Are You Ready for Something Amazing?

For the past 3 months, I've been hard at work putting together my new online school, Unite eCommerce. This concept is completely different from what is already out there for online eCommerce learning. Unite eCommerce has community college feel - students can choose what classes they want to take, pay by the class, show up, and learn. No monthly membership fees, no prerequisite classes, no experience or education required. Class fees will be reasonable and affordable. 

The online learning world has become over saturated with outdated recorded programs, 99 cent eBooks, hour long "sell-a-thon" webinars full of chit-chat, and hype that is useless to most people who are serious about really learning how to make money online. Almost everything has an affiliate program attached to it - so you never know if the content is going to be valuable, or if the person selling the information product is just trying to make a quick buck. Has that person even tried the product? Do they really believe it will help their audience? Maybe you receive newsletters that contain 90% affiliate links from people who seem endorse every new product or service the moment it is launched. I'm going to give you something completely different.

I have separated myself from the crowd and offer real education for people who are serious about learning how to make money online. My classes will always be live, will always have the latest information, and will always be taught by people who are currently doing the business - not somebody who did it 2 years ago or who is just reading a script. My team consists of 12 successful entrepreneurs, all of whom built their business from nothing and are mentors in their fields.


UNITE  MANIFESTO
 
1. Real Actions. Real Results. We aren’t about hype, fluff, fads, or theory that doesn’t work in the current marketplace. We, like you, want clear actionable steps that give you real results- and that is exactly what we give you.

2. Build Up, Never Down.  We are all about creating an online community that doesn’t just help you grow your business, by learning from the experts but one that also helps you learn and grow from others in a supportive environment.

3. Support. Support. Support. Yes. We are all about helping you and supporting you as you grow your online business.

 So, what kind of classes can you expect? Here's a sneak peek of what is coming in the next few weeks:


Record Keeping and Basic Tax Info for your eCommerce Business
 
eBay for Beginners - USA

eBay for Beginners - Australia

eBay for Baby Boomers

eBay for Intermediates - USA

eBay for Intermediates - Australia

Etsy for Beginners  (add another income stream - sell vintage or hand made items here!)

How to Hire Help for your At-Home eCommerce Business 

How to Make Money Mystery Shopping (when you are on inventory lock-down but still want to make money!)

How to Make Money Writing for the Examiner (something you can do when sales are slow!)

How to Sell Books on eBay and Amazon

How to Sell Children's Clothing on eBay

How to Sell Pre-Owned Women's Clothing on eBay

 Sign up to receive updates about class times, teachers, and more new classes here.

Things are going to start moving fast in the next few weeks as sellers prepare for holiday selling. Will you be ready?

More Articles:

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Mega-Seller Moms Featured in Woman's World Magazine

Don't Call that Baby Bodysuit a Onesie



 

 

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Don't Throw That Trash Away! Sell it on eBay!

We have been having a blast over on my Facebook group discussing all the wild and crazy things you can actually sell on eBay - things that are considered trash or worthless items lying around your home or backyard. Here are a few of the items mentioned:

Empty toilet paper rolls
Empty paper towel rolls
Bottle caps
Pine cones
Acorns
Sea shells
Leaves
Gourds
Tumbleweeds

Shawn started the thread by posting this completed listing of empty paper towel rolls that sold for $16.95:

Talk about pulling money out of thin air! These items are often used for craft projects. Take a look on Pinterest and notice what people are  making with these types of items. Many craft and DIY enthusiasts go to eBay to buy their supplies.

There are opportunities all around you to make money, you just might not know it. Speaking of opportunities right in front of you, the next "How to Sell Groceries on Amazon" class will be held on Saturday August 17 at 12 noon Eastern time. Groceries are a great product to sell online because they are repeatable and customers often buy multiples. For example, an Amazon customer bought 5 of an item yesterday:

This item costs $8 at a grocery store 6 miles from my house, it sells for $25, and I can get as much of it as I want whenever I want. How amazing is that? The holiday selling season will be upon us soon - think about adding seasonal food products to your online offerings. Register for the grocery class here.

