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November 30, 2004
An eBay Home Business = Piece Of Cake?
“How hard is it to start an Ebay home business” is a question I am asked constantly. It's a legitimate question, but the folks I object to are the 'whiners'. You can see them everywhere – especially in discussion boards. They complain about how hard it is and how unfair things are and how they've been disappointed by gurus everywhere and all they want is a “real” business opportunity.
Well, I've got news for those folks – there are REAL opportunities everywhere. In fact, many people on the Net will agree with me that the real problem is in choosing which opportunity to accept. So many choices, so little time.
An email from a new Auction Genius student may help us Net marketers to put things in perspective. He writes that he sold his companies and retired in 1991:
- - -
At that time companies I owned employed over 3,000 people scattered throughout the English speaking world. The accompanying baggage included potential:
1. Personnel problems
2. Governmental regulatory problems
3. Vendor/supplier problems
4. IRS problems
5. $1,600,000 monthly insurance premiums
6. Customer relation problems
7. Logistical problems
8. Increasingly unrealistic deadlines
9. Equipment problems
10. Land and facility construction and acquisition (and accompanying local statute) problems..............
The list goes on and on.
- - -
Doesn't that list make Internet success look a lot (a whole lot!) easier?
Posted by SydneyJohnston at 1:57 PM | TrackBack
November 29, 2004
Choose To Be Rich
In June of 2004, Daniel Akst, a novelist and columnist in Tivoli, New York, offered this year's crop of college graduates some uncommon advice quite unlike that of most commencement speakers. His article appeared in The Wall Street Journal and it's of great interest to all net marketers. His advice? It's your DUTY to be rich!
Take it away Mr. Akst ...
- - -
"Graduates, Take Heed: Ignore the high-minded advice. Make some money. It's your moral obligation.
If you're newly graduated from college, you may be wondering right about now just how you're going to save the world.
Your commencement speech, after all, was probably delivered by a well-to-do older person who exhorted you to go out and make a difference somehow. Lots of other people will offer advice on what to with yourself as well--rent "The Graduate" sometime and listen for that line about "plastics." Joseph Campbell, as silly as he was sage-like, might have suggested you "follow your bliss." The vastly more credible Thoreau urged you to "go confidently in the direction of your dreams."
I hope what you are dreaming of is making the world a better place, and unlike all these other kibitzers, I can tell you exactly how to do so. Just go out and make the most money you can. Then, if you still want to do more, give it away.
Contrary to your prosperous commencement speaker, anything else you do is selfishness and vanity. Don't get me wrong: It's not bad to delude yourself that you are pursuing a low-paid line of work in the name of helping others. Heck, you probably would be helping others--only not nearly as much as you could by getting rich.
Face the fact that if you embark on a career as, say, a social worker, you've done so because you like it, because it makes you feel important and because you don't have the stomach to do some really major good. That would require making piles and piles of dough.
I know this is news you don't especially want to hear. And I know it sounds callous. So instead of trying to prove the case by cold, hard logic, let me tell you a story.
This is the tale of a couple of ambitious young men who graduated from an Ivy League university in 1978. One--we'll call him "Dan"--idealistically chose a career in journalism, hoping eventually to transcend even this sainted calling in order to write novels. The other, whom we'll call "Alex," descended to the nethermost reaches of Manhattan to work in the securities industry, where he set about seeking his fortune.
Fast-forward 25 years. Our two graduates, out of touch for a while, renew their acquaintance. How have they fared since college? Dan did more or less what he set out to do. He has had a career in journalism (including some modestly edifying muckraking), has published a couple of well-received novels and now spends his days typing industriously away, undeterred by the world's indifference to his work.
Alex, meanwhile, made several hundred million dollars. In fact, Alex is retired from business and spends his time running the foundation he established with some of his wealth. When he dies, a good hunk of the rest will go the same way.
Now, my question for all you budding poets and video artists and social workers is: Who ended up doing more to make the world a better place, Dan or Alex? It's hard to argue with Alex's foundation. But Alex was improving the world long before he devoted himself and his wealth to philanthropy. How?
