The Benefits of Opening a Booth on Bonanza

Bonanza (formerly known as Bonanzle.com) is an online auction site similar to eBay. You can buy and sell a variety of products there. You can sell anything from handmade products to antiques. Just the variety alone is a good reason to sell on Bonanza.

Registering on Bonanza is quite simple, you fill out four fields with your information and you have completed the registration process. Bonanza seems to be like eBay, instead of having a store like on eBay you will have a booth on Bonanza. If you have an eBay store, you can use the import tool to import the products there and bring them over to your Bonanza booth. Although it is time consuming, it is easier to import around 10 products at a time rather than 50 or more.

It is necessary to get to know your potential customers. They can contact you through your booth, and you can answer any questions they have about your products. This is extremely important to develop the trust between the owner of a business and the customers.

As a business owner, you need to write out your company policies so that there are no misunderstandings. You need to address returns and refunds.

Posting any items to sell if completely free and that includes posting pictures of your items too. When the item is sold, there is a very small fee, it cost about one third of what eBay charges for the same process. The seller is responsible for setting the prices for the items they are selling.

Taking photographs of your items is a very important part of selling. After all, a picture is worth a thousand words. Bonanza encourages you to use or 4 different views of your items so that the customer can see every angle. Along with your pictures, you should write snappy descriptions of your items. Make your item sound like something every one needs to own and can’t resist purchasing it.

There are three different ways to sell your wares. The first way is the regular auction where people bid and the person who bids the most wins. The second is setting a price on your item and sticking with it. The third is called a rush sale on Bonanza. A rush is a quick sale, it is when a group of sellers with similar products discounts their rush items at least 15%. There are different category rush sales every day. It is a way to clear so of your older items and replace them with newer items to sell. This is where setting your price comes in handy, you must make it so that you still profit even having your items in a rush sale.

The seller is responsible for marketing their booth any way they choose. It is simple to add a link to your other websites or in your emails. You can also advertise in several places on the internet. It helps if you email all your friends and family with the news that you have a new booth at Bonanza include your link. Have your family and friends spread the word about your booth and before you know it the customers will come to your booth in droves.


Related Links:

eBay tips that can be used on any online selling service

True or false: Can your packages help you build your customer base?

Learn the tips you need to be successful on online sites from three successful online sellers

Amazon: MY New (Selling) Frontier

In Search of...Income

 

As you know from my other articles, I am a virtual assistant. While I am constantly building my virtual assistant business, I am exploring other options for income. Many years ago while listening to a teleseminar, a coach mentioned that the self-employed should have seven sources of income. Personally, I thought that may be a little excessive but I do believe you should not place all your eggs in one basket!

 

I have been running a Cafepress store for more than eight years. In the past, I have run an eBay store as well. My store is currently on hiatus. I have my virtual assistant business and have decided to consider selling on Amazon.

 

With Cafepress already selling shirts with some of my designs on Amazon and the clothing section of Amazon not accepting new vendors, I began to look at selling used books. I met Suzanne Wells (virtually) years ago when I joined MomPack. MomPack is a virtual network of women-business owners from every industry imaginable. Suzanne is known as the eBay Selling Coach. Her wealth of knowledge has expanded beyond eBay to other sites. Amazon is one of them.

 

Suzanne is now one of the coaches featured at OnlineSellingCoach.com. Thanks to my membership there, I was able to attend a webinar that detailed things to consider when starting or building a book selling business with Amazon.

 

During the webinar, Suzanne shared the following:

• Why traditional books are still a good seller (even in the age of the eReader)
• How to determine the condition of your book (which you have to list on Amazon since they may be used or new)
• How to price competitively
• How to find books to sell
• What tools and software is available to help you sell your books on Amazon
• New uses for old books

 

If you would like to learn more, the webinar I attended is now available on online for replay. To see the replay, you have to be a member of Online Selling Coach. The membership fee is $9.95 per month and you will have access to EVERYTHING on the site, not just this webinar. The site covers selling on many sites such as eBay, Amazon, eCrater, Bonanza, and others.

 

Thanks to Suzanne, I have many tips and tools to help me get started.

Making the Most Out of Facebook for Your Business

Facebook is the most popular social media website on the internet today. Currently they tout having about 500 million users. Due to the fact that there are so many members, Facebook is a perfect venue to advertise and market your business and it is free to join.

Getting Started With Your Profile

After you join Facebook, one of the first things you want to do is create a profile for yourself. Before writing a single thing in that profile, keep in mind that you are representing your company and the profile needs to make a perfect first impression of you and your business. Some business owners do not want their picture shown on the business profile so showing the company logo is acceptable. Put only those things that you want your customers to know about you, try to keep it professional and business like. Although you want to appear transparent in the public eye, you do not want to over do the information you are giving. You will want to tell the customer what year your business was established and a short description of your products or services that you provide. You are only allowed to list 3 links, one should be of your business website, the second could be a special page on your website and the third could be your Facebook business fan page. Keep your business profile updated and current all the time.

