Selling through online marketplaces

Aside from the bigger online marketplaces such as Amazon and eBay, there are niche marketplace options for selling your products.

Etsy

Etsy is a marketplace for craft and creative businesses. Etsy provides a marketplace for crafters, artists and collectors to sell their handmade creations, vintage goods (at least 20 years old), and both handmade and non-handmade crafting supplies. There are no membership fees with Etsy. It costs 16p to list an item for four months, or until it sells. Once you sell your item, Etsy collects a 3.5% fee on the sale price. There is also a 4% plus 20 pence payment processing fee. 

Folksy

Folksy was created with the aim of showcasing the work of UK designers and makers. On Folksy you can sell handmade and craft supplies but not vintage items. Folksy currently only supports sellers who are living and working in the UK.

When selling on Folksy, it costs 15 pence for each item listed (excluding VAT) and each listing lasts for 120 days. You also have the option of signing up for the Folksy Plus account where you have unlimited free listings. When a sale is made, Folksy charges a 6% commission. 

To get paid for an item, you need a PayPal account. Once you've sold an item you will be emailed automatically by Folksy to confirm an order has been placed. This will tell you the buyer's details and the details of the item they have ordered. You should also receive an email from PayPal to state that the item has been paid for.

Other online marketplaces

There are hundreds of other online marketplaces, auction sites and classified listing sites, each with different attributes and audiences. It's important to choose one that's best for your business, and you'll need to consider the type of goods that sell on the site, whether it is appropriate for your audience and the costs involved.

Some to consider include:

• Not On The High Street .com - online marketplace for unique gift products
• Gumtree - free listings
• Craigslist - free listings
• Preloved - free listings 
• Depop - listings app
• Vinted - free listings

There are a many others that specialise in specific products such as cars, clothing and electronics.