How To Start A Business With No Money

You’ve got a great idea for a brand-new business, or you’re tired of the 9-to-5 grind and want to take your success into your own hands. Either way, you’re excited to turn this dream into reality.

But leaving your current job without a backup plan can be a risky thing. Everything you’ve saved is likely going to living expenses not into the business. Grants and business loans can be difficult to obtain and searching for investors is a full-time job on its own.

On the surface, this all seems problematic. But a lack of personal capital shouldn’t stop you from pursuing your dream business. In fact, it’s entirely possible to start and grow a business with almost no personal financial investment whatsoever — if you know what you’re doing.

Here are two key tips on how to start a business with little or no money: Reduce your expenses or increase your available capital from outside sources.

Reduce expenses

Depending on where you live and what business you want to create, your startup expenses will vary greatly. However, according to the SBA, you can start your own business for less than $3,000, and home-based franchises can be started for as little as $1,000. So, what do these startup expenses look like?

• Licenses and permits. Depending on your region, you may need special paperwork to operate.
• Equipment and supplies. Does your business need to buy raw materials or require computers and/or specialized machinery or software?
• Office space. Not every freelancer can work out of their home or a coffee shop. Office space can be a huge expense that includes costs like Internet, utilities, and janitorial services.
• Associations, certifications, subscriptions, memberships, insurance. What publications and affiliations will you subscribe to every month? Do you need to carry insurance or certifications for your work?
• Operating expenses. Think payroll and invoicing, and don’t forget about marketing.
• Legal fees. It is wise to consult a lawyer during your business-development process.
• Employees, freelancers and contractors. If you can’t do it alone, you’ll need people on your payroll.

Utilize low-cost alternatives

While not every business model will require each of these items to launch, there are a few expenses that you won’t be able to avoid. Licensing and operational expenses will inevitably require some spending, but you may be able to adjust your business model to demand fewer needs initially or utilize low-cost alternatives.

• Instead of renting office space, try working from home or if that’s impossible check out shared workspaces from companies like WeWork.
• Spend time researching cheaper sources for supplies or cut out product lines that are too expensive to produce at the outset.
• If you are considering consulting a lawyer during your business-development process, you can find freelance lawyers on Moonlighting or take advantage of online services.
• Marketing your business to new clients can drain time and financial resources quickly. Check out the affordable and comprehensive freelance advertising solution, Boost, and these free marketing resources compiled by our marketing team to get the most out of your marketing dollars. 
• Take advantage of Moonlighting’s free proposal, invoicing, and payments tools so you can start billing and receiving revenue immediately or find experienced bookkeepers on Moonlighting who can help track and manage your accounts setup and ongoing billing.

Increase your available capital

Crowdfund                        

It’s popular for a reason: with a good idea and enough work, you can attract funding for anything. Many sites that help fund businesses through crowdfunding require you to offer a reward, take on debt through peer-to-peer lending, or offer equity lending (receive investments in exchange for shares in your new business). Carefully weigh out what you are willing to do in exchange for raising startup capital. Crowdfunding options more like Moonlighting’s solution through Moon$hot Stories, let you raise funds with only a simple, small flat fee that is only assessed on funds raised.

Crowdfunding success on any platform is tied to the amount of work you put into your business idea before launch and the effort you make to share your crowdfunding campaign.

Sell your services

One way to start a business with little to no startup capital is to sell your services, instead of a physical product. There’s a huge variety of services you can offer, depending on your background and interests. For example, you can offer these services with little equipment or capital investment:

• Mobile auto detailing
• Dog walking or pet sitting
• Fact-checking and research
• Bookkeeping
• Property manager
• Tutoring or coaching
• Blog writing
• Social media management

Because you are selling your services, you will need a branding plan to make sure your name and company get in front of the people who may need the service. Moonlighting is the perfect platform to build your mobile and online presence, promoting your services to people looking for help.

With one or more of these options, you can reduce your personal financial investment to almost nothing. Startup capital is a major hurdle to overcome, but make no mistake — it can be overcome and if you believe in your business dream, nothing can stand in your way!

