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Browsing Posts tagged Andrew Milburn

4 Tips For Buying Wholesale Jewellery

September 27, 2011 Andrew Milburn 1 comment

4 Tips For Buying Wholesale Jewellery

If you want to start an online jewellery business, then a site such as eBay is the best place that you can start. On eBay you can learn the ropes and also learn what sells and what does not sell. Plus you have the ready made traffic that eBay can bring to the site and this in turn can bring people to the items you are selling.

Tip One – You need to find a source to buy your items from, this is the same step that anyone needs to take when looking to sell items online, but when you are dealing in Jewellery there is another factor that you need to think about and that is do you sell new jewellery or do we sell second-hand / antique items. If you are going to buy new then you need to look for jewellery wholesalers – these can be found in places such as the Yellow Pages, doing a search on Google or by going to a site such as WorldWide Brands. WorldWide Brands was set up many years ago to help people source products to sell on and off line. These people check out all the suppliers and they have to meet guidelines before they are listed in the directory. Worldwide Brands is a paid for service, but it is well worth the money for what you get..
If you are going to be selling second-hand and antique jewellery then you will need to visit car boot sales, garage sales, antique fairs and shows, and also run adverts in newspapers.
Tip Two – When you are buying jewellery you also need to be on the look out that you are not buying fake items. If you are dealing in the low end costume jewellery side of the business then this is not really a problem. The problems arise when you go into the middle to high end part of the business. You need to know the difference between real and “Fake” items. And even some of the top jewellery buyers are caught out from time to time, so as a new person you need to be careful. You need to make sure you are buying from a real business – go and visit them take a look around, ask questions and do your research.
And if you get a phone call offering you some pieces of jewellery at silly prices and they ask you to meet them in some bar – decline the offer as chances are they could be stolen.
Tip Three – Get to know the terms that jewellery wholesalers and the customers you sell to use. Know the differences between gold plated and gold, if you do not know these simples terms it could cost you your business.
Tip Four – Start small and then build your business up, step by step, get to know what your customers (clients if you are selling high end items) want and like. And if you are wondering do people buy £10,000 diamond items online, the answer is yes, and people have spent far more than that.

Have fun, spend time visiting wholesalers and trade shows. Also you will need to keep an eye on the fashion trends and be sensible do not rush in and buy the first items you see do the research.

Andrew Milburn is an eBay Consultant based in the UK

Product Sourcing Andrew Milburn, eBay, eBay Consultant, Jewellery, Product Sourcing

Listing Goals

August 16, 2011 Andrew Milburn No comments

Listing Goals

A common question that I get, is around the subject of Listing Goals. And this is not only from new sellers but from people who have been selling on sites such as eBay and Amazon since time began. Now I am going to be honest and straight with you here, Yes it is very important that you have written down a listing goal, but as we go through this article, I cannot really say what this goal should be…………….but I can really help you get there.

So go grab yourself a cup of coffee, a legal pad and some pens and pencils and let’s have a go at setting some goals for listing on eBay.

How many items are you listing a day/week.month at the moment ? There is no point in saying you will be listing 12 items a day if you are struggling to list 12 items in a month. Sorry if that sounds a bit hard but you need to set some realistic goals and once you have reached them, then set your self higher ones.

Let us say you want to list 100 items a month, this is equal to 25 items a week and this equals to around 3.5 items a day. When you say 3 items a day it sounds so much easier to achieve and to reach.

Another way to look at this is if you are selling items with a fixed profit, you can work out how much you need to earn a month and then work out how many you need to sell a month and then work back how many you need to sell a day. (And you can then work out how many you need to list)

For example if you need to sell 3 items a day, you will need to be listing at least 3 items a day does this make sense?

Right now we know how many items you need to list, you need to set your self targets for pictures and then for writing the listings. I have covered this in other posts but will do a re-cap for you.

Spend one day a month taking all the pictures or take an hour a day and take a batch of pictures and do any editing that is needed.

Then in spare time (Lunch Breaks etc), write descriptions in notepad.

Then you are all ready to go, and you can list like mad.

