Donna Kelly is part of a growing group of women who have discovered a new way to run a business while raising a family.
For the past two years, Donna has been selling novelty items, including children’s ride-on toys, cock-a-doodle-do alarm clocks and specially printed slogan t-shirts, through the on-line auction house eBay. In her first year she turned over more than $100,000 and her business, known as Bondi Top Sellers, is continuing to boom. She’s now even teaching others how to sell through eBay.
“eBay is just getting bigger and bigger,” says Donna. “With the increase in petrol prices and the huge variety of items available on eBay, shoppers are finding they can save a lot of time and money by shopping this way.”
Around six thousand Australians now run a business and use eBay as a secondary sales channel, trading in everything from musical equipment to beauty and skin-care products.
“With three children – aged 7, 11 and 15 – I hadn’t worked for nine years,” says Donna. “Then, needing a cartridge for my printer, I looked on eBay and bought three cartridges for about $40. They’re normally about $60 each. I only needed one so I decided to sell the other two on eBay. They sold for about $80 and I thought, ‘This is for me’.”
Donna looked around for a niche market and decided to specialise in novelty items.
“I wanted to sell things that were funny and unusual and were things people couldn’t buy in Target or Kmart.”
After trying a few on-line sites she opted for eBay.
“When someone buys something from my on-line eBay shop, eBay charges me a small fee,” she explains. “The buyer pays for the goods plus postage and I sell the products cheaper than a retail outlet because I’m paying no wages or rent.”
Donna says she can’t over-stress the importance of professionally fulfilling orders and decided early on that Australia Post offered the most economical and reliable delivery service. “In so many cases it’s much cheaper to buy on eBay and have Australia Post deliver than to pay for parking and the petrol needed when you physically go shopping,” she says.
Donna uses a variety of services, including Express Post, Registered Post, Air Mail and Express Courier International. She also uses the range of Postpak bags and boxes for packaging. Using Express Post often means shoppers get their orders within 24 hours. “If you look at a lot of the feedback on my on-line store you’ll see how many people have been impressed with the speed of delivery when I send things by Express Post.”
Around 80 to 90 per cent of her orders are shipped to Australian addresses. “Many are to remote areas, where shoppers don’t have access to the line of products.”
A set of digital scales and the Australia Post Postage Assessment Calculator (available on the Australia Post website) helps Donna calculate postage costs accurately. “I also keep plenty of customs declaration forms handy for when I need to send items internationally.”
Donna says she is extremely happy with the service provided by Australia Post and also advises students attending her eBay selling courses to use Australia Post.
“I’m extremely grateful to both Australia Post and eBay for making it possible to be a mum and run a successful business from home,” says Donna.
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