small business

5 Best Things to Sell on Facebook Marketplace

October 23, 2020 By Kathryn Vercillo Leave a Comment

Facebook Marketplace has grown as a popular place to sell off your stuff. It’s a great way to get rid of things that you no longer want. Plus, you get to make some money as you declutter. Moreover, Facebook Marketplace is now available to small businesses and indie artisans as a smart sales channel. You can learn how to sell on Facebook Marketplace fairly easily. To get started, you’ll want to learn the things that sell the best.

What is Facebook Marketplace?

You can sell items directly through Facebook. The Marketplace started as a place for peer-to-peer selling. In other words, if you had an item that you wanted to get rid of, then you would list it for sale through the channel. Then you’d usually connect in person with the buyer and make the sale. It was similar to selling items on NextDoor or Craigslist. Facebook Marketplace is also a good eBay alternative.

You can still sell on the site in this way. In fact, you can make some good money decluttering your stuff while you’re at it. However, Facebook Marketplace has grown. People now use it to sell items in bulk. Small businesses use it to make sales. It’s a great channel for sellers of various sizes. Therefore, it’s worth it to get to know how to sell on Facebook Marketplace.

How to Sell on Facebook Marketplace

Maybe you’ve thought about how to sell on Facebook Marketplace but haven’t actually looked into it. If so, then you might think it’s a little harder than it really is. Because actually, it’s super easy. You don’t need anything special, since you probably already have a Facebook account.

Here’s how to sell on Facebook Marketplace:

Go to your News Feed.
Click on Marketplace.
Click Create New Listing.
Select Item for Sale.
Add photos, information about the item, and the price.
Click Publish.

That’s it. That’s how to sell on Facebook Marketplace. Of course, to get the best prices and fastest sales, you’ll want to learn a little bit more detail about how to sell on Facebook Marketplace.

What to Sell on Facebook Marketplace

The most important thing to know is what sells well on the site. After all, some sites are naturally better for selling certain items than others. You want to declutter your stuff to the right site to make the most money in the fastest amount of time.

Here are the five things that sell best on Facebook Marketplace:

1. Children’s Clothes, Toys, and Furniture

Historically, children’s items sell really well on Facebook Marketplace. If you have a child that has outgrown some items, then listing them here is a great idea. In particular, if you have unused or little-used items that are in great condition, they’ll probably easily find a new home through this sales channel.

Since this is such a popular product niche, Facebook Marketplace is also a great place for people who make / sell items for children. If you have a speciality handmade item – for example, you crochet stuffed animals for kids – then it’s worth a try to add Facebook Marketplace to your sales options.

2. Gently Used Electronics in Good Condition

Popular electronics and gadgets also sell well. Everything from an old Wii to a new virtual reality headset has some potential for good sales on the site. Most of us upgrade to new electronics then aren’t sure what to do with the old ones. Instead of simply shipping those things out for recycling, try selling them on Facebook.

3. Furniture

There are three great options for selling furniture on Facebook Marketplace:

Get a little bit of money from an old, worn item that you want to get rid of.
Reupholster, repaint, or otherwise freshen up an old piece and sell it for higher value.
Sell your handcrafted furniture as a small business on Facebook.

4. Handmade Items

People like supporting handmade businesses when they can. Therefore, if you sell something that you make yourself, then you might have some luck on Facebook. Jewelry, handcrafted fragrances, knit and crochet accessories, and other handcrafted items do well as niche markets on the site.

5. Anything Not Worth Shipping

Of course, Facebook Marketplace can reach people all over the world. But if you have a strong local network, then it’s a great option for sales where you don’t want to pay for shipping. Oftentimes, shipping costs are prohibitive to online sales. Bulky items and low-value items are two big examples. So, if you have a couch or a bunch of DVDs for sale, then most online sales channels aren’t worth it. But if you can use Facebook Marketplace to access a local sale with no shipping then it’s worth it for you and the buyer.

Other Items That People Sell

Some of the other things that sell well on Facebook Marketplace include:

Accessories and Clothing
Art
Cars (there’s an entire section of the marketplace for them)
Collectibles
Home goods
Pet supplies
Storage supplies and organizational materials
Surprising niche items (remote controls, crayons, Legos, and golf balls!)

What NOT to Sell on Facebook Marketplace

Before you sell anything on the site, you should go over their rules for sales. There are certain things that you aren’t allowed to sell through the site. Most of these are obvious – no weapons, drugs, or currency. Less obvious is that you aren’t allowed to sell digital-only items through Facebook. Some of the other prohibited items include adult material, animals, tobacco, recalled products and “misleading, deceptive, or offensive items.” You can sell event tickets and gift cards but only following strict guidelines.

Additional Tips for Good Sales

In addition to choosing the best items for sale, here are some other tips for how to sell on Facebook Marketplace:

Check out Facebook’s guide to selling which offers tips for frequent sellers, small business sales and more.
Take your own high-quality photos in good lighting showing the true details of the item for sale.
Provide a strong, unique description that uses positive language but is also honest.
Choose a fair price. You want to make money but you also want to get sales. Strike a balance.
Answer questions quickly. Respond professionally to all order. Run this like a business.

