ebay ebiz help...

[delafoo]

So, while I'm fairly experienced at Ebay, I'm not at creating my own website(s).

I'm a very experienced PC user, and quite apt in most software environments from Windows 3.1 to Vista. I've yet to take the time to learn HTML.

So, I have a few more questions...

Where can I find an easy to build or already formatted or easily formatted website and checkout system?

How should I go about promoting this?

And, how do I go about setting up a TaxID and/or what is important concerning this?

Thanks to any and all who reply, your responses are much appreciated.

I aggree with the ebay statement, they kill me in fees and thier subsidary company, paypal, gets another share of fees too... boo.

~BB

[rfresh]

Most hosting providers provide free website building tools - usually more than one tool so you can install each one and try them out since they are free to use. These free tools are available on Linux servers.

Shopping carts are also usually available for free with Linux hosting plans - again, there are usually many to choose from - install each one and try them out to see how you like them.

Shopping carts also mean you will need the following on your website:

1. Merchant account.
2. SSL Certificate
3. Dedicated IP address (to support the SSL Cert).

[opensourceforce]

For carts....you can look at free installs of Virtuemart, osCommerc, CRELoaded, Zen Cart and others....CRE or Zen are good places to start....of course there is also eBay Prostores if you like that platform.

"but if I pay the $299 'lifetime' fee, where do I go from there? "
You would need to contact the suppliers directly to setup accounts so you can order products. Next you would need to manually upload the data or find a source for linking your site directly to the supplier product feeds to upload the data for you.

Also...here are a few supplier sources to help you get started with products if you are looking for some products:
http://moteng.com/
http://2buypcs.com/newpcs/index.aspx
http://www.dbldistributing.com/
http://xsdepot.com/

[JEccles]

And, how do I go about setting up a TaxID and/or what is important concerning this?

~BB

You can Google this information and apply on line. The government is going to want their cut of anything you sell. Also, any really reputable drop shipper is going to require this number before you can set up an account. You are also going to need a business license in the state you operate in. Remember, you will need to charge any orders from your home state, tax.

[AnthonyL]

Hi,

Other then the activities surrounding starting out your business, it's important to keep in mind how many ongoing activities there are when you are running a large e-commerce/eBay business. While you as the business owner are more interested in sourcing products, making partnerships and marketing your business the other more repetitive eBay related functions get to be too time consuming (like leaving feedback, sending e-mails, etc...). Check out some of the software platforms that are out there at the Auction software Review.

My company, Sell Center is composed of e-commerce experts as well as a software tool call Laris. You can give us a call anytime if you have questions. The system manages eBay, Amazon, Overstock and automatically generates an e-commerce website which is all linked together with one inventory system.

We also have a partnership with a drop shipping company called DSDI or Drop Ship Direct. They're definitely worth checking out.

As far as the one post saying to not use eBay, that's not entirely true. Yes, eBay can be expensive, but with the right tools, tactics and research you can most definitely make a good amount of money with eBay and your own website. We call this multi-venue management. Basically, it's the idea of having products promoted on various sites, including your own and the strategies involved with this idea. There is an eBook out there outlining these strategies at www.multivenuemanagement.com.

Well, I hope some of this information helps you in your search.

[JEccles]

We also have a partnership with a drop shipping company called DSDI or Drop Ship Direct. They're definitely worth checking out.

I agree that DSDI is worth checking out. They are one of my favorite suppliers, with one major exception, make sure to keep an eye on their inventory - they do not notify you when things have gone out of stock. I've had the burn me once and now I only list items that I feel they have sufficient quantities of.

[AnthonyL]

From my experience, they are the best large drop shipper at dealing with inventory issues and are willing to help out along the way. They have a couple of new services to that help alert you of inventory changes - after signing in, go to the warehouse homepage. Then reseller menu, under product manager there is the ProdUpdate and Daily update list. These really help keep track of changes to particular products as well as a whole daily list. If you call them up, they will most definitely help you out.

[JEccles]

From my experience, they are the best large drop shipper at dealing with inventory issues and are willing to help out along the way. They have a couple of new services to that help alert you of inventory changes - after signing in, go to the warehouse homepage. Then reseller menu, under product manager there is the ProdUpdate and Daily update list. These really help keep track of changes to particular products as well as a whole daily list. If you call them up, they will most definitely help you out.

I will give that a try. I had thought they had some type of system in place but could not find the information when I needed it. Thanks

[opensourceforce]

Also...most shopping cart platforms will track the sales tax numbers for you, and others can have a Quick Books module added to provide more help for your tax and accounting details.