Members of the editorial and news staff of the USA TODAY Network were not involved in the creation of this content.

How To Start a Home-Based Car Detailing Business

Whether you plan to go it alone or build a team, this book takes you through all phases of setting up and running a thriving home-based car detailing business, from estimating start-up costs to opening your doors. This book includes profiles of professional detailers and business professionals who share valuable insight on owning a business. Learn all about equipping your business, exploring web-based and traditional marketing methods, establishing a solid sales system, and expanding your own home-based car detailing business.


Look for useful charts and worksheets throughout the book, including:

• Vehicle Evaluation Form
• Sales Forecasts and Cash Flow Projections
• Sample Estimate Worksheet Sample Bid and Invoice Client Check-In Form 

 

Click here to buy: How to Start a Home-based Car Detailing Business (Home-Based Business Series) Paperback  

 Renny Doyle – better known as the “Detailer of Air Force One” - is an entrepreneur with a passion for detailing and a knack for the business aspects that go along with it. In his book, How to Start a Home-Based Car Detailing Business, Renny Doyle, without holding back, will give you the low down on what it takes to successfully own and operate a detailing business. Renny Doyle has been a professional detailer for over thirty years and when he’s not detailing world-class automobiles and airplanes, he’s teaching others how to detail with the rigorous training program that he’s developed.

Renny Doyle originally got into the detailing profession by detailing airplanes as a teenager. With his passion for automobiles and his quick ability to learn, Renny turned professional and started detailing planes and automobiles all over the world - including Air Force One, the presidential airplane.

How to Start a Home-Based Car Detailing Business covers:

• Building your business
• Understanding your market
• Creating a detailing menu
• Establishing a solid sales system
• Providing outstanding customer service

In his book, How to Start a Home-Based Car Detailing Business, Renny explores the detailing profession from a business perspective and he does so in greater depth than anyone before him. Renny shares the lessons and experiences that he’s learned throughout the years and provides tips on how you can avoid starting your business off on the wrong foot. How to Start a Home-Based Car Detailing Business even goes over the pros and cons regarding a fixed location versus a mobile set up. With over 200 pages, How to Start a Home-Based Car Detailing Business will give you invaluable tips on how to succeed in the overcrowded field of professional detailing, whether you’re just getting started or if you’re a seasoned professional.

How to Work From Home and Make Money in 2017

Are you tired of struggling just to get by with a paycheck that doesn’t quite stretch far enough? Or are you one of the millions of people who are out of work in an economy gone bad? Maybe you long to be your own boss so you can set your own schedule and choose the path your life will take.

Whatever it is that brought you to this page, you’re obviously looking for answers. The good news is you’ve come to the right place.

I've spent the past 20 years working for myself, and I would never dream of punching another clock or trudging to someone else’s office every day to collect a meager paycheck. That’s because I’ve discovered the secret: when you work for yourself, you’re happier, more productive, and you have unlimited earning potential.

After all, why would you want to work so hard to fund someone else’s dreams?
Working for myself has allowed me to live a lifestyle that many people can only dream about. I have the flexibility to create the life I want, take days off when I need to, and I decide how much money I make by choosing the hours I work.
But don’t be fooled. Working from home at a home-based business isn’t easy. It takes hard work and dedication to build a successful business that makes money.
In my book, I’m pleased to offer you 13 proven, realistic ways to work from home and earn a great income. And I won’t just offer you a brief explanation of each method like some other books do.

In each chapter, I provide you with the information and facts you need to determine if that business is right for you.But I don’t stop there. I’ll also give you important links and resources, so if you decide you want to pursue one of the home-based business ideas listed in this book, you’ll have everything you need to begin.

So, the choice is yours. Will you wake up tomorrow morning and spend your day funding someone else’s dreams, or will you finally take the steps needed to claim your own success?

Why not start right now by buying How to Work From Home and Make Money? It’s one of the most important things you’ll do to begin the process of achieving your own dreams.

