It's surprisingly easy to kill your eBay business, if you're not careful - sure, you can start over from scratch without it costing you anything, but do you really want to? Still, if you want your business to end up dead in the water, here are some simple ways to do it.

Lie about an item: Say it works fine when it sometimes doesn't work. Say it's in perfect condition when it has a scratch. Your customers will hate you!

Post whenever you feel like it: Make sure to leave your customers hanging around, wondering when their item is going to turn up. This makes sure they buy from someone else next time.

Let items end anytime: Few people will be around to care about your auction if it ends in the middle of the night. Why go to the trouble of working out whether auctions will end at a good time?

Don't bother with email: Customers are just timewasters anyway. eBay businesses are supposed to run themselves! Never give informed responses to questions about your item.

Sell rubbish: Really, it's just eBay. You can just sell any old tat from the market for a 200% profit. Let quality be someone else's concern - I mean, really, what do they expect for that price?

Refuse to give discounts: You know what your items cost, you know what your profit margin is going to be, and you're not going to negotiate. Remember that giving customers special deals might make them feel good and come back to you again.

Make your listings ugly: As many colours, flashing lights and animations as possible will really give those customers a headache. Write as much in CAPITALS!!!! as you can. Preferably big, red capitals. Be sure to use the fonts Impact and Comic Sans. For an extra special touch, see if you can figure out a way to add some music.

Don't take photos: It's such trouble, after all. If buyers are picky enough to actually want to see items before they bid on them, then screw 'em, that's what I say.

Write short descriptions: Be as brief as possible, and use lots of mysterious abbreviations. This obviously makes you look very cool. You can even just write the title again in the description box. Think of the effort you'll save!

Use reserve auctions: Now, this is a fairly controversial final choice, but it really is one of the best ways to scare away your customers. They'll see 'reserve not yet met', and click that 'back' button before you know it. Luckily, they can always bid in a normal auction for the item somewhere else.

Now that you know the ten ways to kill your eBay business, how about we explore what to do if you want to do the opposite, and make a success of it? The next email will give you ten steps to successful selling on eBay.

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Past history has shown that it's not necessarily the companies with the snazziest websites that do well, or even the companies with the most money. The 'small guys' -- that is, Internet home businesses typically run by 1 or 2 people -- may not make the news like the big 'dot-coms', but there are many who quietly and steadily continue to turn a profit, even while big companies report huge losses or go out of business entirely.

So what's the secret? Here are a few tips from small but successful 'netrepreneurs' on how to build a thriving online business:

1. Find a niche with a demand.

Select a specific market to which you can offer unique products or services. You can't be everything to everyone, and trying to offer a giant selection of goods to a huge and generalized market is the route to frustration, disappointment, and even failure. We can't all be Wal-Marts!

As a small business, focus on a promising niche market and work hard to offer them the products and services they want.

2 .Care about the quality of your product or service.

Sell only what you would be proud to sell to your family and friends, and insist upon consistently high quality. This will help to encourage referrals and repeat business -- both powerful ways to keep the profits rolling.

3. Be smart and frugal.

Avoid unnecessary expenses, and be particularly vigilant when you're first getting started. One of the nice things about doing business online is that it's possible to begin earning an income while operating on a shoestring budget. Try to minimize expenses. Once your business is pulling in profits, you can reinvest part of it back into marketing and expansion.

4. Focus on marketing strategies that return the most profit for your dollar.

One of the biggest myths beginners face is that people will flock to your site once it's built. However, there are literally billions of web pages available, and every business has to find ways to attract their target audience to their little corner of the web. Track the success of each of your marketing campaigns. Drop those that don't work, and focus on those that yield the best results.

5. Provide the best customer service that you can.

Fast, helpful replies to inquiries and requests for assistance help to create and keep happy customers. This is particularly true of the Internet, where people have come to expect 'instant' responses. Genuinely helpful answers also help to ensure customers feel as if they're *people*, and not just another generic, faceless entity in cyberspace. Treat customers as you would like to be treated.

6. Build your business slowly but surely.

Instead of attempting to build your business into an overnight success, strive for gradual but steady expansion. Small businesses operating on tight budgets generally cannot afford to throw a pile of money into a marketing campaign that's 'hit-and-miss'. Instead, they find out what works, then build upon their successes.

7. Create multiple streams of income.

Your business can continue it's growth by branching out to offer a variety of products or services. For example, an online business may earn income from sales of its own primary product or service, sales of website or newsletter advertising, and commissions from affiliate programs. Start with one income stream and gradually add to it when you have the resources to do so.

Multiple streams of income will also help to 'buffer' your business against income fluctuations. While one product or service may experience a downturn in sales, the others may not. Similarly, if it turns out that one income stream disappears (for example, an affiliate program shuts down), then you can fall back on your other products and services.

8. Work together.

Use the Internet to find like-minded entrepreneurs. Develop mutually beneficial working relationships with carefully selected businesses. This will provide you with the opportunity to cross-promote your products and services, as well as give and share advice. A strong support network can help to build your own business as well as the complementary businesses with whom you choose to partner.

9. Keep educating yourself.

What works online today may not work quite as well tomorrow. Invest in continuing your marketing education and put what you learn to good use. You don't want your business to simply 'survive' online; you want it to thrive!

10. Enjoy what you do.

If you don't, then business will only be a chore, not a pleasure. Being passionate about what you do will give you that extra energy and desire to build a business that continues to offer your customers quality products and services -- while earning a profit.

Visit onlinebusinessbasics.com for more tips on how to effectively market your business on a limited budget.

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And the great news is, you can do the same - and you can start today. Whatever your skills and expertise, you can be sure that there is a demand for them in the freelance market. But where would you find the jobs and projects you need to succeed? And where can you find the advice, information and support you need to get started?

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No problem. There are a number of web sites that specialize in helping freelancers to find work and make money. We've reviewed the best of them, and have no hesitation in recommending Go Freelance.

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