| Buying and Selling on eBay is an adventure that can | | | | planning to make eBay auctions a part-time or |
| be both fun and financially rewarding. Best of all it is | | | | full-time income generator you will need an adequate |
| relatively easy. But before setting out on your great | | | | computer system. If money is no object then you |
| adventure you need certain minimum "Personal | | | | can get the latest state of the art system. However |
| Resources" which are listed below in what I consider | | | | if your start-up budget is limited you should get the |
| to be the order of priority. The Resources required | | | | basic minimum recommended hardware and software. |
| are personal in that each individual will need to check | | | | You can always upgrade later once the profits start |
| their own personal situation and decide whether they | | | | to flow!PC or Mac with a 266 MHz Processor |
| need some or all of the items listed and to what | | | | 32 Megabyte RAM |
| extent.Resources Required I - Personal Resources | | | | 2.1 Gigabyte Hard Drive |
| and Attributes - Self-esteemYou need to have or | | | | Floppy Drive - for backups preferably a CD ROM |
| develop high self-esteem and to think positively. | | | | Drive |
| Self-esteem can perhaps be best described as your | | | | Microsoft Windows 95 or above |
| feelings about yourself and affects every moment of | | | | Web Browser - Internet Explorer 5.0 or higher |
| your life, either consciously or subconsciously. | | | | Printer - Good quality Inkjet or LaserJet |
| Everything can be viewed either positively or | | | | Word-processing Software - MS Word 6.0 or higher |
| negatively. When we find fault with ourselves, we call | | | | Spreadsheet Software - MS Excel 4.0+ or similar |
| that "shame" or "low self-esteem". With any activity, | | | | HTML Web design Software - MS FrontPage 2000 |
| we can choose either to focus on how good we are | | | | or similarResources Required VI - Computer Related |
| at it or on how bad we are at it. Without exception, | | | | Personal SkillsYou do not need to be a computer |
| we do everything better when we focus on how | | | | programmer or computer expert but there are |
| good we are at it.And the same is true with eBay. If | | | | certain recommended computer skills you need to |
| you approach eBay with the attitude that you are | | | | have or to acquire if you wish to proceed |
| not going to succeed, then you are not going to | | | | successfully. The following skills are not difficult to |
| make a success of it. On the other hand, if you | | | | acquire:Basic Wordprocessing - You will need basic |
| approach it with confidence, you have a far better | | | | word-processing skills for numerous tasks including |
| chance of success. This is entirely my own point of | | | | the writing of descriptions for your auctions, |
| view.Resources Required II - A Working Knowledge, | | | | thank-you and other letters and eMails to your |
| Understanding eBay, the eBay Website and eBay | | | | buyers and preparing Web page documents for your |
| TerminologyYou will need to Read the eBay Manual | | | | auction listings.Spreadsheet - A "spread sheet" or |
| by visiting the eBay website with special focus on:- | | | | spreadsheet is a large sheet of paper with columns |
| Navigating the eBay Website - moving from section | | | | and rows that organizes data about transactions for |
| to Section with Ease; | | | | a business person to examine. An electronic |
| - Establishing and Understanding eBay Policies and | | | | spreadsheet organizes information into software |
| Rules; | | | | defined columns and rows. The data can then be |
| - Knowing where to find what you need; | | | | "added up" by a formula to give a total or sum. The |
| - Understanding eBay Terminology; | | | | spreadsheet program summarizes information from |
| - Studying what other people are selling and how | | | | many paper sources in one place and presents the |
| they describe the items they are selling; | | | | information in a format to help a decision maker see |
| - Studying what prices other sellers are asking; | | | | the financial "big picture". We highly recommend that |
| - Comparing the various different prices sellers are | | | | you keep track of all your winning bidders and setup |
| asking for items with the same or very similar | | | | a database or spreadsheet to capture and record |
| descriptions; | | | | important details of your auctions including name and |
| - Studying the categories where items are usually | | | | eMail address and any other information you may find |
| listed; | | | | useful.HTML - Every web page you see and read is |
| - Identifying any items listed in unusual categories; | | | | written in HTML. Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) |
| - Identifying buying trends;Resources Required III - | | | | is the standard text-formatting language used for |
| Registration With eBay and A Seller's AccountBefore | | | | documents on the World Wide Web. HTML |
| you can Buy or Sell anything on eBay you will need | | | | documents are text files that contain two parts: |
