Time Management That Works For Busy Online Sellers!

by Kathy Terrill | Nov 20, 2016 | eCommerce Selling Tips, Selling on eBay

Black Friday is less than a week away!

Online sellers are scrambling to have all their inventory listed and promoted on social media.

Shipping supplies are stacked and ready to be used. Inventory is stocked, stored and double checked.

With Christmas fast approaching, what is a seller’s most precious commodity right now? Is it money for inventory, learning a new listing software, or is it training Holiday help?

When I speak with sellers, hands down their most precious resource this time of year is TIME!

eBay, Etsy, Amazon and other online sellers come to me and ask, “Kathy how do you get so much done?” “Kathy I want to list more but I can’t find the time!” “Kathy I want to do more social media, but I don’t know how to fit it in my schedule!”

I will tell you what works for me. I plan yearly, monthly, weekly and daily. Success starts with planning!

Each year I set myself goals. I tweak and adjust my overall goals throughout the year.

Starting each month, I look at what needs to be accomplished that month towards my yearly goals.

Is my monthly goal making sure all my Holiday inventory is listed? Is it deciding what sales I’ll run during 4th quarter? Is it setting up a date night ( or several) with my husband? Once my monthly goals are set, I then look to each week.

Each Sunday, I check my coming week. I focus on any deadlines I have. I do create deadlines and challenges for myself. For instance, I make a weekly challenge for myself to list XX new items that week. I then plan backwards from my goal to strategize how to accomplish my goal.

Success Starts With Planning!

With an overview of my week I then take 5 minutes the night before, or 5 minutes first thing in the morning to plan my day.

I think through what must be done in that 24 hours. I include personal activities such as a doctor’s appointment, my favorite Pilates class, or a play date with my grandson. I set my top 2-3 priorities each day.

Prioritizing each day is crucial for success. Without priorities important tasks can get overlooked.

What is that day’s most essential tasks? Is it listing products? Is it taking pictures of my products ( or training someone to do it)? Is it shopping for inventory at the 1/2 off sale? I chose my priorities.  I can also re-order my priorities as needed. Normally, I list and ship  sales every morning before I do anything else. If I need to leave home by 10 am for a client meeting, I look at the time needed to list and ship. I get up early enough to do my morning tasks before I need to leave home. I may only get 1 new listing up. I will then will schedule myself to get more listings done later.

Plan Breaks

I plan breaks and rewards for myself.

My break can be a walk around the block.  I also enjoy coffee with friends at a nearby coffee shop. I  set a time allowed for my work break and do my best to stick to it.

The task(s) I least like to do, I schedule as early in my day as possible to get them over with. If I think X should take XX time and I’m consistently running overtime, I look at the task to see if I can streamline it. If that’s not doable, I allow more time to accomplish it.

There are never enough hours in the day.

To help my seller friends set and keep priorities that lead to sales, I have developed my Holiday Sales Success Tool Kit!

In addition to my insider video that walks you through winning 4th quarter strategies, I give you tools to set and stick to priorities that ignite your sales! Click HERE for instant access!

Setting and keeping priorities equips me for success!

I  set priorities on a yearly, weekly, monthly and daily basis. I monitor my progress monthly, weekly, daily and adjust. Without planning you’ll lose your day and your success.

With my Holiday Sales Success Tool Kit you’ll have proven tools that empower you for sales success!

It’s in your power to chose a day that leads to success for you and your online business. Choose success!