My name is Phil Jones. I am a 42 year old small business owner. I began selling on eBay around 2001 out of my three bedroom home, located on the outskirts of Houston Texas. I am married to my high school sweetheart and we have a beautiful sixteen year old daughter and a small five acre ranch in the country, still just outside of Houston. I sell Men’s Vintage Clothing, Business and Formal Wear. I went into Menswear due to the fact that Men’s Business attire is very expensive and I believe every man deserves the opportunities that only come with being well dressed. There are a lot of men who cannot afford to be impeccably clothed and as a result miss opportunities they might otherwise not have. That is where I come in. In my store they will find only the finest menswear priced at just a fraction of their original retail value.
Before eBay I was a Sales associate for AT&T. I was making a very good living at the time and my wife was a Registered Nurse. She has since been able to quit her job to stay home full time and care for our daughter.
To be rich is does not simply mean money and lots of it, It actually means so much more. To be truly rich then you must not only have money but you must have the TIME in which to enjoy it. I have watched my daughter grow up before my eyes and I have not missed a single thing In her life. I have always been there for my wife and best of all I am able to make a very nice income working from my home! eBay has afforded me the opportunity to spend plenty of time with my family, to take vacations wherever and whenever I feel like and to have all the nice things that everyone hopes for and wishes for in order to live a fulfilled and meaningful life. Does this mean I am a millionaire? I am not but I am blessed beyond measure and this opportunity, although ultimately given by God, has been given by Ebay, for without which none of this would have been possible.
My business means the world to me. It gives me the opportunity to work from home and to be my own boss. My small business has allowed me to create the life that I love, to set my own hours and escape the “rat race”.
I took me about a year before I learned the skills necessary to run a successful business. After putting a few “best business practices” into protocol my business began to grow quickly. The first year of significant sales was around 58K for a part time income. This gave me the confidence to quit my job and go into selling on eBay full time.
I currently sell approximately 12% of my annual sales to international bidders and that figure is growing daily, with projected international sales to reach around 20% this year. Expanding globally allowed me in to increase our sell through rate significantly, approximately 10%-15% on average.
My business is 100% eBay / Internet based and as a result gives me a very efficient means of communication with my customers, allowing me to extend my customer service standards to each and every customer. It ensures that everyone received a positive and personalized experience. I can put protocols and messages into place and then automate a portion of the interaction between me and the customer. I currently have 99.9% positive feedback rating. This is unique in the fact that I specialize in second hand clothing and many things can go wrong when dealing in these specific types of goods. Ebay’s message and tracking system allows me to streamline the process, which means I can better serve and communicate with my customers throughout the entire process. Customer Service is critical for success in any business and selling on eBay is no exception to this rule.
As a result of the opportunities I have had I decided to start my own YouTube channel dedicated to teaching others how to become eBay Resellers themselves. The Youtube platform gives me the opportunity to get my brand (name) out there in front of a great number of other people who are interested in learning more about the reselling industry. I hope my story can inspire others to pursue their dreams. The road to success may not be an easy one but having the ability to work from home and earn a good living gives you a freedom that very few are able to find these days. If I can do it so can anyone. Anyone who is willing to step out and believe that they can. You do not need a degree or any formal education. All you really need is a cell phone and a desire to succeed. The desire to brake out of the confinements of what the world considers success. True success in life comes down to choices. The more choices or options you have available to you the richer and more successful you are. Working on eBay gives me choices. This makes me rich beyond the measure of mere money (although I have plenty of money as well). Life is more than money. It is about time. We can always make more money but we can never replace the time we have lost. For anyone thinking about going into eBay I say, Do it today. Life is short! Start living your dreams.
Before eBay I was just like everyone else caught in the rat race. I had very few if any options available to me. I had to work most of the day, working five and sometimes six days a week. I had no freedom to choose how I would spend my days. I had to take what was left over at the end of the week after being tired and worn out. After giving the best I had to offer to my job. I now have the freedom to take the day off whenever I feel like it or when any special event approaches. Ebay has given me job stability in the fact that I am my own boss and I cannot be fired. This allows me to lay down each night and sleep soundly. The kind of sleep that only comes with security. I know that I cannot be laid off due to circumstances beyond my control. I have taken control of my life by starting my own small business which also gives me something else I did not have before, the ability to help those around me, my friends, family and loved ones.
I continued to grow my business by investing in better automation software, by improving existing processes and protocols through the use of better equipment and by improving the overall work environment. I will also take some small business courses to fuel the future growth of my company such as marketing and expansion through social media.
Reselling has given me the freedom to
Work from home,
Be my own boss and
Create the life that I love!
Comments