Space

“I don’t need this anymore Mum, can you put this on Ebay?” Morgan hands me an intricately drawn and written note and a unidentified plastic thing he had discovered in his room. Its his ad to sell the item. Very carefully he has copied the shape of the item and put a price with lots of ‘0s’ in it. That-a-Boy!

I smile. Entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well in this household and I openly encourage, support and try to develop it.

A few weeks ago I went to a one day seminar on internet marketing. The presenters offered a range of strategies and opportunities. Although there were bigger and more indepth courses that I could have chosen to enroll in, I got enough to sink my teeth into from this day and have been excited ever since. Some strategies outlined ways to assist me in collecting data and interest in upcoming books I am planning to write. Others details how to start of small with a niche idea and grow it from there. I was particularly attracted to Ebay. It just made so much sense – people who browse Ebay are already looking to buy. With a normal website – people who go and look at it may only be looking for information. Huge difference – and lightbulbs went off in my head.

So – I am starting of nice and small. The kids and I have gone through wardrobes to clear out all clothes that don’t fit and am sorting it into charity shop piles and piles to sell. Toys and other items are under the same scrutiny. I feel refreshed, excited and clean.. You know when you have had a hard day out wither in physical labour or exercise and you go and have a shower? How good do you feel when you step out of the shower? That’s how I am feeling.. tingly and fresh.

I read a few articles and a book on how to sell successfully on ebay and did the tutorials on line. I am attempting not to fall into the traps I have heard others do – overpricing and not enough info etc. I have strated off with small items and all beginning at 99c. I mean the stuff hasn’t cost me anything – I would give it away anyway – so might as well get some grounding work in it and keep polishing my approach.

I haven’t set up a shop on ebay. Its tempting – but I will wait a while yet. I rather like the idea of on selling small quirky Ikea stuff – a lady in the US does it and to be honest it’s a big market. Unless you physically go into an IKEA you can’t buy the items. I know from personal experience trying to get an end of line item in May a few years back – there were three of the thing I needed dotted around Australia. I called the stores and they don’t do inter store deliveries at all. You physically have to go to that store and buy it. So what was frustrating and down-right annoying, has perhaps swung in my favour.

I have also started to learn how to design a website. A long painful affair I am afraid but one I am a bit proud of. I am so non techy. However, HTML is my friends –well – cut and past from a cheat sheet is anyway. I can’t tell you how excited I was when I finally saw my three page website up on the web – and it all linked together! Sadly, I am still struggling with the photos and graphics side of it and there are big boxes on the live website with nothing in them. The files just didn’t get transferred or something… well back to a tutorial or something. I am sure there is info on it on the net. ( I love the internet!)

Well – must be off. Have some photos to take of my next batch of things to upload on Ebay… and will try not to get stressed that there are no bids on them yet….and will attempt not to keep an eye on them all day…pathetic really.