1) Connect allied businesses. For example, many B & B owners are full on weekends and during certain seasons but have vacancies at other times. Network with B&B owners and receive a referral fee for sending customers. Or contract with them to auction their vacancies for a commission. Or you could buy the bed and breakfast space yourself at a very reduced price and resell it on the auctions. Guests at a B&B will want to go to local attractions and you can sell event tickets or arrange transportation or set up an customized eat-and-play-and-see plan of action. There are many possible opportunities for multiple income streams.
Long term business success on the Net depends on diversification. Try not to be dependent on a single source of income (i.e., all your eggs in one ebasket). Visit http://auctions.sitesell.com/ for more information on how you can reduce risk and effectively diversify your auction business.
2) Regional items -- Regional items can be very valuable. Almost everyone has something in their area that is unique and exciting to people from other areas, yet ho-hum to the locals. For example a friend recently bought a signed Amish basket for $15 and was offered over $100 for it when she returned home to Washington state.
The South is famous for certain plants, such as magnolias and dogwoods, along with the rich tradition of the confederacy and the civil war. The West has an entire frontier tradition with the fascinating history of pioneers, Indians and wagon trains. The smart marketer will romanticize these traditions.
Here is a “regional” product -- look at the price offered for a confederate sword…
3) Goods from other countries can be very profitable -- Serena and Willem went on a honeymoon to Ireland and Scotland. They were determined to leave their 9-5 jobs and create a business on the Internet. The problem was that they didn’t have any particular interests that they thought were marketable
-- until their trip. They returned home with fire in their eyes.
While visiting the wonderful countryside, they found small merchants offering goods that they thought were wonderful and began making deals along the way. The honeymoon became a business trip, as well as a life-changing experience.
They began on the auctions, offering an item here and there. With their success, they built a full-time business that they now run out of their home, selling jewelry, books, pub memorabilia, fabulous sweaters and family crests, all from Ireland and Scotland.
Another gentleman makes a six figure income by selling masks. He imports them from Africa, Asia and South America. Some are whimsical, many are fierce but they always sell. If you know what you are doing, as he does, the profits are enormous. If you don’t, you can lose substantial amounts of money. Always start out v-e-r-y slowly if you sell anything that requires a large investment from you.
4) Event tickets -- Tickets are often hot sellers on auction sites.
5) Catalog sales from home -- There are some wonderful companies that will sell you items at reduced prices, drop ship for you and have catalogs that you can use yourself by merely adding your own name.
Examples are Specialty Merchandise Corporation, 9401 De Soto Avenue, Chatsworth, CA, 01311, 888-990-7468 or the Mellinger Company, PO Box 596, Santa Clarita, CA, 91380-9056.
If you look in business opportunity magazines, you will find others. Observe some caution with these... some of these kinds of businesses are franchises with major fees involved. Others don’t call themselves franchises but they are anyway.
6) Collectibles are a gigantic business -- Collectibles are hot, hot items. In fact, if you absolutely have no category interests whatsoever, this is a very strong category to latch onto. There are sites that are worth studying because they will help you to discern the current frenzies...
http://www.collectiblestoday.com/7) Sell hard-to-come-by merchandise -- Items that are very rare usually sell quite well indeed. Watch for limited editions or custom-made products. As I said before, uniqueness sells!
