If you decide to start your own eBay business, there are several factors that will help to determine whether or not your venture is a successful one. Operating your own business can be one of the most rewarding things that you could do, but it takes a certain amount of knowledge to make it work.

Do as much promotion as possible. Free publicity is best, especially for new businesses or those with a small budget. This may include press release submission to websites, newspapers and magazines. In addition, free publicity may include search engine placement, online article marketing and link exchanges.

Do as much research as possible prior to starting a business. This may include inspecting the popularity of similar businesses, types of products and services available, distributors, wholesalers and manufacturers of products that you intend to sell.

Do provide excellent customer service.

Do provide clear instructions regarding your payment, return and refund policies.

Do be polite to customers at all times, including via telephone and/or e-mail. If someone has a legitimate concern, try to handle it with patience even if they are upset. Some instances, which may require extreme patience, would include an item that has failed to arrive after shipment, a misunderstanding regarding a return/refund policy and/or a dispute over a damaged product. When you operate a business, there are a number of misunderstandings that can occur between the customer and yourself, but always be respectful and handle every situation professionally.

Do respond to e-mails and all other inquiries as quickly as possible. A reply within 24 hours is desirable and customers will appreciate the prompt response.

Do purchase tracking numbers for shipments, which is helpful incase the customer requests proof of shipment or delivery in the future.

Do price your items or services competitively. There are other businesses who will be eager to lower their prices in order to offer the best deal, but a reasonable price and quality customer service will win every time.

Do not change your e-mail address frequently. You should have a primary address that you plan to keep for a long time so that customers do not receive a failed delivery notice when they write to you.

Do not offer a very low purchase price and then overcharge on shipping & handling.

Do not fund your business with credit cards unless you can afford to pay it back within several months. If your business runs into problems down the line, you don’t want to be stuck with all of that debt.

Do not tell your customers that something has been shipped unless you are absolutely certain that it has been. If the items are shipped directly from the manufacturer, check with them before relaying any information to your customer. If you ship everything yourself, take the time to check on the status of the shipment before confirming anything. Customers will look at the postmark on the envelope, especially if the package is already late, so an honest response will garner trust. If you are running late and have not had the opportunity to get the product mailed, explain the situation and offer a discount on a future order with your apologies.

Do not ignore customer questions, comments and/or complaints. Your customers are the reason your business exists, so treat them well and let them know that their input is valuable.