So to re-cap, set yourself realistic goals and then go and do them, and once you meet the goals for a few weeks, you can up them, and keep on doing this until you have reached your limits.

Andrew Milburn Is An eBay Consultant

eBay Andrew Milburn, eBay, eBay Consultant Lichfield, eBay Lichfield, Listing Goals

Does Halloween Make Money

August 4, 2011 Andrew Milburn No comments

Does Halloween Make Money

You may be thinking what a funny title “Does Halloween Make Money”, and before you get into a debate about the rights and wrongs on the ethics on Halloween, you need to understand one thing, Halloween does make money and a lot of money at that. Halloween is mega spend for people all over the world, and if we look at figures around $5.8 Billion dollars was spent by Americans alone. Yes you did read that right $5.8 Billion, so does Halloween make money?

Other stats that came out 2 out 5 Americans will buy a new costume, and then there are the sweets, lights decorations, food, costumes for pets. People go mad at this time of year and as long as you have the marketing correct and the stock online at the right time you can make money from Halloween.

(We also need to remember this multi-billion dollar turn over is small compared with the Thanksgiving and the up and coming Holiday season after that.) And all the figures are on track to be bigger and better this year.

So How Do You Make Money From Halloween

@ To start with you need to be prepared, you need a plan or Road Map To Success. Start today if you want to be part of this crazy money making day and remember it really is just one day or a few days if it is at the weekend.

@ Talk with suppliers and either buy in stock or arrange a drop-shipping plan. But a word of warning with drop-shipping around that time period, suppliers will run out of items and this could leave you with buyers and no stock, so you will need to have back up plans if you can.

@ Also try and not and buy too much stock as again most fancy dress items sell all year only some sell at that time of year. And as long as it is not food it will last till the next year.

@ Make sure you have all the postage and packing items that you will need. At this time of year speed is what’s needed, people want an outfit or gift delivered within days for the party they are having or attending.

@ Do your research, make sure you price the items right, offer free shipping and by doing this you will find Halloween does make money.

Andrew Milburn Is An eBay Consultant Based In Lichfield

eBay, Education, Product Sourcing Andrew Milburn, eBay Consultant, eBay Consultant Lichfield, halloween, Lichfield, lichfield eBay, make money

I Don’t Have The Time

August 2, 2011 Andrew Milburn No comments

One of the popular “moans” I hear when coaching with clients is “I don’t have the time“, and then in the next breath they tell you how they go to pub every night and meet friends or how they must make sure they are home to watch the latest soap opera or reality TV. So when they say “I don’t have time” I will often smile and say but you do.

Time Management from the Inside Out, Second Edition:
The Foolproof System for Taking Control of Your Schedule — and Your Life

Then I will just run a few questions by them and try and find out how long they spend watch the TV or down the pub, and at times it even shocks the people I work with. So let’s look at some rough and average figures. Recently I asked a new client about something and she gave me the classic answer it is OK for you, but I don’t have the time. Now I knew Miss X loved her soaps and reality TV so I asked her how many hours a week do you watch your programs, without batting an eyelid, she said guess 24 hours a week, so I said that’s around 100 hours a month.

And to be honest she did looked shocked so i went on a bit…………..Miss X how many hours do you put into your job at the office and she said 30 hours a week. And then it hit her…………………….She said I do have time don’t I. I said well when you think you put almost as much time into watching TV as you do work then yes.

We then sat down and I showed her how to plan her day and how she could still watch some of her TV, but if she halved her TV time she could find an extra 48 hours a month to put into her business. So you see when people say “I don’t have the time” we need to look into where they do put their time.

But this also goes for us who work from home, we will often say those famous words “I don’t have the time. We need to make time. Over the next few months can I challenge us all to keep a close note of where our time goes to. If we find we are spending to many hours on Facebook or Google+ we need to turn it off. (A side note to that is if it is making you money, keep at it, but if all you are doing is looking for long lost friends and chatting to mates, then switch it off). Set aside some Social Media time each day of around 30 minutes and stick to it. But do not use it doing your hours of business.