Click here to buy: How to Work From Home and Make Money in 2017

The 10 best (and real) work-at-home jobs

Searching for jobs, particularly home-based work, used to be a matter of scanning the Sunday classifieds for offers to get rich quick by stuffing envelopes. Now, working from home is easier than before because exposure to at-home opportunities has multiplied.

A wide variety of job ads are just a click away, but so are the scams.
In 2007, when Rat Race Rebellion -- a company that helps people find home-based work -- began tracking at-home jobs, there were 30 scams for every legitimate opportunity. Now, with 4,500 to 5,000 work-at-home job ads screened weekly, the website finds 60 phonies for every one that's for real.

Nevertheless, there's no shortage of workers who dream of beating the odds and earning a living from home.  those interested in work-at-home jobs primarily are:

• Parents who say they want to spend more time with their children.
• Trailing military spouses who, according to Durst, by virtue of their spouse's career need to pick up and move every few years.
• Retirees needing supplemental income.
• People with disabilities.

It's not easy to be a good parent and simultaneously work well at home, says Durst, because most jobs require blocks of uninterrupted time to complete tasks, and children's schedules are less than predictable. For those who do choose to walk the tightrope between paid work and parenting, consider deadline-oriented work. Durst says it's generally better for those with younger children than schedule-oriented hourly work.
 

An increasing minority" of entry-level workers, are attracted to these jobs. Social introverts make good candidates. They like working with people (but) they like interacting by email and by being on the phone. They dislike working in person with a lot of others, because of meetings and other "time-sucking problems" at an office.

Self-motivation, discipline, job skills and independence are key traits for at-home workers.
 
A growing number of employers appears to believe telecommuting is a good arrangement for them, as well. It cuts overhead costs, allows access to talented workers who may not be available locally, provides off-hours support and helps retain employees. We've seen a real broadening of the audience of both employers and job seekers.

Consider these 10 jobs -- some rather traditional and others unexpected -- for engaging at-home work and good (if competitive) prospects.

1. Virtual assistant

This is a job with much potential, in part because the title description covers many things. "You can fit your offerings to what you know how to do. One can own a virtual assistant business or work from home for a company that makes you available to other employers or clients. HomeWithTheKids.com, for example, currently features several such companies. Small businesses hire virtual assistants to help when they can't justify a permanent employee. The International Virtual Assistants Association, founded in the 1990s, began with 28 members and has grown to more than 600. They charge from $37 for a six-month student membership to $137 per year for a regular member.

2. Medical transcriptionist 

Being a medical transcriptionist is a demanding job, and nearly every company  seeks applicants with experience and/or training from certain schools. The work involves listening to and typing up dictation from doctors -- some of whom have thick accents, slur words, and even "eat, drink, chew gum (and) talk to other people in the room while dictating.  But hearing about medical matters can be interesting, and good transcriptionists are in very high demand. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics' 2015 data, the median hourly rate for transcriptionists is $17.17.

3. Translator

People with fluency in more than one language translate audio files or documents, not just word for word, but often with cultural differences in mind. "Companies can access home-based translators with hard-to-find language skills without being held back by geographic location.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Outlook Handbook 2012-13, which groups translators and interpreters, notes a projected employment increase of 29 percent by 2024, much faster than the average for all occupations.

4. Web developer/designer

Information technology is the sector where most of the home-based hiring is being done. Terri Orlowski, a virtual assistant and Web developer based in Pittsburgh, offers services such as custom website design, template modification and redesigns, code updates, hosting and usability reviews. She previously held administrative positions in a variety of industries and makes a higher per-hour rate now. Out of the many new monthly work-from-home job postings on Upwork.com, Web developers are in high demand.

5. Call center representative

When you phone to order something from a catalog or infomercial, a big office with rows of cubicles may come to mind. But the person on the other end of the line is likely to be sitting in a home office. It's a huge and growing industry.  Companies hire independent contractors to take calls from home. The "home-shore movement" started in response to complaints about the many companies that looked offshore for workers.

