Best Internet Home Businesses

Online Auction Sales

Three major players Amazon, eBay and Yahoo offer centralized and heavily promoted Web sites where you can list products for sale at relatively low cost, shipping directly to the winner of online auction bidding wars. Fees per transactions are relatively low, usually a percentage of the item sold. Your pricing strategies must include costs for shipping and any enhancements you do to the stuff you find to sell. Sources of items can range widely, carefully selected from estate and yard sales or picked up at local swap meets and through local weekly tabloid advertisers.

Each company offers rules and regulations concerning the process of selling, item posting restrictions, customer service requirements, shipping requirements and transaction processing fees for cash, checks or credit card processing run through PayPal.

Business Requirements

• PayPal account
• Reliable transportation for hauling items from sources to shipping
• Digital camera pictures of items for more effective listing
• Storage for items to be sold
• Assortment of shipping boxes and mailers
• Local offices for shipping via UPS and USPS
• Business checking account
• Computer and online access
• Printer
• Space to operate within your home

Online Specialty Advertising

Specialty advertising is a diverse industry offering a wide selection of customizable products for your best Internet home business. You can be an independent rep for several company products or an employee of just one umbrella company, representing their entire product line. If you choose the latter, the company offers additional promotional support, including discounts on Business Cards, letterhead and financial assistance with local chambers of commerce memberships and event sponsoring, and booth rentals at local and regional trade shows.

It’s best to operate out of an urban area heavily populated with businesses. Attendance at chamber functions and business functions is a must. You’ll need a well-equipped home office, space for sample storage and catalogs and marketing funds for local/regional yellow page advertising. It may take some time to develop loyal clientele, because there may be several others in your area doing the same thing. You’ll need polished people skills to develop personal contacts. Check out the competition first by surveying local yellow pages.

You can find sources of product companies by searching online and by contacting the Advertising Specialty Institute.

Best Internet Home Business Requirements

• PayPal account
• Business checking account
• Reliable transportation
• Sharp business outfits, if you will be working with the public
• Storage for products
• Laptop computer with high-speed online access
• Printer
• Cell phone with voice mail
• Advertising Online and in local yellow pages
• Web site