Making Time to Sell on eBay

[aking]

Selling on eBay is great, but it gets hard to sell at times when you have a full time and a family (wife and 2 year old). Seems like the only time I can get anything done is after my son goes to sleep, which is 10-11pm most days. I always think to myself, man, the damage I could do if I did this full time, all day. I could make accounts all day!! But I never quit my job to sell on eBay. The thought of my income being solely in the hands of someone else scares me. What if eBay went chapter 11 or disappeared??!

Anyway, how do people with 9 to 5s manage their time to sell on eBay? It can be very demanding at times, esp when you contantly have auctions ending all the time.

[foster]

I do my listings on the weekends and then setup the auctions to start at specific times during the week.

The biggest problem for me is shipping. Standing in line at the post office to send international packages sometimes makes me late for my day job. I've been experimenting with only shipping within the U.S. lately and I might just make the switch full time. The USPS delivery confirmation is a joke, but I have a lot less problems domestically then I do when shipping internationally.

[aspkin]

Well you never want to jump ship and forget about your job if you're just making a few bucks online, but if you have a solid income, and you diversify, try taking some time off to focus more on your internet business.

I wouldn't do it with just eBay alone, never, I would want my own business website first, and I would want at least a few sales a day coming from it.

It can happen, your internet sales can outweigh your regular job income and then eventually double, triple, quadruple your income the more you work on it.

I've been self employed for almost five years now.

[bmovers]

foster,

If you use Endicia you can print labels for international orders. The label includes the 2976 customs form. I just finally found this out recently. No more standing in line for anything. I just drop off my packages and go, every day.

[maximumrock]

Originally Posted by bmovers

foster,

If you use Endicia you can print labels for international orders. The label includes the 2976 customs form. I just finally found this out recently. No more standing in line for anything. I just drop off my packages and go, every day.

yeap! exactly what i do........

[foster]

Originally Posted by bmovers

foster,

If you use Endicia you can print labels for international orders. The label includes the 2976 customs form. I just finally found this out recently. No more standing in line for anything. I just drop off my packages and go, every day.

Originally Posted by maximumrock

yeap! exactly what i do........

Thanks, I'll check that out.

[bmovers]

Endicia Support - F A Q - New User Guides - First Class Mail International

Originally Posted by foster

Thanks, I'll check that out.

[gibsonton]

With todays economy i dont thing there is no such thing as job security anymore and ebay is probaly more stable than most companys .

[aspkin]

EBay's going down.. the only job security you have is diversifying your income.

[TMiles]

You should diversify always. No job is safe. EBay will be around. They might not be as big, but they will survive. Unlike the banks and car companies, they still turn a profit and a pretty big one.

EBay's woes came from not continuing to grow at the fastest pace ever in history. From 1998 to 2008, eBay was the fastest growing company in the history of the world. Stock buyers and analysts expected this to continue, which was absurd.

They still make a hefty profit and there profits continue to increase, simply not a light speed anymore...

[NotGoodEnuff]

I have 5 kids - ranging from 3 - 18 years. I only have the 3 year old home now. I take cues from him as to what I can do during the day. I do all my printing (I sell stationery products as well as other things) in the morning before he wakes up. If I have alot of printing (usually Mondays) I set the laptop up for him and he does his "work" while I do mine.

But, I do have certain days that all I do is Ebay. My husband is off Thursday, Friday and Sunday. Thursday - I only do what is necessary. Friday is our shopping day. Sunday is all Ebay. My husband fixes lunch and dinner and takes care of the little ones. But, most of my work is done after everyone goes to bed. My usual bedtime is 2 am with a 7 am wake up call.

It works for us because I stay at home. If I worked outside of the home, I would have to rethink all of this. But, I am planning on staying home until my youngest starts kindergarten.

[siashay]

It is hard. When I lost my ebay account last year it was right after I stopped working. Big mistake. Anyways, I started my own small business last year. I talked to anyone who would listen lawyers, banks, construction companies. I offered my services and now I run a small business working with new construction/foreclosures/estate sales. Anyway I go into home that are foreclosed on and clean them up. Get rid of anything left in the house. New construction I go in clean up take stickers off appliance/windows and stuff get it ready for new owner. Real estate sales I go in and pack everything up to ship off to auction.
It started just me and a friend now there is five of us. Four of us are single moms so the hours and pay works out well.
I have two chidred 12 and 6. and run five ebay accounts right now.
My friends wonder why I am so thin. LOL
My answer to this question is coffee. Drink coffee morning noon night.

ps. sorry about spelling, macbooks in the shop for repair and I am using daughters Eee. Try typing on one of these things.