how to run an eBay store without feeling like getting yourself a sweatshop

[gizmoclearance]

hi all the ebay shopmasters...

I have been running an eBay store for 6 months now. daily transactions around 60 (the other id). currently a silver powerseller with 100% positve feedback score.

before I started the store, I had been a freelance graphics designer for years. my hourly rate was $55/hr and earned around 90k a year. not too bad but my problem was the rate had not increased at all for 5 years and I have to compete with younger fresh minds. Many senior designers with 15+ years experience earn just a little more that me. 90k was ok but I want more. 

So I started selling online and try to beat my old life. at the beginning I just wanted to use my spare time but very soon it turns into full-time because there has been no time left after processing orders, customer support, packaging, product researching and marketing. at the beginning I was doing low value items such as phone cases and soon figured out how little margin the other sellers are operating on ebay.

with any order, besides the efforts put into listing the product, a seller has to answer potential buyer's questions, take orders (with colour option etc) , transfer the address to a printed lable, and then pack with bubble  wraps etc. for doing all these I reckon  the seller should deserve at least $5 labour fees on each order . no matter how large volume they sell, as long as it's retail they have to go thru this process everytime.  but most of my competitors sell the  same product for as low as 50c profit per item. I have contacts with the factories I know the bottom cost for the items. So I always wonder.. these sellers (most of them are large seller on ebay, AU based) must got themselves working on really low labour cost.

my daily transaction is around 60+around 20 on my own web store. i am already working over 8 hours a day. so I figure I must profit at least $5 on each item sold in order to bearly make it to an equivalent a full-time job ($400 a day).  to be honest I haven't succeeded to profit $300+ a day. with regular refunds to keep my 100% positive I have to make a few losses every now and then.

I have been researching on products that can generate higher margin. got a few good items but once they reach dominant listing position for a while other sellers will discover and  start selling them to beat my price down, soon my listing position is replaced by other seller because I am simply not willing to process orders for peanuts. 

i am 6 months into ebay I am not sure how the other full-time seller cope with it. with every package I sent I am stressed that this buyer will leave low DSR or even negative feedback. when that happens too often, top-seller status will be lost, as a result listing positions drop then sales decline... I can't go to holidays until the business generates enough profit to cover the cost for hiring other people. with my own store I can stop all google ad campaigns and put up a holiday banner. but on eBay no sales means your top selling products will drop position quickly.

I know i am still new to online business. am I expecting too much?

[alanawent3133]

You are doing very well

What is your store?

[boomct]

Mate there are people struggling to earn $400 per week and you are complaining about $300 per day. All I can say is that you are a nob.

The average wage in Australia is $69K, you were earning $90K and you are whining because you now earn $110K?

Why not stop and consider you are posting to an audience that is likely to be less fortunate than yourself and count your blessings for what you have?

If I could reach through the screen, I would grab you by the scruff and slap you silly.

Ah the almost obligatory criticism of the OP that tends to dominate these boards.  I was waiting for it . . . A simple 'yes, you are expecting too much' quoting the figures you did would have been much more helpful than calling the OP a nob and saying that you'd slap him silly if you could.  Especially since the initial post is both polite and intelligently put.

Sheesh.  

[gizmoclearance]

thanks for the valuable input guys.

Actually I enjoy marketing, designing the product page and some coding. Finally the skills I learnt from my uni degrees and work experience can be used for myself - without bosses and clients telling me what they like to see.

the reason I made a switch is I have some old uni classmates who failed to get employment  but made a fortune by selling online. I was also inspired by a story from my TAX account friend about an uni student client had been making 100k+/month online.

I understand this is a free market if you are not happy with the profit you can move on or leave. I am taking down a few best-selling but low margin items from my shop so I can spend more time investigating other opportunities. 

[littlefrench]

This is a wind up or the OP would be asking on the PS board plus no idea of what they are selling

I think they just like big noting themselves

[mic-s-korea]

If the OP is serious. The most obvious answer is to look into wholesale, rather than individual items. 

Ebay could also think about policing and expanding its wholesale categories. The area I am interested in buying from is flooded with a couple of sellers in China who are listing masses of individual items in a w/s dedicated category.  

[quartzangel]

Ebay I think is very hard work , but fun , stop bitching I agree ,

[extra-keen]

I come from a design/photograph background, and left it, not because of the $s, but because I was just plain over it all, always doing design for someone else, etc etc.

I earn a lot less here on ebay, I work a lot more hours, but do you know... I am working from home, I am a lot happier, I have a lot more time for my family, it costs a lot less to run the vehicle!... I can choose the times for coming and going.

Will never go back to working in the city, with the travel, stress etc.

I do drive a school bus though to supplement my ebay income - and love that too. Why didn't I do this years and years ago?

By the way OP, sounds like you are doing pretty well on ebay, so keep doing what you are doing if you are enjoying it and making some $s.

[alan1o]

The OP and their BS are long gone ]:)

[aston-ss_martini]

Correct!

[howie696]

What a strange thread ?:|