When my column on paying income tax on eBay profits ran it brought a wave of emails on whether you were required to report income earned from eBay sales to the IRS sparked a number of additional questions and comments from eBay sellers who were hoping that I could somehow validate that their eBay activities were mere hobbies instead of actual businesses and therefore not susceptible to IRS taxation.

Several folks argued that just because their little eBay hobby generated a little cash, that didn’t make it a full blown business. It seems they consider the income from their little hobby to be financial manna from Heaven and thereby not taxable by earthly tax collectors. I’ve always been amused by folks who try to impress me with talk about their “little side business” but when the subject turns to taxes they suddenly refer to it as “my little hobby.”

All arguments aside, the conclusion that I came to after reading each of the emails was always the same: while you may think selling on eBay is just a fun pastime and the money you’re making is not reportable as income, depending on the circumstances, the IRS would probably disagree with you.

It seems that everyone likes making money, but hates carving off a piece for good old Uncle Sam. Welcome to free enterprise, folks. If you’re going to come to the dance you have to pay the fiddler.

The IRS rules are clear: you must pay taxes on all personal and business income and that includes money you make selling on Ebay.

In its most basic sense, the IRS rules can be interpreted to mean that if you buy an old vase at a garage sale for $10 and sell it on eBay (or elsewhere) for $20 you made a $10 profit and therefore must report it as income and pay Uncle Sam his fair share.

In reality, if you are a casual seller who only sells a few items on eBay every now and then it’s doubtful the IRS is going to let loose an army of agents to collect taxes on the few bucks you make. However, if you consistently sell on eBay the IRS may deem your activities to be business oriented and you will be required to file a Schedule C and claim the income.

As mentioned last week, the IRS uses a number of factors to determine if an eBay hobby that generates sales revenue is actually a business. These factors include:

Do you carry on the hobby in a business-like manner?

Do you spend considerable time working on the hobby?

Do you depend on income from your hobby for your livelihood?

If the answer to any or all of these question is yes, you’re running a business, not carrying on a hobby, and you are responsible for paying taxes on your income.

What’s eBay’s take on all this? Naturally eBay is vehemently opposed to anything that might rock the eBay boat. eBay does not issue 1099 tax forms to sellers, nor does it report seller’s sales figures to the IRS.

Ebay considers itself merely to be a facilitator, meaning that they provide a marketplace in which buyers and sellers come together to do business.

Furthermore, under its current system it would be impossible for eBay to issue accurate 1099s to sellers. eBay does not track if a seller actually gets paid by the buyer, so eBay has no idea how much money - if any - actually changes hands at the end of each transaction.

On the bright side, if you do sell on eBay as a business you can deduct a number of business expenses, including the cost of inventory, listing fees, shipping, envelopes, packing materials, etc.

You might also be able to deduct things like the purchase of a computer for business use, office space (even if it’s a home office), office supplies, and more.

Talk to your accountant if there’s any doubt as to whether you should or should not be paying taxes on your eBay earnings.

Small Business Q&A is written by veteran entrepreneur
and syndicated columnist, Tim Knox.
Tim’s latest books include “Small Business Success Secrets”
and “The 30 Day Blueprint For Success!”
Related Links:
http://www.smallbusinessqa.com
http://www.dropshipwholesale.net

Online auction sites are set up in such a way that they can be very profitable both for you and for the auction house itself. But, what most people do not realize is that there is a world that is beyond that of Ebay! Yes, there are many other online auction sites for you to consider. Take a look at your options and see just what they offer you before you get started bidding on the web.

Let?s face it, Ebay is the largest online auction site. It has become so very successful because of its vast marketing plan and the ease of use it offers its users. Everyone knows that if you can find something in the local retail area or you can find it online that you will likely find it too right on the Ebay auction site.