Also, my new online ecommerce school will be opening soon! I am assembling an amazing team of teachers to share their vast knowledge and specialties in the world of ecommerce. Sign up to receive email updates about teaches and classes here. There will be something for everyone regardless of experience level.

Related Articles:

Selling Gourds as Craft Supplies on eBay

New Online Class - Selling Groceries on Amazon

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Mega-Seller eBay Moms Featured in Woman's World Magazine

 

Check out this week's Woman's World Magazine (on checkout stands in grocery stores, WalMart, Target, etc.) for an article about making big bucks on eBay. The article, on page 12, is titled, "Make a bundle on eBay...just like they did!"

I'm thrilled and honored to be featured alongside other superstar eBay moms including Sonya Lee Han, Jeanette Bushell, Marsha Collier, and Lynn Dralle. It is a great piece explaining how eBay can work for anyone and can be tweaked to fit whatever selling style or type of inventory that works best for you.

Woman's World is a weekly magazine, and this issue is only on news stands until August 19, so grab a copy quick and check out different ways to make eBay work for you!

Related Articles:

Cash Hiding in Your Home - free eBook

Money Magazine Survey

Thrift Store Items to Sell on eBay

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eBay Blocks 15,000 Sellers from Listing

eBay instituted a new policy today regarding sellers whose Performance Standards are below minimum. Many sellers who have 4.8 out of 5 DSRs and occasionally see this message are being blocked from listing. Even though a buyer may leave you a positive feedback, he may ding your DSRs for any reason he chooses, even if unwarranted. If you were affected, and are blocked out and can't list, here is what is going on per an email from customerhelp@ebay.com:

Status:     Published
Published date: 08/06/2013
Updated:     08/06/2013

Increase impact of Below Standard ECGs

Details

•Each month we have an existing Below Standard cycle. We apply ECGs (consequences) to sellers who are BST.

•On 8/5 we have applied more severe actions (selling blocks and limits) to more sellers than we have in the past.This change to the standards consequences was a planned change, however this was inadvertently run a week earlier than planned.

1.We have move the worst 15k sellers to Seg D (Selling Block) Issue 181

(Yes, they have blocked 15,000 sellers from listing!!)

2.We have apply Seg C (75% limit) to all Segment B below standard sellers. This can be identified with Issue 361

General FAQ's

Why Do I have Selling Limits

•All sellers on eBay are required to meet minimum performance standards, which measures how well a seller is meeting buyer expectations. The goal is to ensure sellers are delivering both quality items and excellent customer service. Currently, you aren’t meeting the performance standards based on the rate of 1s and 2s you have received on your Detailed Seller Ratings (DSRs).

•We’ve applied a selling limit to slow your selling activity, giving you an opportunity to identify and change the selling practices that may be failing to meet buyer expectations. Once you have shown improvement and are able to meet the Detailed Seller Ratings requirements, your limit will be removed.

When will the limits be removed?

•The limits placed on your account will not be removed, but will be raised significantly so as not to heavily impact your account once you are able to meet the minimum standards, and your seller level has changed to ‘Above Standard.’ You can track how well you are doing in your Seller Dashboard, within the Performance tab. You may also want to monitor how you are doing on a monthly basis by checking your 12-month trending data.

How long do I have to improve my DSRs before I get any further consequences? / How long do these consequences last?

•Sellers should immediately identify and adjust any selling practices that may not be meeting buyer expectations, which resulted in receiving low Detailed Seller Ratings (DSRs). Sellers who do not work to meet performance standards each month after falling to ‘Below Standard’ should expect heightened consequences – including a limit or block on selling activity.

 How can I improve if you place a limit on me?
 
•Although selling limits slow down your selling activity, you are allowed to continue to sell. Our goal is to slow the pace of your sales to provide you an opportunity to adjust your selling practices and work towards immediate improvement. Let’s work together by determining what you can do so we can help you get out of this.

Do the selling limits include shipping fees?

•Yes, shipping is counted if it's part of the total amount when the item is considered sold and a transaction.

