If you’re looking for a profitable way to clear off your bookshelves, or clear out your book bag in the case of college students, here’s a good way to do it. Register with Amazon to help you move your stuff. So far I have sold two used text books and one from my personal collection. I have earned $130.75 and still have more than twenty other books listed. All this action within a week of setting up my Individual Seller account.

You can sell anything through the account. In my case it’s just books for now but you can sell just about any category of item that may be lying around your house. You also have to enter bank account information so Amazon can electronically deposit your profit. I actually have a company that I use as an umbrella for any number of profit making opportunities that may come my way and a bank account tied to it. Be sure to use your business account separately from your person account to avoid co-mingling of funds. Just as with anything in life, keep business matters and personal matters separate.

So how does it all work? When someone buys one of your products you get an email to ship it within two days. You can print a combination mailing label and packing slip for the order. I always cut the buyer’s mailing label off the top of the sheet of paper and tape it to the envelope. The rest of it is the packing slip that goes inside with the book. For my book inventory I keep various sized cushioned shipping envelopes on hand. I bought a few each of three different sizes to pack various sized books. Wal-Mart has the type made from recycled materials. Go green and go cheap on your expenses at the same time. Then ship it according to the time option chosen by the customer.

Now the main question of course is how do you create an Amazon account? Here’s how it’s done. Go to amazon.com and look for the New customer? Start here link at the top of the page. The next page will allow you to enter your e-mail address. Then you click on the No, I am a new customer button and enter a password.

From there you go to the bottom of the next page where Business Programs are listed. The first option, Sell on Amazon, is the one you’ll pick to get started. Then click the Click here link to sign up as an Individual Seller and you’re on your way. It is e-commerce made easy.

They also have other options if you have a larger company or if you’re an established entrepreneur. If you have sizeable inventory and you want to use their warehousing infrastructure then Fulfillment by Amazon is best. If you publish your own books, music or DVD’s then the Advantage is worth checking into. If you want to try cost-per-click bids then Product Adds are the thing. Or if you simply want your own e-commerce site then investigate Webstore by Amazon.

As you can see there are many options to choose from but it’s easiest to get a feel for things with the free Individual Seller account. Here’s what I’m doing with my account so far. When I’m ready to add an item, I simply locate the category I want from the menu, in my case books. Then I enter the ISBN number and if there is already a book image it will show up. If you’re the first person to list a particular title and it doesn’t show an image don’t worry. It will still list because it’s the ISBN that is the most important identifier for a book. From that point I set the price and quantity of each and I check the shipping options that I offer. There’s also a section for describing the condition of the book to help you market it.

After you have established an account, when you log back in for future sessions you can just click on the Your Account link in the right corner of the site and it will allow you to log in directly to the commerce section of the Amazon site. In the box to the right it will show you who you are signed on as, then in the Your Other Accounts box bellow it click on Your Seller Account and you’re back to it again.

That’s all there is to it. Whether you’re spring cleaning or looking for a new business venture I recommend an Amazon.com account to help you make it happen.