"I was a paralegal for about thirteen years," says the enthusiastic Kelli DeMarco of Everyone Gets a Deal , a cosmetics and more Store on eBay. Used to a fast-paced work environment, Kelli decided to find stay-at-home work when she got pregnant. At first it was paralegal work, but when the attorney she worked for got sick, she made the move to eBay.

"I had talked about trying eBay for three years before I actually did it," Kelli recalls. "I had some cosmetics I thought I'd try selling. I listed 25 items that first week and 21 of them sold! I was hooked. And it keeps getting better every year. I bought a $60 digital camera. In about six months, I had an $800 camera and I was a Power Seller. The first three years, there were some slow months during the summer, but this year there were no slow months. I'm earning three to seven thousand dollars per month on eBay, and it has become a very successful business for me. I love it! "

Money aside, the lifestyle the eBay affords Kelli seems even more important to her: "eBay is the perfect thing for me to raise my kids from home. I met Meg Whitman at eBay Live! and I was telling her how eBay has impacted my children's lives as well. They're really interested in the computer, and my son is really good in math from watching me. And we all went to Disneyland this year on eBay profits."

Keys to Success
"I'm always looking to learn new things," says Kelli. "to find out what products are selling the best right now. Of course, there are always the staples--Estee Lauder, MAC, Clinique...people buy that stuff all year 'round."

Kelli has a lot of great ideas that help her make her business run well. "If I'm getting something at a good price, I list it at a good price. I get a lot of repeat business because of that. I try to look for high-end items and things that nobody else is carrying. I also sell Coach handbags--I don't stick to one category. I get different customers with different products. I try to offer something to everybody."

"Just wait until my daughter goes to school in two years. I'm going to be doing a lot more business when I have more time."

Best Practices
Kelli DeMarco's inspiration is contagious. She sells wholesale lots to other sellers and estimates that there are ten people in her local area that she has convinced to start selling on eBay. "They are on eBay, making money. I try to put up larger lots to give them incentive. I put up lots for $1 with no reserve. I might get $400 for them and they're worth $800 retail. I just love eBay. People want to get started, but think there's a big roadblock--but there isn't.

Using Indicia, a third-party service provider, Kelli does all her shipping  from home for even more convenience.