Is stealth eBay your full time job?

[glacier922]

Nope, nordstroms clothing retailer. We were on commission. 6 months, u don't recongnize 80% of the staff.

[yaBeh8ater]

it was meant as a joke. it was from an episode of kitchen nightmares. worth looking up just for laughs.

[Klemantina]

I remember when mortgage was around 400% in Belarus, I'm glad my parents migrated.
Belarus Interest Rate | 1991-2016 | Data | Chart | Calendar | Forecast

I wonder if a person can get insured from getting ripped by the banks. If someone takes a loan under a fixed rate contract, can they raise the rate anyway if there is a crisis?
All those people taking loans under -0.75% - 5% can just wake up one day and start paying 100%+ or if it's fixed it's not possible?

[phaz0rz]

Oh, and @ the person who asked why I'm against mortgages:

I'm self-employed and even though I'm well-off for the time being, I don't know what the future holds. I don't want to go out and get a $250k loan and then have my income dry up the next year and lose my (the banks) home. I've always had an attitude of "don't buy what you can't afford." I just hate debt period, I guess.

[zenohki]

Originally Posted by phaz0rz

Oh, and @ the person who asked why I'm against mortgages:

I'm self-employed and even though I'm well-off for the time being, I don't know what the future holds. I don't want to go out and get a $250k loan and then have my income dry up the next year and lose my (the banks) home. I've always had an attitude of "don't buy what you can't afford." I just hate debt period, I guess.

See I'm on the opposite side, I can't wait to get a mortgage. Our £475 rent per month is never to be seen again, I would rather have a house at the end of it that I can sell up or retire in!

Plus we have a bit of frustration with our current renting situation, when I had a council flat it was great because the building was maintained and repairs and issues dealt with quickly. When renting privately like in our current flat, the land lord does not care. We have damp, mold, rot, leaks, and windows that are nailed shut. If it was our place we could work on these things and fix them, but atm its not even worth painting the walls. :/

[Play]

You both make valid points. But I side with phaz0rz on the basis, you never know what the future holds.

[HAHlala]

Bit of a random question but this post seems to be filled with them.. Anyone in the UK can you recommend a good savings account? I have all my savings in one account and the interest isn't great, I have no idea about investing either but I do want to do something with my money rather than just having it sit doing nothing.

[livelifewild]

Im not necessarily scared, its just I am a single younger woman now and having that much inventory. I would worry about theft or break ins. I am not trying to be paranoid. However I have just ended a 7 yr relationship and he was a drug addict who brought lots of friends over (who were recovering/not so recovering addicts too) I have already had stuff go missing with 2 of his friends staying with us awhile even after they left and I just get a little anxious obtaining that much inventory and then hiring someone I dont know. And no there is no family or friends to hire, I have very little of either one of these especially that lives where I do, and they all have productive full time jobs.

Originally Posted by Play

Will you not be in whilst their packing? or are you scared?

[livelifewild]

That sounds like my plan too. Now that I have time to focus on myself and my business, I really want to get a few business ventures going. I feel ebay is not going to last forever, and I always feel like there is just a matter of time till the stealth thing is next to impossible to do. I want to make sure that if and when that time comes I already have a few self sustaining businesses and income so that it will not affect me.

Originally Posted by phaz0rz

@zen - For me it's all about growth. My ecommerce business will eventually grow to the point that it's almost entirely managed by my staff, and not myself. That way I have time to pursue other business ventures. The way I see it I was incredibly lucky to stumble into the business(es) I currently own, but I know there are much more profitable industries to get into. I hope to eventually be involved with real estate. I, like many others here, am using Ebay to slowly become rich so I can slowly become a real estate tycoon of sorts, haha.

[Play]

Originally Posted by livelifewild

Im not necessarily scared, its just I am a single younger woman now and having that much inventory. I would worry about theft or break ins. I am not trying to be paranoid. However I have just ended a 7 yr relationship and he was a drug addict who brought lots of friends over (who were recovering/not so recovering addicts too) I have already had stuff go missing with 2 of his friends staying with us awhile even after they left and I just get a little anxious obtaining that much inventory and then hiring someone I dont know. And no there is no family or friends to hire, I have very little of either one of these especially that lives where I do, and they all have productive full time jobs.

I would focus on strategy. Find ways to cut down time taken to post and pack orders:
- Use a label printer.
- use a shipping platform like shipstation which collects all your orders.
- dedicate one room in your home to business.
- organise everything in shelves
- have everything within reach
That way, you might not (just yet) need a helper, you can just about manage to pull it off on your own.

Once you have an efficient process in place, look for a 'woman' helper. It can be uncomfortable in your situation to trust a guy. Hire someone to help out few hours a day. Slowly build trust, be with them. Soon after, you can trust them to do it by themselves.