While some websites such as Sykes Home actually hire representatives, most use subcontractors. Just be aware that the pay may be by the minute rather than by the hour, so you may not be paid for time you spend waiting by the phone. A list of companies that hire call center reps can be found at HomeWithTheKids.com.

6. Tech support specialist

Call centers also hire technical support specialists to work remotely. Kate Lister, co-author of "Undress for Success: The Naked Truth About Making Money at Home," names it as one of her top three "best-bet work-at-home jobs." And according to the Occupational Outlook Handbook, jobs for computer support specialists (on-site and remote combined) were expected to increase by 12 percent from 2014 to 2024 -- faster than the average for all occupations -- with 88,800 new jobs.

7. Travel agent

Scams abound in the travel industry -- particularly organizations that charge for information on how to break into the field. But operating a home-based travel agency can be an excellent business, says Tom Ogg, founder of HomeBasedTravelAgent.com. "Real home-based travel agents have experienced robust growth over the last decade, and there are probably 40,000-plus of them and growing." A growing (although small) number of people earn $100,000 or more a year, he says. "A solid business concept and plan focused on profitability will take you a long way to achieving your monetary goals." There's also the joy of helping others enjoy their leisure time.

8. Teacher

From postsecondary education to elementary schools, there are opportunities for students to learn virtually. Along with that comes opportunities to teach (and tutor) virtually. While distance learning is not new, advanced technology, collaborative multimedia software designed for schools and high-speed Internet connections have created more opportunities for teachers and students to work together from afar.

We have heard of one professor who works mainly online and makes six figures -- although this type of income depends on how many hours of applying oneself to it and the type of classes you're teaching. A resource center for online teaching jobs can be found at GetEducated.com.

9. Writer/editor

Yes, the print publishing industry has been suffering, but we are seeing frequent listings these days for writing, editing and proofreading, particularly for the internet. Even those without writing experience can join the blogosphere. Not only can blogging be lots of fun, but also there's money to be earned blogging for someone else's site, getting paid to post on your own blog or through revenue-sharing arrangements.

10. Franchise owner

It's a no-brainer: Owning a business can be the road to at-home work. For an initial investment, franchises may offer a ready-made business with brand awareness, a system and a territory, says Leslie Truex, founder of the website WorkAtHomeSuccess.com. Her advice: Consider businesses that target the over-50 crowd or the self-employed, involve health and wellness, relate to the "green" movement, or involve electronic or online devices (i.e., accessories, applications).

Home-Based Business Series Book Series (Book 1)

How to Start a Home-Based Professional Organizing Business simply and comprehensively educates the reader on how to turn a passion for clean closets and labeled bins into a profitable business. Professional Organizer Dawn Noble shows budding entrepreneurs how to establish their business and begin taking clients immediately. The book’s focus is on achieving profitability, and covers business plans, record keeping, and legal issues as well as the creative side of the business.

 

 Click here to buy Home-Based Business Series Book Series (Book 1)

How to start and operate a home based high school and intermediate school TEXTBOOK BUSINESS.

The textbook business is for the most part an obscure and seldom heard of way to earn a living. Odds are you had never heard of it before watching my You Tube video.   This is the first literature to ever present the business to the public in full detail.    There are only a hand full of home based textbook sellers across the country. Traditionally most textbook sellers are large corporations which charge large corporate prices for their books. Your success in this business will come from selling textbooks to potential buyers for far less than the books can be purchased from a major corporation or from schools.

You are getting in on the ground floor of a virtually untapped area of income. You will make money in this business if you follow through with the information which follows.

Over and over again I am asked the question, “What type of work do you do?” When I reply that I sell school textbooks, the next questions which follow are most often, “How did you get into that business?” and, “Is it something I can do?”
 I was introduced to the business by one of my clients while working in my previous career. My response to the second question is that my business is so easy that anyone who can read can do it.
 At the time of this writing our country and most of the world is in a historically deep economic recession. Each day the media reports more and more job loses and business closings. Fiscal recovery seems a long way off.