If time is really an issue with you ask a friend to work on a time plan with you, and help you to stick to it. There are many other ways on where you can find time, and in up coming posts we will look at some of these. So please ban those words “I don’t have the time” from your life and start and make some time.

Andrew Milburn Is An eBay Consultant Based In Lichfield Staffordshire

eBay, Education Andrew Milburn, eBay, eBay Handsacre, eBay Lichfield, eBay Staffordshire, I don't have the time, time management

Sales Down, Do Not Worry

July 28, 2011 Andrew Milburn No comments

Sales Down, Do Not Worry

Are your sales down? If they are do not worry, it is not you, nor is it eBay or Amazon it is the time of year. Summer is always a slow time to be selling, and small sellers and large sellers always notice this downturn in sales. But please listen carefully, even though your sales are down and other peoples sales are down, it does not mean you should stop selling.

I always tell my clients and other people I help to list as normal – OK maybe not as many items, but you need to remember that although it is Summer where we are and schools are out, in, in other parts of the world it is winter and school are back. Each country is different and people have different buying habits and buying cycles. For example let us say you sell winter coats, and where you live is a heat wave………Your coats sell well all over the world, but because of the heat wave you decide to take it down for a few months. But what about your buyers in other countries where it is freezing cold? And it also works the over way round when it is winter in one place it will be summer in another place. Please remember this.

The same idea works in Sport. In different countries sports are played at different times of the year and if you sell into this niche, you need to remember this. When Soccer/football finishes in one country it starts in another country. This is life and it is all part of running your own business.

If you are experiencing this down time, spend time in your business planning for the up and coming holiday planning. Take time out to go product sourcing. You can also tidy up your currant stock and get yourself ready for the big buying season that will be coming up very soon. (Sorry for that).

So remember that during the summer your sales may be down, but do not worry yourself it is across the board and very soon you will see your sales begin to increase again ready for that crazy time of the year.

Andrew Milburn Is An eBay Consultant Based In Lichfield Staffordshire

eBay, Education Andrew Milburn, Do Not Worry, eBay, eBay Consultant, eBay Consultant Lichfield, Product Sourcing, Sales Down, Sourcing

PayPal Fee Changes Coming In September

July 26, 2011 Andrew Milburn 1 comment

PayPal Fee Changes Coming In September

Well here is some advance warning about “PayPal Fee Changes Coming In September“, now before you all start to panic and scream, shout and rant, and want to say one thing…………………..Get Over It, Or Get Out Of Business. Sorry to be so blunt with people, but ladies and gentlemen we are in business, and PayPal is one of our expenses. Yes you could swap to someone like WorldPay and put on your eBay listings that you take other credit cards.

But before you all run off and do that it will cost around £600 to sign up for an account, then a monthly fee of around £25.00, then a % fee that is higher than PayPal then a per transaction fee that is higher too. Yes you could swap to another Merchant Provider, but they all cost way more than PayPal and most do not online retailers.

The fees PayPal have been charging and will be charging are really nothing, and we all know PayPal and can trust them and they have been around many years.

To find out more about the changes in PayPal and the new fees check out the Updates Here. Over the next few weeks I will take time and make some notes that I hope will help you understand the fee changes (if there are any at all for your country, and in some cases the fees are lower).

Andrew Milburn Is An eBay Consultant Based In Lichfield Staffordshire

PayPal Andrew Milburn, eBay, eBay Consultant, eBay Consultant Lichfield, Lichfield, PayPal Fee Changes Coming In September

eBay Or Own Website Which Is Best?

July 25, 2011 Andrew Milburn No comments

eBay Or Own Website Which Is Best?

When consulting with clients people often ask “eBay Or Own Website Which Is Best?” and time after time I always say eBay. No this is not because I sell on eBay nor is it because I am an eBay Consultant. I am an independent consultant and always put my client first, and if I believe having your own site best for you I would tell you. But if you are selling a product then I will always take you down the eBay route first.

So why do I feel eBay is far better than setting up your own e-commerce site? Well there are many and it would take many pages and articles to cover the points, but in the short time I have with you today, I hope to explain to you why I believe eBay is best. So let’s get to the meat of today’s subject.

eBay Or Own Website Which Is Best?