First, he made his money by providing an unambiguously valuable service. Trust me, become an activist or artist and sooner or later you will wonder whether what you do is really worthwhile to anyone. But Alex doesn't have to puzzle over the value of what he did, because someone clearly was willing to pay all that money for the fruits of his labor. Along the way, he treated his employees well, helping them and their families achieve better--and no doubt longer--lives, since affluence and longevity are correlated. At the end, when the business was sold, he rewarded them handsomely.
What Alex specifically did on Wall Street, moreover, helped make the securities markets more efficient, which benefits everyone--especially the present and future retirees, middle-class families, endowed colleges and other non-plutocrats who make up so much of the market by investing through pension funds, mutual funds and other institutions. Alex didn't meet a lot of widows and orphans in his work, but what he did almost certainly improved their lot.
For doing this work, Alex was magnificently rewarded, enabling him to amass a significant sum of investment capital--which makes the rest of us richer as well. Economics, remember, is not a zero-sum game. Capital is the lifeblood of the economy, fueling the productivity gains that in turn fuel expanding affluence and social progress. As if none of this were sufficient, Alex's earnings required him to pay enough income taxes over the years for the government to employ a small army of social workers. He never shirked these obligations through dubious tax-shelter schemes, either. And don't forget the foundation!
The conclusion is unavoidable: If you have a good education, you shouldn't just consider getting rich. Creating and amassing wealth is an outright moral obligation. Do so and you can take comfort not just in financing public services but in knowing that you are giving people what they need or want, generating jobs and underwriting the affluence that makes art, justice, environmental protection and other social goods possible.
Of course, making yourself a pile of money is good for you too. You'll live in a better neighborhood, drive a safer car, get to be more selective in choosing a spouse and enjoy a longer, healthier life. Your kids will get a better education, which in turn will mean more of the same for them, too--and will better equip them to improve the world still more.
From a moral standpoint, it is clear that Alex has done his part. With such an eleemosynary career under his belt--and such bulging bank accounts--he has decided to indulge himself and stop making money. The money he already has is busily reproducing itself, of course, and meanwhile he is spending most of his time figuring out how he can use it to make the world a better place. Sounds like fun, no?
Meanwhile, Dan is writing another novel--just what the world needs. The shelves at Barnes & Noble are full of them. Libraries are bursting. Yet he selfishly pours his energies into adding one more. How can he redeem himself for squandering his education in this way? Perhaps his next book should be a story about two friends and what they've learned over the years about saving the world. If it's a bestseller, he can always give the money away."
Posted by SydneyJohnston at 10:41 AM | TrackBack
November 25, 2004
Gratitude & Thanksgiving: Good For Every Day
If you live in the US, you already know that this is our American Thanksgiving. This is a holiday that I personally approve of in a big way. We've all read and thought about the excesses that sometimes accompany Christmas and other holidays become so obscured with symbolism and silliness as to be almost meaningless, except as a day off from our labors. (Unless you're an entrepreneur, of course – then you never get a day off!)
But Thanksgiving is a more modest time. Only the grocery stores and markets profit so it isn't overblown. Only the poor turkey suffers, so no one is offended. Instead, it's a perfect opportunity to reflect on the many blessings we all have in our lives. You might read that sentence and think, “Ha! If she knew what my life was like, she wouldn't say something so ridiculous!”. Well, you'd be wrong about that. No matter what problems you have, I can guarantee that if you turn on the news tonight and watch it for a few minutes, you will see how many reasons you have to be grateful. In fact, the list is endless.
One of my major interests in life is understanding success. Not just success at 'making money on the Internet', although that is certainly a major focus of my life, and probably yours, too. Beyond that, though, I'm fascinated by what makes a life successful or not, in terms of joy, health, happy relationships, as well as financial success. And one thing I am absolutely certain about is that the more grateful I am for what I already have – the more I seem to get. Even if that wasn't true, the more grateful we are, the happier we will be.
So whether you're living in the US or not, why not honor Thanksgiving in your heart and take a few moments to acknowledge and notice your blessings, expressing gratitude to whoever or whatever you personally believe in. An even better idea would be if EVERY day is Thanksgiving Day!
