Thursday, August 11, 2011





Even though temperatures are still in the 90’s here in Atlanta, we are already seeing signs for Summer Clearance. You may be thinking summer clearance is only bathing suits and pool floats, but it can be much more. Don’t let the climate where you live limit your ability to think outside the box and consider selling summer clearance items all year. Remember that we live in a global economy and your target customer could live anywhere. Here are some ideas for items to look for, even though it may not make sense at first:



Swim diapers. Don’t assume that babies and toddlers won’t need swim diapers at other times of the year. You may live up north and might be thinking that no one will be using swim diapers during cold weather, but plenty of children take indoor swimming lessons year round. Or maybe Grandma lives in Florida and has a heated pool and she keeps swim diapers on hand for the grandchildren when they visit. Or perhaps a family is planning a Disney cruise in January and needs to pack swim diapers and can’t find them locally. They will be looking online for them.



Gardening supplies. Just yesterday in Big Lots I saw all sorts of gardening and lawn supplies marked down to 80% off the regular price. Examples include pesticides, weed killer, and yellow jacket traps. These items could be purchased by consumers living in warm climates year round.



Canning supplies. I am starting to see these items in grocery stores. Here in Georgia, we still have another month or so of “canning season” as the vegetables are still coming in strong. The stores are making room for back to school and Halloween displays. Canning enthusiasts can use these items for another 6 weeks, maybe longer. Don’t assume that because an item is on clearance locally that it won’t sell nationally or even internationally.



Look for opportunities, not obstacles!



Related articles:



Source for eBay Inventory – Hallmark Stores



Source for eBay Inventory – Famous Footwear



Local Sourcing for eBay Inventory – Salvage Stores





Sunday, August 7, 2011



It is finally finished! Kim and I have been working on our Amazon FBA program all summer, and here it is!

Amazon FBA Recipe for Success

Comprehensive 105 page eBook explaining how to sell products on Amazon using their fulfillment (FBA) program. Written by Suzanne Wells and Kim Tarrant, two experienced Amazon FBA sellers who earn their living selling online.

eBook Highlights:

Understanding the Amazon Customer – When you know why they pay more, you can charge more for your products.

Sourcing – Not just where to go, but how to maximize your time and use technology to source products.

Scouting Tools – You can do this without a smart phone!

Pricing Strategies – How to deal with competitors (Amazon isn’t eBay and you don’t have to be the lowest priced seller to get sales).

Amazon Minefields – Tips for staying out of trouble.

Damage Control – Who to contact or what to do when there is a problem with your FBA shipment, damaged products, or returns.

FAQs – Answers to questions we have seen repeated on seller boards and groups.

Complete Table of Contents can be viewed here
Assignments are included after each chapter so you can practice what you’ve learned before you spend money on inventory. These are some of the same assignments Suzanne Wells uses with her private coaching clients. (She has coached over 300 clients worldwide helping them grow their eCommerce businesses.) So roll up your sleeves and let’s get started making money on Amazon!

100% satisfaction guarantee, money back if not completely satisfied.

This product is sold through Clickbank with immediate electronic delivery.

Click here to purchase and receive the instant download now.

If you have a blog about ecommerce, home business, work at home moms, or being an entrepreneur, our Clickbank product may be a good fit to promote on your site or blog. (Link to affiliate program info is at the very bottom of the purchase page).

Thursday, August 4, 2011



Many eBay sellers and Outright users are about to be positively affected by a big change. Beginning later this week, Outright sellers will be able to automatically integrate transactions from PayPal AND eBay, meaning that Outright will import your eBay transaction details AND shipping costs automatically for the first time ever.

A survey we conducted in April showed that Outright users were saving an average of 5 hours per month on bookkeeping. This change will help users save even more time as now they don't have to manually enter shipping costs!

Historically, customers had to choose between importing from eBay or PayPal, because using both would have created duplicate transactions. Some users chose to only use PayPal, and for them, everything should remain fine. For those importing only from eBay, you will be presented with a choice to add PayPal as a source of data.

