Small business question.....
 

Need some help on this one. I have always wanted to start my own part time small business. Not trying to make any huge money just something to keep me busy and make a little extra $$.

A guy a few streets down from me sells diecast cars and it seems like he does well at it. I would like to do something similar to this. My question is..........

Do people with small businesses like this simply contact the manufacturing company and offer to buy a large quantity at wholesale? Then turn around and sell for a profit on ebay, website, etc? Is it as easy as this?

I am aware of people buying "lots" of items that have been discontinued, damaged, etc. But does I guy like me have a shot at doing something similar without having "an in"??

This may seem like a dumb question to some but I have very limited business knowledge. Be gentle. Thanks.

Yes, in a nutshell you basically just need a business license (in most places) and a resale license/number, and then you can operate as a classic middleman retailer i.e. buy at wholesale/distributor prices and sell for whatever you can get.

Be sure, however, to consider issues like taxes, shipping costs, insurance or other overhead requirements, rent/storage, and so forth in sorting out your business model. Every business, even "hobby" businesses, have some kind of monthly burn rate that you'll have to be able to cover even if sales are down -- or zero -- for a particular month.

you might find this link interesting
http://www.surplus.net/

Thanks for your replies guys. Wayne, I imagined it wouldn't be as easy as I thought. Any other input would be appreciated.

Best to work for someone who does what you're considering doing for a little while. Learn the ropes-then go it alone. There's a LOT to a small business that simply can't be answered here. Also, laws and rules vary from state to state. Go online for your state and see what's required.