PayPal Keeps Fledgling OzHut Hopping Along Nicely

OzHut has been a thriving business in Australia since kicking off operations only nine months ago from its Melbourne headquarters. An online business consisting of five category stores and a separate eBay store, OzHut sells a number of niche products, including sporting goods, electronics, gadgets and apparel.

Co-founder and owner of OzHut, Wai Hong Fong, was fresh out of university with a BA in Media and Communications when he began selling on eBay in December 2007 with encouragement from his current business partner King Ting, who had conceived the idea of an online consumer goods business a few years prior.

"We identified eBay as a good way to get a business started without having to find too much capital up front," said Wai Hong. "We began a partnership with eBay's eller development team, which gave us some basic understanding of eCommerce, while helping us grow our eBay business."

After their success on eBay, the tech-savvy duo then decided to expand OzHut in July 2008 as a full time business. PayPal was the obvious choise for the site's payment service, given their positive PayPal experiences from eBay and the convenience of starting a PayPal account for the company's online stores. "We knew about PayPal from selling," said Wai Hong. "As a new business, we didn't have the facilities to offer credit card payment as an option; PayPal provided an easy solution so we could start selling immediately."

One of he's favourite aspects of PayPal was the ease of getting the service up-and-running when started OzHut. "When we first launched the business, PayPal was a very simple system to initiate," said Wai Hong. "There were no sign up fees, and it was much more convenient to use than any other payment option."

OzHut currently employs three full-time and one part-time staffer to handle the busy workload and product shipments. According to Wai Hong, the selling process is made easier by the efficiency of PayPal's payment system. "For us, PayPal provides instant notification of payment, which makes things trouble-free," he says. "We prefer PayPal because the payments are fast and secure, which allows for the timely delivery of products. This keeps everyone happy and coming back to OzHut time after time."

Almost a year after launching OzHut, Wai Hong and Ting remain extremely confident using PayPal, claiming the service helps them attract potential consumers and establish OzHut as a trusted seller.

"PayPal certainly is a great name to put on the site as a payment option," said Wai Hong. "It's a brand which immediately instils buyer confidence and leaves our customers satisfied."

CrazySales A Success with PayPal on Board

Offering more than 2,000 products ranging from electronics, jewellery and pet supplies, online department store CrazySales has emerged as a top-seller in Australia thanks to its large merchandise offering and successful business model.

Originally selling on eBay Australia through a store called Oz-Auction, the business was conceived by Kenneth and David Yin in 2004. Oz-Auction quickly became a top-seller on eBay, offering electronics such as MP3 players. Kenneth subsequently decided to create CrazySales in 2007, which soon duplicated the success of Oz-Auction.

"After graduating from Monash University, I started selling on eBay as a way to grow a small business," said Kenneth. "This was a great entry into entrepreneurship, and after learning more about successful business models, I decided to expand beyond eBay."

Kenneth started using bank deposits as his first payment option with Oz-Auction, but he adopted PayPal as the store grew and quick, easy payments became a priority for his business. Buyer and seller security was another major factor when Kenneth first implemented PayPal with Oz-Auction, and continues to be a focus for CrazySales.

"Right now, CrazySales offers a number of payment choices, but I prefer PayPal because it's very simple for consumers and provides that added element of security you don't receive with credit card or bank deposit," said Kenneth. "We have 30 staff here in Australia and PayPal certainly saves them time spent processing orders."

One of Kenneth's favourite aspects of running his own online department store is the ability to create a self-sustaining business model. Starting with only four employees in Melbourne, he has been able to grow his business thanks to an efficient payment and shipping system which was implemented by Kenneth and his team.

"To have the business running automatically is very satisfying and we think PayPal is a key ingredient to that success," he says. "Particularly in an online environment, we need all moving parts, including purchasing and finance, to flow seamlessly and make our lives hassle-free."

PayPal also provides unique cost and time savings for Kenneth, which in turn keeps his bottom line strong. Unlike other payment services, PayPal does not charge monthly fees and credit details are not kept on file, making the process easier and safer for both buyers and sellers.

"Not having to pay monthly fees is a great unique feature of PayPal, and this really helps a growing company such as CrazySales," said Kenneth. "Along with the quick process of payment, this allows us to focus on other areas to improve and grow the business in the coming years."

PayPal Offers Risqué Business Fast and Secure Service

Having worked in the financial services industry for many years, Rebecca Bowyer was looking for a career that offered greater flexibility and would allow her more time to spend with her two kids.

Discovering a niche online market for fancy dress costumes, lingerie and formal wear, Rebecca set about starting up an eBay store in 2001. Realising how lucrative the market was, Rebecca expanded to a full-time business in 2006 and has not looked back.

Risque Business is now an international business that sells online using the PayPal payment service. First using PayPal through EBay, Rebecca has found it to be a secure and reliable payment option.

"PayPal is my preferred method of payment. It offers a fast and secure service and my customers also prefer it to other methods of payment," said Rebecca.

"My business has grown by 40 per cent since I've been trading internationally and this wouldn't be possible without PayPal."

"PayPal offers immediate payment and has a much faster processing and delivery time than other payment options," she said.

Rebecca says the PayPal customer service is outstanding. "I've always found the support from PayPal to be exceptional. They are extremely helpful and knowledgeable." Rebecca particularly likes the PayPal protection policy on eBay. "PayPal's protection policy offers both the seller and the buyer peace of mind. The online tracking facility is very useful and documents the whole shipping process, eliminating any confusion between the seller and the buyer."

"I also chose PayPal when I buy online and when I send money to family and friends," said Rebecca.

"PayPal is such a fantastic service, it's quick, easy to use and has helped me to grow and manage my business efficiently - I would recommend it to anyone."