Hallelujah! I'm a Bum!

I would like to thank Travis Sago for all his help. His “Bum Marketing” idea and method is exactly what I was looking for when I set out to find a way to build an online business on a used shoestring.

    Bum Marketing is so named because it’s easy enough that a bum off the street could go to a public library with Internet access, implement a few simple, free ideas and start receiving affiliate income. The methods are rather clever and can be generalized to just about any type of marketing that draws people to a Web page or blog.
    I'm using blogs as "mini-site" landing pages for my affiliate products. Each niche has articles pointing to that landing page, published at EzineArticles (like you couldn't have guessed that). The niches are diverse, including Facts and Tips for Losing Body Fat, Poker Strategy, Tells and Tips, Agoraphobia, Anxiety and Panic and A Review of Winning Lottery Systems, to name a few.

    For free info, go here: http://www.bummarketingmethod.com/

Escape velocity

It’s amazing how fast things are proceeding, now that my overload of information has “jelled” in my mind. I’m rolling out with listings that seem to have been good sellers for others. I also add on value with my own contributions, such as typesetting (I knew that printing business knowledge would eventually pay off), image creation, sales copy writing, etc.
     Here’s the real hoot: due to the way eBay Store Manager calculates your inventory, my dozen plus listings (with 10,000 of each item available) is now valued at over $200,000 US! My markup at retail (the percentage of the selling price that’s above my cost of buying) is over 99%!
     Life is good and keeps getting better.

A "little" eBay business? There's no such thing!

While some people think eBay is nothing more than the biggest yard sale in the world, the truth is that no business is a "little" business. That mindset means that you don't think much of yourself, your customers or your reputation.
     If you have no previous retail experience, it's understandable that you might not believe that you are as important as the biggest retailers - but you are! For one thing, your customers are the same - they are people. These people have one thing in common: they are the most important people in the world, to themselves. They expect (and demand) to be treated as if they are the most important people in the world. In other words, "the untrammeled selfishness of the retail customer cannot be underestimated."
     It used to be true that being a "go-getter" was the most important mindset for a person who wanted to succeed in life. That's changed. The most important mindset is that of a "go-giver". The more you offer your customers in good value, help, freebies and good communication, the more you can expect return business. Fast replies to questions, reasonable return policies and generosity of spirit make you valuable to those who not only buy from you, but recommend you to others.
     Take the time to hunt around for information on retailing, managing a business, doing research, etc. Take a course or seminar on running a small business. Talk to business owners about their business (especially if you frequent thrift shops, flea markets, consignment stores and the like). Find out what the day to day concerns of face-to-face business owners are, because they'll often be the same for you.
     Perhaps you might take a step back and ask yourself, "What am I trying to accomplish?" Most of the things we do are means to an end. What are your end values? Mine are Harmony, Trust and Fulfillment. Struggling to find out what, in the end, is most important to you is a worthwhile struggle. The end result will inform you as to the best way to use eBay to reach your end values.

I sincerely hope this helps.
Vince