Thousands of people are finding themselves losing the income they have become dependent upon. The fear and uncertainty of how to replace that lost income is like a heavy weight on the minds and shoulders of both friends and strangers alike. The “Is it something I can do?” question is being posed to me so often that I have decided to write a step-by-step how-to manual.

How Much Money Can Be Made Selling Textbooks from Home?

I operate a small to medium sized textbook business. The cash figures which follow are based on the size of my individual business model. Textbook sales tend to peak during the summer months. On average my profits from book sales are about $2,600 per week between the months of May and September. During this period textbook sales can rollercoaster wildly. One day $300 dollars in textbook sales may come in. The next day $800 dollars in overall sales may come in. Each day can be radically different than the preceding day. Much will depend on the titles in your inventory and the demand for those titles.

Sales drop off after September. Sales dip after September because students have settled into the new school year following their summer break. By the end of September students have acquired all of the textbooks they will need to complete their semester or school year. They have purchased their books either from their school or from me or from some other textbook seller. Between the months of September through December my profits from sales average about $850 per week. In January sales slowly begin to pick up and typically start to level off near the $1,200 per week mark. Profits continue to hover near the $1,200 per week mark until the month of May comes around again. Then profits climb back up in or above the $2,600 per week range.

In May the seasonal profit cycle begins again.

A word of caution:     Developing a personal budget when your income swings so radically can be tricky. I would advise that you avoid taking on too many regularly occurring financial commitments based on one or two exceptional sales days, weeks, or months. In the textbook business your income will fluctuate.

How You Will Be Paid For The Books You Sell Online?

Every two weeks you will receive an email from either Amazon.com or Half.com notifying you that money from your textbooks sales account will be deposited into you bank account. The email will contain the dollar amount to be deposited into your bank account. It may take a few business days after the money is deposited for the funds to post in your account, depending on the bank you use. What follows is an example of an actual email notification from Half.com to me. Your 1^st and 15^th notification of deposit emails will be similar.

We wanted to let you know that we will soon be depositing $1320.72 into your bank account for the sales that you made in the recently completed selling period. This amount will be sent to your financial institution on the 7th business day after the end of the payment cycle. It could take an additional 1-3 business days to post to your account, depending on your bank.

How Big Can You Grow Your Textbook Business?

As previously stated I operate what I consider to be a small to medium sized textbook business. I have no employees and do all of the work involved with the business myself. Other book businesses that I know of have multiple employees and make 5 to 6 times the money that I do. My point is that you can grow your book business to the size you are most comfortable with. Or you can stay relatively small as I have decided to do. I like having free time to go to the beach, cycle, exercise and generally spend most of my days pursuing my interest instead of working all of the time. You, on the other hand, may decide to go for the big paydays instead. There is nothing wrong with that. In the online textbook business you can write your own check, so to speak.  

What Is An ISBN Number?

The ISBN (International Standard Book Number) is located on the back of every book. Pause here and take a moment to look around your home or office for a book to examine. Any book. Turn it over to the back cover. Above the barcode you will see the ISBN number. This number will have either 10 or 13 digits.

Now, go to your computer and type in http://www.amazon.com/ or http://www.half.com/. In the search box of either site type in the 10 or 13 digit ISBN number located on the back of the book you are examining. Hit enter. The price of that book will appear on your screen. This is the price you can expect to sell your book for on that website. The current sales price of the book will depend on the condition and demand for the book. Some books will sell for a lot of money and some books will sell for a small amount. Books can sell for anywhere from .01 to $250.00 per copy. The average sales price of a book is $55. The price of a book will go up and down depending on the condition of the book and demand for it. The shipping cost for the book is paid for by the customer who purchases the book.

