Exclusive
KNICKER BIT-A-GLORY

I became an eBay millionaire by selling underwear from my kitchen table

Mum-of-three Janine Dutton, 42, from West Yorkshire, launched Belle Lingerie in 2003

WITH three children under five, a mortgage and a salary of just £300 a month, Janine Dutton jumped on every opportunity she could to make a few extra quid.

She and husband Glynn, now 43, were regulars at their local car boot sale in Gildersome, West Yorkshire, selling everything from children's clothes to toys, books and crockery.

Advertisement
Janine Dutton became an eBay millionaire by selling undies from her kitchen tableCredit: Fortitude Press

Janine, then 27, had never even heard of eBay when, in 2003, a friend suggested she tried selling her wares online.

Now, 15 years later, the 42-year-old mum-of-three is one of Britain's 1,000 "eBay millionaires", and her company, , is one of the largest independent lingerie and swimwear retailers in the UK.

"eBay seemed like a good place to sell more expensive things," Janine explained.

"It was winter at the time, so we bought some cheap ski wear to sell as a test.

Advertisement
in 2005, and now we work with over 30 brands, and we are looking for some more.

.
  • Do your homework. Carry out thorough research on other products and competitors to ensure you know your market inside out.
  • Learn how eBay shopping works. Look at listings in different formats. Before you can successfully sell on eBay, you'll need to see how people on eBay buy.
  • Start small. Give yourself the best chance of getting it right by focusing on a core range of products. You can scale up from there.
  • Stand out from the crowd. Think about how you can optimize your listings to attract customers. Use the right keywords so that your products show up in searches and high-quality pictures to draw buyers in. 
  • Find good sourcing options. Locating  good and reliable suppliers for your inventory is critical to your business' success.
  • Put your customer first. Focus on offering customers a great service with speedy delivery and great communication so that they keep coming back.
  • Remember there are fees. eBay will charge you a set monthly fee, depending on the size of your business and what you're selling. You can find how much you'll have to pay here
  • MOST READ IN FABULOUS

    MYSTIC MEG
    Single? Someone who loves to mix and match fashion can catch your eye
    CHEAT SHEET
    Divorce lawyer names 3 jobs where men never cheat, is your hubby’s on the list?
    WHO LOO
    My family-of-6 don't use loo roll, we share flannels - trolls say it's 'gross'
    MEGA MAKEOVER
    Bride slammed for 'ruining' gran's 1948 wedding dress with modern makeover

    Earlier this week we reported how a dad-of-four turned selling fish tanks on eBay into a million pound business.

    Peter Amos, 48, from Bexleyheath, started off Aquacadabra in 1992, before expanding to selling supplies on eBay in 2003.

    Advertisement

    In July last year, we reported how you can make hundreds of pounds a year by selling your rubbish - even leftover loo roll tubes.

    Dad-of-four turned selling fish tanks on eBay into a million pounds business
    Topics
    Advertisement
    machibet777.com