| to Register or open an account by completing a | | | | content that is meant to be rendered on a computer |
| Registration Form. Registration is Free, takes only a | | | | screen; and markup or tags, encoded information |
| short time and is very easy to complete.Your eBay | | | | that directs the text format on the screen and is |
| User ID - The Registration Form requires you to | | | | generally hidden from the user.If you are planning to |
| Create an eBay User ID. Your User ID is a valuable | | | | be an active seller you will need to learn basic HTML |
| asset for participating on eBay. Before choosing your | | | | as it gives you greater control over the design and |
| eBay User ID you should be aware that Your User | | | | looks of the Ads for your auctions. An alternative to |
| ID becomes your eBay identity and along with your | | | | learning HTML is to use HTML software such as |
| Feedback Rating helps establish your reputation and | | | | Microsoft FrontPage. If you do then you will not need |
| identity within the eBay Community.Choose a User ID | | | | to learn HTML. BUT you will need to know Hot To |
| that is suitable for a long, successful life on eBay. Of | | | | Cut & Paste and/or Copy and Paste.Zipping & |
| course you can always change your eBay ID | | | | Unzipping Files - Zipping is a standardized way of |
| anytime. Choose a User ID that you like and that | | | | shrinking data files into smaller kilobytes or |
| you'll remember. For example you might use words | | | | megabytes thus saving on disk space. If you plan to |
| identifying your favourite collecting area, your | | | | send or receive data files via eMail or via file transfer |
| business, or occupation.Seller's Account - After | | | | on the Internet and if you plan to buy or sell eBooks, |
| registering you will need to set up a Seller's Account | | | | software or any product which can be delivered |
| before you can sell anything on eBay. You must | | | | digitally or by file transfer you will need to know how |
| provide a valid debit/credit card and bank account | | | | to Zip and Unzip Files.Resources Required VII - |
| information.Resources Required IV - Your Computer | | | | Organization of Your Multi-Payment OptionsYou will |
| EquipmentFirstly you will need a computer, or access | | | | need to pay for any items you may have purchased, |
| to a computer, that is equipped with a modem. | | | | to pay for eBay listing fees for items you are selling, |
| Whilst organizing your computer equipment you may | | | | to pay for your inventory or to pay the Drop-shipper |
| also want to investigate getting a DSL (Broadband or | | | | and, if your auction is successful, to pay eBay's final |
| Digital Subscriber Line) or a cable modem as opposed | | | | value fees and your merchant service provider |
| to a telephone modem. It not only has faster | | | | fees.The precise amount can be calculated in |
| connection speeds, but also many telephone | | | | advance. Buyers want a multi-choice of Easy |
| companies provide unlimited Internet access for a | | | | Payment Options. You will need to organize these |
| fixed monthly fee. Telephone expenses can be costly | | | | multi-payment facilities before you start any buying |
| so you want to keep these expenses as low as | | | | or selling activities.As a seller you should try and offer |
| possible.Once you have your computer equipment, | | | | every type of payment option. By covering all the |
| you will need to plug your modem into a telephone | | | | bases you can perhaps deter a potential bidder from |
| line. Next, you will need to open an account with an | | | | bidding for the same or similar product from a seller |
| Internet Service Provider (ISP) - a company that | | | | who offers more payment options than you.Over |
| provides connections to the Internet, usually for a | | | | 80% of buyers on eBay prefer to use PayPal and |
| monthly fee. Most telephone companies provide this | | | | especially now as PayPal is part of the eBay Group |
| service. Also you may be able to find an ISP in your | | | | of Companies. A PayPal Account is a must. PayPal |
| local area.The final element required is software called | | | | provides a variety of merchant tools to meet all your |
| a Web browser which enables you to find and read | | | | needs including accepting online credit card payments |
| the information on the Web. The more popular web | | | | instantly. In addition, PayPal offers a full suite of tools |
| browsers are provided by Microsoft (Internet | | | | to keep your payment processing running |
| Explorer) and Netscape Navigator and are usually | | | | smoothly.Stephen S Alison is a retired "bean counter" |
| installed free of charge when you buy a computer. | | | | who spent 26 years in middle management positions |
| Of course, once set up you can always browse or | | | | for major US financial institutions in Europe and a |
| surf on the Internet, establish what other browsers | | | | further 10 years as an adviser/consultant to a |
| are available and download the browser you feel | | | | number of European financial institutions. |
| more comfortable with.Since you are probably | | | | |