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So whats your daily routine?
 

So as the title suggests what is your daily routine?

Is ebay and amazon your full time job?

Do you manage it and hold down a full time job?

How did you start out selling on ebay?

What did you sell to start of and did you diversify to what you are now selling?

Do you work set hours or is it a 24/7 job?

Please let me know how you manage our business/life routine.

Re: So whats your daily routine?
 

1. Get up
2. Drink Coffee
3. Go back to bed
4. Get Up
5. Drink more Coffee
6. Check my listings
7. Go back to Bed
8. Print off labels
9. Go back to bed
10. Drink more Coffee

Re: So whats your daily routine?
 

I think theres something your not telling me :laugh:

Like who does your listings who posts stuff off?

:argue:

Re: So whats your daily routine?
 

Tell us what you do, first.

dava811, this is your life!

:thumb:

Re: So whats your daily routine?
 

1. Get up
2. Drink Coffee
2.1 Make Listing
3. Go back to bed
4. Get Up
5. Drink more Coffee
6. Check my listings
7. Go back to Bed
8. Print off labels
9. Go back to bed
10. Drink more Coffee

Ebay/other sites is full time gig.
Started selling because I hate working for the man.
Hours: 24/7
Family comes first, business second. My Business revolves around my Family life, not the other way around.

Re: So whats your daily routine?
 

I'm a chef full time, trying to get the balance right between working my ****ty job full time and spending 6 hours a day on the internet trying to get started with ebay full time. My main problem is finding the right products to sell.

Its wrecking my brain, I mean there is items that I know a lot about and can profit a lot from which I sell time to time but they are very high risk and I keep getting shut down.

So basically my routine is this:
Get up goto work for 13 hours
Come home shower and get on here until 2am
Goto bed
Get up goto work for 13 hours....

Working for somebody else isint or me any more due to it pisses me off and due to failing health problems with my legs. I'm 32.

I'm just after some info on what and how yous all manage .

Thanks

Re: So whats your daily routine?
 

At what stage did it become full time? how did you start? For example did you drop ship at first or goto yard sales etc?

I want your life :laugh:

Re: So whats your daily routine?
 

99.9% of my family members such as Aunts, Uncles, and so forth own their own businesses, was pretty simple to get started.....researched a ton of stuff to sell, started selling. I never got into dropshipping, i like to be able to control the packaging, quality of my items.

Re: So whats your daily routine?
 

That's great, when you researched your products where they already being sold on ebay for example? Was it something that interested you or did you just know it was a good product?

Thanks

Re: So whats your daily routine?
 

Actually most of the stuff I researched was being sold on ebay already, I just tried to find it cheaper. A lot was trial and error, even today....I still try new items, some stuff I have failed at selling and some have been success stories.

Re: So whats your daily routine?
 

chaotic unless I work to a planned schedule. Nature of other job might interrupt selling plans.
add on job.

i have two full time jobs.

through a friend.

hand made coats for dogs. Yes, diversified to fabrics,jewelry etc.items are seasonal too.
have to use the whole day to get everything done. EG I work graveyard shifts. Finish by 07:00 usually. Until 10:00 this is my time. I have the most wonderful puppy. He is the center of my attention for the first part of the morning. Then he goes to day care. He runs riot there.

It is a blast! Chaotic at times. Shall add more later!
:faint:

Re: So whats your daily routine?
 

I was medically retired 2 years ago from the military at age 34. Now at 36, I have a 6 month old keeping me on my toes. Ebay/Etsy is more of something to keep me busy. That grew into a huge huge business.

Re: So whats your daily routine?
 

That is precisely the response I wanted :thumb::thumb:

Re: So whats your daily routine?
 

Did you just research a product and go for it or is it something you yourself make?

Re: So whats your daily routine?
 

It's a bit of both actually. I have a laser and make stuff but that's only like 10% of my sales if that. I researched for a long time to find and resell products. I got lucky cause one of my buddies in the military's dad owned a warehouse in China that makes a bunch of different stuff. So they hook me up.

Re: So whats your daily routine?
 

My routine:

Wake up, drink coffee, ride the bus to the city to have a cup of coffee, ride the boat back home, play pc games on steam, sleep.

Re: So whats your daily routine?
 

Sounds pretty interesting, so you travel to the city for a coffee then travel home? How do you pay for your travel expenses and coffee?

Re: So whats your daily routine?
 

^^^

Well I do make money on eBay and Amazon, we are on an eBay/amazon seller's forum.

Re: So whats your daily routine?
 

You didn't exactly specify why you travel to the city, well you did you said it was to get coffee, I'm assuming you have another job and ebay is a secondary income?

Re: So whats your daily routine?
 

Nope, eBay, PayPal, Amazon Are my sources of income.

Re: So whats your daily routine?
 

I don't really have a routine.

Everyday is different. Everyday there are new things to do, issues to fix, things to build, fires to put out.