@ eBay is a well established service and site and has been in businesses since the mid 1990′s - Your own site is brand new. Google like sites that have been around a long time.

@ eBay spends millions a year on adverts, and have been doing this since they began – Your site, unless you have money to burn, will not be able to afford this.

@ eBay is a brand name and is recognized and respected all over the world – You will have a new site, unknown brand name and will have to work long and hard to build up the respect of people around the world.

@ eBay has massive traffic coming to their sites day in and day out – Your business is brand new, and it will take time to get traffic to your site in the volume that eBay can manage.

@ eBay has a merchant service already built in and there is no coding needed from you – Having your own e-commerce site will require you to have a merchant providing added to it.

@ People love eBay and when they need something, quite often this is the first place they come to, before they buy – With your own site you will have to gain this respect and this will take time.

So is eBay Or Own Website Which Is Best?

I hope from the above examples you can see when you are starting out it is far better to have a presence on eBay. You will get the traffic, the people coming to look and then buy from you. You can start out small then expand into different levels of shops and then and only then when you have been having success and making money, take a look at opening your own e-commerce site. But who knows you too may fall in love with eBay and never look back or change. So eBay Or Own Website Which Is Best? For me eBay

Andrew Milburn Is An eBay Consultant Based In Lichfield Staffordshire

eBay, Education Andrew Milburn, eBay, eBay Consultant, eBay Consultant Lichfield, eBay Or Own Website Which Is Best?, eBay Training, eBay WS13, eBay WS14, WS15

How To Re-purpose Your Marketing Material

July 23, 2011 Andrew Milburn No comments

How To Re-purpose Your Marketing Material

A question I often will get is how do you re-purpose your marketing material for your niche. Now with all the latest reports and guides that are doing the rounds at the moment, you may be think that this is something new and hot. Well sorry to disappoint you, the art of re-purposing the written word is nothing new at all, and it is something that has been going on for many years – in fact since the printing press began.

Yes there are lots of these reports and guides out there that tell you how to do it, and how it works so well in the Internet Marketing Business world field. But please listen this works in any field you may choose and if I am honest it works even better in some of the smaller niches, as it has not been over used.

Now some of you may be thinking what does it mean to re-purpose your marketing material, so to help you understand what it means let me give you an example of what it can look like.

@ Take for example the book Harry Potter.

@ The book has been turned into a movie

@ The movie into DVD

@ DVD into spoken word

@ Spoken word into a range of clothing

@ Then you have the fair ground rides

@ Also badges, pens, and loads of other items

@ Food

So you see from a book you can get a whole range of other related items, that have the potential of driving traffic or sales to each other. In fact someone who sees the film, may then go and buy the book. It is a win – win situation.

How To Re-Purpose Your Material

Let’s say that you have written a blog post and added it to your blog, now many people would stop there and leave it at that and loose out on a lots of traffic to their site.

You could re-write or spin the article and add it to an Article Directory or a few.
You could read it out and turn it into an mp3 and make a mini podcast and add it to iTunes.
Make a PowerPoint and a voice over and add it to YouTube
Submit it as a Press Release and add it to the Online Press Release Companies

The above is a quick example what you can do with just one simple blog post. Remember the more places you put your name out there the more back links you get, the more back links you get the more traffic and the more traffic means more sales. Also some of the sites allow people to share the items with others, so in a short period of time you can be all over the internet.

As time goes on I will add other ideas and thoughts as to how you can re-purpose your marketing material and generate more traffic and thus get more sales.

Andrew Milburn Is An eBay Consultant Based In Lichfield Staffordshire.

Education, How To Andrew Milburn, eBay, eBay Consultant, eBay Consultant Lichfield, eBay Trading Assistant, eBay Training, How To, Re-purpose

How Long Should My eBay Description Be

July 22, 2011 Andrew Milburn No comments

How Long Should My eBay Description Be

A very common eBay question I get is “How Long Should My eBay Description Be ?” And to be honest there is no set answer to the question. There are ideas and thoughts on How Long Should My eBay Description Be ? but no one has come up and spoken out on what they think is the right answer. But what people have said and I stand in agreement with them on………………..It needs to be long enough to sell your item.

