10 tips to turn your second-hand selling project up to 11

It doesn’t matter if you’re in it to change the world, kill some time, or pay the bills, a side hustle is a great place to invest a few hours.

The Great Gig Economy in the Sky

According to the EU, by 2025 online platforms will employ 45 million of us. Now, that figure includes remote working sites and other online employment agencies. The gig economy covers more than freelancers. This umbrella term also includes makers and small businesses who use sites like Etsy, eBay, and Leboncoin to name a few. So, whether you want to rent out a room, upcycle antique furniture, sell your 3d prints, or trade-in vintage records the options are out there.

The age of fibre optic

Gone are the days when buying and selling anything online was the domain of big corporations, and techno-geeks. Today, anyone with the humblest smartphone, an online connection and some spare time can trade anything with anyone, anywhere. This is The Information Age, but if we’re honest, perhaps we should call it The Fibre Optic Age. These days all that seems to matter is out up and download speed and thanks to millions of miles of cables the world has never been smaller. Remember, if you claimed you could speak to someone on the other side of an ocean two hundred years ago, they’d have burned you at the stake. Today we can email astronauts in space.

Starting orders

Knowing where to start depends on what you want to do. Which is a nice segue into the first of our side hustle hacks.

1. To thine own self be true!

There’s no point doing anything you hate. A passion project without passion is another term for a chore. Our advice is to try something you’re good at, but also enjoy. Either one on their own does not a good business idea make. I’m great at washing dishes, but I’d rather eat dish soap than spend a second longer than needed at the sink. On the flip side, I love bowling, but I’ve yet to meet a three-year-old who can’t best me on the lanes.

2. Seek proper advice

Your girlfriend, your mum, and even the old lady at the bus stop might think you’re great, but can they tell you the truth? Before setting out on any venture it’s a good idea to seek advice from experienced honest brokers who aren’t so close they can’t give you bad news when needed. At the same time, don’t listen to any negheads who like to put to put the boot in whenever they can. Good friends who aren’t afraid to hurt your feelings are a solid source as are online strangers with no skin in your game. So, join some forums and let the flame wars begin.

3. Expect the unexpected

Regardless of faith, scientific leaning, or tin-foil tomfoolery, there is one global truth. The universe can be a d*ck. Spare yourself, wall-punching frustration, by having plans for everything. Get a book, open an online doc, or scribble stuff on the back of a napkin if you must. However you work though, make sure you consider EVERYTHING. Of course, somewhere down the line, the universe will find it hilarious to throw a spanner into the one thing you missed. Ask yourself, where are you going to keep stuff, how much will that cost to ship, or what in God’s name are you going to do with two hundred litres of baby oil?

4. Get back on the horse

Starting any business can involve a lot of landing on your ass. Don’t panic though, every fall is a valuable lesson if you take the time to learn from it. As some folks say Rome wasn’t built in a day. Personally, judging by the amount of scaffolding, I think you can argue it’s still unfinished, but I digress. So, nurse your wounded rear, but get back up and try not to fall off at the same corner next time.

5. Become the go-to Guy/Gal

Whatever you do, become indispensable. Take time to learn your trade/craft and focus on being the best. Start with your local area and once you’ve established yourself as the local expert you can broaden your horizons, if you want to. If you’re happy with where you are then you don’t need to complicate your life. Of course, if you’ve already laid the groundwork then now’s a good time to head over to Riloop and get your empire rolling.

6. Know thine shizzle

To succeed at anything, you need to understand it. Invest in some good old research and get to know the game. Learn the rules, how to break them, and the consequences. To smash your new business venture, you’ll need to be a one(wo)man walking, talking Pokedex of all things you.

7. Look after yourself

Too many of us focus on the journey without paying attention to our tyres. Don’t neglect your health and well-being at the expense of your goal. Remember, today’s stifle could be tomorrow’s tumour. Take time to safeguard your physical and mental state. Do eat, relax, and sleep… and don’t stress, panic and churn your stomach. There’s no point in conquering the world if you can’t get out of bed to enjoy it.

8. Seek and ye shall find

If your business involves trading in vintage, pre-used, refurbished, remainder, part-worn, NOS, antique, second-hand, pre-loved, used, Amazon returns, overstocks... Then finding your stock will help you find your mojo. Truth is, because you’re here means you’re already leaping ahead of your competition. Riloop is the patron saint of used goods online. We are the aggregator of pre-owned goods. Our proprietary algorithm does all the leg work for you. Riloop trawls the best online marketplaces, auction sites, and classifieds providing instant results. Of course, if you want to do it all yourself you can and if you’d rather reinvent our lovely wheel, here’s a short list of sites to get you started. There are WAAAAAAAAY too many to mention, but since you have to start somewhere…

• eBay: the pioneering marketplace that opened already three decades ago
• Gumtree: a British classified ad site with a limited international audience (owned by eBay)
• Leboncoin: a French site like Gumtree
• CATAWIKI: a Dutch auction site
• Etsy: an international maker’s market also offering vintage goods
• Reverb: a site specialising in musical instruments (owned by Etsy)
• Craigslist: a global site for free ads and classifieds. Less popular today, but still operating
• Vinted: a second-hand and vintage clothing specialist app-driven service based coming up frmo Lithuania
• Wallapop: s Spanish app-based platform leaning towards consumer electronics and sporting goods
• Oh, and don’t forget Facebook Marketplace and its tens of thousands of dedicated buying and selling groups

Of course, there are hundreds more places to look, which is kinda why we came up with Riloop in the first place, but that’s a whole other blog.

9. Be careful

Not everyone on the internet is your friend. Truth be told, almost no one is, but worse than that some folks are only after your cash. There are many online sales scams, if you like a more in-depth look at the worst of them then check out our dedicated blog. The simplest way to stay safe online, it to follow The Three Golden Rules:

• Do your research: most scams fall apart when you look closer.
• Never pay in advance: cash on delivery or let it go!
• If it sounds too good to be true… it’s a scam: Truth!

10. Get serious

Making a living is not a crime. If you treat your side hustle like a real business, it’ll become one. If you think of it more as a hobby, then that’s all it will ever be. You don’t need to spend your life 24/7 on it unless you want to, but whatever time you do commit to your project should be well spent. Open a proper bank account. Investigate registering it with the relevant authorities. Grab a decent domain name and email address. Above all else though, make sure you treat your customers with respect. Even if all you do is buy and sell stuff through eBay, you need to ensure your buyers know they can count on you to make things right, when they go wrong. It’s a good idea to type out a mission statement or even just come up with a company ethos. The more effort you put into your side project the more grounded it will become. Of course, as a result, the more grounded it becomes the more respect your customers will give it.

So, there you have it folks, ten actionable steps you can take today to turn your side project into the main event. Remember, if you learned anything today it’s that sharing makes you look cooler. So, clicky, clicky, sharey, sharey and help us make side hustles way less scary.