Downsizer shop ideas?

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Downsizer shop ideas?
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Treacodactyl
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 25795
Location: Jumping on the bandwagon of opportunism

Posted: Tue Sep 13, 05 6:55 pm Post subject:

barefoot_boo wrote:

1. Create a virtual Downsizers Farmers Market

At the moment we don't have that many people even advertising with us. Paying a fee would make this even harder at the moment.

barefoot_boo wrote:

2. Create a single, more generic Downsizer shop.

Downsizer would be closely associated with traders so if any were unreliable this would affect others?

barefoot_boo

Joined: 06 Aug 2005
Posts: 399
Location: Wiltshire

Posted: Tue Sep 13, 05 7:08 pm Post subject:

Quote:

Downsizer would be closely associated with traders so if any were unreliable this would affect others?

So set the bar from the off - initially only let those who have existing good reputations on the forums trade through the shop. And if anyone does prove to be unethical/unreliable/? simply don't stock their stuff anymore! The dropshipping model carry's no long term commitment on either side.

jema
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 28243
Location: escaped from Swindon

Posted: Tue Sep 13, 05 7:11 pm Post subject:

barefoot_boo wrote:

Quote:

Downsizer would be closely associated with traders so if any were unreliable this would affect others?

I think there would be hiccups, but I think we are strong enough to ride it out. All that really matters for making a go of this idea, is in my view reaching the required volume to make it viable.

As TD says, we do not really have enough simple advertisers at the moment.

Wombat

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 396
Location: SW Cheshire

Posted: Tue Sep 13, 05 7:11 pm Post subject:

I like the shop idea and particularly B Boo's idea..........
2. Create a single, more generic Downsizer shop, which could follow a standard dropshipping model.

I do not have a lot of time, therefore to send my info. to someone running the shop is much more appealing.
The shop could be filled with all sorts of items, not just food, I have lots of garments for sale, at low prices, so hope they could be included.

Maybe the shop could be financed by taking a percentage of each sale, 5 or 10%, to be decided on costs involved and maybe price of items????

Wombat

Treacodactyl
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 25795
Location: Jumping on the bandwagon of opportunism

Posted: Tue Sep 13, 05 7:14 pm Post subject:

Wombat wrote:

Maybe the shop could be financed by taking a percentage of each sale, 5 or 10%, to be decided on costs involved and maybe price of items????

But who has the time to run the shop and cope with no income for a while and perhaps a sudden influx at Christmas?

(I'm not trying to put people off, just talk through the ideas).

Wombat

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 396
Location: SW Cheshire

Posted: Tue Sep 13, 05 7:17 pm Post subject:

TD wrote

Quote:

But who has the time to run the shop and cope with no income for a while and perhaps a sudden influx at Christmas?

(I'm not trying to put people off, just talk through the ideas).

I don't know, just like the idea, as you say lets keep talking

Wombat

jema
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 28243
Location: escaped from Swindon

Posted: Tue Sep 13, 05 7:22 pm Post subject:

Wombat wrote:

The charging model is a big issue. One set of charges I have come across and I belive there are higher charges out there is:

Quote:

receives a wholesale rate discount of 5.5% plus $0.45 off the retail price of each total order.

and this for simply processing the payment. A downsizer shop would be doing more than this, and obviously would have to pay such charges itself.

I am keen for this idea to be explored and indeed to happen at some point, but I don't like the idea of us as a big "overhead cost" for our traders. I'd want convincing that this is the best way for them to trade.

Wombat

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 396
Location: SW Cheshire

Posted: Tue Sep 13, 05 7:22 pm Post subject:
Can anyone remember the name of the village featured on here, I think, where lots of folk in a village traded on a saturday morning in the village hall? They seemed to pull it together, I appreciate in a different way, but I was very impressed. Pls let me know the name of their website if anyone remembers? Cheers Wombat

barefoot_boo

Joined: 06 Aug 2005
Posts: 399
Location: Wiltshire

Posted: Tue Sep 13, 05 7:24 pm Post subject:

Wombat wrote:

I do not have a lot of time, therefore to send my info. to someone running the shop is much more appealing.

