See How A Mum Turned Selling Second-hand Kids’ Items Into A £1.5 Million Business

A mum, Rachael White, who set up an eBay shop with her husband over ten years ago has shared how they developed the business they started with just £200 into a £1.5 million business. She also shares tips for others aspiring to start selling online.

Read her piece below:

In 2004, my husband and I started selling old clothes the kids had grown out of. Thingimijigs was going to be a part-time business – one of us could do it with the kids at home.

We started with £200. We went to a Manchester wholesaler and looked at things we liked and that other people might like. It was all second-hand at that point.

We just started selling small things, and for a few months we ploughed any money we made back in. The business grew and grew, until it outgrew the house.

At that point my husband and I gave up our jobs to work on it full-time. The first couple of months we still weren’t taking a big wage- it was nerve wracking. But after a while, it was OK.

We were getting too big to go to the local wholesalers anymore. But at first a lot of manufacturers didn’t want to deal with us. Slowly and surely, your reputation grows.

We moved into our third warehouse last September. It was purpose built, with an office on site. Our turnover is £1.5million a year. Besides my husband and I, there are six permanent members of staff and at Christmas we take on temporary workers.

Since winter last year, half of our sales go overseas. In the last 12 months, we sold items to more than 120 countries around the world. We sell a lot to the Turks and Caicos and other beautiful Caribbean islands – we’d hand-deliver those parcels if we could.

My children have grown up now. When I started they watched CBeebies – now it’s me on the iPlayer. But they do still spot the playground trends. Suppliers might be pushing certain items, but if the children aren’t talking about it at all you think: “Maybe not.”

You should have seen me ten years ago at the kitchen table, when I had to ask my parents to help me pack. If someone had said, “You are going to have a business with £1.5m turnover and 8 employees,” I would have told them they were stark raving mad.

It is getting harder to build a business like ours, because there is a lot more people doing it. But we don’t have special skills. It’s just graft and determination. You can start with the cupboard under the stairs and get to the size we are.

See Rachael’s advice for building a successful business:

1. Start small

Start with something you know about. If someone told me to sell car tyres I wouldn’t have a clue, but I know what my children like. And even still, we bought items that three years later were still sitting there.

2. Treat customers the way you want to be treated

From day one, everything was shipped in one working day. We answered emails from customers very quickly. You have to appreciate that the buyers don’t know who you are.

I like to know the item is already in my warehouse – or when I started, my living room.

3. Have a business plan

Have a business plan and use social media to sell your business. You’ll need to consult those that are knowledgeable about the business. Then, ask for advice when having issues. 

4. Think global

18 months ago, we started listing direct on eBay America. That is when Israel started buying for us. They don’t necessarily go to eBay UK but they go to eBay.com becuase they like paying in dollars. We’re hoping to hire foreign language students as we expand overseas.

5. Make your listings clear

Take good photographs. I look at some of my photos from the early days, and I cringe. Keep the item on a clear background and take it in a big enough resolution that customers can zoom in.

6. Beware of business loans

When we started, banks seemed to be calling back loans and changing rates. It scared us. It would be very easy to ask for £10,000. But it wouldn’t have been right for us. We didn’t want someone else owning a chunk of our business.

Source: Mirror UK