Make a Business Fan Page

This is easy to do and will help to promote your business. A fan page is a page that most businesses have where their customers go and they “like” the page. They tell all their friends and so on. On the fan page you can show pictures of your products, announce sales, contests and other promotions that you have going on at that time. You may also add your website link so that a potential client can click on that link and go directly to your site. Your customers will naturally go to you fan page to see new products and get updates of your business. You as the business owner need to keep the page updated and change product pictures often. Use your fan page to have discussions with your customers, as this is a great way to find out what they think about your products or services. Knowing what customers thinks will help you change the way you do things in order to please the clients. This is such valuable information because most business owners have to guess what the customer is thinking.

If you should decide that this is a task you do not wish to attempt, there are many social media consultants that can help you create your fan page. (You can contact me if you need help finding one.)

Using Facebook Polls

Facebook offers polls that anyone can use but they are especially good for the business owners. This is an easy way to find out what people think about any topic. Knowing what potential customers think gives you an advantage over other businesses. Facebook has a number of other free applications like the polls to help the small business owner market their business.

The small business owner should take advantage of everything that Facebook has to offer. Facebook is an easy and effective way to reach many people and is referral marketing at its best! Marketing your business is free and free advertising is hard to find. Once you begin to use Facebook, you will begin to wonder how you did without it all these years.

Do You Have to Be Certified to Become a Virtual Assistant?

One question I hear often from prospective virtual assistants is "Do I need to be certified?" There are many schools of thought on that subject. Many of the virtual assistants (VA's) I know are not certified in the niches they offer while some are. Personally, I am not certified...yet...but I have nearly 20 years of experience as an administrative assistant. I worked in the sales, real estate, publishing, training, and technology industries as well as the Federal Government to gain that experience.

I was fortunate that I was allowed to build many of the positions I held to move outside the box for the usual administrative assistant. That background gave me the opportunity to build a business that is never boring. My clients come from many different backgrounds and I collaborate with each of them in different ways. For me, my experience and knowledge was enough for my clients. Each felt comfortable in trusting me with various tasks for his or her business.

Don't get me wrong. I am not saying that a certification is not necessary. It definitely helps to prove a VA's educational background in specific business areas, if needed.

Now the second question I usually get is "Where can I learn the skills I need to become a VA?" There are many sources available. Many community colleges have embraced the idea of the VA and have begun offering classes in that area. (My local community college offers classes.) There is a college in Albert, Canada that has a Virtual Assistant program (Red Deer College). In addition, there are many virtual assistance industry professionals who offer educational programs. These programs cover various niches and skills that many clients are looking for in a VA.

I am aware that I really did not answer the question! The key thing to remember is that it never hurts to learn more about a subject that is important to you, especially if it will potentially become your livelihood. Also, while one person is comfortable with jumping and learning a skill as they go, the next person may be more comfortable with formally learning the skill before using it with a client. Really, the choice is yours!

To help you get started, take a look at the section below for various educational opportunities for virtual assistants and other virtual business owners.

Educational Opportunities

Virtual Assistant Guide to Success

Grab the contracts and forms you will need for your business

Learn the niche skills you can base your business on

Become a Certified Real Estate Virtual Assistant

Learn to use Wordpress to build websites

Tips for Creating a Comfortable Ergonomic Home Office

In order to create your awesome home office, you need to analyze what you have now. Ask yourself is it comfortable, can you produce good work, and does it function well enough. After answering these questions honestly, then it is time to work on improving your office.

The Computer Desk

Your computer desk should be 24 inches high. This allows the desk chair to slide underneath and for you to sit comfortably in the chair while working. Next to or on your computer desk should be your printer. Everything should be within an arms length for easy access. The file cabinet should be under or on the side of your desk so that you can find paperwork and file papers away. From your desk chair you should be able to reach everything. You should not have to get up and walk to get your supplies.

[ Is it time for a new desk for your office? ]

Ergonomic Chairs

When you work at home you will be sitting on your chair quite a bit. Regular office chairs can be uncomfortable to sit in all day long. It can lead to having pains in the lower back and shoulder area. Today manufactures have made ergonomic chairs. These chairs conform to your body shape and are very comfortable, even sitting in them long periods of time. They are specifically made to support your lower back and shoulder area so that you can work without pain.

[ Check out these cool home and office pieces ]

The Color of Your Office

The color of your office affects your work. In home offices the best color to paint the walls would be a nice neutral color. A lighter color makes an office seem bigger. You can add punches of bolder colors with the accessories you decide to use.

[ Would you prefer a creative alternative to painting? ]

Office Accessories

Office accessories tend to show your personality. You could use a few house plants, a vase of colorful flowers, or even some pretty art on the walls. For inspiration you could hang a nicely framed poem or saying that you just love.

[ Find great gadgets to go with your tech gear! ]

A Small Loveseat

Place a small sized loveseat in your office so that when you have business meetings at home, your guests will have a comfortable place to sit. You can also use it when it’s time to take a break from work.

[ Technology can make your office more special ]

Make It Special

Make your office as special and individual as you. You will be spending several hours a day there and by placing things that you love to look at will help the hours go by. When you have an awesome vision most likely your office will be better than anything you dreamed about when it is completed. The results will be you will become more productive and feel good in something you created.