Lately I have been working on better automating and optimizing my workflows. I spend too much time on process and not enough on building which is my fault. To solve that I'm automating as much as possible.

I would say 90% of my work is fully automated at this point BUT that 10%, as small as it is still takes 2-4 hours daily. And it doesn't go away. It only builds. That's on top of other things that need to get done.

I also work on my rental properties on the side, work on other investing vehicles and try to relax once in awhile.

With lots of businesses (offline and online), I'm always doing something. I told myself this year that I'm not going to start anything new for awhile. Instead I'll work on what I already have and make those more successful.

Re: So whats your daily routine?
 

1 Wake up
2 Pee
3 Get out of bed
4 Coffee
5 Check listings relist
6 Print labels
7 hours packaging shipping
8 Off to the post office

Re: So whats your daily routine?
 

I sold a product for a manufacturer for years, until it slowly became obsolete. Over that time I sold other things, some were great profit makers and some were disappointing. For a little while I tried used items, but for my selling style, I prefer to have a uniform product, so I can use the same listing info, the same shipping weights, and the same boxes, and know the condition and quality of the product.

Now I still sell full time, a semi successful product (not like the one I had before, you don't know what you have till you loose it!) and so that gets about 5-6 hours per day with emails and packing and post office runs, and then I spend an hour or more (the rest of my day) at my second desk.....

I keep a separate desk and shelf and computer and account and white board JUST FOR RESEARCH, which I use only to sit and search for new items and ideas, list them for sale, track, compare, and so on. I used to get my research for new ideas and products mixed up with my regular routine, and over time my regular routine took up too much time, and my research got too little attention. With everything simple and separate, it's easier to see my success and keep track how much time and effort I put specifically into the "new idea" efforts.

I spend at least an hour or two a day only on this research and/or test listings (and for browsing this forum), and from my past experience, it was the smartest thing I've done, putting aside the space and time to make that searching and research a priority.

It's hard when you work 100% for yourself and from home to avoid distractions, that's something I struggle with even though I don't have kids... but if you learn to manage your time and not get lazy, it can pay off really well in the long term.

Re: So whats your daily routine?
 

Thanks aspkin, it sounds like you have a real drive to make money. I also have a rental property that I rent out and always considered buying more.

I've also always wondered how yous keep on top of the work and I suppose automation is a necessity. Hopefully as I progress on eBay I will have to think auto it myself.

If there any threads/ articles/website that you think I would benefit I would be eternally grateful.

Thsnks for the input.

Re: So whats your daily routine?
 

Thank you for the input new York. That is pretty much what I would do it or would hope to do if things work out the way I plan them too.

I hues we all get lucky from time to time. I also had a guy that I was supplying things too and it is true that you miss it when it's gone. I made a fair amount selling to him but that ship has sailed.

Now I play to be in a similar position as some of you. I love making money and sitting researching things.

It's a hobby for me. Research hinges and sitting upto stupid o'clock is a hobby. Now it's time to put it into action and research has the correct things that are low risk and perfectly acceptable to sell on eBay.

I need a long term plan so to speak and make the most of stealth all the way.

Thanks agsin

Re: So whats your daily routine?
 

I've always been a "night person" and have some of the most productive hours as midnight to 4 a.m. (or whenever I'm finished with the packing). In my area the listings are reusable but the packing/shipping is a real bear. Maybe I wake up around noon and take everything to the post office and eat lunch on the same errand trip.

Have been at it since 1999...I took a buyout at a large company in 1996 and used it to travel for a year (the "gap year" I never had) and then dipped into retirement funds to extend that after currency crashes over there suddenly made travel a lot cheaper (probably a once-in-a-lifetime thing).

By 1999 the money was running low and something had to give, so I tried doing the auctions in hopes of delaying the day of having to work for the Man again. It worked and supported travel, albeit at lower income than before and with no benefits whatsoever.

That's largely been the story since...less pay, no benefits except what I can self-fund (SEP-IRA, Obamacare, etc.) and not a big financial success, but I've repeatedly done "mend it, don't end it" rounds because the intangibles count for a lot (as they do for other posters here), and as an ISTP on the Meyers-Briggs I'm probably best suited for being my own boss.

OTOH there have been bumps, like largely moving from eBay to Amazon in 2007 (sometimes you don't just quit, but you stop maintaining listings), or taking a 50% revenue haircut peak-to-trough in the Great Recession.

Truth be told, I haven't been as good as I need to be about posting new listings or moving one-of-a-kind collectibles, or branching out and sourcing new potential items. All that is work, of course, and if there's too much of it for too few dollars per hour then I'd have to look at alternatives (my car, BTW, doesn't meet Uber standards).

Re: So whats your daily routine?
 

I almost always wake up naturally in the morning(sometimes afternoon) without the aid of an alarm unless I have to catch a plane, train, or visit the doctor

The rest of the day is spent with Ebay, Amazon, Paypal, going to gym, eating, playing with my phone, checking the news to see if there's any new disasters in the world, researching travel destinations, talking to people on skype, viber, fb, etc.

