. Getting an idea of what sells and what doesn’t will help you to decide just what you want to buy and re-sell. Items that do well are generally things that you cannot find in department or retail stores. This means don’t go to Wal-Mart and buy things that just anyone can get, buy unique items that will create interest.
Jewelry is something that always sells good. Even if it seems like the ugliest thing in the world to you, odds are there is someone out there that will love it. Because it is an online business you can get the attention of people all across the world. Rather than being limited to one storefront in one location, eBay allows you to reach customers all over the world. Another helpful hint, try to keep records of how much you spend on items, if you can’t turn a profit you aren’t doing good business.
When you list an item try listing it for at least what you paid and maybe a few cents more, do not get too full of yourself too soon and list something for three times what it is worth. Looking at comparable listings will help you to decide just how to market and list your item. When choosing something that is old or antique to sell make sure that it is authentic. There is no better way to get negative feedback than to describe things incorrectly. This brings me to another point, feedback.
This is one of your most important tools in the entire site. If you have negative feedback yourself or if someone that is bidding on your item has negative feedback this can be a red flag. When you list something, try checking the bidder’s profile to see what kind of a customer they are. Also, be sure to keep your feedback profile spotless as buyers will likely look at yours before they bid.
With all that said about eBay, moving on to sites like Associated Content. These sites allow you to market your skills without having to sell tangible items. You are using your mind to create the content that you are selling. If you treat these sites as a job rather than like a hobby you can make a decent wage with them. Do not get stuck in the mindset that a free-lance writer makes $25,000 at the most, if you really buckle down and focus you can make much, much more.
When writing topics that are not assignments, try doing site searches first to make sure that you are not just rehashing material that has already been written. If you create unique content you can get more page views which may lead to more opportunities. Another helpful hint is to keep track of how long it takes you to complete items. When you are creating an article it is important to know how long it took you so that you know what your time is worth.
When working on items that are assignments make sure to read each and every stipulation carefully. If you misread something or do not read all of the stipulations this could result in you’re not getting the assignment or payment. With this information in hand it is now possible for you to go and become one of the self-employed masses that are becoming so popular these days.
