Guest Author - Scott Prock

In a previous article ( click here ) it was mentioned to start out by signing up for an eBay account, and I still believe it to be an important first step and can be done before you go through the "pre-steps" I am about to show you. If for any reason you will want to sign up as soon as possible to allow your first thirty days to run out faster - I'll explain why in a moment.

Something every seller MUST do before they jump in with both feet is decide on WHAT they want to do and what they want to sell.

Let me explain . . .

By far the MOST asked question I here is "What should I sell" followed by "How do I find products" the answer is in how well you prepare before you start.

We will start by answering a few questions, after you answer these you will have a better sense of what and where and how you should start.

1) - What do you enjoy doing? hobbies, interests or desires.

If you think you don't have any hobbies or interests, and you're having a hard time trying to think of an answer to this question, then try and think about what your friends and family like doing, what do you enjoy reading about, what kind of websites do you frequent, do you subscribe to any newsletters. How about what you currently or previously do for work

This is a key element, because if you don't enjoy what you are selling then you won't be passionate about it, and this will show through to your customers.

2) - Do you want to make this a full time income, or will it be more like a hobby?

This question will help you determine whether or not you will benefit from registering a business, and if you will be eligible to take tax deductions - get more info regarding tax advantages HERE

3) - How long are you willing to stick to this?

Getting started and running a successful eBay business isn't going to happen overnight, and contrary to many eBooks out there, making a living on eBay will take WORK, a lot of persistence and the willingness to stick with it even after it seems you are failing.

A lot of successful sellers on eBay have told me they see far too many people just getting started give up when their first couple of products fail to sell or they get burned on a few transactions early in their quest for INSTANT success.

It's only those who will make up their mind to stick it out and learn from mistakes, move on and figure out what works. I;m not trying to scare you out of giving eBay a shot, I just want to pump some reality into your head so you are prepared.

eBay IS a great opportunity and in my opinion, you have a much better chance of success over any other form of business you could start for so little, and the fact that eBay is committed to keeping the playing field level from the smallest to the biggest, is testament to the opportunities available.

When you can answer these questions you will find that the rest of your questions will be easier to answer, for you and anyone who helps you along the way.