Re: So whats your daily routine?
 

Great input guys. The me expand on this once I finish the daily grind of working for a prick.

Re: So whats your daily routine?
 

I think the beauty of business is that *you* decide how you want your routine to work around *your* priorities.

What I tend to do is set x amount of hours I would work each week, and then spread those hours over the course of the week as it fits me.

That way I make sure I'm getting time to myself. I think sometimes we work so hard in life, we forget it live it. That's something I am very conscious of when setting my hours.

Re: So whats your daily routine?
 

Well Made $150k in full time job, $25k Social Security and Sold $60k on Amazon, Etsy and Ebay with 55% margin, most I don't even stock item, just sell and have supplier ship. So life is good, work ebay twice a week and work full time job 30 hours a week.
LOL

Re: So whats your daily routine?
 

Great insight, appreciated a lot.

Sounds intriguing. From what I gather you are saying that your selling supports your lifestyle but admittedly if you put more work in you would receive more rewards?

I sort of have it in my head that to be successful on ebay/amazon one would be spending 10 hours a day on the laptop and 1/5 hours packing and posting. I'm the kind of guy to get my head onto something and go full steam ahead.

Re: So whats your daily routine?
 

Wake up
check and answer email/text/voice mails
make somewhat of a schedule
ship ebay stuff
organise kijiji apointments
play xbox
sleep
Oh and also a full time student somehow

income are from ebay kijiji and rental proprety. I'm 24 but have been selling on ebay since I am 17 years old

Re: So whats your daily routine?
 

Nice man, thanks for the input.

Re: So whats your daily routine?
 

1.wake up
2. pee
3. smoke some weed or vape
4. ebay and google trying to find new items.
5. check listings
6. buy items and print packages
7. package them and put them in my closet for a few days
8. go to post office
9.sleep or have some late night fun with a girl :) .

Re: So whats your daily routine?
 

@ Aspkin, you can't stop, you have to keep the mind busy...always

Re: So whats your daily routine?
 

(For reference my profession is technology investing and I have no kids.)

06:00 or 06:30 -- Wake up, make bed, drink water, eat a small amount of food (a banana, or 30g whey protein, or something similar sized) then walk to a neighborhood cafe to buy a coffee (I usually don't know which one I'm going to until I get there). I used to brew my own coffee in the morning but ultimately decided that stretching my legs & getting some fresh air is more important to me than frugality.
06:45 -- If it's an off-gym-day, stay at the coffee shop for 45-60 minutes with a book. If it's a gym-day, walk 6 blocks to the gym and train for 45-60 minutes.
07:45 -- Walk back home, then scan e-mail quickly to confirm that nothing insane / disastrous / urgent has happened. Eat a little more food, or not -- doesn't matter. There's more food at the office.
07:55 -- Check Quora and Twitter notifications. Attempt to not get into arguments with strangers on the Internet. Probably fail.
08:00 -- Shower, dress, brush teeth.
08:30 -- Walk to work. Sometimes listen to a podcast or call mom while I'm walking.
09:00 -- Arrive at work, get a second coffee, then Eat The Frog (try to get 1 important thing accomplished that, if that's all I got done that day, would make the day a success) until 11:00 or 11:30, give or take. Two great articles that explain this: (one) and (two)

At this point, if I successfully pulled this off I'll have gotten { IMPORTANT_TASK + (GYM OR READING) } all wrapped up before lunchtime. Not bad.

The rest of the day is intentionally unscripted and un-routinized.

Re: So whats your daily routine?
 

3-4 months of the year I am on road trips around the world, as long as there is internet, I can work everywhere (thank God I found this site to teach me how to use VPS and VMware), the only place I screwed my business a little bit is this summer when I was in Cuba, didn't expect they have wifi issues and ebay is forbidden to sell when you are in Cuba (I log into my account on VMware with VPN, in somehow way ebay can see it).

Life is a little tough but really a lot of fun everyday. Get up early, drive whole day, sight seeing, meet interesting people all around the world, then get back to airb&b room, shower off the dust that day, work and sleep (this part is a little bit tough, specially if it's a long day).

The other months I base at home, fix work problem, source new products and suppliers, fix logistic supplier issues. Make sure they will run well before my next trip...

Life is fantastic I have to say if my PayPal won't be limited.

Re: So whats your daily routine?
 

How do you get your items shipped if you're on the road all the time?

Re: So whats your daily routine?
 

I never ship by myself. I purchase my stock then send them to logistic supplier, each products are marked with a SKU sticker, when buyer purchases, I place shipping order to logistics, I pay their work, it's not cheap, but consider I can have freedom no need to stay home 24/7, it's totally worth it.

Re: So whats your daily routine?
 

Good to hear from other location independent sellers. Met a lot of digital nomads on my travels, and I consider Ebay and Amazon sellers to be among the most successful.