First Lessons Learned Part II

Hoping you enjoyed my blog yesterday as it was one of an informative nature. Last night I continued to fiddle and play with some of the new "Gadgets" (SEO/Ad Sense/Key Word etc) and dammit it becomes interesting ! Ha! Did you know in 2012 the most popular Search Term in Poland (by men) was for "Hair Grow Products"?  Did you? Be honesty you didn't know that! Neither did I.

The next step is to find out what websites are available in that area for your selected region and before you know it you start to be better informed. Additionally Google PageRank Checker is a pretty convenient tool to discover the strength of a website, in terms of traffic etc (honestly I don't know what to add now as I am sometimes still confused.) the lower the ranking is (9 being highest and 0 being lowest) the more chance there is that you stumbled on a niche, or a product that really reaches a small audience. That is something I'll need to balance; my enthusiasm and the story the data tells.

Anyways as usual I get my hands on something and in general there always seems to be a catch 22 or something that frustrates me. In general they all have one thing in common; THEY CENTER AROUND REGISTRATION! After having to contact the customer services of Ebay.com, Paypal, Allegro, PayU regarding activation of my accounts or addenda I requested it all got sorted quickly and without causing me to explode, which is credit to them. Last night I got so happy about this blog I decided to buy a domain name for my blog at a minor cost of $10,00 for 1 year. Sounds good? Bet ye arse it does! I only had to activate my Google Wallet; after signing in with my mail account only had to add my Credit Card details, browsed through the menu - GOD Google provides on occasion a proper customer experience- selected my domain name (.com) and proceeded through the check out. What da Fook!??? Is see my details appear for about 1 sec, followed by a white screen.. After refreshing the browser (Chrome) and re-entering the entire cycle over I became disillusioned and wrote an email to Google's CS. I am still waiting for a response. Not what I expected by I am learning every day! It is probably not the best commercial for Google, but Paypallseems to have a smoother running show, having said so Google seems to put its money on the future; mobile wallets, a good business choice. In the main time I am still without my domain name

Additionally I noticed that the internet has created some professions with rather sexy job titles:
- Profit Engineer 
- Social Media Mercenary
- Virtual Assistants
I probably will bump into more creatively chosen job descriptions but it remains interesting to see that part of  traditional job titles being revamped, reinvented or those jobs are actually a result of evolution!

My parting shot today is called "HOW TO GET THE WRONG KIND OF ATTENTION ON EBAY" At first I did not notice it :)

Keep on reading me and keep on subscribing (nobody has I believe, but you can always be the first one)

Activating an account to Sell online.. it took more than I'd expected

In my previous blog I vented my frustration regarding Ebay.com's activation of a sellers account.
Well I have to be honest 24hrs can, and in this case, makes a difference.

I contacted the CS of Ebay.com via the chat window and within 4 minutes the issues was solved.
The Customer Service rep simply transferred my profile from the US (.com) to the country I reside (.x)
My listing etc was swiftly executed after that.
The problem itself; listing as a non US based resident on Ebay.com will probably cause a few new subscribers a bit of good old fashion tantrums, all in the game I suppose. Still better to register on the local domains of ebay (co.uk/.de etc) to avoid all that

Something that surprised me but made sense is that before you activate your account a cross boarder agreement (relating to Tax/Excise and Customs Duty) will be presented to confirm and agree too, if you decline I have no clue what happens!

A couple of things you should be spending a bit of time on when selling or buying at sites like Ebay.com:
- Go over the commission Ebay charges you for selling
- Shipping conditions and other charges might and in most cases will impact significantly
- Ebay.com will present you with the accepted payment conditions and which services you prepared to  accept. Be secure in how you handle your cashflow! Protect your data and identity, Paypal is the most widely accepted.

If you purchase from outside the EU, be sure you check your local Customs Website whether or not excise or import charges will be levered by Local Customs. The same goes for a sold good; for instance in California a Sales Tax is being levied which you should make clear to your buyer that he/she is responsible for that one.
I also checked the option of becoming a Sole Trader with local Tax Services, more as a future option then something permanent.

