There is a common false impression from people who are joining the work at home force. They think it’s going to be easy to work from home. The truth is it’s not easy. It takes a lot of focus, control and a clear plan to achieve a productive work day at home. After all, you certainly didn’t choose to work at home to put in 80 hours a week and not see your kids, did you?

Remember to take a break and rejuvenate your mind.

You need to stay on schedule, even if you are working in your pajamas! Working smaller amounts of time will enable you to stay focused on direct tasks. Set a timer, cell phone alarm, anything that will get you to walk away from your computer and be done “working” for the day. Or, take a break throughout the day, even if that means getting out of the house for the afternoon with your kids.

If you are having a hard time sticking with a daily or weekly routine one suggestion is to seek assistance with your scheduling. You could spend about 30 minutes with someone on a weekly basis to discuss what you need to complete. Consider it a weekly coaching session to help keep you on track. Maybe you can sit with an eBay buddy.  Develop a schedule that will map out what you need to do each day. Try not to over extend yourself – maintaining the balance between work and family.

Get organized and stay on task.

Don’t you get your best ideas when you’re away from your desk? Ever have a vivid idea when you’re taking a shower, driving your car, or just relaxing in bed?

 Jot them down right away, and get them out of your mind while it’s fresh. It’s better to get them down on paper or type a note in your cell phone. A clear mind means a productive day!

The ‘notes’ feature on your cell phone is one thing that has been a great tool which is readily available, so begin to utilize it. It comes in handy when an idea pops in your head while you’re out of reach of a pen and paper. A lot of cell phones have the option to email, so shoot an email to yourself!

Later, when you’re ready to sit down to work, make up an organized game plan. Take small amounts of tasks to complete at chunks of time. Maybe an hour or two each. Try to keep yourself on your schedule and do not over budget your time otherwise you will have a difficult time getting anything accomplished.

 Carry out each task a step at a time!

It’s common to think that once a task is completed you’ll rake in the sales. Easier said than done, I’m afraid! Take your time and do it right. Building a business doesn’t happen over night. It takes several years for many online businesses to get established, so be patient!

Stock up with a wide variety of items to meet the needs of a broad audience.  Doing your research and learning what items sell well for you should be key items to keep in stock.  If you are passionate about an item that does well on eBay, than that’s an added bonus.  I choose a variety of new and used Boutique clothing items, and mix in toys around the holiday season.  That’s what works for me.  A BIG thing to keep in mind is stock ALL seasons ALL the time.  There are different countries in opposite seasons making potetial sales endless.

BUT, be mindful of getting stuck in your comfort zone.  Try new things and expand slowly building your customer base to a wide range of repeat buyers.  Selling clothing, for example, limits you to one target market.  It may require reaching out to a larger source of suppliers found at World Wide Brands.  Find items that compliment what you already sell. Make it more of a ‘one stop shop’ feeling to the buyer.  If you sell children’s clothing – compliment it with maternity clothing, and/or baby bedding.

Happy Selling! 

Sparkplugging is starting a new tradition called “Spark an idea Thursday.” As part of this tradition, I’ll be sharing with you my experiences and interpretations for each week’s topic for those of you who sell products or services online.

I invite you to grab our image over there to the right and carry the tradition through to your own blog. If you do, please link back to this post so we know where you were inspired!

The theme of this week’s Spark an Idea Thursday is: Spark an Idea To Finish What You’ve Started.

From Jenn:

Happy Selling! 

Sparkplugging is starting a new tradition called “Spark an idea Thursday.” As part of this tradition, I’ll be sharing with you my experiences and interpretations for each week’s topic for those of you who sell products or services online.

I invite you to grab our image over there to the right and carry the tradition through to your own blog. If you do, please link back to this post so we know where you were inspired!

The theme of this week’s Spark an Idea Thursday is: Spark an Idea about Goal Setting.

My husband and I do this at least once a month: We decide that neither of us wants to cook. And we don’t want sandwiches. And yesterday was payday, so, “Hey! Let’s just go get something to eat.”

