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June 26, 2007
Weird Al on eBay
If you're wondering about Weird Al on eBay, join the crowd. I admit to knowing absolutely nothing about Weird Al, except that his name has cropped up everywhere. Alfred Matthew "Weird Al" Yankovic was born October 23, 1959, and is an American singer, musician, satirist, parodist, songwriter, accordionist, and television producer. Yankovic is known in particular for his humorous songs that make light of popular culture and that often parody specific songs by contemporary musical acts. eBay, of course, is an American institution by now, and so his eBay song is quite famous so here it is! Drumroll ...
Posted by SydneyJohnston at 8:53 AM | TrackBack
June 23, 2007
Convert PDF To HTML Online
Have you ever wanted to convert a PDF to HTML online? I have and didn't know how to do it - except the hard, laborious way.
Worry no more, because with the help of GMail, you can now convert PDF to HTML online - and it's free! Wahoo for free. :-)
To convert Open Office, Microsoft Office, and PDF documents to HTML straight away without needing to install any third-party conversion software like PDF2HTML, Clickcat-P2H, or Adobe Acrobat, you only need to have an account with GMail and an internet access. GMail enables you to convert MS Excel (.xls), MS Word (.doc), MS Powerpoint (.ppt), Rich Text Format (.rtf), and PDF documents to HTML for free! This free online conversion works on all platforms, from Windows PC, to MAC, or Linux.
GMail’s recently announced outstanding feature, the “See it now”, and does its own way to help you speed up the process of converting your PDF documents to HTML. You can also utilize this feature to convert WML files (Wireless Markup Language) and OpenOffice.org Document Formats (Calc, Impress, Writer, and Presentation) to HTML.
For more on converting PDFs ...
Posted by SydneyJohnston at 12:58 PM | TrackBack
June 20, 2007
Yahoo Auctions: Goodbye to Auctions From Yahoo
Yahoo auctions closed its doors on June 16. Yahoo tried to save its auction business - even going so far as to eliminate fees in June of 2005 - but it was a lost cause. Acknowledging its defeat by eBay by officially closing was only an acceptance of the auction reality that eBay is currently untouchable.
Still, all competition isn't dead. Specifically, uBid has entered into a deal with Yahoo to accept its auction sellers onto the uBid site with no pre-qualifications. uBid has a "Certified Merchant" program with 2,500 members (as of April, 2007) in an attempt to reduce or eliminate fraud. uBid reports 341,000 auction participants - a far cry from eBay, but still impressive.
Posted by SydneyJohnston at 12:07 PM | TrackBack
June 17, 2007
eBay Shipping Charges: eBay Fights Against Excessive Shipping
At the current eBay Live, eBay mentioned a "price & shipping sort" as a way to combat excessive eBay shipping charges. Any effort in this direction is welcome because some of the sellers on eBay USA, at any rate, are ridiculous! Look at this prime example ...
Here we have a downloadable product - meaning there is no shipping involved at all since the seller can simply email it to the buyer or set up a download page. Yet, this dishonest person is charging $27!!! What a ripoff. This is simple highway robbery and no sane buyer will ever purchase this ridiculous auction. And eBay definitely has an obligation to do its part to end such disgraceful auctions.
Posted by SydneyJohnston at 11:48 AM | TrackBack
June 15, 2007
Online Home Schooling Via eBay USA
eBay niches can be deceptive. I recently listened to an audio book about homeschool programs and wondered if home schooling might be a good niche on eBay? After all, it's a fast-growing and hot topic - in the US, at least.
Going to eBay, I discover that there are only 40 items for sale today {June 15), with five more from international sellers. That isn't many so we might jump to the conclusion that home schooling is a lousy place to be. But that isn't necessarily so!
For instance, most of the eBay entries are about home schooling supplies, like books, magnetic letters, instructional CDs and an occasional goodie like a "video kit". But when we vary the spelling of this term, the results change:
* homeschooling: 163 listings
* homeschool: 2187
* home school: 404
Further, when we expand our search parameters to the most common items - kids books - the numbers increase astronomically: 33771
The moral to this story is it's necessary to dig deeper into niches and areas of eBay - and anywhere else on the Net. What seems to be obvious at first glance might be totally incorrect. Do not make hasty judgments!
Posted by SydneyJohnston at 7:28 PM | TrackBack
June 12, 2007
Weighty Resources On eBay
I was looking for some old diet books, just to get away from the hype of today's advertising and get back to some more "common sense" menus & recipes for weight loss. In cruising eBay I saw several 1940's-vintage "Mayo Clinic Diet Manuals", which I'll probably get. But although the "Diet Manuals" are legitimate, I was amazed to learn recently that there isn't any such animal as the "Mayo Clinic Diet" itself itself. You know the old grapefruit diet? Yeah, that one. Well, the Mayo Clinic never did publish or endorse it.
Yet this myth about the Mayo Clinic grapefruit diet has persisted since the 1940's. For those of us who enjoy a good mystery this is quite intriguing. What clues can we find? Perhaps there were some free online diet plans that erroneously referred to this mythical diet.
Or more likely someone just misunderstood what they read in the vintage Mayo Clinic Diet Manuals.
Regardless of the myth's origin, good reliable information on healthy eating and weight loss is available. And I wanted to pass along these few ideas just in case there's anyone else besides me looking for good weight loss tips.
Posted by SydneyJohnston at 7:02 PM | TrackBack
June 11, 2007
Free Videos To Watch #4: Selling On eBay: An Almost Hopeless Business Idea
I received this email from a very sincere and hard-working guy - but he doesn't understand his numbers and he doesn't realize what he is getting into!
