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eBay seller bobbibopstuff is a
business run by John and Sandi Larson, from Beaverton, Oregon. They're both in
their late 50s and think of themselves as semi-retired. The Larsons began their
eBay business when they were downsized from their jobs several years ago; they
decided to pursue an independent business again, instead of trying to find new
jobs.
The Larsons settled on running an eBay business because of the
great flexibility in working hours and pace. Today, they use their eBay business
and related online store (www.bobbibopstuff.com) to generate income while they work with
their church, giving financial advice and training to those in debt. Their
online store supplements their eBay Store (stores.ebay.com/BobbiBopStuff), which is shown in Figure 11.1.
John and Sandi specialize in selling scrapbooking and craft
supplies, stationery, greeting cards, and similar items. Sandi had been a
regional manager for a chain of gift and stationery stores, and that experience
helped the Larsons to build their eBay business.
They do most of their purchasing direct from select
manufacturers and distributors. They don't do any selling through drop shippers,
preferring to buy and carry their own inventory. (Their garage is their
warehouse.) John notes that he wants to be in full control of their fulfillment
process, and this is the only way to do that.
The Larsons' purchasing process consists of reviewing various
catalogs and analyzing the business's sales history. They then make projections
of what their product mix should be. It's a skill John and Sandi learned from
their years of owning or managing various retail stores. They tend to place
orders of $500 or more, and try to work deals with shipping whenever they
can.
The Larsons augment their normal inventory by purchasing from
several closeout distributors. These contacts are made at the various gift
industry trade shows they attend each year. John says he particularly likes the
Associated Surplus Dealers/Associated Merchandise Dealers show, held in Las
Vegas every August. (You can find out more about the ASD/ASM trade show at www.merchandisegroup.com.)
John and Sandi achieved PowerSeller status in the spring of
2004. Today, the Larsons average $2,000 per month in sales over much of the
year, with sales increasing to $4,000 per month over the holiday season. Their
average sale is in the $8 range, which means they have to work hard to clear a
small profit. On the other hand, their sales are consistent and predictable.
John offers quite a bit of useful advice to potential
sellers:
"First, treat your eBay business like a real business. Be
serious about making it a success. If you don't have any business background,
check out some books from the library and learn about marketing, customer
service, keeping books, and organization. Answer all your mail. Be
professional.
"Second, buy your products for a great price. Be a frugal
shopper. Don't load up with inventory before testing to see if it will sell.
"Third, list, list, list. Customers can't view or buy anything
if the products are not present when they are browsing. Experiment with timing,
pricing, wording, and products.
"Fourth, do all you can to make your customers happy. Remember
that they are the customer and, though not always right, always the customer.
Stay in touch with them through frequent email updates. Pack products well and
ship them quickly.
"Fifth, go the extra mile with your customers. We include an
inexpensive free gift with every order. It isn't much, but we get enough
comments that we keep doing it. When you make a mistake (and you will), fess up
and tuck in a little something extra for the customer's trouble.
"Sixth, keep track of your inventory. One of my most
embarrassing moments is to tell a buyer that I didn't really have the item in
stock that they bought. Don't run out of best-sellers. Don't load up on slow
sellers.
"Finally, work out standard processes for your business. Make
an auction template and keep it up-to-date. Decide how many listings you'll do
each day, and do them. Make email templates or get an auction management program
to help you stay on top of your communications and shipping. Be organized in
your approach to getting things done. Make checklists, use tickler files, and
pre-print your forms. Have your shipping materials on hand and organized."
Lots of advice, and all of it good. It's what's propelled bobbibopstuff to PowerSeller status, and made John
and Sandi successful eBay businesspeople. | 
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