The biggest challenge of any small business, especially those based at home is how to sell stuff. The first solution to this problem is advertising in local dailies. This strategy has been effective over the years but it is becoming less effective today. The emergence of internet has decimated traditional newspapers as more people rely on internet for news and information.

If you run a home based business or just a regular joe interested in flipping any product, the best solutions for selling your stuff is using online websites that let you list the item and sit back and wait for leads.

Here is a collection of websites that will assist you bootstrap your business idea of selling stuff online

1. Places to sell old electronics

a. Ebay

Ebay has been around since the birth of internet. Ebay is synonymous with best deals and that has made it a magnet for people looking to buy second hand items that are still in great working condition.

b. Amazon

Amazon.com is not just about books. They are the biggest ecommerce store in the internet selling all manner of goods. Amazon have a partner program where you can upload your products (second hand and new) and have them displayed for sale. They will handle the payment collection but it is your responsibility to handle storage, shipping and any returns.

3. Place to sell your old phone

The need for disposing old phone as never been greater as phone giants continue to launch new smartphones every year. A good place to sell that old iphone model of yours is Myphoneexchange.

4. Place to sell Furniture

craig list is the place for selling that old furniture you have nowhere to take when you need to move towns or just want to upgrade your diggz. The reason why it is a great for selling large furniture is because the website is hyper local and your able to target people near location and that makes transportation easy.

5. Selling homemade jewellery

If you are artistic person and enjoy making your own jewellery the best place to sell your artworks is etsy.com. The website allows you to set up a shop and showcase your creations. The website is used by millions of jewellery lovers who are on a look out for unique home made products.

6. Sell to your friends using facebook and twitter

Facebook and twitters are another outlets for reaching more buyers. When you post your items on your wall, your friends are likely to share the post which means more people will see your stuff.

7. Online place to sell your car

Car daddy is a convenient site for selling your car if you cant find a dealer who is not interested in trade in for your old car.

8. Place to sell your inventions.

Quirky is the place for inventors to sell there inventions. The way it works is, you submit your invention and the staff of quirky will vote on your idea if it is viable. If your product is selected they will do the product development and do the selling. You will collect royalties and continue doing what your love, inventing!

9. Best place to sell artworks

If you are a designer of posters, logos, book covers, t-shirts etc, there are two places where you can do that and be paid. Cafepress and 99 design cater to designers. You upload your designs on their website and wait for customers to make orders. They will handle payment and shipping.

One of the greatest opportunities for mommy bloggers to earn money is through affiliate marketing. What makes affiliate marketing even a greater idea for mommy bloggers is the fact that it’s trouble-free as one is not required to offer their own product or service. You only need a platform such as your blog or a website to run the campaign for the affiliate programs of your choice and get paid once a sale or a referral is made.

There are numerous affiliate programs out there, all tailored to suit different markets and marketers. If you are a mommy blogger running your blog from home, you definitely want to know the affiliate programs best suited for your lifestyle. As a mommy blogger you also want an affiliate program that offers products in a niche market that you’re already blogging about. Here is a list of top affiliate networks and programs suitable for mommy bloggers operating a home based business.

ShareASale

ShareASale is one of the leading affiliate networks. The Chicago based affiliate network has over 2,500 merchant programs and was rated number 3 out of 20 in the 2012 Blue Book ranking of the best performing affiliate networks in the world. One of the most outstanding things about ShareASale is that they feature some cool niche merchants for moms that you couldn’t find in many other places.

Some of their affiliate programs suited to a home based mommy blogger include:

• MomAgenda – offering a range of products from day planners, all forms of home organizers, folios and accessories for busy moms at the rate of 10% per sale.
• gDiapers – for earth friendly diapers at the rate of 10 % per sale or $0.25 per lead.
• Nannies4hire – a great affiliate program for mommy bloggers offered at ShareASale. This is a nationwide online nanny and family database tailored to connect families to nannies and pays $40 per sale
• Tiny Prints – for amazing baby announcements and holiday cards paid at the rate of 10% per sale.