So we hop in the car and head to town. About halfway down the road, Steve asks me where I want to go to eat. I respond that I’m hungry, but not for anything in particular.

Steve tells me that he isn’t either, but he needs to know where we’re going so that he knows which way to turn — north or south.

You see where this is going.

We have no specific goal — just that we want food, and we don’t want to make it — so at some point in the trip, we end up sitting at an intersection and hoping no one pulls up behind us before we decide what we want to eat.

The point? The business owner who starts out without a goal is going to end up sitting at that intersection…

This business owner knows she wants a successful business, but really has no roadmap for success. And she can’t plan her trip because she has no idea where she is going.

The results:

• One client came to me with more than a dozen blogs setup at Blogger, each on a separate topic. Each blog had one or two posts written more than a year ago.
• Another client had me design a site. She sent me most of the information I needed to create her site. I did as much of the work as I could and sent an email requesting more information. She sent it — a year later. Her lack of a solid goal, and her fear of success, lead her to put off the website project.
• A colleague spent thousands of dollars on seminars, information products and other learning resources — but never setup a website, never put a plan into action.

In spite of my lack of fast food goalsetting, I’ve realized how important it is so set goals for your business. If you’re a bit scared of setting goals, or aren’t sure where to start, try these tips:

1. Determine where it is you want to end up. Do you want to sell 1 million widgets? Do you want to earn a living as an image consultant? Are you wanting to take the baby sling market by storm with your innovative design? Write this goal down.
2. Now it’s time to be realistic. What steps do you need to take to make this happen? Do you need to build a website? Do you need to take classes, or educate yourself through research? Do you need to create a product?
3. Talk to people who have done what you are doing, or done things similar to what you are doing — the experts. Find out what kind of timeline you’re looking at. Is it going to take five or ten years to sell 1 million widgets? Is it going to take 2 years of school and 5 years of on-the-job experience to become an image consultant? Is it going to take a year of trial and error and testing to come up with the perfect baby sling pattern that can be reproduced enmasse and in different sizes?
4. Write down each step you need to take and how long you estimate it will take. Pin this up on your wall and mark off each step as you complete it.
5. And finally, the most important step: TAKE Action!

Don’t forget: If you’d like to speak with someone who can help you with your action plan, who is not afraid to take action, contact me for a free 30-minute consultation.

Be consistent! 

I had a great chat last night on the 2009 Hot Seminar Series hosted by Kelly McCausey.  One of the obsticals that we discussed about eBay selling was consistancy. Work at a pace you are comfortable with. Your business is not going to grow overnight. Burning the midnight oil is only going to make you overwhelmed and want to give up. You can’t expect yourself to list hundreds of items to your eBay store in one day.  BUT, if you’re consistent at listing a few things each night (or whatever you’re comfortable with) – you’re goal of filling your eBay store will be accomplished before you know it!  Also, constantly listing will keep the Search Engine traffic coming.  If you don’t keep listing – the traffic will decrease – ultimately so will your sales.

Stay Focused

I’m a very schedule oriented person.  If something is minute later than scheduled – it just throws me into a tizzy!  I’ve been getting better at not letting some things bother me – but when it comes to being focused on my business, there must be a strict schedule so I can stay focused and accomplish what needs to be done in a reasonable amount of time.  Focusing on one thing at a time will ensure that you’re putting 100% into what needs to be done.  This will make sure it’s done right the first time – and that feels good!

Sparkplugging is starting a new tradition called ‘Spark an Idea Thursday’. Each week we’ll be sharing some great ideas for a topic of interest to our readers. We invite you to grab our image and carry the tradition through to your own blog! If you do, please link back to this post so we know where you were inspired!

The theme of this week’s Spark an Idea Thursday is: Spark An Idea that Will Keep You Motivated This Summer!

This is a really good one! Here’s what Michelle had to say about staying motivated in eCommerce:

Staying motivated in the summer is usually not that hard for me. It’s nice and sunny outside, warm, and I just feel more motivated in general. And I have more help around the house with my kids home from school, so I can work in my projects while they are doing their chores.