What is the process of selling textbooks online and will you have to advertise your inventory

My textbook inventory is sold on Amazon.com on Half.com and to other textbook companies. You will not have to advertise your inventory. You will simply have to list the ISBN (International Standard Book Number) of your book on Amazon.com or Half.com. These websites allow you to
list your books for sale on their sites along with other sellers of the same ISBN. Whenever someone eventually sells their textbook on Amazon.com or Half.com the website will take a small percentage of the sales price of the book for themselves. This is considered payment for allowing you to sell on their site.

Selling Your Books To Other Textbook Companies

Whenever you want to sell to textbook companies  you simply go to their websites and check to see if there is a market for the books you would like to sell. If there is and if the purchase price offered by the company is agreeable you can go ahead and ship the books to them. Then you wait for your check to arrive from the textbook company. Generally speaking it takes about a month to receive your payment for the books.

When you sell to other textbook companies they often provide printable shipping labels that you affix to your shipping box. I avoid selling to companies that want to reimburse me for shipping cost. Whenever I have
dealt with companies which promise to reimburse shipping cost they have always found an excuse to only pay back a portion of what it actually cost to send them the books. Or not reimburse me for the cost at all.

Here is a short list of companies who will purchase books from you. Be aware that textbook companies pay less for books than you can make for them by listing them on Amazon.com or Half.com . The only time I sell to companies like the ones listed below is when I have far too many copies of a particular title.

•  www.bigwords.com
•  www.valorebooks.com
• www.ecampus.com
• www.Bookbyte.com
• www.webuytextbooks.com
• http://buyback.abebooks.com
• www.cash4books.net

You can offer your books for sale to multiple textbooks companies conveniently and at once through a single site. The site is located at: www.bigwords.com .

Updating The Prices Of Your Books

There will often be other individuals and companies selling the same books that you are attempting to sell. The book which is selling for the least amount of money will appear first in the search results when someone types in the IBN on Amazon or Half.com. For this reason you must always try to sell your books at a cheaper price than others who are attempting to sell their copies of the same book.

You do this by regularly updating the prices of the books in your inventory. Drop the price of your book .01 (one cent) lower than the lowest price listed by other sellers. For example, lets say seller XYZ is selling a copy of Intermediate Algebra for $35.00. XYZ’s $35.00 sales price is lower than all other sellers of the same book. XYZ’s copy of the book will be offered for sale first as the result of an ISBN search. Simply because XYZ has the lowest sales price. You must update the price of your copy of Intermediate Algebra to $34.99. This will make your copy of the book .01 lower than seller XYZ’s price. Now your copy of Intermediate Algebra will appear before every one else's whenever a buyer goes to the site searching for a copy of Intermediate Algebra. Buyers often purchase the least expensive book listed. Even if they will only save one cent. I update the prices of the books in my inventory every 2-3 days. There is currently 416 individual titles in my inventory. It takes me about 1 hour to update all 416 book prices.

Three Business Days To Ship Orders

When a book is purchased from you through Amazon.com or Half.com you will be sent an email notifying you that you have received an order which must be filled.  You will have up to 3 business days to prepare the book(s) for shipping and to get them into the mail and on their way to the customer.  Your books will be sent at Media Mail rates through the United States Postal Service.  This is by far the least expensive way to ship books.  The shipping amount that the customer pays you when they order your book will be based on USP Media Mail rates.  After you mail off your order yo may be required to send a confirmation email to your customer letting them know that their order has been shipped.  This is very easy to do and only involves a couple of keystrokes on your part.

Every now and then a book will get lost in the mail and you may have to send a replacement book to the customer or provide a refund for the order.  This is a rare occurrence but can and sometimes does happen.  For orders of $20 dollars or more I pay for Post Office delivery confirmation at my own expense.  In the event that the book gets lost it can be tracked if it has delivery confirmation.  This is only my way of doing things.  You may elect not to add delivery confirmation to any of your book orders. If you feel confident that a book will arrive safely without delivery confirmation that will be your call.  Because it is your textbook business you can do most things however you want.

Dealing With Impatient Customers

Occasionally you will get an email or number of emails from customers who

want their book order YESTERDAY! What follows is an actual email notification that came to me earlier this week from a Half.com buyer.

