There are literally hundreds of ways to make money online today. Everything from affiliate programs, ad revenue, reseller deals and beyond.

The trouble is, they all take time, money and effort to get started!

All is not lost - there still exists one proven strategy that works in a very short time period, costs hardly anything, and can net you a healthy profit.

It's eBay.

Don't switch off just yet! The problem with eBay is that it's been "done to death". It's an unfortunate fact that many newbies - the very people who NEED this site - have been blinded by the sheer amount of spam and even legitimate offers they receive.

Ebay is billed as an "International Community Of Buyers And Sellers" and "The Worlds Biggest Marketplace" - nice taglines, that just happen to be true.

It's so big that WHATEVER you have to sell, SOMEONE wants to buy.

I'm serious. Just take a look.

Now... I don't regard eBay as the route to "big" riches (although some powersellers certainly do earn a nice income). Rather, I see it as a way for a newbie to get some cash behind them to enter into the really profitable companies. To get their website up and running. To get their promotional activities under way.

Spend just two or three weeks on eBay and you can easily make a couple of hundred (or even thousand) bucks to give you a great start in your marketing efforts.

Here's why I believe this is true:

1. Ebay is CHEAP.
It's not cheap as in tacky, it's cheap as in economical. You pay nothing up front, as you're invoiced monthly - and buy then you've already sold what you're selling.

2. It's EASY.
Yep. You need no lists, websites, or any of that stuff. Just sign up for a sellers account, and start listing your goods!

3. You can profit QUICKLY.
Auctions last 1, 3, 5 or 7 Days. You can also place "Buy It Now" buttons so you can sell as soon as someone wants to buy!

The basics of eBay are very easy to master. First you need something to sell. I'm not going to discuss the murky world of selling sites, services, tools and that kind of thing. Nor am I going to discuss how you can use "drop shippers" to sell items at profit without even buying and shipping them yourself (very profitable).

I'm discussing selling whatever you have around the house! Search the Cellar, Attic, Garage, every nook, cranny and cupboard you have. Pull out EVERYTHING you don't need or use. Don't be a "hoarder" - see it as an opportunity to de-clutter your life and a way to get cash to re-start your future.

Got it all in front of you? Great!

Now search eBay for each item you have, or comparable items. Make a note of their prices so you have a guide. If your items are "worthless" - i.e. they're only selling for a buck or two, then don't bother (unless you have a lot of them). If you've got any "hot" items, put them to one side.

Before you list you may find a Digital Camera handy. If you don't have one don't worry, but you can buy them now for around $40 and they DO make a hell of a difference to your listings.

List all your normal stuff. Don't spend too much on featured listings, such as Bold, Gallery etc for the cheaper items. And don't worry about postage costs - the buyer pays these! Make sure you list them at a good time, i.e. around 7-9 pm, and preferably on a Sunday Evening. This means a 7 day Auction will END at 7-9pm on a Sunday Evening - more people surfing :-)

Now list your HOT items. If you have any collectibles, such as coins, toys, books etc, or you have rare items, NOW's the time to splash out on featured listings. It depends on how much you expect the item to sell for.

For any item you can place a Buy It Now option. Only do this if the item is pretty common and sells well, or you want to "fake" the value. For example, if a Buy It Now price is $80 and the winner ends up bidding $50 he *thinks* he has a bargain.

After everything is listed keep an eye on your items in your "My Ebay" page. It shows you everything. And be sure to answer questions from interested buyers promptly.

After your 7 days are up collect the payments and ship the items. PayPal is the easiest way to accept payments, and eBay owns PayPal so it's all automated. You can withdraw the funds from PayPal to your Bank Account directly.

Do this for two or three weeks then you have some cash behind you to get started on your main business!