Stevens students’ Sell Center makes online sales easy

HOBOKEN , N.J. — Anthony Latona and Adam Morris , two students from Stevens Institute of Technology, have entered the online marketplace with their own company, Sell Center . The company, headquartered in Hoboken , offers a physical relationship to the virtual marketplace. For a percentage of the sale price, Sell Center takes care of all aspects of each sale. Each item is photographed, prepared for sale, listed and marketed globally online, and packaged and shipped to the buyer. After the sale is complete, the Sell Center customer receives a check. Customers can consult with a consignment agent who will guide them through the entire process.

The venture has been a success: Sell Center ’s customer base is now worldwide and 10 percent of its shipments are international. It has since become the basis for Morris’ and Latona’s Senior Design Project.

Sell Center ’s services are available to a range of customers, from individuals to large companies. Customers such as American Music Studio in Fords, N.J., have sold instruments and accessories; individual sellers have used Sell Center to sell items such as inherited pottery and glassware. “On our end, one of the best aspects is that we’ve sold some interesting merchandise,” said Morris. The company has listed and sold a variety of items including Russel Wright pottery, guitars, cars, car parts, and even chandeliers.

In August 2005 Morris and Latona, both seniors at Stevens, moved the company from Fords, N.J., to Hoboken in order to be within walking distance to Stevens and be in closer proximity to various area businesses. “There are so many small- to medium-sized businesses we think we can do a lot of good for around here. Being closer to the area makes our service even easier for them to use,” Morris said.

They’ve also opened their doors to local students – many of whom attend Stevens – by offering jobs in accounts management. “The students are learning how to use customer relations software and how to follow up with clients,” said Latona. “We give [our employees] more responsibility than they might have elsewhere. They manage the entire deal and even write the check for the client and follow up with them.”

“Our salespeople are really good,” said Morris. “Students work part-time and are able to set own hours, although they have to work at least 10 hours a week.”

As their company grows, Latona and Morris plan to offer Sell Center ’s own e-commerce management software, supported by Laris. The software is aimed at businesses that want to sell their own inventory online. “The software allows them to manage eBay auctions – everything from inventory, customer orders, shipping and customer service – as well as set up their own e-commerce websites that display their items for sale,” said Latona.

Sell Center will also offer consulting services to help these businesses start selling online. “For instance, if someone wants an e-commerce website and an eBay store, we can offer them custom template design for their eBay listings, a design for their website as well as online marketing services to drive traffic to their new website,” said Latona.

For more information, please visit the Sell Center website at sellcenter.net.

About Stevens Institute of Technology

Founded in 1870, Stevens Institute of Technology is one of the leading technological universities in the world dedicated to learning and research. Through its broad-based curricula, nurturing of creative inventiveness, and cross disciplinary research, the Institute is at the forefront of global challenges in engineering, science, and technology management. Partnerships and collaboration between, and among, business, industry, government and other universities contribute to the enriched environment of the Institute. A new model for technology commercialization in academe, known as Technogenesis®, involves external partners in launching business enterprises to create broad opportunities and shared value.

Stevens offers baccalaureates, master’s and doctoral degrees in engineering, science, computer science and management, in addition to a baccalaureate degree in the humanities and liberal arts, and in business and technology. The university has a total enrollment of 2,150 undergraduate and 3,500 graduate students, with about 250 full-time faculty. Stevens’ graduate programs have attracted international participation from China, India, Southeast Asia, Europe and Latin America. Additional information may be obtained from its web page at www.stevens.edu.  

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