Being Organized
If you’re running your eBay business alongside a full time job, there is one essential skill you’ll need to have – and that’s the ability to be organised. It could literally make or break your business.
If you’re disorganised, it becomes all too easy to forget what item needs to be posted to whom, and it may even be a day or two before you realise you’ve sold something. And if you don’t keep a regular check on your packaging supplies and you run out, how will you post out your latest sales?
Using Time Wisely
It’s important to allocate some time each day to your eBay business, in order to stay in touch with what’s going on, and also to check for any questions you may have from potential buyers. Ideally this should be in the evening, but of course if you work late, this may not be possible.
I have found that balancing the two jobs (because if you are operating as a business on eBay, you should treat that as a job) is perfectly possible, so long as you treat each one with respect. You cannot expect to grow your eBay business if you find it easier to sit down in front of the television every night, instead of putting in some time in front of your computer.
The Lunch Hour
When it comes to posting items out, don’t let them build up. It’s easy to think ‘oh, I’ll leave them until the weekend and post them all out together’. If there’s a post office on or near your route to and from work, or you can nip out during your lunch hour, then that’s what you must do to keep your customers happy. If you serve your customers well, they will very often come back and buy more from you. And of course, they will also oblige by giving you excellent feedback – which attracts still more new customers.
If for any reason there is a delay in sending out any items – even if it’s only by a day – make a habit of emailing your customers to say so. In my experience, they aren’t the slightest bit worried if you have to delay sending their order out because you are ill; in fact, they are usually impressed that you’ve kept in touch, and hope you get well soon!
Staying Balanced
Routines are important if you are to balance your eBay and work life successfully. If you are selling the same items continually, you will find listing items becomes easier as you develop your business. Once you’ve created the template for a new item, it’s a quick job to reload that same listing again once the original item has been sold.
If the time you have to devote to your eBay business is in short supply, it’s essential to keep an eye on your postal supplies and stock levels. If you only had your eBay business to worry about and you ran out of Jiffy bags, it would be a simple matter to pop out and buy a couple of small packs to keep you going until your supplier could deliver more. But if you have a full time job, popping out to the shops (however briefly) isn’t as simple.
So… devote some time every day to your business. Look after your customers. Build your business up gradually and one day your eBay sales may be enough for you to give up your day job once and for all.
And then those trips to the post office won’t have to be done during the lunch time rush.