So, how does it all work? Online auction sites are set up to allow for a meeting place of bidders and sellers. They do not sell products themselves but provide a meeting environment for you to find the people you are looking for. Of course to list a product to be sold, or in some cases to purchase a product on the web, you will be charged a fee. This is a necessary part of doing business on these websites but in cases like Ebay, it has become an excellent source of revenue as well

So, who else is out there? There are other online auction sites that you should take a good look at. These include the following:

? TradeMe
? Yahoo!
? EBid
? Internet Bargain Center
? Marktplaats
? Bidville as well as many more

There are many benefits to using these online auction sites including the ease of connecting with prospective buyers, the use of 24/7 availability, and worldwide exposure to say the least. Many people find excellent reasons to get into the online auction site as a business as well. There is no limit to what can be found on these websites. Taking a look at those that are less well known can be an excellent opportunity as well.

For more information please see www.online-auction-sites.co.uk

eBay is an online auction site so it stands to reason that most users will tend to auction off their items aiming to get a high price.

The problem with auctioning items is that eBay can be a very fickle place, one week an item may sell for hundreds of pounds but the next week the same item may sell for pennies.

Your success rate on eBay is affected by the number of people who are willing, and able, to bid large amounts on your items. If the buyers can’t, for some reason, bid high amounts on one particular auction, you run the risk of losing money.

There is no way of telling when an item will sell for a high amount. If there was, there would be many more very successful eBayers out there.

One way you can almost guarantee you will sell an item for a good price is to use a Buy It Now (BIN) listing.

In order to use BINs successfully, you have to get the price right. Too high and it will not sell. Too low and it will be bought almost immediately, probably by a competitor who will relist it to try and profit from your mistake.

So, how can you use a BIN listing to profit?

If you’ve got a good idea how much the item is worth, list it for that price as a BIN. If you don’t know how much it is worth, try searching for it in the Completed Listings searches.

In my case, I was quite successful selling DVDs with BIN listings. I simply searched for the DVD I was selling in the completed listings section, sorted by Highest Price and then listed my item at the highest price I could find which had sold.

At times, I also added a little more to the price. Why? Because the great benefit of BIN listings is that impatient buyers can get them almost immediately without having to wait for an auction to end and without running the risk of losing out to another bidder.

If you cannot find the item in the completed listings section or it is very rare and you are unsure of the value, list the item with a very high (almost ridiculous) price. Any potential buyers will find the item, provided you have listed it correctly.

Let the listing run for the full 10 days; it is a very good idea to always use 10 day BIN listings as you pay the same price as a 1, 3, 5 or 7 day listing and get more coverage.

If the item doesn’t sell, don’t be tempted to drop the price or auction it off. Too many people do this and lose money. Remember, patience is a virtue.

Instead, list it again but this time add more text to the description telling viewers that you are open to offers. You may well find that someone will contact you through the “Ask Seller a Question” link offering you a quick payment if you are prepared to sell for £x.

If the offer is not good enough, reply to the sender and politely refuse but suggest a price you would be willing to sell for.

On the other hand, if you are holding out for the maximum you have already specified, tell them why and justify your answer. You may well find that they relent.

At the end of the day, if you do have a high value item then it will cost you a maximum of £2 per listing. Each time you place it on eBay you are attracting more potential buyers. This means that you can have your item available to billions of potential bidders for 100 days for a reasonable £20.

And, when a buyer finally comes and offers the correct asking price, you will not have lost much whatsoever if it is a high value item.

One point to remember; if you give up and auction the item off or sell at a lower price, you may well find you sell it to someone who will actually do the above and profit from your mistake.

Ben Catt is an active eBay buyer and seller and runs an eBay Tips and Tricks website found at http://www.BenCatt.com.
He also runs a business opportunity information site - http://www.BizOppsUK.com

You will often find yourself facing the choice of whether to pay a fixed price or keep on bidding. This choice might be presented to you in a single auction, or you might be choosing between different auctions of the different types. So should you use that ‘Buy it Now’ button or keep on trying to outbid everyone else? It’s all a question of weighing up the advantages and disadvantages.

Buy it Now.

- The Advantages.

