By focusing on a single supplier, you will have more time to attend to enquiry, process orders, and arrange for delivery of goods to consumers. Your supplier will also recognize your commitment to his company and products by giving you a better deal and more co-operations than he would give to someone who represents many suppliers.

Get your supplier to ship products directly to consumers. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Operate your business without holding on to any inventory. You can get your supplier to ship directly to your customers after you have secured and received payments (ideally) for orders. There are many suppliers out there who are willing to drop-ship your orders anywhere around world. You can find them at following sites:

Wholesale Central - http://www.wholesalecentral.com Closeout Central - http://www.closeoutcentral.com Surplus-Closeout Finder - http://www.infomart.net/surplus/

Setting up a cost-effective shopping and billing system. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Well, in order to sell products online, you must operate a shopping cart. It is an electronic platform, which allow users to browse through products; place selected products into a shopping cart; and make payments online through a secured server.

As a small business owner, you should outsource this aspect of operations to a third-party billing company to keep operating costs to a minimum. My preferred choice for this job is Verza. Besides offering one of most competitive rates in third-party billing industry, it also provides a wide range of services that will make your job easier.

+ You can use to sell single items or multiple products. + Accept checks and major credit cards online. + Free setup. System will be operational within 24 hours after submitting your application. + Anti-fraud screening provided free of charge. + Free tools provided to help you build your own online store. + Reseller program supported. Verza will track and process payment of commissions to your affiliates directly. + Payments made twice a month directly to your bank account.

Get more information at http://aloha-city.com/bizlink/verza.html

Your small discount outlet is now ready. There is no need to incur any fixed charges in inventory, shopping cart, secured server and merchant account. Let Verza and your supplier take care of operations while you focus your efforts on marketing, promotion and affiliate recruitment.

If done properly, you can expect shoppers to flock to your site regularly in search of best bargains, provided your target audience is interested in specific products that you are offering on sales.

You can afford to price them lower than other established discount stores as your cost of operations is relatively lower. It has potential to become a major money-spinner besides fulfilling its role to open up other lucrative business opportunities. Try it! You have nothing much to lose, but plenty to gain with this business venture.

Wondering why I have deleted email address and phone number. Because, believe it or not, people call these numbers and send email to these accounts and lose their money - fast.

What happens? A nice guy or gal picks up phone at other end and starts pulling you into scam. At first they need a thousand dollars, perhaps, for postage or some small official fee. They are fast talkers who do this all of time - and of you do give in and give them money you don't have a chance. You are hooked and you are hooked bad.

They depend upon greed and prey on weak. You think, "wow, I can get a million dollars", and "well, it's a risk but I'm only going to risk that first thousand". Foolish person.

Once you've given them your thousand (the amount varies) they start to reel you in. They will call to tell you they need another $10,000, perhaps, for bribes to customs officials. You'll pay because you've already paid a thousand, and because it sounds like money is just about to be transferred into your bank account.

So you'll pay. Then you'll call and you'll have to give them another amount, bigger this time, and deliver it in person, perhaps. You'll do it - you've already spent a lot of money and you don't want to lose it. You'll deliver money and then be given a story - only to get another call.

This time you will be very suspicious, and you might be told they need to "wash" all of money. You want to see, they'll meet you and indeed, they will have a handful of black money. They'll use some solvent and like magic money is clean.

They will explain that money was hidden and got "dirty" and now they need perhaps $50,000 to clean it. Some people have paid as much as half a million dollars at this point. The stories are sometimes different, sometimes same, but you'll pay. Because now greed is mixed with fear and a little more greed - you've actually had money in your hands now.

How long does this go on? Until you won't or can't pay anymore. Then you just get thrown away. People disappear, calls aren't return, and if you do get hold of someone they deny knowing you or give you some excuse.

Report it to someone? Who? The FBI? Sure, they know all about this scam. Yes, they will take your data and add it to their database - but scam is not operated on United States soil and there is no one to catch - at least no one who can be found. There is also little or no evidence - it's very difficult to catch this kind of thief.

So what do you do?

Use your brain.

Don't under any conditions give money to scammers. How do you spot a scam? Simple. The offer is too good to be true. It's that simple. Get a million for doing nothing? Come on. Doesn't happen (unless you win lottery). Don't even respond. Just delete emails or throw away letters.

Be smart.