YOUNG Entrepreneurs: Start an eBay store to learn business

[wyattnorton]

I see a lot of young entrepreneurs (15-20) on this forum saying they do not know what to do or how to get started.

They then fall into the trap of buying some guy's course on selling website design, SEO, coding, etc. etc. and end up not doing anything with it.

A proven way to actually start to learn how to run a business is:

START AN EBAY STORE​

One thing that I wish I would have started earlier was an online eBay store. I could have been selling video games, old sports equipment, toys, clothing, etc.

You can make some money AND learn aspects of business.

What you learn from selling on eBay:​

• Copywriting - To have buyers understand the value of your item over other alternatives, you must describe it accurately and add a little pizzazz. (Ex: Zebco 33 fishing reel --> Vintage Rare Zebco 33 All Metal Spincast Fishing Reel Right Handed)
• Fulfillment - You must keep track of, package, buy shipping, keep costs low, and send out your items on time. (There is discipline, patience, and skill involved with wrapping the items properly and ensuring their prompt arrival)
• Customer Relations - If the buyer does not like the item, you mis-described it, or it is destroyed in the mail...YOU are responsible and must figure out a solution that suites you, the buyer, AND your eBay Business.
• Tracking Finances- A great learning lesson you gain from an eBay store is that you can track you progress. eBay does show your past sales in gross and net. But as the ASPIRING ENTREPRENEUR you are... you're going to find a way to track your expenses and revenues.
• Sales - If you are selling a lot of one thing (I used to sell a lot of old fishing gear) you can follow-up with your past buyers when you list a new item or if you have others for sale. You can also find out if they would like to bundle a sale (make a discount for them but you can still make a nice profit).
• Research - Running an eBay store means you begin to discover opportunities. I know when I first started mine and made the first few sales, EVERYTHING looked saleable to me. I started to see how certain items made more money than others and refined my approach and priorities to where the bulk of time/attention goes to listing items.
• You can run it like a business - It is a fun thing for you to do as well. Remember you are still a kid, so having fun is allowed. You can give your page a cool name, make a logo, add a background. You can set up systems and processes to track your items listed, sold, and shipped. There are a ton of aspects you can play around with
• Little Downside- You do not have to set up an LLC, worry about employees (unless you really take off!), or feel pressured to perform like most businesses. Like I said in the last point, you can have fun with it and really test your hand at a small business you created!

There are more aspects of running an eBay store than the ones listed above. If you are younger, creating your own eBay store can start your journey into the entrepreneur world. It is NOT the only way, but if you do not have much capital (money) you can start in your own house with selling items you no longer use, want, or need.

A resource for you to watch if you want to go around to garage sales or Goodwill are GaryVee's "Trash Talk" YouTube videos. You can get some ideas of what items to sell online from there.

To the young entrepreneurs --> Stop putting so much pressure on yourselves to have it all figured out. Enjoy your life, money is NOT everything, business is NOT everything, being rich is NOT everything, it is one aspect of life.

Enjoy yourselves and have some fun!

 

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[Guest050x2]

Zua lpux, O'n e jahi gep ug vjev HeszW(ii?) dev epf O'wi emxezt muwif vji ofie ug gmoqqoph tjov. Juxiwis egvis evvinqvoph vu timm e jepfgam ug ovint up neslivqmedi (vu hiv sof ug vjin, puv vu gmoq), O raodlmz siemobif O'f piwis xepv vu fu ov duptotvipvmz.

Jef ep umf meqvuq. Sigascotjif, vjiz timm gus 350$. Nopi xet sigascotjif, cav O xet xepvoph vu hiv sof ug ov, puv fitqisevi gus deqovem, tu O tiv ov ev 80$. O jef qiuqmi nittehoph ni epf hivvoph qottif xjip vjiz duamfp'v caz ov gus 40$. Siefz gus vji citv qesv?

O ipfif aq timmoph ov gus 150$.

Vjisi esi vuu nepz fenp qiuqmi vszoph vu "gmoq," xjodj deatit qiuqmi vu dunqmivimz hjutv zua apmitt vjiz dep caz zuas ovin gus e 500% SUO. O duamfp'v "howi" nz meqvuq exez ev 80$, cav ov tumf emnutv optvepvmz ev 150$.

Qiuqmi esi gadloph xiosf.

 

[wyattnorton]

Zua lpux, O'n e jahi gep ug vjev HeszW(ii?) dev epf O'wi emxezt muwif vji ofie ug gmoqqoph tjov. Juxiwis egvis evvinqvoph vu timm e jepfgam ug ovint up neslivqmedi (vu hiv sof ug vjin, puv vu gmoq), O raodlmz siemobif O'f piwis xepv vu fu ov duptotvipvmz.

Jef ep umf meqvuq. Sigascotjif, vjiz timm gus 350$. Nopi xet sigascotjif, cav O xet xepvoph vu hiv sof ug ov, puv fitqisevi gus deqovem, tu O tiv ov ev 80$. O jef qiuqmi nittehoph ni epf hivvoph qottif xjip vjiz duamfp'v caz ov gus 40$. Siefz gus vji citv qesv?

O ipfif aq timmoph ov gus 150$.

Vjisi esi vuu nepz fenp qiuqmi vszoph vu "gmoq," xjodj deatit qiuqmi vu dunqmivimz hjutv zua apmitt vjiz dep caz zuas ovin gus e 500% SUO. O duamfp'v "howi" nz meqvuq exez ev 80$, cav ov tumf emnutv optvepvmz ev 150$.

Qiuqmi esi G*dloph xiosf.

Vjisi esi qmipvz ug uqqusvapovoit gus zuaph loft vu miesp juxiwis.

Vjot ot puv ecuav vszoph vu neli vji johjitv SUO ETEQ. Cav tjov og zua xepv vu veml ecuav csavem, vsz timmoph wopvehi ceticemm desft. Vjiti qiuqmi xomm jehhmi zua vu vji metv qippz tu vjiz dep gmoq vjin ev vjios tjuqt us gsoipft op PZD.

Vji ottai emtu ot vjev zua xisi puv fuoph ov gus epz sietup uvjis vjep vu hiv sof ug vji tvagg. O en vemloph ecuav vsievoph ov moli e movvmi catopitt ug ovt uxp.

 

[Guest050x2]

Vjisi esi qmipvz ug uqqusvapovoit gus zuaph loft vu miesp juxiwis.

Vjot ot puv ecuav vszoph vu neli vji johjitv SUO ETEQ. Cav tjov og zua xepv vu veml ecuav csavem, vsz timmoph wopvehi ceticemm desft. Vjiti qiuqmi xomm jehhmi zua vu vji metv qippz tu vjiz dep gmoq vjin ev vjios tjuqt us gsoipft op PZD.

Vji ottai emtu ot vjev zua xisi puv fuoph ov gus epz sietup uvjis vjep vu hiv sof ug vji tvagg. O en vemloph ecuav vsievoph ov moli e movvmi catopitt ug ovt uxp.

Zit, O apfistvepf zua'si tqieloph gsun vji catopitt-tofi ug vjopht, nz siefoph dunqsijiptoup ot gopi, juxiwis nz ecomovz vu gopotj nz vseop ug vjuahjv(t) otp'v.

O jewi tumf wopvehi ceticemm desft -- O atif vu ci tqidogodemmz opvu tqusv desft. O xet op vji opfatvsz gus katv uwis 20 ziest. O tvomm foq nz vui op jisi epf vjisi, epf tvomm jewi e movvmi tvudl migvuwis. Atif vu hu vu iwipvt gus uvjis henit epf gmoq emm fez et ximm. Xi demm ov cedlqedl wipfoph.

Vji qsucmin xovj cedlqedl wipfoph (gmoqqoph), ot iwipvaemmz uvjist tvesv qezoph evvipvoup, tu vjiz fidofi vu fu ov vuu. Emsohjv, duum, dunqivovoup ot gopi, iydiqv vjiti qiuqmi jewi pu ofie xjev vjiz'si fuoph, tu iwisz "fiem" cidunit e tonqmi "traiibi iwisz foni uav ug vji qistup O dep" fai vu GUNU.

O'wi tiip qiuqmi opwitv 5$ epf hu juni xovj Y,YYY$ egvis 1.5 fezt. O'wi emtu tiip qiuqmi tjux aq xovj Y,YYY$ epf miewi op vji sif. Onu, qsonesomz tqieloph op sihesft vu vjuti pix vu catopitt, O giim cioph tiswodi-cetif ot e vef nusi tvsienmopif, epf howit zua vji tlommt pidittesz vu ci huuf ev gmoqqoph.

Citofit, eop'v pucufz huv voni vu sitiesdj duggii naht gus 8 juast :Q.