Keeping records of your Ebay business: Part 1
Good... Now that I have your attention I want to be honest with
you. Today's article does not really have any well kept
"secrets" or magic wands with bells and whistles that will make
you a rich ebay seller overnight. Instead, we are going to
discuss the importance of keeping a proper paperwork train
moving along so that your ebay business can stay strong and
thrive based around good record-keeping.
I realize that this topic is a dry one but trust me, keeping
good records of your ebay seller business can make or break you
in the long run. As boring as it is, the advice you are about to
be given is rock solid for anyone like you who wants to become
wealthy as an ebay seller. It only takes one time to get audited
by the IRS before everything can come crashing down on you and
your business as an ebay seller. In addition to the tax law,
without proper paperwork tracking, your business has no
direction and will ultimately fail.
3 Reasons why it is essential to keep good records:
1. Without keeping records of everything pertaining to being an
ebay seller and the sales you have made then how else will you
be able to gouge your progress? A detailed paperwork trail will
show you how well or how poorly your business is doing. If
becoming an ebay seller full time is your goal, then keeping
good records is key.
2. Second, the tax law requires you to keep records of your
business. Unfortunately the law is the law and there is no
choice in the matter, even if you are just a small-time ebay
seller trying to make it big.
3. You may need a business loan or other type of loan from a
financial institution someday. Many power ebay sellers
jump-started their ebay business by obtaining a loan from the
bank and you can too, provided you have kept good records as an
ebay seller. Most loan applications require a ton of paperwork
and all of the details and history of your business.
Tracking your Ebay business is not just for the IRS:
If I were to ask you today how your business is doing as an ebay
seller, what would your answer be and what would determine that
opinion? It's not enough just to say that you are doing good in
your business. Instead, your answer should be calculated from
your paperwork records, by tracking specific items.
In other words, keeping detailed records of your ebay seller
business is not only for the purpose of the IRS but also to help
you create a profitable business plan based on actual facts. For
example, do you know which ads are pulling in the most sales? Do
you have the history of testing and tracking on the ads that are
not pulling in sales? Are your profit margins high enough to
cover your business expenses? What percentage is profit?
It would obviously be impossible to accurately answer these
questions unless you were the kind of ebay seller that kept good
business records. And if you have not started documenting and
saving copies of everything pertaining to your ebay business,
then it is never too late to start! With a little commitment and
self discipline, you can get into the habit of keeping the books
up to date immediately.
Taking that first step:
Getting started with keeping the books up to date with your ebay
seller business is kind of like doing that big chore that you
have been putting off for a long time. You know you can do it,
you know it needs to be done, but getting started just seems
like a mountain to climb.
Well let's break that mountain into a molehill today and get
started with explaining to you about profits margins and gross
profit margins.
1. What is Gross Profit? Gross profit is your starting point in
order to determine profitability from being an ebay seller. You
simply subtract the total cost of your inventory that you have
sold from the total revenue that you earned for the sales.
2. What is a Gross Profit Margin? A gross profit margin is a
determination of how profitable you are as an ebay seller. You
will know this information by dividing your gross profit by your
total revenues. The higher the percentage is, the better off you
are as a profitable ebay seller.
About the author:
Jason James website 'The Auction Resource Network' reveals his
inside secrets and sources that help him pocket over $10,000 a
month on eBay.
Claim your FREE 'Top 10 eBay Selling Secrets' eBook: www.auctionresourcen
etwork.com