However, it is easy to get sidetracked with ball games, camping, doing stuff with friends, so here are some things that I do to keep me motivated, and that I think can help any online business owner.

1. Plan and implement projects for my business. Orders, in my industry, tend to slow down during the summer. People are offline, spending time with their kids and not on the computer. They’re going outside and generally enjoying the nice weather. So this is time to create that new information product, build that new website, or work on that new business model. For example, I just finished revamping my website hosting packages and consolidating several websites. My current project is creating full service website development, maintenance and promotion packages for Oklahoma women-owned businesses.

2. Set realistic goals. I tend to be optimistic, generally speaking, and in setting my goals for the summer. I think I’m going to get all these projects done — revamping websites, writing blog posts, updating software, etc. But it IS summer and I have to remind myself that I need a break. So I cut back on client work, focus on building my business during this slow time, and make sure I don’t bite off more than I can chew over a given period of time. For example, I don’t schedule 10 blog posts in one week. Instead, I’ve consolidated several websites and now only need to write two thought-provoking posts and two newsy and short posts. Woo!

Just remember — if your business cycle is like mine, and this is your slow time, be easy on yourself and take a break. But also take advantage of the slow time. If this is your busy time, then bookmark this page and come back for inspiration when your slow season arrives.

Awesome, Michelle!

For me – with eBay on my mind 24/7, I’m constantly thinking of what to sell the next season. I know from experience that while specializing in clothing – you HAVE to know the latest trends, and keep up with what the retailers are pushing off of their racks.

It’s idealy a perfect time to shop for any off season clearance items and get ready for back to school sales!  Summer is generally slow if you sell clothing on eBay as well, so what perfect time to catch up on how you want to improve your business in the up and coming busy times.

Of course with a new baby in the mix, and a 6 year old on my heals – making the time for everything is going to be a challenge.  One thing that I always have to keep in mind is that working from home is going to always warrant me to work on my terms!  It’s a wonderful thing to be your own boss! 

I stick to a very strict schedule, making sure to leave any extra time for those unexpected interuptions.  It’s also important to put time aside for yourself and your family so you don’t get too overwhelmed.  You’ll feel refreshed and ready to go when you make sure your time is wisely planned. 

When mommy is happy – everyone is happy!    Have a productive Summer!

Sparkplugging is starting a new tradition called “Spark an idea Thursday.” As part of this tradition, I’ll be sharing with you my experiences and interpretations for each week’s topic for those of you who sell products or services online.

I invite you to grab our image over there to the right and carry the tradition through to your own blog. If you do, please link back to this post so we know where you were inspired!

The theme of this week’s Spark an Idea Thursday is: Spark an Idea From The Movies.

Jenn and I have put our heads together again this week to come up with some ideas that will help you grow your ebay or ecommerce business.

From Jenn:

So, who loves a good chic flick?  Have you watched Devil Wears Prada? Maybe 27 Dresses?  OH, a really good one was Sex In The City. I can go on and on, especially about reality shows.  Make Me A Super Model, Project Runway, Fashion Show, America’s Next Top Model….yes – it’s all about fashion!

But what can you take away from a movie or reality show to build your business?

Keywords, Keywords, Keywords!

It’s all about who’s wearing the next hottest shoe, or the craziest outfit.  Did I ever mention how I purchased a trendy Barbie, who’s outfit was designed by a fashion wanna be designer on Project Runway?  It was the Keywords the designer used that made me a $125 profit on a Barbie Doll!  Paying attention to what trendy keywords are being used and what is new on the market can drive sales to your eBay store. How many of us know what the Obama girls favorite clothing line is?  Or what designer they were wearing when the President was sworn into office?  All keywords of items we can be sure.