Posted by SydneyJohnston at 12:20 PM | TrackBack
November 22, 2004
Ebay Fraud: A Whole New Gimmick
Friday I got an email message that was supposedly from PayPal. The message was “confirming” a payment for $278.99 that I supposedly made:
Naturally, this amount is significant enough to warrant my attention, and I immediately checked on this transaction – just in case someone had indeed charged my PayPal account without authorization or in case PayPal had made a mistake.
But the point is this ... I LOGGED INTO MY PAYPAL ACCOUNT DIRECTLY rather than following the link in the email above. By following the link, you will be taken to a page where (big surprise!) you will be asked to fill in all the pertinent information that will allow a bunch of thieves to empty your PayPal account.
The moral to the story, again, is never, never, never give information on any account by following an email! Always go directly to the account via your browser.
By the way, the item that I supposedly paid $278.99 for is the game Myst III – which is selling for $2.85 on Amazon!
Posted by SydneyJohnston at 12:34 PM | TrackBack
November 19, 2004
What To Sell On eBay: A Cheese Sandwich?
Yep, it's baaaaaaaaaacccccccccccccccckkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk! The cheese sandwich with the picture of the Virgin Mary on it! “Ridiculous!” you say? Actually, I totally agree with you but take a look at the infamous, er, famous sandwich and decide for yourself:
The original was supposedly a 10 year old sandwich sold by a seller name Diana Duyser. Supposedly, she took one bite of the sandwich (made on plain white bread with American cheese and cooked with no oil or butter) and noticed the face. She supposedly kept it on her nightstand for 10 years, wrapped in a baggie, and claims the sandwich never got moldy. She sold the original on eBay for over $16,000.
And of course, there are all kinds of “spinoffs”, like
* The “Virgin Mary Grilled cheese sandwich replica limited” a wooden copy of the original sandwich, which is currently selling for the astonishing price of $14,600:
* And there are several pieces of “Virgin Mary toast:
* And naturally there's an “ I Ate The Virgin Mary Grilled Cheese Shirt”
I can't even think of what I want to say about this kind of ... stuff.
Posted by SydneyJohnston at 1:28 PM | TrackBack
November 18, 2004
Email Lists And Your Internet Income
All the 'gurus' say it – the most important asset in our business in our email list. But what does that really mean? Are all email lists alike? And how does that translate into dollars and cents?
Of course, there is no single answer to this complex question. But marketing expert Ralph Wilson does give us some sane and sensible ways to evaluate the value of any list. He says it depends on 6 factors:
* Deliverability
* List aging
* List focus
* Trust
* Permission
* Saturation
If you're thinking about starting your own list, or considering how many resources you should put into expanding the one you have, you will want to read this thoughtful article:
http://www.wilsonweb.com/art/email/optin-value.htm
Posted by SydneyJohnston at 12:50 PM | TrackBack
November 16, 2004
A New Insight Into Criminal Activity
Have you ever heard of the “Nigerian Scam”? It's the most famous ripoff in the world. It used to be confined to mail order, but since the Net has come into the lives of most of America, they've moved it over to the Internet. In fact, I get several of them each week. It pretends to be somebody in another country (originally Nigeria, but now expanded to other countries) who has multi millions of dollars but can't get them into the country, and wants the help of the recipient.
I've often wondered about this ridiculous scam and why it succeeds. After all, why would anyone give a complete stranger access to that kind of money? Why wouldn't they go to a reputable financial institution for help. The gullibility of people who believe this kind of junk has always amazed me.
Since yesterday, though, I finally understand! I have repeatedly cautioned my students and ezine readers about the fake eBay emails that are all over the Net. The scam is that your eBay account has some sort of problem and unless it is updated, it can no longer be used. The victim is directed to a page which asks for all pertinent information about his eBay account. Of course, eBay has nothing to do with this and the Bad Guys now have valuable information which they use to defraud others.
To underscore my warning, I actually copied a page from one of these criminals. I left the page there for my students and readers and thought no more about it - until yesterday, when we received a call from eBay: apparently the search engines picked up the page and “large numbers” of people filled out the form on my teaching page. eBay was not at all upset with us, but they did ask us to modify the page in some way so people wouldn't fill it out. Of course, we removed it immediately. But, it's still amazing because this was the URL of the page:
http://auctionknowhow.com/listing/scumbags.shtml
First of all, the website isn't ebay. Secondly, it includes the word “scumbags”. Would criminals really put that in their dishonest listings? So, I find it amazing that anyone would actually take this page seriously! But I do understand the Nigerian scam and others now ... it's strictly about NUMBERS! Send out enough of this garbage and a certain percentage of people will fall into your trap.
