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Book Description

The selling, marketing, and business tips you need to succeed

eBay is the perfect place to learn the ropes of what it's like running an online business. It provides the tools, technology, and platform a would-be entrepreneur needs to launch their first successful small business. It takes some know-how, however, to get that business off the ground and grow it into a success. In eBay Business All-in-One For Dummies, Marsha Collier shares the expertise she gained as one of eBay's first Power Sellers on how to get ahead, stay ahead, and expand your business onto other platforms when it's time to grow.

eBay continues to grow as it connects new individuals with items to sell with would-be buyers every day. Combining essential information covering seven key topics, this all-encompassing guide shows fledgling entrepreneurs how to sell like a pro, present and market your items, become a power seller, deal with office and legal issues, and so much more.

  • Discover the secrets behind driving views for listings
  • Find out how to source merchandise for resale
  • Get advice on the back-office tasks of running a business
  • Grow your business beyond the eBay platform

If you have an eye on building a business on eBay—and beyond—this is the one-stop guide you need to succeed.

Table of Contents

  1. Cover
    1. Cover
    2. Introduction
      1. About This Book
      2. Foolish Assumptions
      3. Icons Used in This Book
      4. Beyond the Book
      5. Where to Go from Here
    3. Book 1: eBay Basics
      1. Chapter 1: Connecting with Up-to-Date Technology
        1. Starting with the Right Device
        2. Connecting to eBay without a Computer or While at Home
        3. Choosing an ISP
        4. Browsing for a Browser
      2. Chapter 2: Navigating through eBay
        1. Homing In on the Home Page
        2. Navigating eBay the Easy Way
        3. Maneuvering the Categories
        4. Exploring Home Page Search Options
      3. Chapter 3: Signing Up and Getting Started
        1. Registering on eBay
        2. Picking a Pickproof Password
        3. Selecting Your User ID
        4. Signing In to Deal
        5. eBay’s Trust & Safety Is Watching
        6. Staying Notified about the Rules
        7. Abuses You Might Report
        8. Don’t Get Caught in a Trading Violation
      4. Chapter 4: Understanding eBay Transactions
        1. Checking Out the Listing Page
        2. Bidding on Auctions
        3. Buying an Item Outright
        4. Supercategories and Specialties
      5. Chapter 5: Checking Out a Seller and Leaving Feedback
        1. Understanding and Giving Feedback
        2. Giving Detailed Seller Ratings Properly
        3. Becoming a Star
        4. Leaving Feedback with Finesse
        5. Ways to Leave Feedback
        6. You Have the Last Word — Replying to Feedback
        7. Checking Out a Seller’s Reputation
        8. Reading Feedback Reviews
        9. Getting Protection on eBay
      6. Chapter 6: Bidding to Win
        1. Understanding the Bidding Action
        2. The Secret’s in the Timing
        3. My Favorite Bidding Strategies
        4. Quick Bidding Tips
        5. Succeeding by Sniping
        6. Retracting Your Bid in an Emergency
      7. Chapter 7: Completing the Transaction
        1. Monitoring the Auction Action
        2. Checking Out
        3. Using Your Credit Card Safely
        4. Paying with PayPal
        5. Sending Payment Promptly and Securely
        6. Contacting the Seller
        7. Leaving Responsible Feedback
      8. Chapter 8: Participating in the Community
        1. Your Social Profile on eBay
        2. Reaching the World through Your Profile Page
        3. Playing Nice with Other eBay Members
        4. Going Deeper into the Community
    4. Book 2: Essential Tools
      1. Chapter 1: Researching on eBay
        1. Looking for Items with eBay’s Search
        2. Searching for Items by Seller
        3. Refining a Search with Other Options
        4. Finding eBay Members
        5. Understanding eBay’s Category Hierarchy
      2. Chapter 2: Researching Collectible Prices
        1. Pricing New Products for eBay via Mobile
        2. Finding Pricing Trends on eBay
        3. Following Collectible-Buying Guidelines
        4. Online Sources of Information
      3. Chapter 3: Five-Star Customer Service via Personalized Communications
        1. Communicating Takes a Little Effort