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Hi Sydney,
Recently I started taking this vitamin supplement, and I love the product. I feel stronger and defiantly have more energy. The other day I rode my mountain bike and I was amazed at the performance improvement.
So, obviously, thanks to you, I devised a unique plan to sell this amazing product to the world on eBay.
My plan is to…
1) Sell the "hand out" or "samples" of the product on eBay, to capture the "hot lead".
2) Then, get them to register with the company and place the monthly "auto-ship order". I then make $20 a month, every month, from that customer. - (What do you think?... Pretty good...hu...)
I think I have built a great ad (URL of auction) and have successfully completed 12 sales of the "samples" in only 3 weeks. ( that beats the competition’s sales 10 to 1 )
But I have gotten only one customer to register and place the "auto-ship" order.
I send out an email and ask them "How do you like the product? Please call me", but no one has called... I need some ideas.
Could you help me devise "phase two" of my plan?
P.S. I know you are a health conscious person, and I would be more than elated if you were to "Buy" one of my ads.
** Wouldn’t That Be Cool? **
Then you could help me with sales, and I would help you with your exercise performance improvement, because this stuff really works.
= = = = = = =
Of our current free videos, this one is possibly the most important in terms of numbers. You simply MUST analyze your numbers before you get into a biz opportunity - unless you want to be disappointed, that is.
Posted by SydneyJohnston at 11:14 PM | TrackBack
June 8, 2007
Free Videos To Watch #3: Products To Sell On eBay: Acquiring & Storing eBay Products For Resale
Our third free video you can watch at home is "Products To Sell On eBay: Acquiring & Storing eBay Products For Resale". This is blunt talk about what is required for selling on eBay.
Selling on eBay is lucrative, wonderful, exciting (and lots of other wonderful accolades) but like everything else in life, there is a price to be paid. The Internet is awash in people promising great success and rewards - with very little work or effort. This simply isn't true, as any mature person already knows.
Below are concerns from two of my students about two issues:
"Does my home have to become a mini-warehouse, storing merchandise for sale on eBay?"
"What if I don't have a lot of money to spend on inventory?"
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"I may be jumping the gun a bit here but I would appreciate some ideas and direction. Now that my own flood has started, the last thing that I want to do is become a mini-warehouse. I realize that drop shipping is not the best or easiest way to go. Therefore, ordering products and storing them for sale and shipment seems to be the direction that this class is taking us. Problem is I live in a small apartment where space is pretty much at a premium. Making the kind of money that I am shooting for on eBay would fill my place to the rafters. I may even have to tell hubby to sleep in the car! So what I am asking is, how can I minimize the stocking of goods that are to be sold? Since small items like jewelry is a hard niche to compete with and not suggested by Sydney, where do I go from here. Also the cash investment needed to buy larger orders from wholesalers can be quite a chunk and financially for me would be a little difficult right now. Any suggestions will be welcome. This is a great class by the way!"
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"Great question. I think your asking an extremely valuable question and it is something that should be addressed in class tomorrow. I'm not interested in stocking a mini-warehouse either and I'm sure that Sydney doesn't have a mini-warehouse at her residence and must have the answer to that question. Initially for the process of learning I think we are going to have to buy some relatively inexpense small items and develop good working templates and strategies, but I don't believe that is the ultimate goal that Sydney has in mind for us."
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My answers to these two very important eBay selling questions are blunt - and possibly unpopular. But that's OK because only those folks who are willing to face the truth about what's required are going to be successful anyway.
Posted by SydneyJohnston at 11:11 PM | TrackBack
June 5, 2007
The Optimist's Creed by Christian D. Larson
There really isn't anything I want to say about this video except - watch it! Just watch it.
http://clicks.aweber.com/z/ct/?iKxMzApW1G20iINZpGEeTw
Posted by SydneyJohnston at 12:31 PM | TrackBack
June 2, 2007
Your Home Based Affiliate Business & How To Fail!
So many folks begin a home based affiliate business with great intentions and even a strong work ethic. But they fail miserably. The reasons aren't that hard to figure and Andre Chaperon just wrote an outstanding checklist for failure. Of course, this applies to ANY business, not just an affiliate one:
* Is an opportunity seeker.
* S/he purchases every how-to product under the sun - then doesn't fully execute any. Hell, most products don't even get read to the end - if at all.
* Distractions are everywhere - and seem impossible to overcome or avoid.
* No solid plan or business model to speak of.
* No consistency and follow through.
* Little focus.
* Doesn't test out a product or revenue model thoroughly. Then wonders why s/he didn't earn any money. Internet marketing = a scam, is then reinforced.
* Request refunds for 50% of products purchased.
Well said, Andre!
Posted by SydneyJohnston at 11:46 AM | TrackBack
June 1, 2007
Free Videos To Watch #2: Home Business Success Story ... NOT!
Our second free video involves an email I received from a total stranger and it's a classic case of a home business success story - NOT! This guy has no clue about what is necessary to succeed and it doesn't sound as though he is going to find out anytime soon.
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Hello Sydney,
I can't afford any investment in more marketing programs right now. I could use some promotion for the ones I have a lot of time a fair amount of money invested already.I also haven't been able to produce with eBay!
Please visit my links: (3 URLs here)
Also, if you'd really like to help, please encourage others to visit my sites as well. I haven't been able to make a dime on the Internet yet. I also am having great difficulty finding a job as wellthis is no money from anywhere!
I have child support to pay and if I go much longer without paying, I'm looking at 1-3 years in prison for non-payment. Yes, debtors prison is still alive and very well here in Northern Michigan.
So, I'm asking you to please help me in this way and I won't have any problem with rewarding you handsomely!
= = = = = = =
His websites reflect how to start home businesses - and be dead certain that they'll fail!
