Erik Kafrissen started WhatsItWorthToYou.com in June of 2001. Days before the launch, Erik got word that Eppraisals.com was ceasing operations. Leslie Hindman had started the competing online appraisal site with lots of connections, experience and funding. Erik worried what the failure of Eppraisals.com might mean for his own online appraisal service.

One year later, Erik is satisfied that he avoided some of the mistakes that other Internet ventures made. His forumula for success? Keeping focused on his core business, providing excellent customer service, and keeping costs down.

"The big thrust of the business has been people wanting to know what the heck they have," Erik said. Visitors to WhatsItWorthToYou.com can pay $9.95 to find out. Erik explained that his site operates on a low-maintenance engine that gets customers to answer questions that an appraiser needs to know in order to give an appraisal. This arms the appraisers with details that help them make speedy and knowledgeable appraisals.

The site features a network of 120 appraisers. The most popular categories are furniture, art and antiquities, such as antique curios. WhatsItWorthToYou.com generates a lot of repeat business, Erik said. "Once people have tried out our service, they walk around their house taking pictures."

WhatsItWorthToYou.com makes it easy for people to sell the item after the appraisal. The site offers free classifieds for items that have been appraised and will point customers to trade magazines that contain classified ads. The site also has lists of collectors who may be interested in purchasing items. For $30 a year, collectors can sign up to be notified when people want to sell items of interest.

WhatsItWorthToYou.com is based in Canada, but I met Erik Kafrissen in person when he was passing through Massachusetts. Erik was on a 6-week trip with his family to spread the word about his appraisal site, and they stopped in Natick on their trip back to Ontario.

Erik explained that he wanted a business that included his family. Erik, his wife Claire, and their four children posed in front of the large RV that had taken them down the Eastern seaboard to Florida and back again http://www.auctionbytes.com/cab/abu/y202/m05/abu0069/images/whatsitworth.jpg. An adventurous, energetic and happy family was the reward of being an entrepreneur for Erik Kafrissen. His family and business are growing, and Erik couldn't look less worried. http://www.WhatsItWorthToYou.com?ab