Here's what it means when you add PayPal:

1. You will now get shipping costs to go along with your sales and shipping collected information, giving you a more complete picture of your business without the extra data entry. This will only apply to sales that occur going forward - we won't be importing historical shipping costs, for fear of creating duplicates. Click here to learn more.

2. You will also see the outstanding fee balance in your eBay account (it will be listed under "Money I Owe" on the Overview screen,) and be able to drill in to view the fees there. More information can be found here.

3. Going forward, in addition to the individual eBay fees, you will also see the total monthly amount paid to eBay. Those transactions will show up with the category "Transfer", which means it's just movement of money between accounts, and does not impact your profit and loss. Your individual eBay fees will continue to show up as business expenses.

4. From the day you choose to add PayPal going forward, your shipping costs will show up under a new category called, surprise, "shipping costs." If you have been tracking shipping costs manually, and have another category name, you can choose to merge the two using a simple process outlined here.

5. If you use your PayPal account for non-business related expenses, those transactions will also be imported. To quickly and easily remove them, use our "multi-edit" feature described here: and change the category to "personal expense."



Tuesday, August 2, 2011



Party City wants to clean out their clearance shelves completely! All clearance items (excluding seasonal) are now just 50¢. With more than 1,000 items available, you’re sure to find something for a birthday or office party…or any party, for that matter. Of course, the selection varies widely by store. They’re also cleaning out their costume closet with some of their clearance costumes are as low as $5. With Halloween just three months away, now is a good time to stock up on costumes to sell on eBay. The shelves should clear out quickly, so you want to get there as soon as possible.

If you order online, you can get free shipping on August 2nd and 3rd only. Use promo code PC92NB for free shipping when you order online.


Baby Frog Costume - $5

Lederhosen Costume - $5


Tin Man Wizard of Oz Costume - $5


Visit my Facebook group for more tips on where to get eBay and Amazon inventory.

Tuesday, July 26, 2011



Have your sales been slow this month? Excruciatingly slow? If the answer is yes, you are not alone. July is notoriously the slowest month for online sales. It is important to understand that sales occur in cycles. Right now we are in a valley. Everything comes to a screeching halt in July – home sales, car sale, and retail sales. It is the nature of the beast. Understand that this too shall pass and avoid going into panic mode.

I see many sellers panicking right now. They are drastically marking down their inventory as if buyers will never come back. They have stopped shopping for inventory. Some have even contemplated quitting their online business altogether. This is not necessary! Take a deep breath and repeat, “This too shall pass.”

Your panic is understandable if you rely on eBay and Amazon to earn your living. The best course of action right now is to regroup and get ready for fall and holiday sales. Also, remember this time so that next July you will be prepared and know that the slowdown in sales is only temporary. There is really nothing we can do to make buyers purchase our items. But, we can use this time wisely to grow our businesses and prepare for the busy fall season. Here are some suggestions on how to pass the time while you are waiting for those “Your item has sold!” emails:

1. Organize your inventory. Are your shelves and bins a mess? Use this time to get organized so that when you start shipping 10-20 packages a day, everything will be in order.

2. Stock up on supplies. Go to USPS.com and order free Priority supplies, look on Craigslist for ads for free bubble wrap and boxes, make sure you have plenty of shipping labels and printer ink. Take an inventory of your supplies and restock for the busy months ahead.

3. Investigate or read about something new you have wanted to try. Maybe you have been thinking about selling on Amazon but don’t know where to start. (Now is a great time to learn about selling on Amazon – come join my Facebook group and chat with us!) Maybe you have wanted to try international shipping but need to learn how it works. Expand your horizons. Take this slow time to learn and grow, rather than waste energy worrying and fretting about not getting sales.

4. Explore consignment arrangements. There are many benefits to selling on consignment. The most appealing (to me) is the fact that you don’t have to buy inventory. You sell things for other people for a commission. You put in the time and work, but it doesn’t cost money out of your pocket. Click here for a complete course on how to expand your online business to include consignment clients.