Stock, lock most of it in another room. Just put out what you may need that day.

Theft, stick a budget cctv camera as a form of deterrent.

Trust me, most people would just want to make a living. If your not selling iphones and branded handbags, I dont think people will care for the face value of such products.

[Onion]

I haven't worked for the man in almost 28 years! I have four different businesses and 18 employees working for me. I own a landscaping, trucking, and pawn shop business. On top of that, I sell a ton of stuff on Amazon/eBay. Thank the good lord Jesus Christ I married an accountant .

[samspalace]

Good post was interesting reading a lot of the answers.

eBay is full time for me I do everything I wrap the parcels, post the parcels I work from my own office and I haven't worked in a normal job since 2010.

I never intend on doing a 9 till 5 building someone else's business up and making them rich when I can learn myself and do it myself.

I've made a lot of mistakes in the passed with the whole eBay business, too many to count on both of my hands, but everyday I am grateful for what I do even when I do have the most annoying irritating customers or a supplier messes an order up for me I still wouldn't change it for the world

[Onion]

This is for everyone that keeps messaging me for tax advise, I'm not an accountant! And no I'm not going to bug my wife with your questions! She is too busy doing my taxes lol!

Seriously though, you shouldn't take tax advise from random strangers on the web. Meet with your accountant if you have questions. Stop messaging me please!

[xxrange]

Full time ebayer

[yaBeh8ater]

Originally Posted by Onion

I haven't worked for the man in almost 28 years! I have four different businesses and 18 employees working for me. I own a landscaping, trucking, and pawn shop business. On top of that, I sell a ton of stuff on Amazon/eBay. Thank the good lord Jesus Christ I married an accountant .

If you are paying ANY taxes then i believe you are working for the man.

[phaz0rz]

Originally Posted by yaBeh8ater

If you are paying ANY taxes then i believe you are working for the man.

Not a very logical argument. Try becoming successful without paying any taxes and let me know how that works out for you, lol.

[Play]

Originally Posted by phaz0rz

Not a very logical argument. Try becoming successful without paying any taxes and let me know how that works out for you, lol.

LOL, I think he meant it in a humorous way. It is true, we are working for our countries considering a large chunk goes to them.

[livelifewild]

Thank you play I appreciate it. I have a label printer but I need to look into shipstation that sounds like it would help ALOT.
And is that ok to use with multiple stealth accounts? I mean it wont link them if they are all on the same shipstation account?
I will look into it I am sure there are threads about it on here.

I was thinking about getting cabinets with locks on them, and do exactly what you suggested with only putting out what needs to be packed up that day.

And I would definitely need a woman helper.

Again I appreciate the suggestions!

Originally Posted by Play

I would focus on strategy. Find ways to cut down time taken to post and pack orders:
- Use a label printer.
- use a shipping platform like shipstation which collects all your orders.
- dedicate one room in your home to business.
- organise everything in shelves
- have everything within reach
That way, you might not (just yet) need a helper, you can just about manage to pull it off on your own.

Once you have an efficient process in place, look for a 'woman' helper. It can be uncomfortable in your situation to trust a guy. Hire someone to help out few hours a day. Slowly build trust, be with them. Soon after, you can trust them to do it by themselves.

Stock, lock most of it in another room. Just put out what you may need that day.

Theft, stick a budget cctv camera as a form of deterrent.

Trust me, most people would just want to make a living. If your not selling iphones and branded handbags, I dont think people will care for the face value of such products.

[Play]

Originally Posted by livelifewild

Thank you play I appreciate it. I have a label printer but I need to look into shipstation that sounds like it would help ALOT.
And is that ok to use with multiple stealth accounts? I mean it wont link them if they are all on the same shipstation account?
I will look into it I am sure there are threads about it on here.

I was thinking about getting cabinets with locks on them, and do exactly what you suggested with only putting out what needs to be packed up that day.

And I would definitely need a woman helper.

Again I appreciate the suggestions!

Shipstation on multiple accounts is fine, however, when you are linking them to the ebay account (obtaining token), ensure you follow correct (stealth) procedure, i.e. IP address, user accounts etc.

Read threads on forum. Here's one http://www.aspkin.com/forums/ebay-to...e-address.html

Cabinets sound like a great solution.

[JamesNorth101]

Originally Posted by yaBeh8ater

If you are paying ANY taxes then i believe you are working for the man.

I am sure that argument will work well with the IRS

[taylor]

I still have a part time job which is to do with eBay and online selling but plan to leave this summer to start stealth full time!

[stressed08]

I closed another small business, and have returned to selling full-time. (I was a powerseller years ago, and took an extended leave to pursue other things). I still have a LOT of free time, and plan to do some other income producing hobbies (Lyft, etc) but the eBay company is doing as well or better than brick and mortar business I closed, and only takes a fraction of the money, effort, and time.