        2. Anticipating Initial Buyer Inquiries
        3. Communicating through eBay Messages
        4. Personalizing Your Buyer’s Communication
      4. Chapter 4: Letting PayPal Help You Manage the Money
        1. Understanding How PayPal Works
        2. Sorting Out PayPal’s Different Accounts
        3. PayPal’s Protection Plans
        4. Downloading Your Transaction History from PayPal
      5. Chapter 5: Using eBay’s Management Tools
        1. Signing In to Get Going
        2. Taking Charge on Your My eBay Hub
        3. Looking at the My eBay Summary Page
        4. Tracking Your Buying Activity on My eBay
        5. Organizing My eBay Lists, Searches, and Purchases
        6. My eBay: Account Tab
    5. Book 3: Selling Like a Pro
      1. Chapter 1: Be Sure Your Listings Make Cents
        1. Keeping an Eye on Where the Pennies Go
        2. eBay’s Optional Listing Features
        3. Adding the Final Value Fees
        4. Know Your Options in Auctions
        5. PayPal Gets Its Cut
        6. Setting Sensible Shipping Costs
      2. Chapter 2: Understanding the Finer Points of Selling
        1. Auction Selling Strategies
        2. Figuring out What Day to End an Auction
        3. Knowing What Time to Start Your Auction
        4. Selling Items through Fixed-Price Sales
        5. Making Money in Other eBay Zones
        6. Selling by the Rules
        7. Knowing eBay’s Listing Policies
      3. Chapter 3: Listing Items for Sale
        1. Getting Ready to List Your Item
        2. Deciding on a Sales Format
        3. Getting Your Sales Specifics in Order
        4. Selecting a Category: The How and Why
        5. Creating the Perfect Item Title
        6. Creating Your Item Description
        7. Listing Multiples of an Item for Sale with Variations
        8. Setting Bids, Prices, and Reserves
        9. Timing Your Auction: Is It Everything?
        10. I Want to Be Alone: The Private Auction
        11. Adding Visuals to Highlight Your Item
        12. Listing the Payment Methods You’ll Accept
        13. Where You Are and Where You’ll Ship To
        14. Checking Your Work and Starting the Sale
        15. Making Midcourse Corrections
      4. Chapter 4: Running Your Business on eBay
        1. Managing Your My eBay: All Selling Area
        2. Organizing with My eBay: Active Selling
        3. Using the Tools on the My eBay: Sold Page
        4. Connecting with Your Customers and Checking the Money
        5. Stimulating Sales from the My eBay: Unsold Page
        6. Relisting Items without Extra Work
        7. eBay Bidding Management Tools
    6. Book 4: Sourcing Merchandise
      1. Chapter 1: Understanding eRetail Marketing
        1. Marketing to Your Customers
        2. Knowing the Current Market
        3. Catching Trends in the Media
        4. Finding eBay’s Soon-to-Be-Hot Sellers
        5. Taking Aim with a Six-Month Merchandise Plan
        6. Pulling Together Your Inventory Data
        7. Using Formulas to Calculate Business Data
      2. Chapter 2: Sourcing Merchandise Like a Pro
        1. Tips for the Modest Investor
        2. Buying for Retail: The Basic Course
        3. Buying Wholesale
        4. Buying Online for Resale
      3. Chapter 3: Profiting by Selling for Others Online
        1. Getting Organized to Sell for Others
        2. Competing with the Drop-Off Stores
        3. Understanding the “eBay Valet” Program
        4. Promoting Your Consignment Business
        5. Handling Your Business Professionally
      4. Chapter 4: Sourcing, Liquidation, and Drop-Shipping
        1. Know the Lingo of Merchandisers
        2. Salvage: Liquidation Items, Unclaimed Freight, and Returns
        3. Staying Safe When Buying Online
        4. Dealing with Drop-Shippers
    7. Book 5: Presenting Your Items
      1. Chapter 1: Your eBay Photo Studio
        1. Setting Up Your Studio
        2. Your #1 Tool: A Digital Camera
        3. Scanning Your Wares
        4. Other Studio Equipment
      2. Chapter 2: Mastering eBay Photography
        1. Photo Guidelines
        2. Photographing the Tough Stuff: Coins and Jewelry
        3. Prepping and Photographing Clothing
        4. eBay Gallery of Horrors
      3. Chapter 3: Writing Listings that Sell, and Using HTML
        1. Writing Descriptions that Sell
        2. HTML the Easy eBay Way
        3. Getting Friendly with HTML
        4. Add Pictures to Your Description
        5. Add Videos to Illustrate Your Item
