Spotting Business Opportunites

One of the many reasons why people are unsuccessful  and it is something that I have harped on about before, is that people become blinkered to their idea and sooner or later it will fall and they will have to find something else. We live in a world where everything changes and develops at such a speed. Sometimes new things have been developed before the old idea has even been realised.

This is something which we have to consider as businessmen too. I say businessmen in the fact that, no matter how big or small you are working on, you are showing and developing skills and mentalities of a business-lie manner and this is something which you have to be aware of. You may only be selling some kit-kats on the school playground but there are still a set of basic principals that you have to follow.

And this is one of them. You have to constantly self-assess yourself, your sales techniques, your products, and the wider market around you. For example, going back to the kit-kat example: It isn't going to be long before the kid over there gets the same idea and starts doing the same stuff as you. and then you have competition. And then you have to think about where you are going to head.

You have to decide whether you think you can move the idea you have onwards and upwards so you become a "market leader" of the playground, or whether you think there is money to be made elsewhere. Now persisting with 1 idea is hard work and not always 100% effective. Sometimes you just don't play your cards exactly right and everything goes down the pan.

My advice is when you get yourself into this position, you need to start thinking about something else. Always have 1 more idea in your mind, so you know there is always something to move to and somewhere to develop. This is a critical part of business. And this is where your 2 categories come in.

Let's take Peter Coates, my local butchers. They are currently in the 4th generation of the family business, about to hand down to the 5th. That is through the persistence and reputation in their area of expertise. The quality of their meat is very good, and the reliability of the sources that they get their meat from are also tremendous. Not only that, but everybody is aware they butchery their meat on their own on-site abattoir and this adds to their established reputation.

However, let's take Alan Sugar on the other hand. Started his life right when the world of audio technology was growing and booming, selling hi-fi equipment. He had that cavalier philosophy of ditching an idea and moving on as soon as he got any competition or opposition. and it was that that lead his busniess to grow, develop and become what it is today.

The difference between the two is the difference between persisting with one idea or moving between ideas and growing upwards all the time. The thing is that hi-fi equipment is not something which is highly skilled to make, it's not a craft like carpentry or stonemasonery, which is where butchery sits. So people are less worries about established reputation and more worried about price and value for money.

You can only make this decision, but my advice to anyone who is selling some bits and pieces small time, would be when it gets tougher, move on. I am not saying move from selling sweets to your mates to selling selling seed treatments to farmers, but just take the other fork at a crossing point.

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Don't Spend It, Save It!

One of the most effective ways of making money is believe it or not, saving it. Just think about the amount of cash you may spend on grub from the tuck shop or the newest COD, and think about how much that all adds up to. Try putting the £2 a day you might spend in the shop on your way to school in a pot and see how quickly this adds up. Also think about all the unnecessary purchases. Music, games, stuff like that. You don't have to pay such a price for some things as well.

I am not saying you should just give up all your little luxuries that you buy with the money from delivering the local newspaper, but just think about what you are spending and try saving it in a jar or pot to see how much you really do spend. Trust me, the results are outstanding. You may be able to save up in 2 or 3 months to buy yourself a new x box, or an iPod, or a new Bike.

If you just have a little bit of sensibilty when thinking about each time you spend money, then you can save a packet! Also, cutting down on those sweets will make you a little bit healthier too, which could also be a little benifit! 

Remember, SAVE IT, DON'T SPEND IT!

What is Drop shipping?

So you like the idea of selling on eBay or setting up your own web store, but haven't got the time or the space or the facility to buy, post and send. Well here is the perfect solution.


I have recently stumbled of a really good way to make money. It combines all the things people like, selling on eBay, setting up a web business, all of these things, into a painless and hassle less process, where you essential just flip money to make more money.


Drop shipping involves you selling a product which you don't have and then buying it when somebody buys it from you and then sending it straight on to the customer. Sounds pretty illegal right? Well that is where you are wrong. There are several wholesale drop shipping companies set up around the world to do just this very thing.


As a British citizen, I found ATS distribution to be the best source for this, and while their prices are quite expensive, they are very reliable. All you do is sign up, put some money in the pot, not as a registration fee or anything, but as a balance to buy stuff with, and then put an advert on eBay or your personal eCommerce website, and there you have it. It is a virtual stockroom, which somebody else manages for you, and I am sorry but nobody can say no to the convenience of it all. 


what I did was I put some items on eBay intitially, for the asking price of the Drop Shipping company, and then watched people bid and quite often the item sold for 20 or 30% more than the RRP, which is really good to see. You just need to choose your items carefully. Remember the bigger the audience, the better the sale, so electronic gadgets and headphones sell best, but there is most competition.


Another thing to be wary of it the postage and packaging, but this is a piece of information which is given to you by the  drop shipping company in most cases and therefore is less of an issue to worry about.


So it really is that simple to make money selling things now. I would say this is a great place to start because you have nothing to loose until you sell something, and then you gain if you see what I mean, so everyone is a winner. It gives you some experience of selling before you start buying real stock and gives you more headroom when you do.


I would advise this to anybody who asks me what the best way to start selling on eBay is. all your products are new so there is no worrying about that, and it is all done for you. Just sit back relax and watch the drop shippers do all the work!