The total start up fee will be £995. This will include a comprehensive website with full auction functionality which is simple and intuitive to use. You will have support and on-going training helping you to get the most out of your new website, advice around initial marketing and advertising your new business and two hours of phone / zoom meetings in the first month to discuss any queries you may have.
Frequently Asked Questions
The monthly licensing fee will be £100 pm. This will include management and hosting of your website, keeping the back end fully functional, bug fixes etc. Continual support and advice on auction trends, marketing ideas, hints and tips about the running and organisation of your business. A community of other online auction businesses via social media pages and Whats App.
There will be a comprehensive series of training videos to help you navigate the website, understand and deal appropriately with your clients, take good photographs and write listings. Handle any complaints, keep your paperwork organised, Tips on how to run your auctions and much more. There will also be 1 to 1 contact with Nigel and Julia and to join a like minded, community of people through social media.
Do not worry; our software is designed to be user friendly, once we have processed payment and your email address, the software and all support information will be sent to you via a link. Once you have opened this and set a password you can save it to your favourites bar for immediate access. You will need to have an understanding of using a lap top, mobile phone and/or camera. There will be video and pdf tutorials explaining how to navigate each section of the software, i.e setting up an auction, listing an auction, closing an auction etc. Your auction website will automatically send invoices, receive payments and you will be notified about payments at the end of each auction. The software is easy to use for both the buyers bidding on an item and for the new auction business owners.
Our software has been designed in response to over a decade of experience and has gone through several iterations as we have grown and learnt what our buyers and sellers need and what we needed from it. The forefront of the whole site was ease of use for everybody, a clean modern look and a secure, stable experience. This is not an off the shelf product, we have worked closely with our developers to build a product that we are very proud of. The website will be personal to you for your local community to use and will give you the opportunity to build and drive your own traffic to your business, with the reassurance that support is available should you wish it.
What kind of training is available to help me get started and effectively manage my online auctions?
We will provide 1 to 1 zoom or phone support, video and pdf tutorials explaining how to use the website, a growing community via social media to share and swap ideas with, ongoing hints and tips regarding ‘best practice’ on running a successful, online auction. We will supply all templates and information sheets to get you started; seller information, a ‘What Happens Next’ for buyers and inventory sheets for example, and other systems that you will require to support your new business.
We have found that sharing information and stories with other auctioneers will benefit, not take away, from your business. This is one way to keep up with current trends throughout the UK. You will be able to communicate with other business owners, offering the opportunity to buy, sell and ask for advice or information about the lots you are selling. As our community grows, via social media, we hope this will become a valuable resource for your business.
This is a fully thought out, comprehensive and secure website which will enable you to build a successful business at your own pace. The whole look of the site is clean and organised, simple to use and will not be off putting to your customers. With a decade of experience and steady growth behind us we are offering a ‘turn-key’ business opportunity with this software, which includes…
- Automatic invoicing
- Anti-sniper bidding function
- Outbid messages
- Winning bid messages
- Easy and quick initial registration
- Facility to block customers if necessary (although very unlikely)
- Your own email list of customers
- A blog page
- A customer contact page for sellers and buyers
- An easy listing process for your images and descriptions
- A management team to ensure the site runs smoothly.
We will offer advice and information about marketing your new business and the practices that worked for us. There will be social media support, if needed, including templates and information regarding planning your content. We have knowledgeable sales and marketing specialists available should you require a more in depth package in this area. Please just ask and we can put you in touch with some very nice people.
The timeline will depend on certain factors; you will have had conversations about your business with Nigel before reaching this point and so many questions will have been answered, such as the geographical area you wish to operate in, the type of items you wish to sell, your experiences so far etc. Once you have decided to move forward we will need certain pieces of information from you, for example, your business name, logo, the email you wish to use, payment information etc. Therefore, the timeline will be dependent on the receipt of all these vital details. Once we have everything in place we can get you started on your exciting new journey within 48 hours.