often sit down and figure how much money they spend a year at one of the major gourmet coffee chains. Some of our customers tell us they used to be a "Starbucks junkie" spending several thousand dollars a year just to get going in the morning.

Then they discovered they could buy their own gourmet coffee makers, grinders, etc for under $400, buy some more gifts or jewelry on the same purchase and presto, they've gotten not only a bargain for $500 but a free gourmet coffee gift basket.

To top that off, they have slashed their coffee budget by 75% and are drinking whole bean coffee (which if you've not tasted the difference and you are a coffee lover you should) right off the farm, and enjoying MUCH tastier coffee at a fraction of the price.

So though such sales may sound a bit "gimmicky", they also have "pure economics" behind them in that it is easy for

I was a late bloomer to the Internet. I am ashamed to say that I didn't even sit down at a computer (except for data input) until I was about forty two years old.

After health forced me to stop working, I made up for lost time. My computer and the Internet opened up doors to me that I would have never seen before.

One of the most positive aspects of the Internet has been learning about e-commerce and how important it is to do one's homework.

I cannot tell you what sells well on the Internet, because it really depends on both the product and the person selling it. Though Xboxes and laptops are "hot items" in my store, I just read an article from a Wal-mart executive who claims that mattresses are a "hot" online seller for them. He went further to explain that people like convenience, and don't want to buy a mattress at the physical store and bring it home. On the other hand, home entertainment systems and large plasma tv's or clothing, are the type of products he says that people want to see and feel and touch.

Makes sense.

With so many people offering products online, what is a "Cyber-Willie Lohman" to do?

After a number of phone conferences with my partner on the west coast (and some false starts) we found "the scoop".

Here 'tis.

If you decide to sell a product online make certain you know with whom you are dealing. Don't find yourself in a position of dealing with a middleman or even worse becoming one.

There are several paid membership sites to sign up for drop-shipping and wholesale that Ebay recommends. I kind of figure by now, Ebay knows what works and what does not.

They recommend joining Doba.com which is a great service. It automatically gives you access to wholesale shippers who will ship as few as one product at a time for you. You can open an Ebay store or an Ebay Proshop store and "push to marketplace" the items you want to sell. It's kind of fun and interesting.

We joined Worldwidebrands (Onesource) as well. It is useful in finding products that might not be available at Doba. Both are easy on the pocketbook, and the Internet offers great leverage in opening a retail store; if you are on a shoestring, but can spend your sweat-equity in blogging, article marketing, etc.

The best part to me is that you have the option of keeping the price low, using a Wal-mart model of rapid turnover and more sales (or sell high and rely on a few sales). We have opted to sell medium range and cut our hottest-sellers prices very low. Items like the Xbox, MP3 players, IBM Thinkpads, etc. are all slashed to as far down as we can possibly sell them and stay in business. Using the proper targeted keyword campaign on any good pay per click search engine and perhaps listing some items on several of the comparative shopping networks like Shopzilla, or Shopping.com, gives you yet more exposure and links back to your store.

We have taken it a step further too. Since we manufacture our own line of gourmet coffee gift baskets (Ruth London's Exquisite Coffees) which hit the ground running last year and I must say did surprisingly well given that it is a novelty type item (it includes one of my oversize cartoon coffee mugs and set of four cartoon coasters as well as 5 whole bean blends) in an upscale attractive box ($50 value) that we give away free with any $500 purchase.

$500 may sound like a lot but it buys a lot in our store. Most shoppers are relatively if not thoroughly savvy. For instance, they often sit down and figure how much money they spend a year at one of the major gourmet coffee chains. Some of our customers tell us they used to be a "Starbucks junkie" spending several thousand dollars a year just to get going in the morning.

Then they discovered they could buy their own gourmet coffee makers, grinders, etc for under $400, buy some more gifts or jewelry on the same purchase and presto, they've gotten not only a bargain for $500 but a free gourmet coffee gift basket.

