Tag Archives: Trading Assistant

Important Changes to the eBay Trading Assistant Program – Action Required

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eBay Announces Changes to the Trading Assistant Program:

Our initial evaluation of this "agreement" is underway... I will post our opinions after we have digested the entire "new" program.   I can say that I never received any email from eBay regarding this change and we have been listed in the TA directory since 2001. - Our listing is still in the directory... Yet I received an error message when I tried to sign in which said our user name was not listed as a TA.  Nice Work - eBay...

eBay Forums Post 

Changes to the Trading Assistant Program
Hi Everyone:Tomorrow we will be announcing the re-launch of the Trading Assistant program requirements, directory and benefits. In addition, on January 18, we will be sending this email out to all TAs currently (or formerly) in the program. If you would like to get a jump on it, you may register now, but please let me know of any issues you encounter (or ideas to improve).Important Changes to the eBay Trading Assistant Program - Action RequiredDear eBay Member,On January 15, 2008, we re-launched the Trading Assistant Program with new standards for program members that will deliver many new benefits for your business:• Powerful new search functions to help potential customers find you fast
• An opt-in lead management system to distribute leads directly to you
• A new evaluation system to help showcase your satisfied customers

On February 11, 2008, the old directory will be retired and only those Trading Assistants who've registered for the new program and agreed to the terms of one of two new user agreements will show up in Trading Assistant search results.

Even if you're an existing Trading Assistant or Trading Post, you'll need to register and accept the updated user agreement before February 11th to stay in the program.

Changes to the program

We've made the following changes to improve the customer experience:

• Qualification: To qualify, all Trading Assistants on eBay are now required to have an eBay Membership in good standing, a minimum of 100 eBay Feedback (98% positive), and sales of at least 10 items on eBay in the prior 3 months.
• Titles: The name "Trading Post" has been changed to "Registered eBay Drop Off Location." Use of the term "Auction" or "Auctioneer" in a Trading Assistant business name, signage, and marketing materials is no longer permitted (unless you are a licensed Auctioneer).
• User Agreements: There are two new user agreements; one for Trading Assistants and one for Registered eBay Drop Off Locations (including new insurance requirements).
• Profiles: Each Trading Assistant may have only one profile in the directory, but you can now refer potential clients to your own Trading Assistant web site. If you're an Education Specialist you can also link to your profile and classes.
• Marketing Materials: The program has a new look with updated logos, customizable collateral, mailers, and business cards--all free and accessible when you register for the new program.

Register now or view the new user agreements and get more information at http://www.ebaytradingassistant.com/signup

For more information about these changes, please visit our Frequently Asked Questions. (http://www.ebaytradingassistant.com/newfaqs)

We also welcome your ideas and/or concerns on the Trading Assistant discussion board. And again, be sure to register before February 11 to make sure you're included in the new directory!

Sincerely,
Sharon Guldner
Sr. Marketing Manager
Help others sell on eBay
www.ebay.com/esp
www.ebay.com/ta

Important registration notes:
Before signing in, make sure you are at an official eBay site by checking the url in the address bar (https://signin.ebay.com...). You will be required to sign into your eBay account to validate your qualifications. From there, you will be directed to a site hosted by American Research Institute (ARI) at www.ebaytradingassistant.com. Follow the instructions to submit your new profile and agree to the new terms of the user agreement.

*If you reside outside of the United States and you have created a Trading Assistant profile on the U.S. eBay.com site, this profile will be removed. The new registration and directory will not allow you to re-register as the new user agreements are applicable to residents of the United States only. If you wish to have a profile in the Trading Assistant directory, please create one on the eBay site of your country of residence. For a list of countries that support the program, please see the Frequently Asked Questions (http://www.ebaytradingassistant.com/newfaqs)
- Newton

11 Most Commonly Suggested ways to Make Money on eBay and why you should Avoid most of them

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eBayPardon us for a moment while we play "Devils Advocate" to explain the reasons why some of these 11 most commonly suggested methods for making money on eBay, are impractical or more accurately, are methods destined for failure.

If your goal is to start an eBay based business you should read this article.

The best way(s) in our opinion, to make money on eBay as part of an well crafted eBay business plan, will be revealed after our review of these more "commonly" touted methods.