When you use Buy it Now, you know the asking price and you can take some time to decide whether to pay it or not - you can even negotiate. You don’t need to keeping your eye on the auction, or get caught up in the last-minute bidding frenzy that is now inevitable on any popular item. Not only that, but the seller will be happy to get a fixed price for their item, and they’re likely to nicer to you than usual. Some sellers can be a little resentful when they feel that you got a little too much of a bargain on their item.

- The Disadvantages.

You will almost certainly pay more for the item, especially with more expensive items. Also, it takes some of the fun out of eBay. Aren’t you there for an auction, after all? If you want to pay a fixed price then there are thousands of online stores you could be visiting. It’s like pressing ‘collect’ instead of ‘gamble’ on a fruit machine: it’s the boring option. But then, maybe that’s what you want.

These rules are relatively constant: there are few times when using Buy it Now would allow you to get something cheaper, or when bidding would be an easier way to do it. In the end, as with so many things in life, it’s a simple question of price vs. convenience, and it’s up to you.

There are those times, though, when the strategic use of the Buy it Now button can be a useful tool to help you outwit your competition. If the current bid is almost as high as the Buy it Now price, then why bid higher and keep the contest going? Clicking that button is a no-brainer. The same goes for times when a seller has, for some reason, set the Buy it Now price only slightly higher than their starting price for bids. Why bother to go through all the hassle of bidding?

You might also find that there are times when you should leave the Buy it Now button as a last resort: it can be a useful way of ending last-minute contests with a decisive ‘this is mine’ gesture.

In fact, there are all sorts of tricks you can use on eBay, if you want to get ahead of the game. Remember that most buyers on eBay are casual, and don’t know what they’re doing: a little knowledge can go a long way in getting you an advantage. Our next email will have a few tips and tricks for you.

Kirsten Hawkins is an Ebay and internet auction enthusiast from Nashville, TN. Visit www.auctionseller411.com/ for more great tips on how to make the most from Ebay and other online auctions.

When someone first starts selling on eBay, it is drilled into every seller’s head to list every possible bit of information into their eBay ad. This includes shipping, condition, color, terms, etc. While I do agree with this, I have also used this subtle sales technique to generate large volume sales outside of eBay. As it states, you put information in your eBay listing which will cause the customer to contact you with opportunities. This is not in violation of any eBay policy; no one is linking to an outside website, or referring any customer to such site. The ads just state what products will be sold on eBay, and a photo of the entire stock of that product is attached to the ad.

If you buy a large quantity of product, you do not want to flood the eBay site with many listings of the same product. This will decrease buyer urgency, and also bring down the final sales price. It is a supply and demand factor, using the “read between the lines” sales technique to overcome this.

For example, I have 200 laptop batteries for model a2000 laptop computers that I want to sell. In my eBay ad, I will show a picture of the whole stock of batteries ( or whatever product you have in large quantity, whether it is cables, dolls, tape guns, etc.). I will also note in my ebay ad that I will be listing these up for sale on eBay.

The standard eBay buyer will not read between the lines, because they are only looking for that 1 item right now. It is easy to sell large purchases to volume buyers not even registered on eBay, but who search through the ads for contacts for large lots of product. The batteries sell on average between $79-$89 on eBay, and I make approximately $40 on each battery

A potential customer can be emailed about quantity pricing. I have found eBay sales prices to be very near to wholesale, so you normally only have to drop at most 20% from the eBay sales price. With this technique you do not erode your single customer sales price, but you are still able to move a large volume of similar product quickly outside of eBay.

You will soon have a great list of contacts who know and trust you, and you won’t even have to put up an eBay ad. You just email your past customers and let them know what you have in stock. This is a great way to cultivate these large repeat buyers. They feel safe contacting you because they can see you are reputable via your eBay feedback.