To top that off, they have slashed their coffee budget by 75% and are drinking whole bean coffee (which if you've not tasted the difference and you are a coffee lover you should) right off the farm, and enjoying MUCH tastier coffee at a fraction of the price.

So though such sales may sound a bit "gimmicky", they also have "pure economics" behind them in that it is easy for

n the other hand, home entertainment systems and large plasma tv's or clothing, are the type of products he says that people want to see and feel and touch.

Makes sense.

With so many people offering products online, what is a "Cyber-Willie Lohman" to do?

After a number of phone conferences with my partner on the west coast (and some false starts) we found "the scoop".

Here 'tis.

If you decide to sell a product online make certain you know with whom you are dealing. Don't find yourself in a position of dealing with a middleman or even worse becoming one.

There are several paid membership sites to sign up for drop-shipping and wholesale that Ebay recommends. I kind of figure by now, Ebay knows what works and what does not.

They recommend joining Doba.com which is a great service. It automatically gives you access to wholesale shippers who will ship as few as one product at a time for you. You can open an Ebay store or an Ebay Proshop store and "push to marketplace" the items you want to sell. It's kind of fun and interesting.

We joined Worldwidebrands (Onesource) as well. It is useful in finding products that might not be available at Doba. Both are easy on the pocketbook, and the Internet offers great leverage in opening a retail store; if you are on a shoestring, but can spend your sweat-equity in blogging, article marketing, etc.

The best part to me is that you have the option of keeping the price low, using a Wal-mart model of rapid turnover and more sales (or sell high and rely on a few sales). We have opted to sell medium range and cut our hottest-sellers prices very low. Items like the Xbox, MP3 players, IBM Thinkpads, etc. are all slashed to as far down as we can possibly sell them and stay in business. Using the proper targeted keyword campaign on any good pay per click search engine and perhaps listing some items on several of the comparative shopping networks like Shopzilla, or Shopping.com, gives you yet more exposure and links back to your store.

We have taken it a step further too. Since we manufacture our own line of gourmet coffee gift baskets (Ruth London's Exquisite Coffees) which hit the ground running last year and I must say did surprisingly well given that it is a novelty type item (it includes one of my oversize cartoon coffee mugs and set of four cartoon coasters as well as 5 whole bean blends) in an upscale attractive box ($50 value) that we give away free with any $500 purchase.

$500 may sound like a lot but it buys a lot in our store. Most shoppers are relatively if not thoroughly savvy. For instance, they often sit down and figure how much money they spend a year at one of the major gourmet coffee chains. Some of our customers tell us they used to be a "Starbucks junkie" spending several thousand dollars a year just to get going in the morning.

Then they discovered they could buy their own gourmet coffee makers, grinders, etc for under $400, buy some more gifts or jewelry on the same purchase and presto, they've gotten not only a bargain for $500 but a free gourmet coffee gift basket.

To top that off, they have slashed their coffee budget by 75% and are drinking whole bean coffee (which if you've not tasted the difference and you are a coffee lover you should) right off the farm, and enjoying MUCH tastier coffee at a fraction of the price.

So though such sales may sound a bit "gimmicky", they also have "pure economics" behind them in that it is easy for

who will ship as few as one product at a time for you. You can open an Ebay store or an Ebay Proshop store and "push to marketplace" the items you want to sell. It's kind of fun and interesting.

We joined Worldwidebrands (Onesource) as well. It is useful in finding products that might not be available at Doba. Both are easy on the pocketbook, and the Internet offers great leverage in opening a retail store; if you are on a shoestring, but can spend your sweat-equity in blogging, article marketing, etc.

The best part to me is that you have the option of keeping the price low, using a Wal-mart model of rapid turnover and more sales (or sell high and rely on a few sales). We have opted to sell medium range and cut our hottest-sellers prices very low. Items like the Xbox, MP3 players, IBM Thinkpads, etc. are all slashed to as far down as we can possibly sell them and stay in business. Using the proper targeted keyword campaign on any good pay per click search engine and perhaps listing some items on several of the comparative shopping networks like Shopzilla, or Shopping.com, gives you yet more exposure and links back to your store.

