The magazine of the Melbourne PC User Group Doing Business On eBay - for the bookshelf Major Keary |
Starting an eBay Business for Dummies looks at trading from the seller's point of view; not just casual, one-off traders, but those who want to make a business of selling on eBay. The book is now in its second edition, reflecting the change of eBay "from a homey community of friendly collectors to a behemoth Web site with tens of thousands of categories of items and more than 100 million registered users". No wonder there's room for running a business.
Potential eBay entrepreneurs should be aware that regulatory requirements (financial records, tax, and the like) are discussed in an American context. Local requirements will be different, as will be some aspects of international transactions and use of credit cards.
The book is a practical tutorial that shows how do preliminary research and planning, set up an eBay store, run auctions, collect payments, and establish a back office to handle the paper work.
I like the way in which the author makes it clear that selling on eBay requires an investment of time, a factor that has to be assessed when considering regular trading activity. A handy check list will assist in making that assessment. The discussion leads to issues that have to be considered by anyone contemplating a full-time business on eBay.
A primary requirement, of course, is an Internet connection and one's own web site. Cable and ADSL are the only practical options for local users who will have to apply Australian connection conditions to the information provided.
Several online auction software packages are described in good detail, as well as auction management software designed for running an auction from one's own server.
There are plenty of things to consider when planning an eBay business and the author seems to have covered the field comprehensively and in a practical way. Even though readers will have to 'translate' some of the information into an Australian context, I think this is the most thorough resource available for intending, or thinking-about-it, eBay entrepreneurs.
| Marsha Collier: Starting an eBay Business for Dummies 2/e ISBN 0-7645-6924-4 Published by Wiley, 384 pp., RRP $44.95 incl. GST. |
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Reprinted from the July 2005 issue of PC Update, the magazine of Melbourne PC User Group, Australia
