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Todd Alexander is an employee of eBay but wrote this book independently of his employment. eBay takes no responsibility for its contents and readers are advised that using the content of the book does not necessarily mean that the reader will have success buying and selling on eBay. The contents of this book contain the views of the author only and do not necessarily reflect the views of eBay.
The material in this publication is of the nature of general comment only, and does not represent professional advice. It is not intended to provide specific guidance for particular circumstances and it should not be relied on as the basis for any decision to take action or not take action on any matter which it covers. Readers should obtain professional advice where appropriate, before making any such decision. To the maximum extent permitted by law, the author and publisher disclaim all responsibility and liability to any person, arising directly or indirectly from any person taking or not taking action based on the information in this publication.
About the author
Todd Alexander has been working in retail and eCommerce for more than 20 years. He is currently Director of Customer Programs at eBay, where he has worked for the past 12 years. During his time at eBay, Todd has helped thousands of Australians to buy and sell successfully on the site. Check 100 is his fourth eBay book. His previous eBay titles are How to Use eBay and PayPal, How to Make Money on eBay and The New eBay , which between them have sold more than 45 000 copies.
Todd is also author of the internet titles Why Pay Retail ? Get Your Business Online Now and Everyday Internet at Any Age as well as the novel Pictures of Us . Most of Todd's books have become national bestsellers.
A regular contributor to online magazines, blogs and webcasts, Todd is widely regarded as Australia's leading eBay expert. He has degrees in literature and law from Macquarie University.
In what spare time he can find, Todd runs a vineyard, olive grove and accommodation business in the Hunter Valley wine region of NSW, continues selling successfully on eBay and writes fiction.
Follow Todd on Twitter: @Todd_Alexander
Like Todd's Facebook author page: www.facebook.com/pages/Todd-Alexander-Author/238364049516271
Visit Todd's website: www.toddalexander.net.au
Introduction
This is Check 100 the kind of book small to medium business owners have been asking for. I've been advising businesses for more than 20 years and one concern has been consistently expressed: owners do not have the time to read hundreds of pages or attend week-long courses, nor do they have the resources to pay for an expensive consultant. Owners are too busy running the company which creates a dilemma: how then can they also find time to improve their business? This is where Check 100 comes in.
In this book you will find 100 must-do tips to ensure your eBay business is successful. If you have an existing eBay business, these are the steps you must take to improve your chances of profitable success. If you're just starting out, these are the 100 things you must incorporate into your eBay business plan.
I've worked at eBay for more than 12 years and in that time I've met thousands of eBay sellers. The tips I have compiled in Check 100 have been collected from my years of experience, and from talking with small and medium business owners like you. From the biggest eBay business right down to the smallest, everyone I've met has been eager to share their tips for success, and now they're all compiled here for you to emulate.
You can choose to open this book at any page and implement one or more of the tips you find, or you can start at the beginning and work your way through to the end. No one tip is more important than the next so you don't need to follow the book chronologically. This is the power of Check 100 find a tip you can implement quickly and next time you pick up the book, find another. Tick the check box once it's complete. You could set yourself the task of completing one check per day so your entire business is optimised for success within three months, or you might prefer to take your time and complete one check per week. This option gives you a two-year turnaround plan.
Each tip gives clear instructions on how to implement it, why you should implement it and how to measure the impact on your eBay business.
Unlike other books, this one doesn't have a 10-page introduction, a list of background reading or a glossary of thousands of terms. You don't have time for any of that. So what are we waiting for? Let's get into it and take 100 steps towards eBay business success.
Throughout this book, I have used a Google URL (web page address) shortener to make it easier for you to copy the correct characters into your search browser. While all URLs in the book begin with http://goo.gl each one will redirect you to the correct page within the relevant website. It's another way to help you save time when completing your 100 checks.
Wherever you see underlined text throughout this book it refers to a clickable link or button on the eBay or PayPal website.
Getting the basics right
CHECKS 1 TO 4
Research your competition
What is it?
Without careful and regular monitoring of your competition, you will quickly fall behind in the battle to attract and retain customers. Do not obsess over your competitors, but instead form a high-level view of who they are, what they do and how well they do it.
Three reasons to do it
Buyers can be fickle. If you don't remain competitive by focusing outwardly from your business, you may lose many buyers before you know why it's happening.