That's part of the beauty of it - there are no 'hassles' to deal with, no outlay, no longterm commitment from the producers point of view. All they have to do is send a quick summary of the details whenever they have something they want to sell, sit back, then accept the payment and post the item. Couldn't really be easier.

Wombat wrote:

The shop could be filled with all sorts of items, not just food, I have lots of garments for sale, at low prices, so hope they could be included.

I agree - the shop could sell just about anything!

Wombat wrote:

Maybe the shop could be financed by taking a percentage of each sale, 5 or 10%, to be decided on costs involved and maybe price of items????

In terms of Downsizer.net itself, clearly this is a non-profit thing. But obviously there will be some costs incurred. I would suggest that costs be covered by placing a very small commission on each item sold: e.g. Member Fred wants �2.00 for every pot of jam he sells. Therefore, to the end customer the shop charges �2.20 per pot of Fred's Jam - passing �2.00 to Fred and keeping �0.20 to cover costs.

jema
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 28243
Location: escaped from Swindon

Posted: Tue Sep 13, 05 8:07 pm Post subject:

downsizer is currently not only not for profit, but also just about 100% volenteer run.

my concern about a shop is that it would need a level of service and professionalism that stretches beyond this model.

If I was a trader wanting to use this sort of system, i'd want to know that changes I requested were going to be rapidly applied, that accounting was being handled well, that liability issues were clear cut... the type of thing that I be happier knowing someone was employed to do, even if it was a 2 hour a day part time job, rather than relying of the vaguries of volenteers.

I wonder how other potential users feel?

Bernie66

Joined: 14 Jan 2005
Posts: 13967
Location: Eastoft

Posted: Tue Sep 13, 05 9:00 pm Post subject:

I don't think that the fact it is run by volunteers is an issue in terms of traders knowing that it will be run properly. You only have to follow the forum for a while to see that the site is ethically run and managed well. I do think it is too much to ask of these volunteers to continue to run this ever expanding site on a purely voluntary basis and include the financial complications of a shop as well. Its about time the issue of some of you good chaps being compensated for your time was given another airing. Or some others i.e. me as i spend alot of time on here, offering to share the burden)which, should i be able to assist on mutually agreed terms would only be too happy to do. My only terms are that i cannot commit particular times each week due to work and family but can commit some time, also that i am crap on computers. Other than that i would be glad to help.

jema
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 28243
Location: escaped from Swindon

Posted: Tue Sep 13, 05 9:06 pm Post subject:
I don't think anyone "running" downsizer is looking for compensation in reality an awful lot of people run the site, and this is the way it should be. Where it might need to change is if it reached a level of activity and activies where the volenteer model no longer worked for all things. I see a shop being a bit like that.

Jonnyboy

Joined: 29 Oct 2004
Posts: 23956
Location: under some rain.

Posted: Tue Sep 13, 05 9:10 pm Post subject:
[quote='jema']I don't think anyone "running" downsizer is looking for compensation [/quote] Jema, there must be a glitch, isn't that sentence supposed to finish with 'apart from load of members volunteering to supply some really cracking articles' Apart from that I agree with your sentiments J.

Bernie66

Joined: 14 Jan 2005
Posts: 13967
Location: Eastoft

Posted: Tue Sep 13, 05 9:10 pm Post subject:
A shop has a few more legal implications than a forum I guess. Anyway if you do need ahand that I am caperble of offering any time just let me know.

bagpuss

Joined: 09 Dec 2004
Posts: 10507
Location: cambridge

Posted: Tue Sep 13, 05 9:21 pm Post subject:

the biggest issue here would always be tax. I know the revenue has apparently started going after the large ebay traders making sure they are actually paying tax and while I suspect shops through downsizer are unlikely to get huge turn overs it is always something worth bearing in mind

also I think the advantage of going with groups like ebay and paypal is there is a legal framework to make such things as accounting easier

I am not sure what the charges are maybe someone who knows how could write an article about it I remember someone having an ebay shop to sell jewellery

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