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eBay Club turns teens into entrepreneurs
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The first thing they sold was a cookie jar – for $23.50. Since then, the teens of Operation Breakthrough have raked in more than $500 from their internet business.
They are known as “The eBay Club,” and they meet two afternoons a week to run their eBay “store.” There, they sell items people have donated to them: A bread machine; a vintage Barbie toy; a television; a chandelier.
Their club is the brainchild of Annie Presley, principal of McKellar Consulting. She wrote the curriculum for teaching youngsters to run an internet business, and Roscoe Wilkins, a McKellar Consulting intern, spends every Monday and Wednesday afternoon working with the teens. With his guidance they research prices, photograph items, write descriptions, post information, answer customer queries and pack and ship items to customers as far away as New Jersey and California.
“Their feedback rating is a perfect score,” Roscoe says. Customer comments on their eBay page include “excellent transaction,” “superfast delivery,” “excellent packaging. Item as described.”
Not only do they send “thank you” notes to people who give them items to sell, they also send notes of thanks to their customers, says Nakia Kemp, “so they feel more comfortable buying from us again.”
Their eBay page - accessed at http://myworld.ebay.com/ob2008_08 - does mention that 100 percent of the proceeds benefit Operation Breakthrough. That may explain why one bidder paid $60 for a Frank Sinatra CD.
Selling on eBay, Annie says, allows nonprofits to raise funds without asking their donors to give cash, while also teaching youngsters important skills.
“When I am older and have my own business, I will know how to start it off,” says Toya Williams.
Annie and Roscoe pre-tested the eBay Club members, then post-tested them a year later.
“All of their test scores went up,” Annie says. “Learning to run a business at a young age brings a whole new way to look at life.” |
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