We have taken it a step further too. Since we manufacture our own line of gourmet coffee gift baskets (Ruth London's Exquisite Coffees) which hit the ground running last year and I must say did surprisingly well given that it is a novelty type item (it includes one of my oversize cartoon coffee mugs and set of four cartoon coasters as well as 5 whole bean blends) in an upscale attractive box ($50 value) that we give away free with any $500 purchase.

$500 may sound like a lot but it buys a lot in our store. Most shoppers are relatively if not thoroughly savvy. For instance, they often sit down and figure how much money they spend a year at one of the major gourmet coffee chains. Some of our customers tell us they used to be a "Starbucks junkie" spending several thousand dollars a year just to get going in the morning.

Then they discovered they could buy their own gourmet coffee makers, grinders, etc for under $400, buy some more gifts or jewelry on the same purchase and presto, they've gotten not only a bargain for $500 but a free gourmet coffee gift basket.

To top that off, they have slashed their coffee budget by 75% and are drinking whole bean coffee (which if you've not tasted the difference and you are a coffee lover you should) right off the farm, and enjoying MUCH tastier coffee at a fraction of the price.

So though such sales may sound a bit "gimmicky", they also have "pure economics" behind them in that it is easy for

ll them and stay in business. Using the proper targeted keyword campaign on any good pay per click search engine and perhaps listing some items on several of the comparative shopping networks like Shopzilla, or Shopping.com, gives you yet more exposure and links back to your store.

We have taken it a step further too. Since we manufacture our own line of gourmet coffee gift baskets (Ruth London's Exquisite Coffees) which hit the ground running last year and I must say did surprisingly well given that it is a novelty type item (it includes one of my oversize cartoon coffee mugs and set of four cartoon coasters as well as 5 whole bean blends) in an upscale attractive box ($50 value) that we give away free with any $500 purchase.

$500 may sound like a lot but it buys a lot in our store. Most shoppers are relatively if not thoroughly savvy. For instance, they often sit down and figure how much money they spend a year at one of the major gourmet coffee chains. Some of our customers tell us they used to be a "Starbucks junkie" spending several thousand dollars a year just to get going in the morning.

Then they discovered they could buy their own gourmet coffee makers, grinders, etc for under $400, buy some more gifts or jewelry on the same purchase and presto, they've gotten not only a bargain for $500 but a free gourmet coffee gift basket.

To top that off, they have slashed their coffee budget by 75% and are drinking whole bean coffee (which if you've not tasted the difference and you are a coffee lover you should) right off the farm, and enjoying MUCH tastier coffee at a fraction of the price.

So though such sales may sound a bit "gimmicky", they also have "pure economics" behind them in that it is easy for

often sit down and figure how much money they spend a year at one of the major gourmet coffee chains. Some of our customers tell us they used to be a "Starbucks junkie" spending several thousand dollars a year just to get going in the morning.

Then they discovered they could buy their own gourmet coffee makers, grinders, etc for under $400, buy some more gifts or jewelry on the same purchase and presto, they've gotten not only a bargain for $500 but a free gourmet coffee gift basket.

To top that off, they have slashed their coffee budget by 75% and are drinking whole bean coffee (which if you've not tasted the difference and you are a coffee lover you should) right off the farm, and enjoying MUCH tastier coffee at a fraction of the price.

So though such sales may sound a bit "gimmicky", they also have "pure economics" behind them in that it is easy for most shoppers to see that they are getting better value at less cost in the long run, just by spending a little more at one time.

So it's another day at the "cybershop". I hope your sales are happening, and you are learning what I learned from the school of cyber-knocks. There IS no easy money; not in real life, not on the Internet.

One has to build a name in any case and provide a service or product that people want at the right price, and give excellent customer service. The better handle you have on that the better.

That means stay away from middlemen and for goodness sake don't find yourself becoming one.