Tim Gilberg is able to provide information and insight from a unique
perspective - that of someone who is actually doing what others just
talk about. Ebay Power Seller Platinum Status was Attained by Tim Gilberg, which is one of the highest sales levels attained selling on eBay. Tim is active on Ebay and liquidation.com as well as consulting
and working with other Top ebay Power Seller’s to give you real life
in use insight, not theories. Visit Tim Gilberg at his website Make Money on eBay

The Internet is full of “How To Get MORE Traffic To Your Web Site” Schemes, Strategies And Techniques…

And yes, while getting more pre-qualified traffic to your web site is always a positive thing, a better approach is to utilize/ maximize the traffic that is ALREADY there, on it (your web site that is).

Here’s a better question… “What are you doing with the web site traffic that’s already ON your web site?”

Or, a simple premise… “If a person is already ON your web site they’re searching for something, right?” They just didn’t turn up on it because there was nothing worthwhile to watch on TV… or they thought they’d just go surfing while waiting for the roast (dinner) to cook.

They WANT something from you (and your web site).

Here’s what happens (in the brain) when a person lands on your web site.

The brain says to itself “What is it?”… and then it says (again to itself, unless you’re in the habit of talking out loud to your own brain)… “What’s in it for me?”

Now, if the brain (aka that thing between your ears) doesn’t get a good, CLEAR answer to its own question/s, then it gets very confused very quickly and then it says (again to itself) “I’m confused, I’m going elsewhere”, or… “I think I’ll go check out the roast dinner now”.

Bingo, They’re gone (probably never to return again).

Now, here’s another way!

Master Internet marketers talk a lot about “sales funnels”. What they mean by this is the directing of people from an OFF-site source (usually another web site, text link ad etc) down a pre-determined path towards their own pre-determined (and desired) outcome (usually the signup to a list).

So, what if you were to take this (sales funnel) concept and apply it to your ON-site traffic and systems? What would happen then?

Well, I did just that. I tested my own theory, and noticed an immediate and dramatic spike in traffic to my own pre-determined (and desired) ON-site outcomes/ actions (from people who were already ON my web site).

I used techniques to redirect people (who were already on my web site) to my desired outcome (and I tracked these systems to see what happened).

The sign ups soared!

Here’s what I did.

1. Used a new generation popup system on the landing page.

Now, when new visitors landed on my site a high percentage of them clicked on the “PS” type (popup) note and were taken through to the offer ON my site. This page (of course) has a navigation bar. People can still access the other content that’s ON my web site.

2. Set up a footer - text-based banner - on every second tier page.

The copy in this footer banner was unobtrusive. It repeated the message on the “PS” popup on the landing page. I used text (to ’say’ the benefit).

My conclusions,

>>> “In addition to working on increasing traffic to my web site from OFF-site sources, implement better ON-site traffic-direction techniques for the traffic that’s already on it”, and

>>> “Point first time visitors towards my own (desired) ON-site outcomes, right up front… and then KEEP them on my site with a consistent - benefit laden - navigation bar”.

Stone Beds
[Pompeii’s surge]

Advance: after the great eruption of Pompeii’s nearby volcano, Vesuvius, some two-thousand years ago in the heyday of the Roman Empire, what was left of the city were mostly ashes of stone from an unleashing furnace; it is hard to imagine what the people went through (none, not one person survived). I can only guess from the looks of the city today, and in its early excavations, its people were baked alive or asleep, like pottery. In many cases, beds were turned into stones. I have been to Italy twice, and Pompeii, most be the most blazing archeological sites in the world.

For those not familiar with Pompeii, (the city, for there was also a General in the Roman Army, called Pompeii, whom gave his name to the city), for those folks, let me clarify: just the name stimulates deep slurs if not down right nightmarish emotions.

Pompeii is located by the Bay of Neapolis. The time of the eruption, was A.D. 79. Pompeii, was a resort city, as you might think of Los Vegas. It was the Roman Empires richest city, with luxurious villas, and all seemed to live a most enjoyable lifestyle. This city reminds me of the Titanic, and Sodom and Gomorra. Yes, Pompeii was a most corrupt and violent city, or town-let, as some would have it.

The Poem:

Stone Beds

Skin vaporized
Bones incinerated
Brains boiled

Then exploded!

Skulls stained from
Red cerebral matter,
Like a glass that shattered;

Teeth disintegrated.