        6. Using HTML Table Codes to Make Templates
        7. Creating Your Own HTML Designs and Templates
        8. Getting a Quick, Basic Template
      4. Chapter 4: Getting the Most from Your Photos
        1. Size Matters
        2. Adding the Artist’s Touch
        3. Image-Editing Software
        4. Finding a Home for Your Pictures
        5. Using eBay’s Picture Hosting
        6. Uploading your picture to eBay
        7. Using Your Free Web Space
    8. Book 6: Extending Your Reach
      1. Chapter 1: Developing Your Own Web Presence
        1. Know Why Your Web Presence Is Important
        2. Free Web Space — A Good Place to Start
        3. Paying for Your Web Space
        4. Naming Your Baby
        5. Registering Your Domain Name
      2. Chapter 2: Marketing Tools for Your Web Presence and Social Media
        1. Advertising with Google AdWords
        2. Getting Your Site Visible on a Search Engine
        3. Casting for Customers in Social Media
        4. Building a Community on Twitter
        5. Making Friends and Fans on Facebook
      3. Chapter 3: Tapping PayPal to Expand Sales
        1. Enabling PayPal Payments on Your Website
        2. Incorporating the Payment Buttons
        3. Repeating the PayPal Button Process
        4. Going Mobile with PayPal Here
    9. Book 7: Storing and Shipping
      1. Chapter 1: Organizing Your Product and Shipping Area
        1. The Warehouse: Organizing Your Space
        2. Keeping Track of What You Have
        3. The Shipping Department: Packin’ It Up
        4. Buying Postage Online
      2. Chapter 2: Shipping without Going Postal
        1. Shipping: The Heart of Your Business
        2. Shopping for a Shipping Carrier
        3. Shipping with USPS
        4. You, Too, Can Use FedEx
        5. Getting on the UPS Bandwagon
        6. Shipping Items through PayPal or eBay
      3. Chapter 3: Insuring That Your Package Arrives
        1. Insurance Options
        2. Making a Claim When Shipping Goes Bad
    10. Book 8: Power Selling on eBay
      1. Chapter 1: Going Pro with Seller Hub
        1. Getting Seller Hub
        2. Seller Hub Features
        3. Getting More from Seller Hub
        4. Relisting and Selling Similar Items
        5. Accessing Seller Hub Reports
      2. Chapter 2: Managing Sales with eBay Apps and Third-Party Tools
        1. Finding Function-Specific Apps
        2. Choosing Your Management Tools
        3. Looking for Essential Features
        4. Exploring Advanced Features
        5. Finding More to Automate
        6. Opting for Third-Party Management
      3. Chapter 3: Attaining PowerSeller and Top Rated Seller Status
        1. Becoming an eBay Elite Seller
        2. The Benefits of Membership
      4. Chapter 4: Deciding When You Need an eBay Store
        1. Locating Your Special Place Online
        2. Checking Out Online Stores Galore
        3. Choosing Between Store Types
        4. Knowing the Fee Structure
        5. Selecting Your eBay Store Name
        6. Setting Up Shop
        7. Running Your Store
    11. Book 9: Office and Legal
      1. Chapter 1: Getting Legal with the State and the Feds
        1. Giving Your Business an Official Name
        2. Taking Care of Regulatory Details
      2. Chapter 2: The Necessity of Taxes and Value of Business Reports
        1. Dealing with a Professional
        2. Keeping the Books: Basics to Get You Started
        3. Records Uncle Sam May Want to See
        4. Getting the Most from Your Reports
        5. Keeping Your Records and Data Safe
        6. Backing Up Your Data
        7. Saving Your Backup Paperwork
      3. Chapter 3: Taking Care of Your Finances
        1. What? Double-Entry Accounting?
        2. QuickBooks: Professional Bookkeeping
        3. Setting Up a Chart of Accounts
        4. Having QuickBooks Report on Your eBay Business
        5. Posting Sales from PayPal My Way
      4. Chapter 4: Keeping You and Your Business Secure Online
        1. Staying Away from Spam
        2. Recognizing Scams and Phishing
        3. Fighting Back!
        4. Keeping Your Password (and Accounts) Secure
      5. Chapter 5: Networking Your Home or Office
        1. The What and Why of Networks
        2. Variations of a Home Network
        3. Internet Security and Your Home Network
    12. About the Author
    13. Connect with Dummies
    14. End User License Agreement
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