One of the tough realizations you'll face as your eBay
business grows is that if you're lucky, it's going to grow
way past your ability to "do it all" yourself and
there's going to come a time when you need some help.
Taking on employees is a big responsibility. Once you hire
someone, they count on you for the income you provide. Also,
you'll have to withhold taxes and make the requisite deposits
to the government at pre-prescribed times. And remember that salary
is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to employing help. The
true cost of an employee can run double their salary amount if you
factor in other payroll costs, such as employee-related taxes and
worker's compensation insurance. There's also the potential
for company-paid benefits: health insurance, paid sick days,
holidays, vacation days, 401ks and so on. Yikes! Having an employee
on board takes quite a bit of time--but there are shortcuts that
you can take.
My personal favorite shortcut is hiring an intern. Yes, remember
back to the days of college when you could get credits for
interning at a business? Many college students still do that in
order to get some amazing experience in varied fields. Being an
intern often leads to a career, and the knowledge they'll gain
from working with you will serve them for years to come. Be aware,
however, that if the intern doesn't receive class credit for
the work they do for you, you may have to pay them minimum wage.
And once you do that, they're classified as an employee. (On
the plus side, they're a very low-paid employee.)
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Another option you have if you've reached a point where you
need help listing your eBay items is to try to find some help in
the eBay Trading
Assistant area. To find trading assistants in your area, click
on the "Find a Trading Assistant" link on the left side
of the page. Once you're on the locator page, type in your city
and state, and/or your ZIP code, and you'll be presented with a
list of eBay sellers who are willing to sell items for other
people. You can even narrow your search to a category so that you
can find someone who's a specialist in a particular type of
item. I suggest you look for the smaller sellers on the
list--someone with good feedback--who might be willing to work with
you for a negotiated flat rate for listing your items. All trading
assistants list their contact information, so you can easily talk
to them over the phone and discuss how much they'll charge you,
usually based on the number of items you want them to list for
you.
Another solution may be to hire the services of an outside
company or independent contractor. An independent contractor takes
care of their own taxes and insurance, thereby freeing you of that
responsibility. I've used this solution many times in the
following areas:
- Bookkeeping. You can always find a contract
bookkeeper to take care of tracking your income, expenses and sales
taxes (if that's applicable in your state). They can post your
books on their computer and fax--or e-mail--the required reports
back to you. A good virtual-bookkeeper can pretty much take charge
of all your financial dealings on their own schedule--while still
meeting the state and federal deadlines.
- Design services for your store banner, website
or eBay store. There are companies who'll contract with you
for this type of creative work--and will do a bang-up job for a
reasonable price.
You can find these types of contractors in your own community,
but if you're like me and want to find someone who's used
to the unique type of online work we do, here are a few ways to
track these people down:
- In the case of graphics work, search eBay for the
item you need. For example, "animated banner" (for your
eBay keywords campaign) or store banner (for your eBay store).
You'll get a list of people who show their talent online, and
when you find someone who suits your needs, just use "Buy It
Now" and get some fast service!
- You can also browse the new eBay category
"Specialty Services." There's an amazing group of
energetic people offering their time and talents in that
category.
- Also, visit the website www.elance.com.
They're loaded with virtual assistants and bookkeeping services
who are bidding for your jobs online!
An important point must be made here regarding independent
contractors. The IRS is gung-ho about auditing businesses that are
hiring independent contractors instead of employees so as not to
have top deal with withholding taxes! Here are a few rules you
should keep in mind if you're thinking about hiring
contractors:
- A contractor works away from your place of business.
- A contractor can make their own work hours.
- A contractor purchases their own equipment for use in a
job.
- A contractor has the ability to have profit or loss from a
job.
- A contractor and employer have a contract for services.
- A contractor can hire others to help them with your work.
- A contractor performs similar work for other businesses.
There are many more rules, even a checklist from the IRS. If you
want more information, read this article for a complete discussion on
employees vs. contractors.
In a small- to midsized business, there are many places to turn
for help. Don't forget to call on relative. Immediate family
members, retirees--anyone--can use some extra cash! My daughter has
worked in my office as an employee over the years and has managed
to earn some spending money by helping me with my eBay
business.