A Home Based Business Opportunity Selling Books

A Home Business Article Contributed by Jenni Mckinney

Selling Books Online May be the Home Based Business Opportunity for You

Thousands of people are taking advantage of the opportunity to have a home based business today by selling books, both new and used, through an online marketplace like Amazon.com. It's true that the competition is fierce, but the reason is that selling books requires very little up-front investment, very little specialized knowledge, and very little experience in retail sales. If you have a computer, high speed internet access, and some pocket change, you can make money too!

Beginning Steps in This Home Based Business Opportunity

The first step is to create an free account with Amazon.com as a seller. The second step is to familiarize yourself with the types of books that are less commonly found online. Generally speaking, the more popular the book, the less money you can make selling it because everyone has a copy to sell. Try to remember that the books that sell for the most money are the books that are not household names.

Once you have an idea of the types of books that sell well, then you can begin the third step, which is to begin purchasing books. Go to your neighborhood thrift stores, yard sales, and library sales, and buy up books that are in average to good condition and that are not bestsellers. Then, with your stack of books beside your desk, look up each book online at Amazon.com and see what the book is selling for, then place your copy for sale at the lowest price.

Now you can sit back and wait for someone to buy it.

Cashing in on This Home Based Business Opportunity

When a person decides to buy your copy, you will receive a notification from Amazon.com. Included in this email will be the buyer's contact information and the total price the book sold for. Typically, Amazon.com will take 15% of the selling price for commission, but will also provide you with a couple of dollars above the price of the book in order to facilitate the mailing end.

Once you have the buyer's address in hand, you will package the book using cardboard if it's a hardback, or a mailing envelope if it's a paperback. It's important to take the book to the post office within a day or two of receiving the notification email. Immediately upon submitting a purchase order, the money the buyer paid for the book is ready for you to retrieve. Amazon.com will deposit your money into your bank account whenever you like.

Maintaining Success in This Home Based Business Opportunity

To secure repeat buyers, it is important to provide clean nice-looking books in a timely manner, as well as to provide outstanding customer service when needed. If you process a refund in a professional and efficient way, the chances are good that your customer will use you again in the future. It's also important to maintain a wide variety of books in many different genres in order to gain as much exposure as possible. The work is easy and the pay is nice, so why not get started today?