| Buying and Selling on eBay is an
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| | make eBay auctions a part-time or
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| adventure that can be both fun and
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| | full-time income generator you will need
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| financially rewarding. Best of all it is
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| | an adequate computer system. If money is
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| relatively easy. But before setting out
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| | no object then you can get the latest
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| on your great adventure you need certain
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| | state of the art system. However if your
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| minimum "Personal Resources" which are
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| | start-up budget is limited you should get
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| listed below in what I consider to be the
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| | the basic minimum recommended hardware
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| order of priority. The Resources required
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| | and software. You can always upgrade
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| are personal in that each individual will
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| | later once the profits start to flow!PC
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| need to check their own personal
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| | or Mac with a 266 MHz Processor
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| situation and decide whether they need
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| | 32 Megabyte RAM
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| some or all of the items listed and to
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| | 2.1 Gigabyte Hard Drive
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| what extent.Resources Required I -
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| | Floppy Drive - for backups preferably a
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| Personal Resources and Attributes -
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| | CD ROM Drive
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| Self-esteemYou need to have or develop
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| | Microsoft Windows 95 or above
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| high self-esteem and to think positively.
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| | Web Browser - Internet Explorer 5.0 or
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| Self-esteem can perhaps be best described
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| | higher
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| as your feelings about yourself and
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| | Printer - Good quality Inkjet or
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| affects every moment of your life, either
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| | LaserJet
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| consciously or subconsciously. Everything
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| | Word-processing Software - MS Word 6.0
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| can be viewed either positively or
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| | or higher
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| negatively. When we find fault with
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| | Spreadsheet Software - MS Excel 4.0+ or
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| ourselves, we call that "shame" or "low
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| | similar
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| self-esteem". With any activity, we can
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| | HTML Web design Software - MS FrontPage
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| choose either to focus on how good we are
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| | 2000 or similarResources Required VI -
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| at it or on how bad we are at it. Without
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| | Computer Related Personal SkillsYou do
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| exception, we do everything better when
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| | not need to be a computer programmer or
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| we focus on how good we are at it.And the
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| | computer expert but there are certain
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| same is true with eBay. If you approach
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| | recommended computer skills you need to
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| eBay with the attitude that you are not
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| | have or to acquire if you wish to proceed
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| going to succeed, then you are not going
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| | successfully. The following skills are
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| to make a success of it. On the other
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| | not difficult to acquire:Basic
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| hand, if you approach it with confidence,
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| | Wordprocessing - You will need basic
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| you have a far better chance of success.
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| | word-processing skills for numerous tasks
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| This is entirely my own point of
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| | including the writing of descriptions for
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| view.Resources Required II - A Working
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| | your auctions, thank-you and other
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| Knowledge, Understanding eBay, the eBay
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| | letters and eMails to your buyers and
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| Website and eBay TerminologyYou will need
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| | preparing Web page documents for your
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| to Read the eBay Manual by visiting the
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| | auction listings.Spreadsheet - A "spread
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| eBay website with special focus on:-
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| | sheet" or spreadsheet is a large sheet of
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| Navigating the eBay Website - moving from
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| | paper with columns and rows that
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| section to Section with Ease;
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| | organizes data about transactions for a
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| - Establishing and Understanding eBay
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| | business person to examine. An electronic
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| Policies and Rules;
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| | spreadsheet organizes information into
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| - Knowing where to find what you need;
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| | software defined columns and rows. The
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| - Understanding eBay Terminology;
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| | data can then be "added up" by a formula
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| - Studying what other people are selling
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| | to give a total or sum. The spreadsheet
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| and how they describe the items they are
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| | program summarizes information from many
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| selling;
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| | paper sources in one place and presents
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| - Studying what prices other sellers are
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| | the information in a format to help a
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| asking;
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| | decision maker see the financial "big
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| - Comparing the various different prices
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| | picture". We highly recommend that you
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| sellers are asking for items with the
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| | keep track of all your winning bidders
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| same or very similar descriptions;
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| | and setup a database or spreadsheet to
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| - Studying the categories where items
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| | capture and record important details of
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| are usually listed;
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| | your auctions including name and eMail
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| - Identifying any items listed in
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| | address and any other information you may
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| unusual categories;
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| | find useful.HTML - Every web page you see
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| - Identifying buying trends;Resources
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| | and read is written in HTML. Hypertext
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| Required III - Registration With eBay and
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| | Markup Language (HTML) is the standard
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| A Seller's AccountBefore you can Buy or
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| | text-formatting language used for
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| Sell anything on eBay you will need to
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| | documents on the World Wide Web. HTML
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| Register or open an account by completing
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| | documents are text files that contain two
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| a Registration Form. Registration is
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| | parts: content that is meant to be
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| Free, takes only a short time and is very
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| | rendered on a computer screen; and markup
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| easy to complete.Your eBay User ID - The
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| | or tags, encoded information that directs
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| Registration Form requires you to Create
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| | the text format on the screen and is
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| an eBay User ID. Your User ID is a
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| | generally hidden from the user.If you are
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| valuable asset for participating on eBay.