Next time hopefully a less boring and less logical post

Enthusiastic and starting

In my last post I just provided an introduction as to what drove me to the internet. Just to put things into perspective; I started using ebay.com and others on the 16th of December 2012.. so not even a month ago.

My enthusiasm is slowly becoming obsessive; after buying and receiving my Manga stuff in good order. I decided to leave positive feedback with the seller. I saw a little tab that would direct me to his online shop and decided to have a look. Maybe a good deal on paper or colored pens. Much to my surprise the seller was offering Electronics, Baby Clothes, Phones and huge volumes bulk goods. Not really the specialized Manga store I'd hope for.

The next week I spend the nights after my wife is asleep browsing sites, trying to get a grip or handle what is available out there. One hint to you: Everything is available! From Lear Jets to little plastic soldiers you can find anything...

And that is exactly the point; buying something is relatively easy if you are looking for something specific and you know what you want in term of quality and price.

I decided to sell an watch I bought 6 years ago in a shop. I went into my account clicked the Sell button, created a complete profile of the product including pictures and description.
Since it is my first offering Ebay informs about the terms ect ect. Shipping conditions are causing me a headache, but ok, selling one article cant bankrupt you but you can't ignore it either, neither it turns out can you ignore the fact that you have to activate your sales account on ebay.com....

That is where my enthusiasm turned into sheer frustration! As it turns out, if you register on ebay.com you have to provide a Proof of Identity (POI) if you are not a US Citizen or based in the US I was told. Ok no problem; the customer service was professional and swift, provided me with a... FAX number!? What the F! a Fax??? Oh most be a mistake, so I requested an email address so I could scan all over to Ebay. This is apparently not possible. So I tried Paypal, which needs to be activated as well. I will receive a code on my bankstatement within 48 hrs... nice but I am still waiting for that one.

So I am still enthusiastic but that verification process if you want to sell something is needed from a business perspective, but I can drive you up the wall. I tried online fax services like Pamfax all of those failed to deliver my faxes.
Anyways currently I am researching a bundle of options and opportunities and will update you in my next blog!

Leave some comments or tips if you read this! 

Introduction

Just in case you stumble on this blog and you think I am the new Internet guru; Let me manage your expectations: I am not an Internet Guru with all the answers. The opposite!
After having worked for Forbes 500 companies for more then a decade in various management and consultancy roles in Credit (Finance) and Offer-to-Cash for manufacturing and oil companies I received an offer from a world famous or notorious bank ("The Bank" as they call themselves) to become a Associate Director. After two weeks into the job a strategic change within the organizations' management model was executed not much later I found myself without a job, 3 months salary in my bank account.
For the first time in my life it dawned to me that I had achieved all goals I set in early 2000 when, being a high school drop out, I emigrated to Ireland to get a chance to work in office environment (about $15K gross a year) whilst 13 yrs later I was managing a business over 200 people and earning over $100K a year excluding bonuses in Eastern Europe. Achievement had made me lazy, spoiled and started to impact on my private life.
After being put on "Garden Leave" the first 3 to 4 weeks I was angry, feeling sorry for myself and deeply worried about the fact that by Feb. 2013 we are welcoming our first child, with money running till April 2013 it is by far the most ideal scenario.
On the other hand I have a lot of spare time on my hands and decided to take up an old hobby: Manga Drawing. Only problem was that the specific pens and pencils are for sale at ridiculously high prices in local stores. I decided to register with a local auction website and try my luck. Much to my surprise it did save me 35% on the pens alone, specific paper and books saved me even more.
The world had opened and I am seeing potential, enthusiastic as I am I went searching and comparing prices etc etc.

It has triggered something in! I feel alive, enthusiastic, eager and above all I can control my own direction

Next Blog will follow soon