With more than 2 billion items listed on eBay in the past year, and close to $50 billion sold, the sheer size of this online marketplace can be overwhelming. Fortunately, as eBay has grown, the company has worked hard to make it easier for new sellers to get started and be successful. Here are 10 quick and easy steps for building a business on eBay.

1. Just Do It
Some people aren’t sure where to begin, says Terry Gibbs, founder of IWantCollectibles.com and author of The Auction Revolution. Gibbs has been buying and selling antiques and collectibles online since 1997. At his business’s peak in 2002, Gibbs was auctioning more than 500 items per week. Although the pace of his eBay selling has slowed since, he says, “eBay is the best way to sell [an item] quickly for the most money.”

2. Create a Routine
Next, pick a block of time you’ll devote to your business on eBay. Set aside a certain part of the day, or particular evenings each week, to pack up auctions that have ended, list new items for sale and respond to e-mails from potential buyers, says Gibbs. Not only does such discipline stake out time for your new business, but keeping sold items moving out the door also helps make space for new merchandise.

3. Take a Good Picture
Though item descriptions are important, the photo may be even more essential. Buyers assume the photo is the best-case scenario–that the product probably looks worse in real life, says Justin Hartenstein, 25, founder of Advanced Automotive Concepts in Metairie, Louisiana, which sells custom car headlights. A good photo can make or break a sale.

Read Tips 4-10 from Entrepreneur.com

Karyn Martin was cautious about launching her freelance career online, but she soon got results:

“I remember the days when I dreamed of being a freelancer,” she says. “The word seemed magical to me somehow. Romantic, almost. Now, after having actually been a freelancer for a while, the scales have been lifted from my eyes and I have seen the light. You pay for being able to manipulate your time. You pay by working more, working harder, and – hopefully – working smarter. But what you get in return is priceless. Now I can call the shots about when I work, for whom I work, and how much I make.”

One day, Karyn decided she was no longer willing to commute in smog-laden traffic to sit in a cubicle for eight hours, come home, eat, sleep, wake up, and then do it all over again. Going through the same routine, day after day, week after week , only to wake up one day old and tired – wondering how life might have been if she’d had the guts to go it alone.

So she decided to become a freelancer – but how would she find work? She had spent endless hours surfing the ‘net, signing up with one freelance site after another. Yet there was an incredible amount of competition. She never seemed to win any bids, and was adamant about not lowering her hourly rate.

“Then I discovered Freelance Work Exchange,” she says. “I had heard “don’t pay to work!” repeatedly, and I was too poor to risk getting scammed, but I took a chance one day when I was flush and sent twenty bucks to gain access to the Freelance Work Exchange Professional Edition.

“Since then, I’ve edited a sales letter, a follow-up letter, an 11-page Web site, and a brochure. I’m ‘on call’ to do pinch-hit proofreading for a medical newsletter editor in Florida while he’s on vacation, sick, etc. And I’ve landed a gig editing a new Canadian magazine coming out this fall. All this from taking a $20 chance on Freelance Work Exchange.”

Of course, it helped to send prospects a few previous work samples she’d had the presence of mind to scan and save on disk. Also, since she has been ‘in the business’ for more than five years, she has a fairly good résumé with some experience to back up the claims, along with a strong list of references.

“For every one of you out there feeling a little discouraged, and especially for those of you on the verge of throwing in the towel, I’m here to tell you this. There may not be a Santa Claus, but there is a place to find work without paying some ridiculous “transaction fee” or never knowing whether or not the projects are ‘fresh’ – and even the name is easy to remember – Freelance Work Exchange.”

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Leaving home is a big step for any home based business owner, but it’s one that’s often necessary as your company expands and grows. In the past, making the transition from home to office often meant signing a long-term lease,
plunking down a hefty security deposit, hiring a contractor to renovate the space and borrowing money to buy desks, chairs, lamps, computers and other office equipment. Today, there are many options for homebased entrepreneurs seeking flexible and affordable office space solutions that won’t cost you a fortune or lock you into a long-term commitment. In addition to an office with a desk and a door, these business centers offer everything from Internet access and videoconferencing to shared conference space and receptionists.

Here are some of the services you can expect to find:

• Downtown locations.
• Fully furnished executive suites.
• Team rooms and individual offices.
• Conference rooms and services.
• Business identity services (“virtual offices”).
• Receptionist/concierge services.
• State-of-the-art phone and voice-mail systems.
• High-speed Internet access.
• Computer and network support.
• Copy/fax capability.
• LCD projectors and digital cameras.
• Free coffee and water.
• Flexible terms (three months to five years).

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When it comes right down to it, business owners fall into two camps: People who follow their passions, and clear-eyed folks who look for great moneymaking opportunities. Each side says its approach works best.

On one hand, following a market opportunity has glittering allure: A great opportunity can make a lot of cash. On the other hand, following your passion has romantic appeal: All day long, you’re around a product or service you love.

But what are the downsides? Are people who follow their passions more likely to fail? There’s no hard research to support that claim. While the steady stream of bankrupt restaurants, bed and breakfasts, and golf companies does seem to suggest that the passionate approach is weak on results, reality is far more complex.

Beating the Odds
Miles Cook looked like a failure statistic waiting to happen: a 25-year-old guy who loved motorcycles and wanted his own motorcycle dealership. At first glance, he seemed to be headed for disaster. Even the banks thought so. “I was young, and a lot of banks didn’t even want to talk to me,” says Cook, now 32. After five banks declined his application, Cook read an Entrepreneur article listing the top banks for small businesses in each state. Sure enough, one of those banks agreed to loan him the money for his startup. Now Cook’s Rochester Motorsports Inc. in Rochester, New Hampshire, does a brisk business selling the most popular brands of Japanese motorcycles, with nearly $10 million in annual sales.

“It all comes down to passion. Blind ambition is better than 20/20 indifference,” says Cook. “If you’re passionate about what you do, the sky is the limit.”

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Work at Home Computer jobs can open a whole new way of life – and you don’t even need to change your field of work. The new breed of computer jobs won’t tie you to the office. You can telecommute or you can choose to be your own boss.

The phrase ‘Computer Jobs’ refers to undertaking work remotely, usually using a computer, fax machine and other technology. Setting up a well-appointed home office can be relatively inexpensive when compared to start-up costs of other small businesses. Access to readily available technology gives you the option of freelancing from home or telecommuting. If you would rather continue working as an employee, talk to your boss about working from a home office. Alternately, do some research to pin-point telecommuting opportunities with other companies. it’s worth noting that there is an increasing acceptance of remote workers and telecommuting employees and independent contractors have become a valuable corporate resource.

The technology revolution combined with changing career attitudes have created a growing in demand for home-based work opportunities according to numerous occupational surveys. Many people are opting for this ‘non traditional’ career path to achieve a better balance between work and home life. This is trend is being lead by a growing number of Mom’s and Dad’s who want to spend more time with their families. Computer-based work from home allows them the freedom to do this while pursuing a financially and professionally rewarding career.

Traditionally, jobs that were ‘technology intensive’ and less reliant on face-to-face contact were those that took place in the IT or programming fields. The reality is that they cover a huge range of industries. Whether you’re a writer, graphic designer, medical transcriber, desk top publisher or programmer, your work is likely to be technology-based. This means that the potential for freelancing and contracting is great for:

• desk top publishers
• programmers
• freelance writers
• graphic artists
• medical transcribers

That should give you some ideas, but there are many more possibilities. See below: