From Econ 101 to eBay profits

Two graduates turned a competition win into an Internet business.
By HAROLD GWIN
VINDICATOR EDUCATION WRITER
NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. -- Two Westminster College students who launched an online business while in college will keep that business running as they move on to graduate school.
Benjamin Nelson and Christie Grewe, who have been dating since their days at Poland Seminary High School, started Brown House Collectibles about 18 months ago.
Nelson declined to reveal how much money they've made but said the business is profitable enough that neither of them are looking too hard for a job this summer.
He said they are making significantly more than minimum wage jobs offered to college students and the business profits have grown, allowing them to save some money for graduate school.
Both graduated from Westminster this spring.
Nelson, son of Thomas and Kathie Nelson, is a business administration and history major. Grewe, daughter of James and Tracey Grewe, is a mathematics major.
Model for success
Nelson said he submitted a business model for the online store in Westminster's annual Edwards Entrepreneurship Competition and won $2,500, using the money to actually start the business, which operates on eBay.
& quot;This was a joint idea, & quot; Grewe said. & quot;Ben came up with the idea of using the Internet as a selling vehicle, and I found the outlets where we buy our items to resell. & quot;
& quot;Start-up was surprisingly easy, & quot; Nelson said. & quot;We began our adventure by selling things around the house. At that point, it was more of a hobby. Once we gained familiarity with the systems and business environment, we began buying items with the intent of reselling them. "
They deal now mostly in collectibles and wedding favors for bridesmaids and groomsmen, buying items in quantity and then packaging them for resale, and have served more than 3,000 customers.
Nelson said they haven't decided how long they will keep Brown House Collectibles going.
Grewe will be attending graduate school at Columbia University in New York this fall and Nelson said he's applied to some graduate schools in New York as well.
"We can run it from there," he said.
Dealing with IRS rules has been one of the more trying aspects of launching the business.
"Taxes are very difficult to do for small business owners, & quot; Grewe said. & quot;This took us much longer than anticipated and was probably the hardest part of the business. & quot;
Nelson said they have to work about 30 hours a week to keep the operation going, but they get to work at their own convenience, sometimes in the middle of the night.
Some people think that owning your own business means working as little as possible, Grewe said. The opposite is true. You can't just take time off or go on vacation without doing some planning first, she said.
gwin@vindy.com