The text in this post edited in italics is a previously compiled list of 11 common methods for sourcing products to sell and make money with on eBay. The article was originally written by a self appointed drop ship guru by the name of Mike Makler AKA "The Coolest Guy in the Universe".

Last Year over 20 Billion Dollars worth of product was sold on Ebay. (Yes Billion with a "B"). Many people are earning $10,000 or more selling on Ebay. Many more would like to sell on Ebay but they face that big hurdle - Where Do I find Items to sell on Ebay. Here are the 11 Best Places to Find Items to sell on E-Bay.

Copyright © 2005-2006 Mike Makler the Coolest Guy in the Universe

Original Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com
About The Original Author:
Mike Makler has been Marketing Online Since 2001 When he Built an Organization of over 100,000 Members

1 - Garage Sales

The Strategy that works best with Garage Sales is stop by at the end of the day and offer to buy all the merchandise they have left. You can often spend $25 - $50 and then resell on Ebay for $500 or more.

  • Why is this a very difficult way to make money on eBay? - Because for every item you spend the time to find at a garage sale you must perform several time consuming steps before that single item can be sold on eBay. Each item must be evaluated, cleaned, tested, described, photographed, categorized, listed and stored. This is a lot of time invested in each item purchased at "Garage Sales", and that time is multiplied by a factor of however many items you purchase in that lot for $50. Therefore, for each 20 item lot you purchase for $50, you will spend approximately 20 hours of your time getting those items listed on eBay. How much is your time worth? Lets say you value your time at a very low $10 per hour, now your investment in these 20 items is worth in excess of $250, not including the time or gas money spent in finding the original "Garage Sale". Will each lot or haul from these "Garage Sales" net even one item which will return your investment in time and cash? Will all of the items sell on the first listing on eBay? How much more money will you invest in eBay fee's and charges to sell these used cast off "Garage Sale" items? - Garage Saleing is a fun pass-time for the retired and a possible business endeavor for people who work at Flea Markets, but for eBay it is a losing proposition. Suggesting that eBay sellers should source product using this method is similar to suggesting to gamblers that they can get rich by playing bingo.

Continue reading “11 Most Commonly Suggested ways to Make Money on eBay and why you should Avoid most of them” »

What eBay is… is… a revenue stream and an advertising venue with incredible SEO advantages for any business! Derek Gehl and the Internet Marketing Center Agree

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Last weekend I attended a seminar put on by the Internet Marketing Center.  The seminar is geared towards selling a information product/course originally developed by Corey Rudl and now run by Derek Gehl.  The sales pitch was a bit long and overdone but the information gained while sitting in the audience was well worth the endless pitch. 

Most of what I learned was in the areas of SEO and keyword targeting for long sales letter websites. But there was a good explanation included about why businesses should look at involving themselves in eBay as a traffic generation technique.  Of course the "real" information is included in the course material (for sale at the unbelievable one time price of...)

The gist of what they say is correct even though I would not consider most of the Derek Gehl eBay course information up to date or even advanced (Most of what they teach is basic techniques which can be found on the eBay help pages).  They are on point with the concept that eBay is not a good avenue towards developing a primary source of income for anyone, not even a business...

What eBay is... is... a revenue stream and an advertising venue with incredible SEO advantages for any business! 

What Derek Gehl says about eBay should be read and understood by every business owner in America... Continue reading “What eBay is… is… a revenue stream and an advertising venue with incredible SEO advantages for any business! Derek Gehl and the Internet Marketing Center Agree” »

Why every Trading Assistant and eBay Franchise Drop Store Should have and eBay Stores Account

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In our previous post we reviewed Trading Assistants & franchise eBay drop store marketing ideas and I promised to detail how and why every Trading Assistant or drop store owner should have an eBay Stores account.

It always amazes me when I consult with franchise owners who are struggling to find that they have not signed up to become an eBay store owner. These franchise drop store owners are struggling to generate profits and eventually they ask for marketing ideas, when one of the smartest marketing tools available on the planet is an eBay Stores account. Why don't these business people take advantage of this opportunity?

Is it the $15.95 per month charge which holds them back? Or is it simply the fact that eBay does not do a good job of explaining why eBay stores are the key to becoming profitable on eBay. Continue reading “Why every Trading Assistant and eBay Franchise Drop Store Should have and eBay Stores Account” »

eBay Drop Store or Trading Assistant Profits Possible as a Business?

