Selling on uBid
In this Success Newsletter:
- New classes this week including shipping, accounting and Rock Star Exclusives
- Exclusive Rock Star training on eBay Fee changes
- eBay fee change calculator
- Selling on U-Bid – additional selling venues
- New Class replay is up
New Classes for this week…
Hey…get registered ASAP for this week’s classes. OSI Live classes are fr-ee to attend and instructions are included during the registration process for both the podcasts and the webinars. Remember, you can either ask a question for our special guest or simply put “I Choose Success” in the question box.
Tuesday, 2/5/08 – Noon pst/3pm est – Cathi of Allegro Accounting – Are you keeping your books? Or are your books keeping you. Come learn everything you need to know about eBay accounting.
Tuesday, 2/5/08 – 4pm pst/7pm est – For Rock Stars only – A very special 90 minute training. (See Below for additional information)
Wednesday, 1/30/08 – Noon pst/3pm est – Automate your shipping - including FedEx and DHL with ShipRush. Since your shipping DSR is probably your lowest – but will count toward your 5-15% discount here soon, thought I should bring in the shipping experts to help you automate/upgrade this part of your business.
You can find out more about these classes, as well as register, at: www.osiRockStars.com (scroll to the bottom of that webpage for upcoming classes, details and registration information).
Exclusive Rock Star training on eBay Fee changes
All current members of OSI Rock Stars, as of 2/5/08, will receive exclusive access to participate in this very informative fee/site change class. (This includes the replay that members will have access to 24/7 following the live event). The class will be 90 minutes and will include a free guideline report for you to print out and follow along as these changes go into effect over the next 6 months. I have come across a few surprises that will be included in this webinar (fee/site changes that eBay hasn’t made public, except on the site after 2 dozen hours of searching – lol!)
Here is the info on the class…
This is the first fee announcement I have been through with this many changes. Plus, the changes aren’t black/white - each one appears to affect another one. I have spent over 20 hours researching the fees, understanding the effects these will have on our businesses, and then come up with a Success packed solution on utilizing the fees/change announcements to your profitable benefit.
This first 90 minute webinar will be an overview of all of the fees - including the ones that they never announced. I will explain each of them and give you a brief overview of how they will impact an eBay business. In the coming weeks I have scheduled numerous break-out sessions for you to attend including “How to calculate your fees before/after”, “How to achieve PowerSeller status”, “Adjusting your inventory to be profitable”, “How to take advantage of the PowerSeller benefits” and more. I am bringing in experts having to do with shipping, fees, and sourcing the right products.
Alot of eBay educators are either avoiding talking about the fees (can’t fault them for that - it’s very confusing and a HUGE subject to tackle) or are just talking about it in general and how they think it effects their business. At OSI Rock Stars, we aren’t just talking - we are doing and showing and teaching and educating. My goal is that by our deadline of July, that all of you will be PowerSellers AND your DSR’s will qualify you for at least the 5% discount…but I am putting my money that almost all of the Rock Stars will be part of the 15% elite discount group after this intensive training.
Head over to the Rock Star Exclusive Forums at http://osirockstars.com/topic.php?id=171 to get registered for the first of a series of Profitable Class on the new changes happening at eBay.
Haven’t chosen Success yet and joined Rock Stars? Come join us Backstage - http://osirockstars.com/wp-login.php?action=register and be part of the excitement AND the 15%!!
Join the PSW Social Club for free at http://perfectly.ning.com
New eBay Fee Calculator
One of our Rock Stars, Mike Mills of www.PartyVegetable.net has created a calculator to help you figure out your fees. Here is what Mike had to say:
I did a comparison of my January invoice and since most of my listings were store inventory (most of my listings were Store inventory and I had very few sales, so not many FVF increases. Someone who had all auction-style with 100% STR would see an increase.), with the changes I would have SAVED 43% before the PowerSeller discount.
Just thought you would like to know.
Have Fun!
Mike
You can find the calculator at the Rock Star Forums - http://osirockstars.com/topic.php?id=169&replies=21
We will also be having another Rock Star, Stephanie of Katiyana’s Collectibles doing a live webinar in the near future on how you figure our your fees – with changes and with/without discounts.
Additional Selling Venues
Hot topic nowadays – places to sell in addition to your eBay site…great article by one of our Rock Star PowerSeller – thanks Richard!!
Selling on uBid, my experience so far…
Hello, my name is Richard and besides running www.windmillltrading.com, I also list on eBay.
Like most eBay sellers, I try not to put all my eggs in the eBay basket. Especially after the announcement this past week of a major price hike and other changes that are not very favorable to sellers, diversification is going to be more important than ever. In December I began selling on uBid. I’m also looking at joining other smaller sites like blujay.com that provide a great alternative to eBay, albeit that those smaller sites do not have anywhere near the traffic volume and exposure that eBay gets.
uBid.com is a large eBay competitor with lots of traffic and a model that is quite different from the one that eBay provides. The biggest difference is that there are NO listing fees whatsoever. And while buyers can place bids just like on eBay, they do not know who they’re actually buying from. uBid is set up so that the buyer actually buys an item directly from uBid and they have no idea who’s actually shipping the product or even which part of the country it comes from. That’s both good and bad. It’s good because that means uBid will provide all direct customer interaction. However, at the same time that’s bad as well, because their phone reps will have no experience with the item that was sold and will not be able to answer some more specific questions. They will filter some questions, and send some of them on to the seller.
Another difference with eBay is that only actual businesses can sell through uBid. Joe Schmoe who’s unloading his basement is not going to be able to list on uBid. I had to go through a rigorous application process that included allowing them run a real-life credit check on me. Guess they don’t want shady characters pulling scams. (Yes, I passed with flying colors).
Click here to read the rest on-line
“Success With Cindy - guest Marlene Gavens” class replay is up on OSI Rock Stars
Marlene Gavens is one of only 28 people in the world to have achieved the distinction of eBay Certified Business Consultant. Add a PowerSeller, Trading Assistant, and eBay Education Specialist to those titles, and this interview with this amazing woman will be a ‘can’t miss’ show. She is definitely one of the most energetic, non-stop women I know (and she has the best stories)!
Marlene shared:
- How she got started on eBay
- What an eBay Education Specialist is
- What a Certified Business Consultant is
- How she balances her world
- Her organizational system
- How she determines the pricing for her classes
- How she booked her classes
- Information about the leads program
- An unique way of teaching
- Her creative marketing ideas
- Why a good Power U bio is so important
- Her networking techniques
- How she uses the Post Office to do her marketing
- How to handle an invoice
- Why setting boundaries in your business is so important
Click Here to listen to another great interview in the eBay Education Specialist Series
Fabulous blessings,
J
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