Internet auction sites will only be required to report customer revenue information if the customer does more than 100 separate transactions in a fiscal year and generates more than $5,000 in gross proceeds.

Auction Taxes a Future Possibility is a post from: Moolah-Moolah

Simply start a side business based on something you’re passionate about.

Have you kept tropical fish most of your life? If so, you’re an expert in fish care and aquariums. And it’s possible that people will pay for your advice. Have you always had a “flair” for cooking? Gardening? You could create and sell an e-book, start an e-mail newsletter, create an instructional video, etc. Useful, expert information can be sold in almost any form imaginable.

Granted, not every passion can be turned into a saleable information product. You have to test the waters before you go too far.

Start by checking to see if you have any competitors. Do a Google search. Check Amazon and eBay. If nobody else is selling a similar product to your intended market, that’s not a good thing. It probably means there are no customers for it.

If your initial research looks promising, test your idea online. The easiest way is to set up a Google AdWords campaign. If a lot of people click on your ads (which should link to a landing page that makes the actual sale), you know you’ve got something worth pursuing.

Don’t put in a lot of time or money creating a product. If you get a lot of orders, rushing to fulfill them will be a good problem to have.

[Ed. Note: Your dream "job" could be around the corner... At Early to Rise's Profits in Paradise conference this week, you could learn dozens of ways to break out of the rat race and build a lifetime of wealth from our cast of experts in real estate, investing, self-development, and Internet marketing. Find out how Profits in Paradise could change your life today.]

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Turning Your Side Business to a Dream Job is a post from: Moolah-Moolah

eBay Takes on Craigs List is a post from: Moolah-Moolah

A federal judge Friday denied a request from a small Virginia company to stop the online auction powerhouse eBay Inc. from using a feature that allows shoppers to purchase items at a fixed price.

U.S. District Court Judge Jerome B. Friedman denied a motion by MercExchange LLC for a permanent injunction against San Jose, Calif.-based eBay over the Buy It Now feature.

Buy It Now Court Case is a post from: Moolah-Moolah

Being unemployed gives me a large chunk of discretionary time, but only a finite amount of which I can dedicate to a job search. The law of diminishing returns kicks in and it’s better to focus efforts elsewhere for the sake of productivity, not to mention sanity.

I’ve always wanted to run my own operation. Thus, I’ve been taking some of my aforementioned time to work on an alternative project. Like many other M.B.A.s, a good friend from school and I would often inadvertently conjure up ideas over late night beers. One such project is our website FloridaLacrosse.com, an online vendor of lacrosse equipment and apparel.

Now, a spin off that has come to immediate fruition is an Internet concept called Blind Bid Sports, which has a unique twist on the eBay business model and works by purchasing team equipment, uniforms or anything in bulk. I’ve worked on a business plan and we’ve shopped some agencies to build the Web site, however the concept is still in it’s infant stages, and can expand to virtually any sport and possibly into consumer goods. Currently, we are exploring funding options.

I used to be very skeptical regarding such ideas, and thought any efforts would be ultimately trivial. Recently, I’ve been spending about 20 to 25 hours a week on this and other endeavors that have slowly developed. Once I go back to full-time work, the concepts will get whatever time I can devote to them depending on vitality and future short-term earning potential.

One thing I’ve certainly learned is that great ideas really do need to start somewhere. If I don’t pull the trigger and take some fliers based on nothing but faith in my own ability, great dreams won’t ever be realized.

Safe to say, I would never have voluntarily chosen this unenviable state of being unemployed. However here I am, and I might as well make the most of it.

Photo by FloridaLacrosse.com.

Launching A Biz While Unemployed is a post from: Moolah-Moolah