Dim and faint was their fate.

Suffocation
Decomposed
Solidified:

The shapes of bodies…;

Contorted positions
Buried alive:
Like eggs packed,

In clay pottery!…

Note: 5/8/05 #642

Author/Poet Dennis Siluk, http://dennissiluk.tripod.com

If you are soon going to be a parent anytime soon then you must now be going through all the preparations to provide with the best for your little bundle of joy. If you don’t plan ahead chances are that when your child arrives you have so much to do that you don’t have the time to enjoy all the emotions that you go through. So we would suggest you to get everything ready beforehand so that you are all ready and beaming for his moment of arrival.

One of the things that would top your list of must-buys would definitely be a crib. A crib is where your newborn baby will spend most of his time. So it has to be perfect. Not only should it be sturdy and reliable but it should also be stylish and functional. It is better that you don’t buy the first crib you see but invest some time so that you get the right crib, not one that you would be desperate to return only after a month.

Safety

One thing that all parents are concerned about is their baby’s safety and no one will be willing to compromise on that. When it comes to buying a crib there are definite indicators that you can look for. The most reliable cribs are the ones that meet the safety standards as set by The Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) and the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM). While any crib must comply with the mandatory safety stands of the CPSC, most of the better ones also comply with the standards set by ASTM. These days the Juvenile Products Manufacturers’ Association (JPMA) also certify the cribs. But even if the crib that you are getting has all these certifications it is better that you check for yourself and do your own bit of quality control. Make sure that the crib is stable and check for any sharp edges, holes or splinters.

Functionality

There are a few things that you should look out for in a crib. If you are a first time parent chances are you won’t be knowing about the finer points which go into making the crib you choose the best thing for you.

Make sure that you can raise and lower the side rails using only one of your hands. Most of the cribs allow you to alter the position of the side rails but in some the process is much more complicated and is not very convenient especially when you are carrying your baby in one hand. Also check to see if the rails have a proper locking mechanism so that they don’t get released accidentally.
A crib where you adjust the height of the mattress also helps. You can keep the mattress in a higher position when your newborn has just arrived. It’s easier on your back. But with the passage of time when your baby starts to move around more you can slide it down so that he can’t climb out easily.

Style

As long as you are getting your baby a safe and sturdy crib, you can opt for any of the wide range of styles cribs come in. you can go for wood finishes which are more classy and sophisticated. Or if your taste suits you can even pick one of the most ultra-contemporary styles. These days it has been a trend to coordinate everything in your room to the same style. So remember about the color scheme of your room and the furniture that you have while you go shopping for the crib.

BABY FOOTPRINTS

Everyone loves sweet baby feet, and baby footprints are a classic symbol of a newborn. The first year of a child’s life is a time of remarkable growth and development.

Now you can preserve a piece of your baby’s first year forever with easy-to-use kit, which captures a perfect impression of your child’s tiny foot.

Anyone can make cute cards with a cherished reminder of baby’s adorable feet and hands.

Parents and grandparents will think this is the best baby shower gift.

For thank you notes or baby announcements after baby has arrived, use his/her real footprint or handprint.

Copyright © 2006 Lena Hilltorp

Baby Footprint. Money-Saving Information About Baby Footprint. Look At Everything We Have To Offer
http://www.baby-footprint.net/

Lena Hilltorp is a freelance publisher based in Sweden. She publishes articles and reports and provides Baby footprints resources on http://www.baby-footprint.net.

Do you ever get the feeling that your child is losing ground in the battle for a decent education? Do you dread the high cost of summer camp? Do you feel that your child is learning courtesy and respect in school or summer camp?

None of us can afford to let the years go by and “hope for the best.” Each child must go through a re-programming process every September to regain his or her previous academic level. The child who did great in June may have to settle and adjust to school all over again in the Fall.

The common problems for children, when going back to school, are attention span, motivation, and goal setting skills. We have many choices to enhance the success rates of our children, but if money is a factor, our choices seem to be limited, and every parent wants the best for his or her child.