A comfortable home office is a large part of the success of your home based business. Working in an environment that provides a good and healthy atmosphere will increase your productivity. It is important that you take the time to make sure your home office fits your personal needs.

Ten Free (Or Close To It) Ways to Market Your Business

One skill that a small business owner needs is the ability to stretch $1 in their budget into $5! There are many little things you can do that will cost you virtually nothing to market and grow your business. Here are 10 of my favorites:

1) Put Your Email On Your Payroll - Within your email setup, you have the option to include a signature. This is true of your personal email as well! Next time you forward that joke or inspirational email to your circle of friends…make sure you have a signature attached that lists your company name and the URL to your website.Don’t forget to include that snazzy slogan! Your friends will probably forward that email out to their friends and in the process send out your signature line. You never know who that information is going to reach and what that can bring!

2) Borrow “Craigslist” of Friends - Craigslist has become one of the largest classifieds/bulletin board sites to exist since the Internet began. The audience it reaches is phenomenal and is growing by leaps and bounds. Can you believe that almost every posting that exists on Craigslist.org was posted for free! With local boards in more than 100 cities around the word and with more coming, you have the potential to tell millions about your business with a free ad. Check out eBay Classifieds, as well! They allow free postings as well but have not built the same audience size Craigslist has. Eitherway…free is free. If one person reads your ad, it could be the one person who needs your business!

3) This Ad is “CLASSIFIED”! – Look to your local area’s classified ads. I live in North Carolina and there are two very large classifieds sites that allow free posts. A local station here (WRAL) allows free ads on their website that last for 7 days and RTPClassifieds.com allows free ads as well. That ad that took you 5 minutes to write and $0.00 to post could reach thousands and gain you much exposure. Make sure you start a database of your classified ads that you can cut and paste in quickly and easily when you find other free classified ad sites.

4) Donate “Cause” You Care – If there is a charity that may be related to your business or maybe one that is close to your heart, I am sure it is looking for fundraising items. If the charity is having an auction or giveaway, you could donate a product or service from your business. You are not only helping them with their cause, you are also showing your generosity, marketing your business and getting a tax write-off all at the same time!

5) “Plant” a Business Card – Use area cork boards at grocery stores, libraries and bookstores to post business cards of your business. Leave many in case a prospective customer wants to take your information. Keep a list of places where you have posted the cards and check them regularly to replenish as needed.

6) RIN-N-N-NG! Hello-o-o-o-o New Business! – Every year you get at least one new set of Yellow Pages…put it on your payroll! Choose an industry that would benefit from the services your business would offer. Check the yellow pages for a list of businesses in that industry. Open your planner or your PDA software and place the information about one of those businesses on your calendar for what you consider your “light day” for your next week. Take a few minutes to “Google” that company and find out what you can about it. Then call them. Tell them about your company and see how you can become a value-add for them. Repeat this with a different business regularly…once a month…once a week….once a day! It could be the beginning of a beautiful “business” relationship!

7) Howdy (Corporate) Partner! - Do you have friends that run or work for a company that could use your services? Ask about helping them! Keep in mind that-outsourcing is a major trend in business today. Cold call large businesses in your area and inquire about their small business partnerships. Put your business on a partners list with companies so they know where they can turn when they need assistance. Companies are always happy to align themselves with a company that can provide services to them on quick notice versus going through an official hiring process that could take weeks, maybe even months!

8) I Am Therefore I Write – The best way to let prospective clients and customers know about you is to use the Internet forums (bulletin boards) to post your expert opinions. Use your search engines to find online forums that address your area of expertise. Become a member and spend a few minutes every day or so checking for questions. It will give you an opportunity to show what you know. (Make sure you include that infamous signature with your company’s information with your posts!)You never know who is posting those questions…it could be someone asking on behalf of a company that you could end up partnering with!

9) Become Your Own Best Customer – How can you expect your customers to buy something you don’t even “buy” yourself! Maybe you make unusual handbags…carry one! The general public has NO problem asking about where you got something! Proudly tell them it is one of your originals! Do you design creative and innovative brochures? Create one for your favorite charity (with their permission, of course) and donate a few copies and the PDF version of your creation(with a small “Designed by….” with your name and web address). You never know whose hands that brochure may end up in! Paving the way to additional business!

10) Print Your Own Money – Wait! Let me explain! Don’t do anything that might get you in trouble with the Feds but offer your best customers the opportunity to make money! Design your own currency. When one of your clients sends you a customer that buys from you, give that client a rebate based on what the new customer purchases. Do you make items? Include that rebate offer inside the item for them to share with a friend! Say that new customer ends up purchasing $1000 worth of services or product. You could send the client who referred you a 10% rebate or$100 in “Your Money”. The client can use your “dollars” to buy even more services from you. Plus, a referral or customer testimony can be your best marketing. Make it fun…express your creativity…make all denominations and include fun pics of you or your products in use! Your clients will love it! And the referral business will flow in to your business like water!

Free Systems That New Freelancers Should Not Miss!