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| | planning to be an active seller you will
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| Before choosing your eBay User ID you
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| | need to learn basic HTML as it gives you
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| should be aware that Your User ID becomes
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| | greater control over the design and looks
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| your eBay identity and along with your
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| | of the Ads for your auctions. An
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| Feedback Rating helps establish your
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| | alternative to learning HTML is to use
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| reputation and identity within the eBay
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| | HTML software such as Microsoft
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| Community.Choose a User ID that is
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| | FrontPage. If you do then you will not
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| suitable for a long, successful life on
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| | need to learn HTML. BUT you will need to
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| eBay. Of course you can always change
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| | know Hot To Cut & Paste and/or Copy and
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| your eBay ID anytime. Choose a User ID
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| | Paste.Zipping & Unzipping Files - Zipping
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| that you like and that you'll remember.
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| | is a standardized way of shrinking data
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| For example you might use words
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| | files into smaller kilobytes or megabytes
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| identifying your favourite collecting
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| | thus saving on disk space. If you plan to
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| area, your business, or
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| | send or receive data files via eMail or
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| occupation.Seller's Account - After
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| | via file transfer on the Internet and if
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| registering you will need to set up a
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| | you plan to buy or sell eBooks, software
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| Seller's Account before you can sell
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| | or any product which can be delivered
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| anything on eBay. You must provide a
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| | digitally or by file transfer you will
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| valid debit/credit card and bank account
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| | need to know how to Zip and Unzip
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| information.Resources Required IV - Your
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| | Files.Resources Required VII -
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| Computer EquipmentFirstly you will need a
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| | Organization of Your Multi-Payment
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| computer, or access to a computer, that
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| | OptionsYou will need to pay for any items
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| is equipped with a modem. Whilst
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| | you may have purchased, to pay for eBay
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| organizing your computer equipment you
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| | listing fees for items you are selling,
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| may also want to investigate getting a
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| | to pay for your inventory or to pay the
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| DSL (Broadband or Digital Subscriber
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| | Drop-shipper and, if your auction is
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| Line) or a cable modem as opposed to a
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| | successful, to pay eBay's final value
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| telephone modem. It not only has faster
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| | fees and your merchant service provider
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| connection speeds, but also many
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| | fees.The precise amount can be calculated
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| telephone companies provide unlimited
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| | in advance. Buyers want a multi-choice of
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| Internet access for a fixed monthly fee.
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| | Easy Payment Options. You will need to
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| Telephone expenses can be costly so you
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| | organize these multi-payment facilities
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| want to keep these expenses as low as
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| | before you start any buying or selling
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| possible.Once you have your computer
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| | activities.As a seller you should try and
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| equipment, you will need to plug your
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| | offer every type of payment option. By
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| modem into a telephone line. Next, you
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| | covering all the bases you can perhaps
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| will need to open an account with an
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| | deter a potential bidder from bidding for
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| Internet Service Provider (ISP) - a
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| | the same or similar product from a seller
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| company that provides connections to the
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| | who offers more payment options than
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| Internet, usually for a monthly fee. Most
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| | you.Over 80% of buyers on eBay prefer to
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| telephone companies provide this service.
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| | use PayPal and especially now as PayPal
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| Also you may be able to find an ISP in
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| | is part of the eBay Group of Companies. A
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| your local area.The final element
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| | PayPal Account is a must. PayPal provides
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| required is software called a Web browser
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| | a variety of merchant tools to meet all
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| which enables you to find and read the
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| | your needs including accepting online
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| information on the Web. The more popular
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| | credit card payments instantly. In
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| web browsers are provided by Microsoft
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| | addition, PayPal offers a full suite of
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| (Internet Explorer) and Netscape
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| | tools to keep your payment processing
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| Navigator and are usually installed free
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| | running smoothly.Stephen S Alison is a
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| of charge when you buy a computer. Of
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| | retired "bean counter" who spent 26 years
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| course, once set up you can always browse
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| | in middle management positions for major
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| or surf on the Internet, establish what
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| | US financial institutions in Europe and a
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| other browsers are available and download
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| | further 10 years as an adviser/consultant
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| the browser you feel more comfortable
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| | to a number of European financial
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| with.Since you are probably planning to
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| | institutions.
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