Aug 11
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I first mentioned Wendy Carrier and her unusual eBay niche business in my post – Here Comes The Sun!
Wendy’s business idea ticks all of the boxes for me because;
- there are no barriers to entry – anybody can do this anywhere
- you can start this business with zero up front investment
- you can grow it as big as you want or just spend a few hours per week to supplement the family budget
- it requires no special skills or equipment, just a PC with internet connection and your eBay account
The best person to tell you more about Wendy’s business is Wendy herself so I asked her to share her story by writing a guest post -
“How to start a guest blog post? Hmmm………begin at the beginning I guess.
Three years ago two significant things happened simultaneously in my life -
1 My youngest of four daughters, Julia, walked through the big double doors of full day preschool – yes, there were tears, and no, not for too long. After four children I was ready for this day.
2 The economy got super funky and my husband’s steady dependable company had to make some cuts. His income was cut 20% – he kept his job and we tried to be grateful, but a 20% drop in income is a big deal!
I’ve always tried to stay positive and not complain about things within my control. With all of my children gainfully engaged in their education, I had a few hours each day to try to improve our economic situation. I decided to see what could be done to add some money to our bottom line.
I had enjoyed my pre-children career as a recruiter, but with the shaky economy I didn’t know if any jobs would be available in my field. I was also reluctant to look for a job that would take me away from home. Hiring day-care for four children would be a big expense.
I explored “work from home” opportunities, but the only sincere jobs available (and it was difficult to cut through the hype and find any real work at home opportunities) paid hourly and had no real chance for advancement.
I also seriously considered substitute teaching—I am qualified in my state with my business major—and I decided that the hours were so attractive (fitting right around the girls’ schedules) that it was something I would do as a last resort. A last resort because, as a mom to four, I really hoped for a more “adult” group to spend my days with. Also, the pay for subs in my area is not exciting—around $50 per day after taxes.
So, I turned to the internet. I started with the one site I was familiar with—eBay.
I have been an eBay fan since the beginning, or at least since high-speed internet. You see, I’m a bargain shopper and I also enjoy buying from local, everyday people. So eBay had hit the right chord with me as a shopper. I had done a bit of selling on the site as well, mostly just odds and ends to support my eBay buying. My lifetime feedback score when I decided to look harder at eBay was right around 300.
I started out the usual way—selling things from around my house. I started with books and CD’s, and moved onto games, toys and gently used clothing. The kids started to panic a bit when they saw me open their closets when I was scouting. We probably made a couple of thousand dollars in those first couple of months and my eBay score was growing. I started paying attention to different selling strategies and adjusting as I went along. After doing it a bit, I got a good feeling for how to list and price a variety of items. I also learned how to deal with customers and the eBay system.
Then came the fateful day when the basement was clear, the shelves were pared down and the kids’ declared their closets off-limits. I was out of things to sell!
While selling the stuff from around my house provided a good short term stream of revenue, it wasn’t a business model. I started to look for a product I could get and sell on eBay on a regular basis.
I could see other sellers doing well, but could not figure out where they were getting their product (I understand a bit more now and realize many of these sellers have very deep pockets and the ability to purchase the product in huge quantities at low prices.)
I explored the local thrift markets and had some limited success there. I learned a lot more about buying and selling. I learned that condition is everything and name brands count for a lot! I still didn’t have a sustainable product line though.
I was getting a bit discouraged and told my husband I would figure out a way to make at least $50 a day online or apply for a substitute teaching job the next fall.
I had six months to come up with a business model that would earn $50 a day! I remember that task seemed nearly impossible then.
It was Christmas time and coincidentally my local grocery store was no longer carrying my daughters’ favorite brand of Hamburger Helper. My husband went to eBay on a lark to see if anyone was selling it. He found it and also found a lot of people selling grocery items on eBay.
He told me about it at dinner and that night I started my research. I was amazed—there were all kinds of people selling everyday grocery items on the site! With a bit of research and a few late nights, I created my own eBay store featuring items from my local stores. It took a few months and some guess work, but eventually I hit my goal of making $50 a day selling items from my local stores. Within 6 months I was averaging $75 plus per day and had hired an assistant to help with the shopping and shipping.
That was 2 ½ years ago and my internet journey has taken a few twists and turns, but it has been a rewarding and profitable ride. I now sell vintage items and collectibles and have widened my scope to include healthcare items as well. I do some consulting for local businesses and with Stuart’s encouragement I have started a blog and introduced my first information product, Grocery Store Goldmines.
I am a big fan of entrepreneurism and am impressed every day by the wide variety of opportunities that are available to me. The internet has changed the shape of small business and allowed people to compete and earn money with little more than a computer and an idea.
For anyone sitting on the sidelines during these great economic opportunities, please join the fun! There is so much going on in this cyber world that everyone can take part. Whether your first step is selling on eBay or creating a unique information product, just take that first step. Read blogs like Stuart’s and learn as much as you can from people who are where you want to go. I am thankful every single day to be a part of this internet economy.”
If you can relate to Wendy’s story and her business sounds like the answer to your prayers….
Click the eBook cover graphic to find out more including details of a very special launch discount that Wendy has set up just for you! Remember, this launch discount won’t last long!
I would suggest you stop by and take advantage of her special discount today!
With Fall fast approaching, and all the college kids back in school, this is a PERFECT time to ramp up her methods.
Start earning some extra cash this week for the new school year & upcoming holidays.
Talk soon!
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