Commission Junction

Reputed as the largest affiliate network in North America, commission junction is a global operator with management that knows how to balance relationship between merchants and affiliates. The Californian based organization claims number 2 spot in the 2012 Blue Book of top 20 affiliate networks and has numerous affiliate alternatives for mommy bloggers such as:

• Tutor.com – one of the largest online tutoring companies offering $5 per lead and 100% of the first sale. One huge advantage of promoting programs that pay per lead is that it’s much easier to make money and this makes tutor.com a perfect choice.
• Green and More – another perfect affiliate program for mommy bloggers promoting eco-friendly home appliances. They pay at the rate of 10% per sale and they have a wide selection of green appliances.

LinkShare

Believed to be the largest affiliate network, with at least 10 million affiliate partnerships, Linkshare has some great premium advertisers who are dedicated to their network. Claiming number 1 spot in 2012 top 20 best affiliate networks, LinkShare has amazing affiliate programs such as:

• Nick Jr. Shop – offering 6 – 10% of every sale and Nick Magazines paying 25% of every sale/
• HBO Store – for a wide selection of merchandise at the rate of 10% of every sale made.

Selling insurance is one of the most popular home based business ideas. An insurance agent /broker working for one of the big insurance companies has the luxury of meeting with prospective and existing clients at well furnished company premises. But as a insurance agent working from home, you will need to go an extra mile to win the trust of your customers.

One way you can overcome the handicap of lacking corporate support is to work on your selling skills. Be very good at your selling skills such that it won’t matter to the client that you work from home.

10 Tips of Selling Insurance for a Home Based Agent

To sell insurance successful, you will requires to master the process of selling. The process starts from identifying a potential client to closing the sale.

1. Researching – The first step is researching on where to find new clients. The best place is to look at data for the latest hiring in your area. Once you have discovered companies that have new employees, you can then try to find specific employees inside the company.

2. Identifying the client- once you have identified a potential prospect e.g. from from your on research, or a lead you’ve bought or someone you know, find out as much about that person. The internet has made it easy to do background checks. People have left crucial background information on Facebook, Linkend, forums and dating sites. This information can tell you a lot about a persons age, marital status, employment and education. Information that you can use to determine the right products to pitch to them.

3. Pay them a visit – Insurance works best when selling face to face rather than making a call or sending an email. If your target has left his/her number somewhere, you can call them and book a meeting. The best place to meet is at the office or their home. If you have some spare cash, offer to discuss things over lunch, dinner or coffee.

4. Rapport – It is important to connect with the clients. If the clients doesn’t instinctively like or trust you, you will be doomed.When you meet for the first time, start with a smile and a firm hand shake. During the discussion take opportunities to speak relevant topical issues (e.g the latest news on insurance industry) this is sure to get strangers to warm up to you.

5. Be clear – You might have introduced yourself when booking an appointment but it is important to re-introduce yourself. Tell your potential client who you are, what you do and what you’re there for.

6. Be specific – Selling is not about just talking but also being a good listener. Ask the ‘WHAT IF’ questions such as “what would happen if you lost your job? This is the only way you can uncover their insurance needs.

7. Get personal – During the discussion ask about their work, holidays, pets, the area they live, the children, the weather etc. This should be done at appropriate times. The objective here is to make them feel at ease and get additional information. During this process, you will hopefully find what is important to them and what they might want to protect or insure.

8. Agreement – Once the clients has seen he has a need, the next step is to get agreement from your potential client that there is a need for insurance protection and that they are prepared to do something about it i.e. buy an insurance policy.

Once you have this agreement, you can then let them know you will come up with 1 or more potential solutions. This is where you sell your cover.

9. Solution – Don’t be greedy and try to force them to take the most expensive cover because that is the one that will give you the largest commission. Present them with all options for example, one with the full level of cover, one with the minimum and one somewhere in the middle. Let them be in-charge.

10. Close – After all the talking you have to get them to commit by signing the documents to authorize payment. Simply ask them for the details you require to pass the stage on to the underwriting company.

Follow this process and you will never regret making the decision to set up a home based general and life insurance business.