This email was sent by a Half.com member via Half.com's email forwarding

system. If you reply to this email, your response will go directly to the member and not through Half.com.

You have received a question/comment from member Shane Johnson

concerning the Half.com transaction #: 43245545101.

Item: Electricity & Basic Electronics : Harper Lee (Hardcover, 2004) Reason: Other

Comment/ Question: Can you please let me know when this item is going to ship?  I have a class that starts on Wednesday, and I would like to have it by then.  Is there any way you can expedite this order?

The following information has been added to the sender's original email by Half.com:

TRANSACTION DETAILS . . .

This customers email arrived one day before he needed to have the book for his class. I have a standard response for these types of emails. It will make your business run much smoother if you adapt this response or one like it to your own textbook business. Here it is:

All orders are shipped within three business days of being received. All orders are shipped in the order that they are received. Would you like a refund for your order?

Customers will almost never want a refund. Unless you ship them the wrong book.

You must respond to each and every email from your customers that you  find in your email box.  You will be excluded from selling on Amazon.com or Half.com if you do not respond to customer emails.  But you do not have to do anything above and beyond what is agreed to when you signed on as a seller on the websites.  Respond to all emails and ship all orders in a timely manner and everything will go well in your textbook business.  If you begin to cater to customer special needs you will soon regret it.  Often by losing money.

Preparing Individual Textbooks For Shipping

How you prepare your individual textbooks for shipping will become an individual matter based on your own tastes. I know of one book seller who places each book in a padded envelope and ships the book off that way. Using a padded envelope is a very fast way to get books ready for shipping. But the price of an individual padded envelope can cut into your overall profit considerably. I personally have only used padded envelopes once. I had fallen far behind on getting my orders out during peak selling season and was attempting to catch up. The padded envelopes saved me lots of shipping preparation time and caught me up on my shipping obligations very quickly.

Another book seller that I have encountered wraps his books in heavy brown paper. The paper that he uses for his books comes from Home Depot. It is the same paper used by painters in lieu of drop cloth. The paper comes in roll form and is very thick. His books are wrapped in the paper and taped closed in the same manner that you might wrap and tape a Christmas package. I only use paper from a roll to wrap my books when the book is over-sized dimensionally, or is thick and heavy. Art and Biology books are examples which sometimes require paper from a roll to prepare.

Under normal circumstances I use 10’ X 13’ (25.4X33.0 cm) Heavy Duty, Brown Kraft, Gummed Seal envelopes for shipping. I buy my envelopes in boxes. 250 envelopes come in a single box. My technique is to I lay an envelope flat on my desk and pull apart the back and bottom glued seams of the envelope. I lay the book to be shipped in the center of the opened envelope and then wrap the book like a Christmas present. Finished examples of what my books look like can be seen in my You Tube video. If the method that I use to wrap textbooks for mailing appeals to your style and taste you can buy the 10’ X 13’ envelopes from: http://www.buyonlinenow.com/ 

A box of 250 envelopes costs about $30 plus $8.00 shipping.

Remember to secure your packaging well regardless of the method you choose for shipping. Books take a brutal beating as they move through the mail toward their destination. Make certain your packaging will be strong enough to survive the trip.

Things You Should Know About Media Mail Rate Shipping

Media Mail service is a cost efficient way to mail books, sound recordings, recorded video tapes, printed music, and recorded computer-readable media (such as CDs, DVDs, and diskettes). Media Mail can not contain advertising except for incidental announcements of books.

The maximum weight for Media Mail is 70 lbs. (this bit of information will be helpful whenever you have to ship a box or boxes of textbooks to fill an order)

There are presorted rates available for bulk quantities of Media Mail (minimum quantity is 300 pieces).

A barcode discount is available for Media Mail.

Rates are based on weight and size

Each piece of Media Mail must include complete delivery and return addresses with correct ZIP Code or ZIP+4 code.

Media Mail usually travels by train to its destination.