Posted by SydneyJohnston at 1:16 PM | TrackBack
November 11, 2004
Oprah's Closet Charity Auction
Until November 17, you have the chance to buy some designer duds from Oprah and raise money for Oprah's Angel Network. The clothes for sale are from Karl Lagerfeld, Chanel, Chloe, Valentino and a host of designers that I admit I have never heard of (but then, no one ever accused me of being High Fashion!) Looking at the prices of these clothes and accessories, I'm glad to stick with J Jill, Chico's and Coldwater Creek. Here's a sample (at "only" $3500 - with 6 days to go!) ...
Current bidding for other items is at:
* $2,550 for a “tank dress”
* $1,009 for a jacket
* $1,000 for burgundy leather pumps
* $3,051 for a “bugle bead gown”
What is the “Angel Network”? According to the Oprah site: “Oprah's Angel Network is currently involved in building rural schools in 10 different countries (China, Ecuador, Ghana, Guatemala, Haiti, India, Mexico, Nicaragua, Sierra Leone and Tanzania). Thirty-four schools have been built through Kids Can Free the Children, providing education for thousands of children in remote areas of the world.”
The Angel Network also established the "Use Your Life Award" in April 2000, and since then has awarded it to individuals who through their charitable organizations are making a difference in the lives of others. Oprah says, "I would encourage you to look inside yourself, to see what you have to offer … and use that to give back to the world."
Supported by donations from actor Paul Newman, founder of "Newman's Own"; Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon.com; and from donations by The Oprah Winfrey Show viewers, the "Use Your Life Award" helps recipients to expand their programs and to continue helping those in need.
To date, 54 "Use Your Life Awards" have been presented, totaling six million dollars.
The auction is here:
http://members.ebay.com/ws2/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewUserPage&userid=oprah-auction
If you're interested in bidding, go here to see the goodies:
http://www.oprah.com/presents/2004/ebay/slide/2004_ebay_101.jhtml
Posted by SydneyJohnston at 1:51 PM | TrackBack
November 9, 2004
Ebay Stores: Macromedia Contributes To eBay Store Building
Macromedia is the developer of the famous Dreamweaver, which is considered the best HTML writer in existence and a product I have used for years with great joy. Macromedia is also famous for Flash and Cold Fusion. Now Macromedia is offering Contribute 3 for eBay store wanna-be sellers.
Contribute 3 is a special version of Macromedia's Contribute Web publishing desktop application and is designed to automate and simplify the creation and modification of eBay stores. It will allow eBay store owners to create, update, and customize their stores' content and design through a visual editing interface designed for nontechnical users.
Contribute 3 for eBay requires no programming skills and leads users through step-by-step wizards for designing an eBay store's logos, images, product categories, and product search, among other things. The product features about 800 templates for eBay store pages.
eBay, like Amazon, Google and other big-money sites has its own API (Application Programming Interface) program. Macromedia designers used the eBay API to create this special version of Contribute. The program lets developers link applications directly with the eBay database through XML. With the eBay API, developers can create eBay applications that feature a custom interface, special functions, and operations beyond the regular eBay interface.
Contribute 3 costs $149 but is currently available for $99.
http://www.macromedia.com/software/contribute/special/ct3_ebay/?prid=AJQJ
They just keep making it easier and easier, don't they? Golly, Mr. Dillon, what'll they think of next?
Posted by SydneyJohnston at 1:17 PM | TrackBack
November 8, 2004
My Opera Web Browser – Just Another Reason To Love It!
I just love Opera, and over the weekend I found another reason to be glad it's installed on my PC. On Friday I was working at a very well known site (whose name you would all recognize!) To my aggravation and annoyance, a pop up window opened about every 30 seconds. In fact, often multiple popups opened. What especially aggravated me is that I was working at a control panel that I PAY for – it wasn't even a freebie area of the site!
So I opened my preferences menu and chose “Block all pop-ups”. Yeah! Success! No more irritating, annoying popups.