If you feel your listing privledges have been suspended unfairly, TAKE ACTION. Many of us earn our living selling on eBay and we need to be able to list our items. If our listings end, and we can't renew them, and we can't list more items, does eBay want us to take our business to Craigslist, Bonanza, Amazon, Etsy, Facebook yard sale groups, and other sites? Because that is what we will have to do if we can't sell our items -if we can't earn a living on eBay.

What you can do:

Go to this link and call eBay.   Express your discontent.

Repost this blog article in your eBay groups, on Facebook, Twitter, and anywhere else so that more sellers will protest this listing block. Let's get this on social media so eBay will see that we don't think this is a good move!

15,000 sellers is a lot of sellers who do not deserve to be blocked from listing.

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Don't Call That Baby Bodysuit a Onesie - Unless Made by Gerber

Many eBay sellers have reported listing violations and even suspensions because of terminology used to describe this type of legless snap closure bodysuit for babies. Gerber has trademarked the word "onesie" and eBay is removing listings containing the word "onesie" that are not Gerber products. If you are listing this type of baby undergarment, and it is not made by Gerber, you are allowed to use any of the following synonyms:

• infant bodysuit
• creeper
• crawler
• snapsuit
• onepiece 

Even though the word "onesie" is a common term for this type of baby wear, it is not allowed on eBay unless the item is made by Gerber. It seems somewhat silly to try and police the use of a word commonly used - such as substituting the word Kleenex for a tissue - but eBay and Gerber are vigilant about this issue.

Here is the official word on the subject by Gerber:

Gerber Childrenswear LLC, located in Greenville, South Carolina, is a leading marketer of infant and toddler apparel and related products, which it offers under several brands, including its licensed Gerber® brand and the Onesies® brand for one-piece underwear. The company distributes to volume retailers, department stores, and specialty retailers.

Gerber has used its Onesies® trademarks since 1982 in connection with infant and children clothing such as bodysuits and undergarments. Gerber is the owner of numerous trademark registrations that utilize the term "ONESIES", both in the United States and worldwide. As an example, Gerber owns U.S. Trademark Registration Nos. 1,292,981, 2,549,557, and 3,488,401 for the Onesies® trademark. As a result of its protection, Gerber owns the exclusive right to use the mark Onesies®, and anything confusingly similar, in connection with infant and children clothing.

Gerber is a member of the eBay VeRO Program and reviews items for sale on eBay regularly. Gerber uses eBay's VeRO program to report the listing of any auctions that infringe its trademark rights. Your listing(s) was removed for one of the reasons listed below:

UNLESS the item is a genuine Gerber product, you do not have authorization to use the terms "ONESIES," "ONESIE," "ONSIE," "ONEZIE," "1Z," or anything confusingly similar to describe infant or children clothing. Genuine Gerber garments can be identified by the presence of the Gerber baby head tag in the neck area and a rectangular white tag with the word "onesies" in blue located just above the left leg opening of the garment. If you believe you are selling genuine Gerber products, please contact Gerber to discuss how you may use its trademarks. Otherwise, please revise any future listings to avoid use of the infringing terms. Suggested alternative descriptions include snap-tee, snapsuit, bodysuit, creeper, or one-piece underwear.
 
Due to the high volume of merchandise for sale on eBay, it is difficult to identify and remove every unauthorized item. The fact that others are selling products that infringe Gerber's trademark rights does not give you the right to do so.

As a seller, you have a responsibility to ensure that your actions do not violate the intellectual property rights of another. Ignorance that it is a violation of any country's trademark, patent or copyright laws is no excuse.

Other news:

The next Amazon Grocery class is scheduled for Tuesday, August 6 at 7 PM.

Watch a video about the class here.

Register for the class here.

Happy Selling!

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And Now for Something Completely Different...

 

I am so excited to announce launch of my brand new website! I have been hard at work for the last few months developing several new projects - all of which will help online sellers be more successful, make more money, and enjoy the freedom of working from home. The site is only about 50% complete. Here is what I have so far:

A free gift for all my readers! Download a free copy of my eBook, "Cash Hiding in Your Home" - a list of 30 items commonly found in many homes that look like junk but actually have value in the eBay marketplace. These are items hiding in plain sight! You may have cash all around you and not even realize it.  Head on over to my new site, SuzanneAWells.com and grab a copy - there may be items on this list that even seasoned eBay sellers don't know about. (And thanks to the members of my Facebook Group for helping contribute to this fantastic list! I learned a bunch of new things reading their ideas, and I've been selling on eBay for 10 years!)