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How BizOpp Predators Target The Desperate

September 15, 2020 By Susan Paige Leave a Comment

Considering the state of societal affairs following the effects of the virus, it goes without saying that there are a number of individuals out there hurting for money. After a while of living between jobs, or barely getting by from paycheck to paycheck, any opportunity that promises extra money not only sounds good but it almost seems like a godsend. These opportunities promise extra money in the bank with minimal effort on your side, which would sound appealing to just about anyone. Don’t be fooled—a number of these “opportunities” are designed to cheat you out of your money and leave you not only in the same place you were before, but worse off if you were required to pay a startup fee. If you’ve fallen for these common business opportunity scams, don’t feel bad or beat yourself up. These things happen, and these predators know how to target those who are desperate for money just to get by. [Read more…] about How BizOpp Predators Target The Desperate

4 Reasons You Can Save Money When Hiring Expert Video Production Services

September 14, 2020 By Susan Paige Leave a Comment

It’s undeniable that the appeal of videos worldwide could be seen in all countries, especially the US. It’s also inevitable that entrepreneurs not connected to the entertainment industry would need to utilize videos sooner or later. [Read more…] about 4 Reasons You Can Save Money When Hiring Expert Video Production Services

How to Lower Your Ocean Freight Costs

August 10, 2020 By Susan Paige Leave a Comment

If you own a business or are just responsible for its shipping, you are probably always thinking about the bottom line. Although it is much cheaper to ship international imports and exports by ocean freight than it is by air, there are still a few things you can do to lower your shipping cost. [Read more…] about How to Lower Your Ocean Freight Costs

6 Free Content Management Systems (Including Hosting)

July 21, 2020 By Susan Paige Leave a Comment

A content management system (CMS) is an application that allows users to develop and run their websites accordingly. Featuring an admin panel where you create and update content and subsequent pages with information, posts, images, videos, and others, a CMS can be viewed as a smart and intuitive interface that aids you in designing your online presence.

However, as a cost conscious small business owner, you’ll want to get the CMS for free. Here are a few options to consider.

Should You Quit Your Job and Start a Business?

July 17, 2020 By Kathryn Vercillo Leave a Comment

You want to quit your job to start a business. Nobody can blame you. There are many wonderful things about being your own boss. However, it’s a risky endeavor. It’s not all sunshine and roses. Moreover, you can lose a lot of income at the beginning of starting a business. Should you really quit your job? Or should you perhaps scale back on your regular work as you first start your business? There are a lot of things to take into consideration when you make this decision. Let’s explore the pros and cons a little bit.

Why Do You Want to Quit Your Job and Start a Business?

This is the most important question to answer before you actually quit your job and start a business. And, in fact, you should answer it as two separate questions:

Why do you want to quit your job?
Why do you want to start your own business?

Many people consider it to be one question. However, if you are honest about the answers to both parts of the question then you’ll be a lot clearer whether or not this is the right step for you.

For example, let’s say that you answer part one: “I hate my boss.” As you dig into part two, you may realize that you don’t actually want to start your own business at all. In contrast, you simply don’t want to work for that same boss anymore. Realizing this early on will go a long way towards making sure that you’re taking the next right step in your career.

Alternatively, let’s say that you don’t have a clear answer to part one. You know that you want to start your own business because there’s a particular cause that you’re passionate about. Could you keep your day job and just volunteer in a capacity that fills that need?

If you are very clear about why you both want to quit your job and why you want to start a business then you’re well on your way to making smart choices as you move forward.

Benefits When You Quit Your Job to Start a Business

When you quit your job and start a business, you do reap some benefits:

You immediately begin to work for yourself. This gives you a huge feeling of freedom. However, don’t discount how much responsibility it requires.
You have plenty of time to devote to your new business. After all, if you regularly work 40+ hours per week and then you quit, that’s 40+ hours per week to devote to your new passion project.
You avoid any conflict of interest. If you want to start a job that’s similar to what you do now then there might be a conflict of interest that would prevent you from staying at your current job. Review any non-compete agreements and related terms of your contract.

If you are the type of person who works best under pressure then you might find that it’s worth it quit your job to start a business. You could thrive under the stress of trying to make a go of it when you don’t have another income to fall back on. The time you free up by quitting your job, and the freedom you get from working your own schedule, could be worth it. But don’t fail to take into consideration that there are drawbacks when you quit your job to start a business.

Drawbacks When You Quit Your Job to Start a Business

Research indicates that entrepreneurs do better if they stay at their job when first starting a business. There are some big risks and drawbacks to the decision to quit your job and start a business. Those drawbacks include:

You’re obviously no longer drawing an income. Therefore, there’s a lot of pressure on your new business to succeed dramatically and right away. You aren’t giving it enough time to scale up.
It could be harder to get loans for your business. If you can’t show that you’ve got an income coming in then getting credit for your new business could be more difficult.
If the business doesn’t do well, you might not be able to get your old job back. After all, the economy isn’t thriving right now. If you’re lucky enough to have full-time employment then you might not want to sacrifice that to start your own business.

Starting a Business: What to Do First

If you decide that you do want to quit your job to start a business, then you have to take that decision very seriously. You have to put your all into this new endeavor if you want to make it work. Here are some of the things that you need to do before you even quit your job:

Create a business plan. It’s imperative that you know exactly what you plan to do and how you plan to do it. You need goals, milestones, and timelines. Of course, those may shift with time but try to get a solid plan in place.
Crunch the numbers. Figure out what it’s going to cost you to start a business. Consider the initial costs, your own paycheck for the first year, and all other first-year expenses. Figure out how to make that work before you quit your job to start a business.
Start working. Don’t delay getting your first clients or customers. You might want to get the first few clients lined up before you quit your regular job.
Network. Just because you’re working for yourself doesn’t mean that you don’t need other people. Build your team. This might mean hiring people, working with consultants, or simply networking with other entrepreneurs. Make sure that you have a group of people in your corner.

Weigh the pros and cons before you quit a job to start a business. Does it make sense for you, considering the economy, where you are in your career, and what you truly want from starting your own business? The more thought that you put into the process ahead of time, the better chances you are to get the results that you desire.