Devoting more time to your Ebay business actually hinges on one main specific: Organization! Through organization, you will save an incredible amount of wasted time. From this wasted time, you will be able to devote part of that directly back into your Ebay business.
Selling on Ebay routinely consists of either reselling wholesale items or selling used or handcrafted articles. While the following tips will be useful for any of these endeavors, they offer tips directly related to the latter two: Used and handcrafted inventory.
Attitude:
Deciding whether your Ebay selling is a hobby or an actual business will help set the time factor in a much clearer perspective. If you truly intend to make selling on Ebay a business, time wasted is money lost. Examine every aspect of what goes into the time you expend towards gathering or producing inventory, readying said inventory for listing, the actual time spent listing items, contacting buyers, packing and shipping, even time spent leaving feedback. Trim time wasted by consolidating similar tasks. For example, do not leave feedback individually, but leave it on a regular schedule, say once a week.
Business Hours:
Set regular hours for your business, photographing inventory, answering emails, listing auctions, etc., should be done on a regular basis, so setting business hours will help define time spent on such tasks. In addition, by doing several similar tasks at once, you will immediately recognize that you are saving time and it will help you set a routine in motion.
Inventory and Buying Habits:
A large amount of time can go into constantly searching for items to sell. Organizational skills need to come into play right from the very start. If you routinely visit different stores, secondhand shops, estate sales and auctions, it is easy to become overwhelmed with your purchases. A few simple steps at this point can go a long way towards your timesaving strategy.
Carry a notebook or PDA with you at all times to make note of what items were purchased, how much you paid for them, date and time of day, and where they were purchased. You may question why it would be important to make such a detailed record of all this: Because this will not only be a record of your inventory, but also of your buying habits. If you routinely drive to an out of the way store, but in looking over your records realize that you have only made two or three minor purchases from that store over a six month timeframe, you will be able to make a much more informed judgment call on whether it is worth your time to continue shopping there.
Inventory that is Handcrafted:
If your inventory consists of handcrafted items, streamline your assembly, making several items at once. Shop in bulk, and if possible, purchase wholesale through companies that will drop ship supplies directly to you.
Listings:
If you are auctioning identical items, list several together. Take advantage of listing features such as stock photos if appropriate. If you routinely sell items that are identical or at least similar, write one listing that can quickly be altered, then copy and paste it in place each time instead of rewriting a new listing each time.
Shipping issues:
Shipping consolidated to a regular schedule will save time. This could be one day a week or more, but avoid running to the post office for every shipment individually. Purchase packing materials in bulk, and if you ship an assortment of sizes and weights of packages, consider a postal scale.
Workspace:
A kitchen table is for eating. If possible, have a room or at the least, part of a room, set aside specifically for your business. If your computer is in one room, inventory tossed in another, shipping supplies in yet one more space, you are wasting time just juggling tasks.
