Your Questions About Business Online Services Group

Jere answers:

While that’s a great idea for a school project, they might come into some problems. Nbr one, it’s hard to sell something off the Internet if customers don’t know who they’re dealing with (like a name for the group of kids at least?). Nbr two….for the most part in order to sell off the Internet they must be at least 18 yrs of age unless the parents goes into this with the children and sets up a web domain for selling products. And they need to come up with a product they can sell easily and have “stock” of.
I’m with you, selling cookies or something easy..or perhaps a lawn care business or maybe if they’re old enough to some degree and can type well.. Set up a business where they type term papers for high schoolers and college students that do not have the time for typing…something where they have the software to check grammar and spelling.
Good luck to them!

Jere answers:

Selling online retail can be a good money maker. The most profitable way to go is sell from your own stock. Many people buy a pallet of new but liquidated items and can triple their investment very quickly. However, realistically you need about $1500 to do that.

Other do dropshipping, which are sites many of the other posters are suggesting. Using a dropshipper allows you to not have money tied up, and you can get started for a small amount. That is a way to get in without a lot of investment in stock, but my experience, and those of others I know, are that they are not that profitable. Partly is beacuase they charge you a monthly fee to be “registered” with their group. Also, their “wholesale” prices are higher than true wholesale so there is a smaller profit margin with their items. Finally, almost all of them are selling exactly the same products, which means you have a lot of people selling on eBay selling the exact same products you are, which means there is a lot of competition and you have to sell the items cheaper…

When I first started on eBay, I started by selling things from around the house, basically an online garage sale. It allowed me to get used to the system and build some money. Then I graduated to buying wholesale lots off eBay, breaking them down into individual items or smaller items and selling them at a profit. Then I started buying overstock and liquidated merchandise. Now I’ve graduated to selling liquidated and overstock merchandise to eBay resellers. That is actually the path most successful eBay sellers take. Very few Power Sellers develop by using dropship services.

Anyway, that is my experience. Good luck, and feel free to contact me if you have questions.

Jere answers:

There are thousands of online business opportunities in the to choose from. However, if you’re new to the world of online marketing, you need to keep your focus in one opportunity and leave the rest on hold. It’s important that you take things carefully, step by step:

The first step is to choose a product or service that you want to sell. Start by asking yourself the things that you usually love to do. If you love gardening and writing, you can start putting up a website about gardening. To profit from it, write an eBook and sell it. You can also endorse gardening products via joint venture and earn commission for every sale.

Next, identify your target market. Determine the group of people who are most likely to buy your product. Say, if you are selling a gardening eBook, then seel your product to moms and dads and grannies who love to do gardening.

Once you have identified your target customers, search for websites where they usually hang out. Promote your product in these websites. People who share the same interests usually gather in online forums and social networking groups.

The next step here is quite critical since it’s all about building trust. Since you are putting up an online business, you need to show to everyone through the Internet that it’s safe to do business with you. To do this, give lots of free information, tips and pointers to your readers (for example, giving free gardening secrets and tips). This method helps build your reputation as a reliable source of valuable information. Eventually, you will keep visitors coming back to your page, thus increasing the traffic and the popularity of your website.

State your clear call for action. Identify what it is that you want your customers to do. Do you want them to read your article, or to sign up for your newsletters? Or do you want them to register for your service or buy your product?

The last pointer that I’m about to give is the core of every online business. It’s taking care of your customers. If you promised your customers to send them newsletters once a week, then do so. Some customers might email you to ask a few questions before buying your product. In this case, you need to respond to their inquiries promptly.

Jere answers:

The company has been in business for many years, but you should still check them out with the chamber of commerce or Better Business Bureau. Thompson Rivers University has a service for international students to help with accommodations as well –

http://www.truworld.ca/internationalstudents/housing.html

Be careful of any online rental advertisement. Kamloops is a small city in population but large in area. If an ad says ‘near the university’ or ‘close to transit’, check the address using Google maps. Many people rent based on the landlords description, only to find that there is no bus service or a two hour bus ride to get to TRU.

Jere answers:

Great question! You can run a business of your own at any age. The key is to really make money at it, you will want a legitimate business license, Tax IDs, etc. The good news is the costs of business are tax deductible and you don’t even have to show a profit for 2 years but you MUST show the intent to make a profit. The library has a number of books for teens… Ask your librarian. (Email me if you come up dry. I have a list of them) There’s a group called Junior Achievements across the US and even in other countries that can help you. You should consider writing a business plan and discussing your plan with your parents who can help you more than any of us. Your answer is as easy (or as hard) as finding a need and filling it. Be the “go to” guy for whatever industry you choose whether you sell products, services or a combination. There are some known businesses that started at home… Coca Cola, Dell Computers, Microsoft, Ebay, etc. Why not add your business to that list??? Whether you run a lawn service, paint service, selling video games, designing websites, tutoring younger kids, or collecting aluminum cans… You can turn your time and energy into cash. You can also chat with your school’s guidance office about a work permit if you want to try working for an employer while starting up your business. Don’t wait for your ship to come in … Swim out to meet it.