Get Started as an eBay Seller
Getting started as an eBay seller is simple and quick. Follow these easy steps to get started with your eBay home business:
Register Your Username
When you are ready to take the plunge into your own eBay home business, head over to eBay.com and register your username. You should pick a username that matches the business you want to get started in. Don’t worry if you change your business inventory or your mind later on – eBay allows you to change your username whenever you want, as many times as you want, without losing your feedback rating or reputation.
Sign Up As A Seller
Once your username is registered, you’ll need to set up your selling account with eBay. Simply click on the selling tab on eBay’s website, and you’ll be prompted to fill in information such as your mailing address for your business, and your PayPal information. You may also be required to plug in a bank account or credit card number. This isn’t so eBay can charge you for signing up; eBay has a listing fee and a final value fee on all auctions for sellers, so your eBay fees every month will be charged to your bank account or credit card, unless you specify otherwise.
Prepare Your Items
Get together the items you plan on listing. Make sure that if they’re brand new, everything that should be with the item is with it. If it’s a used item, take note of anything that is missing, and clean the item thoroughly. Once you’ve finished, take photographs of your items with a digital camera. Upload the pictures, and create descriptions for each one. These should be as detailed as humanly possible, listing every single defect the item may have, including missing parts, broken pieces, stains, discolorations, and anything else. Add in if the item comes from a home with smokers or pets to alert your buyers with allergies.
List Your Auctions
Once the photographs and the descriptions are ready to go, it’s time to set up your auctions. Under the selling tab, you will see an option for listing a new auction. Fill in the keywords for your auction, and the next page will give you the chance to fill in the description, add photographs, a title, and the starting price for the auction. When this is all filled out, submit the auction to get it listed on eBay.
That’s it! You’ve officially listed your first auction on eBay. Now, all that’s left to do is watch the bids come in. When your auction is over, and you’ve collected the money, remember to ship the item out as soon as possible, and leave feedback for your buyer. Congratulations you now have a new home based business on eBay.
Now isn’t that easy?
Hi Jay,
Great post for beginners. Does the US version of ebay offer the option to register as a business or private individual? The UK version does. I registered as an individual then changed to a business account and it caused no end of problems so that’s something to look out for. If you’re going for business status I would always recommend a business ebay account from the outset.
Enjoy the journey.
Mandy