When I sit down with a client, and have gone through all the basics of listing an item, I will then spend sometime with them on this subject. Now I am no expert and like many of us in the world of online and offline selling I too am still learning and also experimenting as well. As in anything in business and marketing we always need to test and tweak. But if we go back to the statement that it needs to be long enough to sell your item, then that is a start.

If you are selling a 0.99 item then your listing will most likely have a picture and a few bullet points, where as if you were selling an item in the hundreds or thousands of dollars or pounds you will have many pictures and a lot of detail in your description. As I sit with my clients, I tend to go over a few points which I will share with you below.

How Long Should My eBay Description Be ?

It needs to be long enough for someone to understand the item without it getting boring. A good way of writing it, is by sitting down and either imagine (or have a friend there) that you are telling your best friend all about this wonderful product you have found which will change their lives for the better. You need to sell the item, but at the same time do not go over board with hype. Be open and honest with people.

Go and take a look at other listing on eBay for similar products and see what over sellers are doing. Look for the Top Rated Sellers as these people know what they are doing. Now if they all use one picture and two lines of basic text. Guess what so do you. But if they have a dozen pictures and page after page of description and they are selling loads of the item. Guess what so do you. Now please do not copy the words and pictures, use what they are doing as a template. Do your own research and take your own pictures. you must never ever copy someone else’s listing period.

Another thing you can do is look at adverts in newspapers and the Sunday supplements and look at how these people write their adverts and lay out the pictures and wording – these people are experts and know what they are doing, so it is a good idea to “swipe” examples and keep them in a file to give yourself thoughts and ideas if you get stuck.

I hope the above has given you some ideas on How Long Should My eBay Description Be.

Andrew Milburn Is An eBay Consultant Bases In Lichfield Staffordshire

eBay, Education Andrew Milburn, eBay, eBay Consultant Lichfield, eBay Training Lichfield, How Long Should My eBay Description Be, My Auction Empires

Just Do Something

July 17, 2011 Andrew Milburn No comments

Just Do Something

Earlier this week I did a blog post about a book called The Final Summit. I am not going to tell what the book is about as you will need to go and buy it and I do not want to spoil what you will learn, but what I will tell you is that the main point of the book is Just Do Something. Now Ok there is far more to the book than Just do something, but you will find that when you read it.

So how can you apply the Just Do Something principal to you life and business, well the answer is simple it is Just Do Something, but I will give you some ideas and thoughts in this article to start you thinking and get the process into action in your life.

You are wanting to grow your eBay and Amazon sales, you have been selling a few items a week, but right now you need to be selling 5 a day. So the first thing to do is to list things on a daily basis where possible. be adding new items on a regular basis to your listings, this will make people come back time and time again. Also because people are coming back they will also buy on a regular basis. In online sales it is a well known fact that the more you list the more you will sell. So Just Do Something today.

You need to grow your business to the next level – each day do something, and it does not matter how small or big the something is as long as it is something practical and aimed at making your business grow, then guess what the simple action of doing something on a regular basis will take you and your business to the next level.

Each week you share with family and friends how fed up you are with all the povety in the world, you sit there saying this charity should do this and this govererment should do that, guess what I would say to you. Well why do you not do something. Yes each one of us could take some action and do something, and if every person took on the same idea the world would be a better place.

Sorry if this article sounds like I am getting at people, but honest I am not, I am also speaking to myself as well. Instead of us moaning and complaining that this is not happening or our business is not making us as much money as we would like, take some time out, do some thinking and then Just Do Something today, and if you take these steps each and every day you will find your online business and personal life will look totally different this time next year.

Please do not just sit back and talk and moan about things, take the action that is needed and Just Do Something

eBay, Education Amazon, Andrew Milburn, eBay, eBay Consultant, Just Do Something, Lichfield, mentor, My Auction Empires, Online, Online Selling, WS13, WS14, WS15

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Browsing Posts tagged Andrew Milburn