IMPROVE YOUR TURNOVER BY 10% DREAM OR REALITY

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IMPROVE YOUR TURNOVER BY 10
DREAM OR REALITY?

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BACKGROUND

• Iain Rennie Hospice at Home runs 8 traditional
  charity Shops and 1 Bookshop
• The Trading Department is not part of the
  Fundraising Department
• Turnover in shops approx 600,000 20 of total
  Income
• Running an ebay shop since January 2005
• Has a dedicated Trading Office from which to run
  operation

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THE START JAN 2005- SEPT
05

• We decided to start selling things on ebay
• We started by listing a Rockingham Tea Set- over
  400.00!
• Soon realised that we needed a more professional
  setup
• Sought advice from ebay on setting up a shop
• Had a highly computer literate volunteer set up
  the templates etc for the shop and the listings
  so they all looked identical
• Registered with paypal and Mission Fish

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THE START JAN 2005- SEPT
05 WHAT DID WE NEED TO GET US STARTED?

• Need Broadband connection and decent speed
  computer
• Need a company credit card otherwise impossible
  to register with paypal which is essential
• Decent digital camera
• Need to persuade the shop managers that this is a
  good idea, problem of perceived worth of items.
• More time- quite time consuming
• More knowledge

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THE START JAN 2005- SEPT
05 WHAT DID WE DO WRONG?

• Spent hours researching for fear of getting it
  wrong
• Underestimated the Post Offices capacity for
  destroying parcels
• Took awful photos!
• Lack of consistency with appearance of shop
• Lack of consistency with numbers of listings
  (regular customers)
• Spent too long talking to Shop Managers!
• Started everything at 99p

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THE START JAN 2005- SEPT
05 WHAT DID WE DO WRONG?

• Listings with insufficient information
• Unclear postage rates
• Generated lots of questions from prospective
  bidders
• Questions to individuals inbox
• Difficult to keep up with, especially at
  weekends.
• Listing stated immediate despatch (allow 3-5
  working days)

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THE START JAN 2005- SEPT
05 WHAT DID WE DO WRONG?

• 29 of items were selling at 99p
• A further 29 for under 5
• 19 for under 10
• 11 for under 20
• Therefore, only 12 of items were being sold for
  over 20.
• 28 of goods that did not sell. In other words a
  lot of effort was being undertaken for little
  reward.

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THE START JAN 2005- SEPT
05 WHAT DID WE DO WRONG?

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STARTING TO GET IT RIGHT
SEPT 2005- AUG 06 WHAT DID WE CHANGE?

• Started to list items at a start price other
  than 99p
• Spent less time researching and more time
  observing!
• Established reliable volunteer packing team
• Established reliable volunteer listers
• Took much better photographs
• Had a consistent number of listings up at any one
  time
• Advertised for an ebay co-ordinator (not paid)

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STARTING TO GET IT RIGHT
SEPT 2005- AUG 06 LUCKY BREAK!

• John Lewis Golden Jubilee Trust-
  www.johnlewis.co.uk
• Two days a week
• Incredibly knowledgeable and enthusiastic
• Briefed to discover business potential, review
  procedures and recommend for the future
• During this period had average of 100 listings up
  at any one time

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STARTING TO GET IT RIGHT
THE TEAM!
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STARTING TO GET IT RIGHT
SUCCESS STORIES
Beswick Horse and Rider 417.00
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STARTING TO GET IT RIGHT
SUCCESS STORIES
1930 Football Programme Ticket 979.00!!
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STARTING TO GET IT RIGHT
SUCCESS STORIES
Tonka Truck in box 50.00
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REALLY GETTING IT RIGHT
AUG 2006-FEB 2007

• John Lewis volunteer shared knowledge with ebay
  team and shop managers
• Weekly sales bulletins throughout organisation
• Weekly Knowledge Sheets
• High volume and standard of goods from most shops
• Consistently over 120 listings
• More listers (6)
• Daily listing spread over week

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REALLY GETTING IT RIGHT
PHOTOGRAPHY
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REALLY GETTING IT RIGHT
AUG 2006- FEB 2007

• Franking Machine
• Daily mail collection (Less than 1 per day)
• Proof of posting as routine
• Buying packaging in bulk, appealing to supporters
  for boxes!
• Brown Paper Machine!!!
• Packing and posting every day
• Making sure items are not damaged in transit
  (plastic bags)

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PACKING!
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REALLY GETTING IT RIGHT
AUG 2006- FEB 2007

• More listers (6)
• Regular customers visit the shop every day
• Shop looks professional
• Gift Aid reclaim
• 50/50 Selling
• Visiting Shops
• Attending Managers Meetings

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THE FUTURE FEB 2007........

• Robust Business Plan
• Recruit a paid ebay Co-ordinator, Computer
  literate, Quick, knowledge advantage!
• More robust systems in place detailed
  spreadsheets ref income/expenditure/ fees etc..
• More accurate attributing income to shops
• Physical systems for stock management, safe,
  secure storage
• More e-commerce initiatives!

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PAID EBAY CO-ORDINATOR

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OUR OFFICE
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AND FINALLY THE BOTTOM LINE 2007/08

• Projected Income ebay sales- 46,000
• Expenditure 16,000 .Profit 65
• Compared to Shop No 4
• Income 47,000
• Expenditure 26,000 Profit 44

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ANY QUESTIONS ?