work from home jobs

iVillage Member
Registered: 05-10-2004
work from home jobs
5
Wed, 05-12-2004 - 7:05pm
are there any work from home jobs that require little money and are legit? I'm looking to bring home a little extra money each week/month, but have no idea where to start.
iVillage Member
Registered: 04-16-2004
Sat, 06-05-2004 - 8:55pm
My husband and I were introduced to regularly selling items on Ebay for additional money for our family. Alot of people know about Ebay, perhaps you have even purchased items on there yourself. What alot of people don't know is the income potential available! We have in the recent past, purchased storage units that go up for auction (most storage unit companies will send you a list of units to be sold and the auction dates). We went through the units, returned any personal pictures etc to the former unit holder, then decided what items might be good to sell at auction. We have also gone to estate auctions and the like to find items. We recently found an older record player, paid $7.00 for it, and it sold for right around $80.00. At another garage sale, my husband purchased a Schwinn "banana seat" bicycle for $5.00, and we sold it on Ebay for just shy of $200.00. These are just examples of what can be done. We are now avid garage salers, finding deals all over the place, and then listing/selling them on Ebay. The buyers pay the shipping costs, so most of the money is pure profit. If you are a fellow garage saler, just take an extra glance at that old turntable listed for $2.00....it just might bring you $100!!! With our family of 8 (six kids), it's just not feasible for me to work an out of the home job...selling on Ebay allows me to assist in bringing in a little extra money, while staying at home with our children. Good luck to you!

Carson - mom to six


Edited 6/5/2004 8:57 pm ET ET by thekidfarmx6

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
Mon, 06-07-2004 - 7:52pm
I do a lot of Mystery shopping. You can apply with a ton of companies and hopefully get a few jobs. It's not steady money but it's a few extra bucks here and there, plus you can usually take the kids, and it's fun! Do a search on the internet for mystery shopping or secret shoppers and you'll get a bunch of hits.

I also yard sale and sell on Ebay. LOVE IT!!

Good luck!

Rose

iVillage Member
Registered: 12-31-2003
Tue, 06-08-2004 - 3:41pm
What does it take to get started seling on ebay? Scanner? Digital camera? Monthly fees?

TIA

Denise

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-16-2004
Tue, 06-08-2004 - 4:08pm
You will need to have a digital camera with at LEAST 3.2 pixels or the pictures will show up very grainy. I would recommend having a scanner, but it isn't necessary. We have the scanner/copier/fax combo and it's proved itself to be quite useful in many areas. You will need to establish both an eBay and PayPal account, which will require a checking/savings and/or credit card (or both, I don't remember). The credit card can also be the type of atm/debit/credit card that most people get with checking accounts nowadays. You can set up your PayPal to have their fees directly deducted from your bank account, and your eBay fees can be set up to be deducted directly from your PayPal account. I might be confusing you, so let me explain these two accounts to you. PayPal is a company owned by eBay. It is the online version of a bank and/or escrow. People can send money (either cash or credit card) for the auctions that they purchase, directly to your PayPal account which then can be "dropped" into your bank account so you can access it. The eBay fees vary depending upon what you are selling, usually it's pretty reasonable - .60 cents on up depending upon how many pictures you include and if you choose to use Turbolister (which is a great way to work offline, then upload your auctions to eBay within seconds once you are online). PayPal fees differ greatly as well. They seem to charge more for credit card transactions, and some people request payment either with existing funds or money orders. The most expensive charges we've incurred on eBay has been when we've sold something in the eBay Motors section. We sold an ATV a few months back for right around 2k (if I remember correctly) and we were charged right around $40.00 for the listing fee. If you can accumulate a large amount of things either through garage, estate sales or auctions, you can typically make a decent cashflow once your fees are paid. If you can locate a digital scale, you can also print your own mailing labels directly from eBay through PayPal, saving you some time at the post office. We've had to slow down a bit because with six kids, and general living, taking care of the eBay shipments can keep me pretty busy between packing the items and dropping them off at the post office. As far as shipping, I strongly recommend being overly cautious in packing items so as not to have to refund monies. A disclaimer noted right in your auction about "as is, non-refundable items" is also good, unless it's been grossly misrepresented. A recommendation for bidder to buy shipping insurance is also good, that way if the package takes a beating and arrives in sore shape, the USPS (etc) will have to cover the costs not you. As a tip, we've also found that FedEx Ground is very reasonable for larger items, because UPS and the USPS would charge you a fortune to send large things. Anyway, I hope this hasn't totally confused you. It's a lot of trial and error, figuring out what sells the best. Some things cycle, some things simply don't sell, you have to find your niche. Good luck!

Carson - SAHM to six


Edited 6/10/2004 3:26 pm ET ET by thekidfarmx6

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
Tue, 06-08-2004 - 5:15pm

There are lots of options out there! My first word of advice, find something that excites you!


You can:



  • Take a skill and market it/outsource! For example, writing! I did some freelance writing for a while. You can do PR, articles, etc. Or if you are really good at math and have an accounting backgroud, you could outsource that. Ect.

  • Turn a hobby into a job! Make meals for others! Dog Walking! Can you sew? What about calligraphy?

  • Try Direct Sales (which is another great option!) You can find a business with candles, toys, scrapbooking, make-up, pampering, food! To find the perfect Direct Sales company, look for one that has products you would use any way, and that excites you! plus you will want to look at training. Most Direct Sales will let you earn the kit for free, and some have a deferred payment program. for example, Discovery Toys the kit is reg. $149, but all you need is $49 to put down. Plus, there are ways to earn that before starting, or right away to pay for the kit. And you can earn the kit for free. Most direct sales business offer that. So if you find the perfect match, don't let it turn you away. Ask questions. If you want to do it, there is a way!

Let me know if you have any other questions, or come visit the Work From Home board!


Good luck,


Debbie

Debbie LaCroix, SAHM to Alex

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~ ~ Follow your passion!:&n