eBay: The Missing Manual

Chapter 7. Going from Hobby to Business

You've cleaned out every closet and scoured the attic, the basement, and the garage. You've gotten rid of perfectly good, going-to-waste stuff you'd never use— and made some money for your efforts. You've built up your feedback score (Section 2.1) and perfected your listing-creation technique (Section 5.4). Now you want to get into selling in a serious way.

You're interested in finding inventory to sell, reaching even more buyers, and doing a little paperwork. (Well, okay, you're not actually interested in doing paperwork, but you are interested in keeping the tax man off your back as your eBay sales increase.)

You've come to the right chapter.

More than 400, 000 Americans make all or a significant part of their income on eBay. This chapter shows you how to become one of them, turning your eBay hobby into a part- or full-time business. Here are the topics it covers:

• What to sell—and where to find it.

• How to define your business: sole proprietorship, partnership, or corporation.

• Doing the paperwork, from writing a business plan to licenses and tax issues.

• Opening an eBay Store.

• Selling internationally.

• Selling on consignment.

• Becoming a PowerSeller.

What Should I Sell?

In taking the next step with an eBay business, the big question on every seller's mind is "What should I sell?" This big question is really two smaller questions:

• Which products offer a good sell-through rate and a good profit?

• Where can I get my hands on these items?

Note

A sell-through ...