The next morning, though, I was managing a program and it wouldn't work. I couldn't understand why because I've done it many times with no problem. When my tech appeared he immediately checked my popups menu and told me that was the problem.
Instead of blocking ALL pop-ups I can choose “Block unwanted popups”.
Perfect! No popups that I don't want – but popups appear when I want them!
Apparently, though, all browsers don't have this option. For most of them, popups are either “on” or “off”. Just another reason to love Opera.
Posted by SydneyJohnston at 11:17 AM | TrackBack
November 5, 2004
Joseph Bonanno “The Godfather” - Does Crime Really Pay?
Supposedly, the epic movies of The Godfather, were modeled on Mafia crime boss Joseph Bonanno. For the last 20 years of his life, he was cared for by his daughter in law who is now selling many of his possessions on eBay. You can buy goodies like these:
A check signed by The Godfather, himself
Or his lifetime membership to the Elks club
Actually, though, I was surprised by his house which is much more modest than I would have expected for a top crime leader. It has only three bedrooms – nothing wrong with that, but I would have expected a huge and sprawling estate. Oh, well, it does have a “secret room” (we can probably be glad we don't know what went on in there!):
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=12605&item=4334052509&rd=1
* A beige sports jacket tailored for “Mr. B” (kinda makes you gag, doesn't it, to have the auction refer so affectionately to him?)
* An ashtray from his “celebrity hangout”
* A Countess Mara silk tie in gray, gold and black
* A pair of his size 10 leather boots
Is there bidding on all this “authentic” ... er, stuff? You bet!
Others are cashing in on his notoriety. For instance, look at this Tshirt with his picture on it:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=15687&item=3939435843&rd=1
Another enterprising entrepreneur is selling his family chart and has paid for the subtitle of “GAMBLING RACKETEERING EXTORTION STRONG ARM MURDER MORE!”
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=378&item=4501353955&rd=1
Why in the world do we make heroes out of criminals?
Posted by SydneyJohnston at 1:51 PM | TrackBack
November 1, 2004
Product Sourcing Scams Revealed
I am thrilled to announce that Chris Malta and I have just e-published a new book called Product Sourcing Scams Revealed. Quite honestly, the reason for the book is that we got mad. Furious, actually. We both agree that we are sick and tired of scammers selling useless and stupid so-called “information” on wholesale and dropship suppliers. It not only wastes money but, more importantly, it wastes the buyer's time and slows the success of a business. For some, the discouragement might even lead them to quit altogether.
Here's an example:
- - -
“What I'm offering you is a list of over 150 sites that offer dropshipping on tons of different products.
These are the sites that other people don't give out because they don't want anyone else selling their products. Why am I telling you my sites? Because it's not about selling everything on the site or just the best products on the site. Most of my profit comes from the overlooked items that are rare to find. I'd give you this list for free if I could, the only reason why you pay at all is because of the e-bay and paypal fees.”
The cost of this is one cent.
Let me ask you a question: if YOU were making money with products from a supplier, would you sell that information for one cent – and thereby create competitors for yourself?
I know that I wouldn't!
- - -
Another one sells a “top secret” CD and says,
"When You Buy This CD, I Will Give You 100% Full Resell Rights! That's Right!
You Will Be Able To Reproduce This CD And Resell It Any Way You Wish!
(SELL JUST 1 AND YOU'VE MADE YOUR MONEY BACK!)"
Suppliers move, change their contact information or policies, go out of business, etc. With this CD there can be no updating whatsoever. So, even if the suppliers were worthwhile initially (highly doubtful, and the seller offers no proof that they are valuable), there can never be any updating. Instead, long chains of people just keep buying and selling the same old tired CD, trying to recoup the money they wasted.
- - -
Product Sourcing Scams Revealed covers two main topics:
1. How to recognize REAL wholesalers and dropshippers and how to find them for yourself
2. How to recognize the Junk Information sellers that haunt the Net
Chris Malta is a partner in a wholesale and dropship company in NY, so he knows the business from the supplier side. Sydney Johnston has used these suppliers for years in her Internet businesses, so she has the user perspective.
The book only cost $1 and this small sum is donated 100% to the Boys and Girls Club Of America.
You can find Product Sourcing Scams Revealed here:
