How to Start a Business on eBay
To start a business on eBay, register as a seller and link your PayPal account to your eBay account so you can accept payments. Next, decide if you want to sell new, used, vintage, or antique items through your business. When you're ready to start selling, list your items with clear descriptions and pictures. File for a tax identification number to be recognized as a business and consider talking to an accountant if you have any questions about taxable income you get through eBay.
Set up an eBay business account. Head to the eBay registration page and click on “Create a business account.” From there, the website will ask you to enter in your name, address, and other personal information. Business accounts are great if you want to sell large quantities of a product or you're specifically buying things to resell. If you just want to sell personal or unwanted items, a personal account is better. Upload your PayPal and credit card information. As you set up your business account, you'll be asked to link your PayPal and your credit card to the business account for any future charges. It may take a few days for eBay to check your information, so the sooner you input your info, the better! If you don't have a PayPal account, you can set one up by visiting PayPal's website. Subscribe to a store subscription to match your selling volume. eBay has 5 different subscription levels that you can choose from when you sign up. Try to pick one based on how many listings you will be creating per month to match your needs. The subscription options are: Starter: 100 listings per month, $7.95 monthly fee. Basic: 250 listings per month, $27.95 monthly fee. Premium: 500 listings per month, $74.95 monthly fee. Anchor: 1,000 listings per month, $349.95 monthly fee. Enterprise: 100,000 listings per month, $2,999.95 monthly fee. Upload a store logo and a billboard image. From your home page, click on My eBay > Manage My Store > Display Settings, then click Change to another theme. To upload your store logo, click on the profile picture button and choose your logo from your computer. To upload a billboard image, click on the billboard header display and upload a photo from your computer. You can pick any billboard image that you'd like to, as long as it represents your store! Write a short description of your store. In the display settings of your store, click on the “Store Description” underneath your profile picture. Type out a one to two sentence description of who you are and what you sell so your buyers can get a feel for your shop. For example, you could write, “Welcome to my small business page based in Laguna Beach, California. You can find high end swimwear, sunglasses, hats, and more by looking through my page.” Connect your store to your social media pages. In your store's display settings, head up to the top right corner of the page and click on the logos. From here, you can insert your store's Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, if you'd like to. Adding your social media accounts can make your store feel more personal. It also gives your customers more than one way to reach you, which is always a plus! Specify what payment you accept and what your return policy is. Since you have a business account, you can use the business selling tool to restrict the payment type that you accept. You can also pick whether or not you offer returns or exchanges to your buyers. You don't have to accept returns, but giving the option can attract more buyers to your page. Click “Sell” at the top of the eBay page. From your eBay home page, click on the “Sell” button to start creating your listing. Then, click on “Create a Listing” to begin describing your product. If you aren't sure what to sell, check out some popular sellers on eBay to see what products are going quickly. Browse through eBay’s prohibited items list. Before you start uploading your items, take a few minutes to make sure you aren't uploading something that eBay doesn't allow. Uploading prohibited or restricted items can result in an account ban, so you should double check just to be sure. To read through the list of eBay's prohibited and restricted items, visit https://www.ebay.com/help/policies/prohibited-restricted-items/prohibited-restricted-items?id=4207. Upload photos of the item and describe it. Click on the button that says “Add photos” to choose pictures of your item. From here, you can upload pictures from your computer, then edit and crop them within the listing. Once you're happy with your photos, hit “Save.” Make sure your photos are clear and show your product from all angles. Pick a fixed price or an auction format. On eBay, you can either sell your listing at a fixed price, or you can have people submit bids in an auction until the time runs out. Before you save your listing, decide on which one you'd prefer. For a fixed price, you can pick the amount that you'd like to receive from a buyer. For an auction price, you can pick a starting point and then ask buyers to bid on top of that. Create a bulk listing if you have more than one of the same item. If you are selling multiples of the same item, select “fixed price” and then enter the amount of items you have in the “quantity” box. eBay will keep the listing up until you deactivate it or all of the items have been sold. You cannot do an auction price for bulk listings. Create categories for your store. You can divide your store into any categories that you'd like to, and it can help sellers search your webpage easier to find what they're looking for. In your business settings, click on “Create categories” to start setting them up and organizing your listings. Depending on what kind of business you're running, you can get more or less specific with your categories. For example, if you run a fashion store, your categories could be: Tops, Bottoms, Shoes, Accessories, Hats. Or, if you're running an electronics store, your categories could be: Laptops, Phones, Monitors, Accessories, Keyboards. Send out a store newsletter to your customers. Click on Manage my store > Email Marketing. From here, you can create a mailing list out of your customers or people who have signed up for your newsletter. To customize your newsletter, think about what your customers are buying from you and what they might want to know about your products. Make sure you add in: A relevant subject line. A listing header with your store logo. A featured item or multiple items. A link to your eBay feedback profile. The frequency of your newsletter. Offer shipping discounts for multiple purchases. Go to the “Combined payments and shipping discounts” page on your eBay store, then click “Create.” From here, select “Allow buyers to send one combined payment for all items purchased,” then hit “Save.” This will allow your customers to pay one shipping price on multiple items, which will encourage multiple sales. Use keywords in your listing titles. When you create your listings, pick 3 to 5 keywords that may drive traffic to your site. Think about what buyers may be searching for when they are trying to find your listing, and include those in the titles to drive traffic to your page. Try to stick to the formula of Product + Item Specifics + Keypoints / Benefits. For example, if you are selling a scale, you could title it as: Digital LCD Glass Bathroom Body Scale Weight Watchers Fitness Scales 400lb/180kg. Or, if you're selling a dog caller, you could title it: Leather Dog Collar Custom Made SML With Personalized Name Plate Free Engrave. Form an LLC to protect yourself legally. An LLC, or a Limited Liability Corporation, can protect your personal assets by separating them from the company's assets. Choose a name for your business and then contact a state office near you to begin the paperwork process. If you are confused by the paperwork or you need help filling any of it out, contact a lawyer near you. Before you get an LLC, you'll need a business license through your county office. Register your business with the Small Business Administration. If you'd like to legitimize your business, you can register it with the U.S. Small Business Administration by filling out a few forms and submitting your paperwork. This will give you personal liability protection, tax benefits, and legal benefits that are tailored to your business. To begin registering your business, visit https://www.sba.gov/business-guide/launch-your-business/register-your-business. Fill out a 1099-K if you make more than $20,000 per year. If you have over 200 transactions on eBay that are worth more than $20,000 per year, PayPal will send you a 1099-K form to fill out and turn into the IRS. If you make less than that, the IRS considers your sales “garage sales,” so you don't have to fill out the 1099-K. The amount of taxes taken out of your profit depends on your earnings for the year and what assets you have overall. 
Set up an eBay business account. Upload your PayPal and credit card information. Subscribe to a store subscription to match your selling volume. Upload a store logo and a billboard image. Write a short description of your store. Connect your store to your social media pages. Specify what payment you accept and what your return policy is. Click “Sell” at the top of the eBay page. Browse through eBay’s prohibited items list. Upload photos of the item and describe it. Pick a fixed price or an auction format. Create a bulk listing if you have more than one of the same item. Create categories for your store. Send out a store newsletter to your customers. Offer shipping discounts for multiple purchases. Use keywords in your listing titles. Form an LLC to protect yourself legally. Register your business with the Small Business Administration. Fill out a 1099-K if you make more than $20,000 per year. 