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With the current condition of the eBay drop store franchise industry, it has become apparent that not everyone who bought into the “owning a business without investing in inventory” sales pitch has actually succeeded as a business.

The question then becomes…Is it possible to operate a profitable business as a full time trading assistant?

The answer is complicated, and on the surface the quick answer would be NO - not without modification of the business plan suggested/promoted by most eBay drop store franchises and used by most Trading Assistants.

I can share this opinion from experience because at one time, I was a master franchise representative for one of the largest eBay drop store chains in America (and 5 other countries). The experience as a franchise rep taught me that the franchisees needed more support to become successful.

The franchisees in our chain were hungry for information about how to improve, how to market and how to make the whole operation profitable.  The franchisees and I eventually became disillusioned with the franchise and its marketing/business plan (which will stay nameless) because the franchise was not willing to invest in the continued marketing support of the franchisees.  I felt it was in the best interest of the franchise to make an effort to help the existing franchisees with marketing sales and business planning.  In my opinion, if the existing franchisees were having trouble being successful, eventually the market would dry up and new franchisees would become difficult to find. 

The franchise must be a healthy successful enterprise and all of the people who invested in that franchise must also be... Or the franchise will not survive.  This prediction seems to be fulfilling itself and instead of saying I told you so, I decided it would be better to break free and help anyone who is in business as a Trading Assistant or Drop Store operator no matter their prior affiliation.

An eBay trading assistant business or drop store operation is not something which can be canned into a package and set up in a way which will guarantee success. An eBay drop store is not like a McDonald’s or Radio Shack. You can not simply put up a franchise sign and expect people to walk into your store and be comfortable with your brand. eBay is the brand, not XYZ franchise trying to look like eBay.

The American public has turned the corner, they now trust the name eBay. When a third party brand in the form of a franchise is interjected into mix is when the public looses confidence. If you were sold a franchise store and were advised that people would stream in bringing their Rolex watches and Tiffany lamps just because you put up a sign from XYZ franchise… I can imagine that you, like many of the franchisees from my former company, have noticed it just did not happen as you may have been led to believe.

So… What is the Answer? Can a Trading Assistant make a profit? – Yes or No?

Continue reading “eBay Drop Store or Trading Assistant Profits Possible as a Business?” »

Listing a $35,000.00 Custom Diamond Ring on eBay

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Originally uploaded by All Business AuctionsContinued as Promised....

As discussed in my previous post, this is a very high quality item which has been entrusted to my company to list for sale.

This is a 2.0 ct Solitaire Near flawless and colorless round brilliant cut diamond mounted in a tested and stamped 18k solid white gold setting encrusted with over 80 secondary natural diamonds for a total carat weight of diamonds equalling 2.86 carats.
 

  • Was my trading assistant company just given this opportunity because we have an eBay sign on our front door?
  • Did we simply luck into this possible sale?
  • Is there any reason why we were chosen over any one of the reputable jewelers in our community?

I like to think the answer to all of those questions is NO.

Now, why do I think this?

Continue reading “Listing a $35,000.00 Custom Diamond Ring on eBay” »

Why an eBay Sales Strategy including eBay Stores – Should be included in any marketing plan

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Why an eBay Sales Strategy including eBay Stores - Should be included in any marketing plan

  • Key to a global and local eBay marketing strategy
  • Essential to take advantage of global branding & marketing opportunities
  • Greater exposure for brand & products
  • Increases ancillary sales

 EBay is an amazing venue for online sales and for online advertising.  If your business is looking for the highest return on an online advertising budget, you should consider using the power of eBay.

  Continue reading “Why an eBay Sales Strategy including eBay Stores – Should be included in any marketing plan” »

Greetings!

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Welcome to All Business Auctions blog. We will attempt to update our current clients and future clients with any relevant information concerning the viability and wisdom of adding eBay and Internet sales channels to your existing business. Our goal here is to educate and inform all visitors about eBay sales, e-Commerce development, social networking and other "Hot Topics" connected to the business applications available to brick and mortar businesses who move into Internet Marketing.

Continue reading “Greetings!” »