Have a question or just need some quick guidance on an eBay or Amazon issue? Schedule an appointment for a 20 minute consultation using my online scheduler here.

Coming soon:

Ready to learn more about online selling? Sign up to receive updates about my new online eCommerce school, Unite eCommerce. This online school will have a community college feel - you choose what courses you want to take depending upon your most pressing needs, your current skill level, and what interests you. No monthly membership fees, no prerequisite classes, no experience or education required. Just show up and learn something new. Class fees will be reasonable and affordable. I'm busy recruiting other experienced sellers with eCommerce specialties to help teach their passions. Some classes coming soon include:

eBay for Beginners

Selling Pre-owned Clothing on eBay

All About eBay Shipping

Authenticating Designer Items (to avoid VERO violations on eBay)

Hiring Help for Your At-Home eBay or Amazon Business

Book Keeping and Basic Tax Info for eCommerce Sellers

Selling Children's Clothing

eBay and Amazon Best Practices 

Selling Books on Amazon   

Using Amazon Reports

Holiday Selling Strategies

I've got some fantastic teachers lined up and we are hard at work creating these courses to help you learn more, do more, and make more money! Sign up here to receive more information about upcoming classes, class schedules, and other information about this revolutionary new online learning center. If you have an idea for a class please leave a comment below. And if you are an experienced seller and would like to join my team, I'd love to hear from you! Just contact me here and let's talk!

Take a look around my new site here and stay tuned for more announcements coming soon!

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eBay Changes Manufacturer's Coupon Policy

Did you know you can sell grocery coupons on eBay? Well, technically, you aren't able to sell the actual coupon, you are selling your time to find, clip, and mail the coupon for the buyer. eBay has had a pretty liberal policy for selling coupons, but recently a few things have changed due to the growing problem of grocery coupon fraud. Here are the new rules:

You may sell up to $100 or 25 valid, unexpired, original coupons per month.

You can't sell more than 25 coupons in a single listing. The allowed 25 coupons per month include multi-quantity listings.

Make sure you clearly state in your description how many coupons you're selling. If eBay can't tell how many coupons are offered, the listing violates their policy.

Coupons for "free" products: You can't sell coupons for "free" items.

Electronic "scanned" coupons: All coupons sold through eBay must be physical coupons printed on paper, not coupons that can be sent electronically to the buyer to be printed. 

Read the full eBay policy here.

Now, if you aren't a coupon seller, maybe you are a coupon buyer? You don't have to be a black belt couponer to reap the benefits of using grocery coupons for either personal or business purposes. I have purchased grocery coupons online for years, and coupons were a big part of my eBay UK health and beauty business. Now, I sell a lot of groceries on Amazon, most of which are repeatable and I replenish every week. (Check out my Amazon Grocery Class here.)

Think about it - if you are buying the same items over and over again, and you know in advance what you will be buying because you know what sells, why not plan for those purchases by stocking up on coupons to cut your costs? I can save about $50-$100 a week on my Amazon grocery purchases by planning ahead and keeping a well-stocked coupon stash with me when I go shopping.

Let's say I sell this Jergen's Glow Moisturizer on Amazon, and I sell 10 a month. I can get the coupon below for 15 cents from the Coupon Clipper site, and it saves me $1.25 on each unit.

My net savings after I redeem the coupon is $1.10 per unit, or $11 a month. Now multiply that effect with 20-30 different items and you can see the reduction in your inventory cost. So, buy planning ahead and buying coupons for items I already know sell, I can reduce my cost.

I purchase grocery coupons from eBay or from coupon sites such as The Coupon Clippers or Select Coupon. Resources for finding inventory, and reducing inventory cost are all around you!


Related Articles:

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Online Class- How to Make Money Selling Groceries on Amazon

Using Grocery Stores as an Inventory Source

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