5. Shop for inventory. Stock up on items to sell whether you are selling on eBay or Amazon. Regardless of if people are buying now, you are going to need inventory to sell in the coming months.

6. Read books that will improve your business skills. I recommend:

  1. How to Sell at Margins Higher than Your Competitors
  2. Why we Buy
  3. Barcode Booty

Keep yourself busy doing productive tasks over the next 2-3 weeks and don’t worry! Back to school and holiday shopping time is just around the corner.


Friday, July 22, 2011



I’ve seen this scam several times with my clients, and last week, they hit me. The scam goes as follows:

You will receive an email like this, usually from a web based email account like Yahoo, Hotmail, or Gmail. It is usually in broken English with incorrect grammar. Below is the exact email I received:

I found your profile using eBay Trading Assistant Program and I'm offering a long term cooperation to you. I've agreements with different outlet stores in different states, that allows to get the brand new products for a much lower price. I've many business partners in different states, they help me to buy / ship off stuffs and they check its condition for some % from my profit that I get when I sell all this stuff using Ebay service. We ship completely different types of products (from ice skates to binoculars), the average price of the items is $300-$600. We usually use FedEx delivery service to ship off the packages and USPS (rarely). I'd like to know what is your fees structure. I usually choose money transactions through MoneyGram or Western Union as a payment method, because it's the most effective way for me and it's easy to send. It would be great, if you could provide this money-sending service for me. I'm really interested in cooperation with you. Let me know, if we can start immediately.

Sincerely,

Basically this person wants YOU to list items, send them money for the inventory, and then they will ship the items when sold. What’s really going to happen is that unsuspecting sellers will send them money and list items, then when a sale is made, there is no item shipped. Sellers will have to refund money to the eBay buyers. Another red flag is the use of Western Union or Money Gram. Never ever transact business with someone you don’t know using this service.

I knew what was going on here, so I sent the following reply, not expecting an answer:

Dear Sir,

Wow, this sounds like a fantastic business opportunity! I just need a few things from you before we go any further.

Your full name, address (street address, no PO boxes), and social security number or EIN, which ever you do business under.

A copy of your current driver's license.

A landline phone number where you can be reached.

We run a background check on all consignment clients and must be able to verify your identity, business address, and telephone number.

The business name you operate under, what city and state you are registered in, and a copy of your current business license.

We charge 25% of the sale price, and your eBay fees and Paypal fees will be deducted separately. The fee structure differs based on the sale price of the item. This usually comes out to about 60% of the sale price.

As soon as I get the requested documents from you, (you can just scan and email them, or fax to XXX), I will have my attorney draw up the paperwork / agreement and have it Fed Ex'd to the address you provide.

Looking forward to doing business,
Suzanne Wells

Of course, by adding words like “background check, business license, and attorney” you won’t hear from them again. Maybe if these crooks get enough of these types of emails they will go away. And in the event you get a response with any information you can verify, contact the authorities who handle fraud.



Thursday, July 21, 2011




Did you receive your eBay seller update via email? If not, here are the highlights:

Get 25 extra characters in your title. The number of characters will be increased from 55 to 80. Remember, keywords in titles are how buyers find your listings. You will still need to follow the rules about keyword spamming, but a little extra room will allow for more descriptive words and hopefully, more visibility.

Return policy guidelines will be changing. Starting in 2012, you won’t be able to use the words “merchandise credit” or “exchange.” The verbiage will be changed to “money back, exchange, or no returns offered.”

Buyer Protection Cases will be handled differently. Beginning in August, if a buyer does not contact the seller before filing a claim, the case won’t be included in your performance rating. This is great news. How many times has a buyer filed a claim against you, and you didn’t even know there was a problem and could have quickly resolved it?

Click here to see the full 2011 Fall Seller Update.

Related Articles:

Keyword Spamming on eBay

Optimize Keywords for Search Engines


Know when to sell on eBay


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