To begin, many, many eBay sellers are solopreneurs.
By avoiding these following top five time wasters, you’ll be on the road to eBay selling success!
Numerous sellers are doing all the tasks to run their eBay business. So the seller is sourcing inventory, researching products and taking pictures. Additionally, they are shipping, doing customer service and social media. So, how on earth does someone get all this done with time left for family and friends? The answer is, avoid these top five time wasters that can consume your day.
The number one time waster for sellers is excessive research.
Before you start a deep dive on prices for items, do a quick search using eBay’s advanced search. This video shows you how.
http://https://youtu.be/ikJu5KFnvH0
If you find your item sells for $20 or less, you want to list as quickly and efficiently as possible. You have a good idea of the selling price already. Put it aside to photograph and list. Move on to the next item. Spending 30 minutes research a $20 item is not an effective use of your time.
Your second biggest time waster is social media.
Social media is a huge help for eBay sellers. There is an abundance of helpful content to be found. Additionally is the perfect way to attract shoppers to your products. However, it can also be a huge time suck. The Journal Of Applied Psychology recently spoke to how we have an altered sense of time when we’re online.Use your clock. Before you hop on Youtube, Facebook or Instagram, note the time. Decide how much time you’re allotting to social media. Stick to your choice. If you don’t, that 30 minutes you need for a listing is gone. Use social media, but watch the clock.
Third biggest time waster is not grouping tasks.
Whether it’s listing, shipping or running errands grouping like tasks will save you oodles of time. I can product source on my way home from the post office as it’s right on the way. Time saved fifteen minutes. Similarly, I can take pictures in batches, and then edit in batches. Time saved an hour. Go through your regular tasks. What can be grouped? Start doing them that way.
Fourth biggest time waster is not prioritizing.
Some things are more important than others. For sellers listing and shipping are at the head of the list. Right behind that is customer service. With those done, then look at your time. How much will you allocate today for product sourcing, social media, learning a new skill, and or bookkeeping? Take a bit of your day and write down what needs to do regularly. Then use a paper or electronic calendar and schedule those items. Similarly, do you want to keep a running daily, weekly, monthly to-do list? It’s a wise business practice to write things down and plot your days, weeks and months.
Your final biggest time waster is not saying no.
Unless you have extensive staff and family help, you can’t do everything every day. Step four is a big help in realizing this. Look at what needs to be done to run your business. Unless you’re adept at using scheduler, or have an assistant you don’t need to be active on all social media every day. Select the one most effective for you. Similarly, you don’t need to source inventory every day. Now, as you grow your business that can change. Using the first four steps, discover what is important for your eBay business. Then learn to say no to what is not needed right now.
In closing, we all have different needs and lifestyles. Taking the time to analyze what works for you and what doesn’t, you make the right choices for you. By not choosing wisely, you sabotage your success. Likewise, you’ll be frustrated every day.
By avoiding these top five time wasters for eBay sellers, you’ve cleared the path to your success. Time to list!