Time frame to establish my presence in eBay

[allinonestoreuk]

Hi all 🫰, normally how long will it take to establish myself as a renowned seller in eBay and how often do I have to list? I got a warehouse with around 1,000 to 2,000 line items and I am starting eBay just now that is why asking

 please let me know how can I improve my sales 

thanks in advance

[plpmr]

" I got a warehouse with around 1,000 to 2,000 line items" 

To properly establish you need to register as a business seller to comply with eBay rules and the law.

You cannot run a business from a private account.

[moldosgifts]

First thing is get you account sorted changed to a business account.

I don't feel comfortable giving business advice to a none business seller.

[allinonestoreuk]

I am just learning out the selling so I will not be listing the whole, I am trying to learn in the private and then if everything goes well I will go will subscription 

[plpmr]

Unfortunately it's not a choice it's the law.

there's no running a business from a private account to see how it goes and then maybe registering as a business.

[allinonestoreuk]

I am trying out this platform and I don't have much experience and to be honest I am trying to change it as soon as I am okay with this 

[allinonestoreuk]

Ok I understand thanks for that 

[4_bathrooms]

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@allinonestoreuk wrote:

I am trying out this platform and I don't have much experience and to be honest I am trying to change it as soon as I am okay with this 

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Unfortunately you can't legally do that. The Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations make it a specific criminal offence for a trader to masquerade as a private seller; this is exactly what you are doing by chosing to trade via a private account. Further, the Consumer Contracts Regulations state that if a business doesn't identify themself to consumers prior to the sale (by providing essential information such as the business's name, address, telephone number etc.) and inform a consumer of their legal right to return their buyers have far more rights than if the business identified themself correctly.

 As long as you're illegally trading via a private account you are unlikely to receive any other constructive advice from correctly registered business sellers, many of whom despise the practice.

[allinonestoreuk]

Yes I have made arrangements to start a shop and will get back to you all once I am done to be honest I am creating a shop at the moment 😇

[plpmr]

Starting a shop does not make you a business seller.

[magpiecorner1 · Accepted solution]

Welcome!  

Is this a new business or just a new sales platform for your business?

If you haven't already registered and this is a new business, I'd speak to HMRC after you have booked a couple of hours with an accountant who deals with small businesses.  There is no requirement to register as a business with HMRC until the October after the end of the tax year your began, and a few things to think about if you are registering right at the end of a tax year.   

Whether a new business or simply a new platform - first thing to do is to work out if you can realistically make money selling your goods on eBay.  Get your business plan sorted, whether for a new business, or as an addendum for your existing business,  and work out the costs, I suggest a large glass of your favourite tipple because you will be shocked! 

Feel free to come back to the boards to check you have covered everything - and I'd bet the dog that you will miss something - and it is perfectly acceptable to use your private account, your businss is no one elses concern!  Selling is easy, making a profit is difficult!

And then work out what kind of eBay shop should you have.  Pointless deciding on a featured shop if you can multi list or if you can only list 250 or 300 listings in the first few months.

Sort out your postage costs - that will need a second glass!  And of course all your other costs.  There are many, not least the wonders of promoted listings.

If you have multi items - more than one of the same items, even in different colours or sizes, then you would tackly listings a tad differently to selling unique items (everything is  one off or you have only a few).   The first would benefit from getting everything listed at once, the second is very time-heavy but benefits from listing very regularly.  

Check out competition, and find out about the eBay tools to help you.  Not sure how renowned sellers do, but its a really hard slog for ordinary sellers like me, but as I sell unique items I think it is down to listing regularly and I try to list daily.

Best of luck! 

[allinonestoreuk]

I have already registered myself with HMRC and this is a new platform that I wanted to start long time back but couldn't, you know what forced me to this!? The economic crisis that I am facing, the inventories are piling up with more shelf life and I ain't getting enough sales as before 😕 as someone said nothing is too late to start I am just getting myself started and also as you said I had some small sales but when you consider the costs of postage and my effort that I had put into in order to make those it's like 😒

[magpiecorner1]

I rather suspected that you were, what with having a warehouse, but never does to assume!

When I began, I could do 100% mark up - these days a 300% mark up gives me about the same return but, as you can imagine, difficult. - second hand items that you can buy for £50 and sell for £150 are not easy to find!  But that's the reality of eBay.

Understanding, really understanding fees, and balance sheets - is so important!  

I hope it all comes good for you!

[allinonestoreuk]

May be there is a lot to learn

[btr.style]

Several pointers aside from the business selling on a private account. 

1) it's really not a good idea to have false badges on your listings saying "best seller" "trusted seller" with the account having just 16 items listed and 3 items sold. It makes you look untrustworthy as you are making claims that aren't true. 

2) if you do have an actual warehouse (rented or not), it probably wasn't a good idea so early on in the business. I'd be inclined to think there isn't a warehouse and it's dropshipped goods. 

3) To be established, get a good reputation or be "renowned", you've got a lot of work to do that will take years. Building feedback is a start and it wont look more like a respected seller until it hits at least 1000 (maybe 1 in 3 buyers will leave feedback so that's 3000 items sold). 

4) Build up way more listings. If you do have 1000 items, get them listed, or at least 200. 

[allinonestoreuk]

Thanks for the feedback bro, I am just trying myself out with videos in YouTube and stuffs, the thing what you are telling is also true and makes sense, I will try to rectify it, once again thanks for that 

[allinonestoreuk]

How often do you think I have to list my items like, is there a specific time frame, even the listing is not easy to do all by myself, it takes a lot of time just for a one listing to go live is it only for me or is it the same for everyone 😕

[carbtec]

Looks suspiciously like any other dropshipping get rich quick'r to me.

[allinonestoreuk]

If I would have to do that I wouldn't have spent my time asking here, I would have done it in a way different 

[carbtec]

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@allinonestoreuk wrote:

If I would have to do that I wouldn't have spent my time asking here, I would have done it in a way different 

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I suspect that the vast majority of people who respond to questions on this board will have identified you as just another dropshipper, which goes a long way to explain why you have attracted such low quality responses so far.

If you want to make money on ebay then dropshipping really isn't the way to go. Try to find a USP if you want to sell generic tat successfully. If you need to ask what a USP is then there really is no hope.

Alternatively, you can use your intelligence & business acumen to discover what you can profitably sell & what sells in a way that everyone profits.