Items sent by Media Mail are allowed up to 14 days to reach their destination by the U.S. Postal Service. In my experience, in nearly all cases,

my textbook orders have arrived in approximately the same amount of time that it takes first class mail to travel the same distance. There have been some cases when it took a textbook a full 14 days to reach the customer. But those instances have been extremely rare.

Listing The Condition Of Your Books

After you acquire your textbooks and begin listing them on Amazon and Half.com you will have to select a condition category for the books. Your options will be New condition, Like New condition, Very Good condition, Good condition and Acceptable condition. List each book as appropriately as possible.

The price range of the book will be determined by the demand for and condition of the book. Do not try to place a book in a higher category in an attempt to get a better sales price for it. For instance, do not list a book that is in Acceptable Condition  in the Good or Very Good Condition categories. Your customers will complain. Too many customer complaints will unravel your business and ultimately drive you out of business. So be as honest and objective as possible when listing the condition of your inventory.  Your books will eventually sell regardless of their condition.

After you place the book titles in their condition categories report any flaws that the books may have. There will be a comment box where you can list any flaws associated with the books you are selling. Here is a quick example of what I mean. Lets say I list a used copy of a Coordinated Science book as being in Good condition. When I open the book I might see a barcode sticker adhering to the inside cover.

Additionally some ex-student’s nick name is written in pink highlighter on the inside cover sheet. These defects will be what I will make note of in the comments box when I list the book for sale. Reporting these flaws will allow the potential customer to know in advance what they will be getting. With this information the potential customer can make an informed decision about buying the book. The potential customer will be buying the book unseen over the internet. Your description of the book and its price is all they will have to base their buying decision on. They are depending on you, the seller, not to surprise them

Here is a list of some of the flaws I have come across and have listed with my inventory.with a less a less than expected product. You don’t want to be the reason for any buyers remorse.

1. Barcode sticker on inside cover of book
2. Barcode sticker on the spine of the book
3. Number written on inside cover of the book
4. Book number written on the bottom edge of the pages of the book
5.  Edges of cover slightly frayed 
6. Slightly frayed corners 
7. School stamp on inside cover 
8. Writing on inside coversheet of book 
9. Library card pocket glued to inside cover bookplate

There will be times when a single book will have two or three or even four of the imperfections mentioned above. Report all of the flaws no matter how many there may be.

Your Business Will Be Rated By Customer Feedback

Once your customers receive your product they will be afforded the opportunity to rate their buying experience with you. As with any business you want to establish and maintain a good reputation for being dependable, honest, efficient and professional. Below is a copied and pasted explanation from one of my accounts which explains how feedback percentage and ratings are calculated.
The positive Feedback percentage is calculated based on the total number of positive and negative Feedback ratings for transactions that ended in the last 12 months, excluding repeat Feedback from the same member in the same week.
Note: This could mean that the number of ratings used for this calculation is different from the  number shown in the Recent Monthly Statement.

Positives_____________________________ 4580

Positives + Negatives ____________________ 4534

This member's 12 Month Feedback ratings ______ 616

Positives: 4580 Negatives: 46

This member's Positive Feedback percentage ____ 98 %

4580 =  98 %

The 98 % figure above and to the right represents the overall rating of my online textbook business.

A potential customer will be able to see your rating before they make a textbook purchasing decision. With a 98 % rating like the one above a customer can tell that they will be dealing with an A rated seller. A rating between 80% to 90% will be a B rated seller. A rating between 70% to 80% will be a C rated seller and so on. There is a direct correlation between your rating and your potential income. It will work in your best interest if you do all you can to keep feedback rating high.

Why Not Sell Collage Textbooks?

Collage textbooks are updated every two years. Not only are collage textbooks more difficult to get but they have a short shelf life. A collage textbook which has value during one year may be absolutely worthless the next year. The collage textbook market is also saturated with sellers. High School and intermediate textbooks on the other hand will provide you with a much wider time window to sell the books at a profit. High School textbooks can still be in popular demand 8 or more years after their original printing.