Therefore, let’s look at our options. You could do it all yourself, and some parents choose this path. You would need to tutor your child, reinforce respect, supervise each activity, and gently guide him or her toward constructive friendships. If you have a career, you might as well put it on hold for the summer.

You could place your child in an affordable summer camp and pray he or she will survive the season. You could also find a good skills camp for a minimum of $300 per week. Between summer camp, back to school, gasoline, and Christmas, we’ll all be working a second job.

However, martial arts summer camps are very affordable in comparison to most summer camps. All of them are run with maximum supervision and kids are eager to belong to a structured society. Children know what is expected of them; it is just a matter of reinforcing the structure and making it fun for kids.

Does it sound like a military school? In some ways it is - but each child who enters a martial arts summer camp, will be a model student in an academic school setting, during the next school year.

How is this possible? The foundation of martial arts is courtesy and respect. This is how a martial arts school maintains structure and integrity. All of the extra life skills such as: goal setting, anger management, stress management, motivation, self defense, and having a positive attitude, are “icing on the cake.”

Every child who enters a martial arts summer camp learns the taste of success, the feeling of achievement - and no child is left behind. In turn, this will prepare him or her for the next school year.

© Copyright 2006 - Paul Jerard / Aura Publications

Paul Jerard is a co-owner and the director of Yoga teacher training at: Aura Wellness Center, in North Providence, RI. He has been a certified Master Yoga teacher since 1995. He is a master instructor of martial arts, with multiple Black Belts, four martial arts teaching credentials, and was recently inducted into the USA Martial Arts Hall of Fame. He teaches Yoga, martial arts, and fitness to children, adults, and seniors in the greater Providence area. Recently he wrote: Yoga: The Key to Self Mastery. http://www.kids-karate.com

Everyone who has had the experience of being a parent knows all too well the difficulties of getting your baby to sleep soundly throughout the night.

The dark circles around the eyes of new parents are usually familiar to all those that have been around them.

In terms of baby sleep tips, one of the most important things you must try and establish as a parent is getting your baby to learn to fall asleep on his own.

The process by which your child begins to fall asleep on his own is one that involves a natural transition from falling asleep with the mother to falling asleep in an independent fashion.

One of the best ways in which you can speed up this transition is to encourage your child to develop sleep associations that he or she can recreate independently.

Naturally, everyone - and babies in particular - will develop sleep associations. These are the things that you associate with bedtime, and allow you to create an environment in which it is easy to fall asleep.

When your baby is at an extremely young age, he will naturally develop sleep associations involving the mother, as he will often fall asleep in her arms.

As you attempt to get your baby to sleep in his own, however, it is crucial that you work to change these associations.

If you always put your child to sleep by holding him, or allowing him to use a pacifier, you create a sleep association with these things.

Then, when your child wakes up in the middle of then night, he can’t go back to sleep on his own because he is unable to recreate his sleeping environment without you: he needs you to feed him or rock him in order to sleep.

As you begin to try and get your child to sleep on his own, you should introduce items into his sleeping routine that he can sleep with, such as a particular blanket or a stuffed animal.

What this will do is create associations for your child with these items for sleep. Then, when he awakes in the middle of the night, he will be able to recreate a sleeping environment without your assistance by grabbing his stuffed animal, etc.

It can also be beneficial to introduce “transitional items” into your baby’s bedtime routine: Allow him to have his stuffed animal or blanket with him during a final feeding and before-bedtime activities, and allow him to take these things with him to bed.

No matter what you do, your child is going to be creating his or her own sleep associations.

Your job is to try and create associations with items that are under his or her control. By giving your child as much control over his sleeping environment as possible, you allow him to begin to achieve sleep independently.

The most difficult transition in early parenting is the one towards independent sleep for your child, and if you introduce new items into your child’s sleeping place, you will hasten this transition, which will soon allow both you and your child to get a good night’s rest.

Drikus Botha is wellknown for his articles and e-courses.

You can subscribe to one of his free baby sleep tips e-courses right here