It’s Usually Limited Production, Making it Hard To Find

With a new movie, comes new merchandise.  Usually limited production at that.  Hard to find items make huge profits on eBay.  Have you ever seen a Tim Gunn Bobble Head doll from Project Runway?  His famous phrase is “Make It Work”  If you were fortunate enough to find a Tim Gunn Bobble Head doll you would have two things in your favor. 1) They were limited production.  2) Using ‘Make It Work’ in your title brought you crazy bids!

Trends are going to drive your eBay sales.  Pick your passion and see how you can turn it into a profit!

From Michelle:

I’m not so much of a chic flick fan, as I am an action/ mystery/thriller, with a side order of comedy and sci-fi fan. My normal movie choices include almost anything by Will Smith, like I, Robot. Or maybe a service of Robin Williams in Patch Adams. But since having kids, I’ve also discovered that I have an affinity for animations (Thank you Pixar!), like Ratatouille.

I think we can learn a lot from Remy, the main character in Ratatouille, that can be applied to running our own ecommerce businesses. Let’s take a look at the basic premise of the move, as described in Wikipedia:

The plot follows Remy, a rat who dreams of becoming a Chef and tries to achieve his goal by forming an alliance with a Parisian restaurant’s garbage boy. 

Keep going even when no one else believes in you.

Poor Remy. His own father couldn’t see the brilliance of his aspirations or his talent. And yet Remy continued searching for ways to achieve his dream. First, it was trying out spices in the old woman’s kitchen. But when circumstances took him to the door of the French restaurant, he seized the opportunity to pursue his dream, even though he was just a rat.

This theme can be seen in Will Smith’s character Spooner, who believes the doctor didn’t really commit suicide, in spite of what everyone else thinks, and in Robin William’s chacter, the doctor Patch Adams. Patch believes that doctors should treat people, not diseases, and he continues this belief and acts accordingly, even when it almost gets him kicked out of medical school permanently.

Many small business owners have similar stories. For example, I interviewed a woman last year who developed an alcohol-free hand sanitizer — and spent 10 years promoting it. Her product now appears in stores across the United States. She persevered in spite of a seeming lack of success. In order to start and grow your business, you must persevere as well.

Take action!

Imagine if Remy had never fixed the soup! We wouldn’t have a movie, huh?

The same is true in I, Robot and Patch Adams. The main characters were both presented with a challenge, which they accepted and took action on. They faced adversity, yet they persevered.

Likewise, if you never take action on your business ideas, take a risk, face adversity, do what you know needs to be done, you’ll never even start an online business, much less build a successful one.

A few years ago, I new someone on Skype who had specific areas of talent that he could parlay into a business idea. But instead of getting down to work and building his business, he invested most of his time and extra money into courses on how to build a business. Granted, there is a time and place for learning and educational materials — but they should never replace action.

I’ve also known people who made mistakes in their businesses and took a public flaming for it. They caved in the face of this adversity and fled the work at home mom corner of the internet. What they didn’t realize is that opportunity is often found in adversity. Those who faced a bad reputation because of mistakes could have accepted responsibility for their actions and taken further action to prevent the mistakes from happening again. They could have rebuilt in spite of the flames, just as new grass grows almost immediately after a brush fire.

Many movies are fun to see and provide great entertainment. Some of them can also teach us valuable lessons about life, ecommerce and ebay.

Adrenaline rushes and the excitement of the crowd carries you away. You get a little bold and decide that you’ll start cutting your pit stops short, really pull ahead of the competition. Your pit crew suggests you need to change your tires and you breeze through, taking only enough gas to make it to victory circle.

If your house is anything like our house, you’ve watched Cars more times than you can count and you know what happens to Lightning McQueen next…

Your tires blow. With the finish line in sight, you still lose. At best, you tie.

Just call me Lightning McQueen.  Of course, you know how that movie ends, right?  Sweeter victory than even Lightning knew he wanted.  I just have to get there.

Since deciding that it was time to get my “game face on,” I have been reorganizing my eBay business.  In preparation for holiday sales and armed with more html know-how than I had when I last worked on my store, I have had a lot of revamping to do.  As mentioned before, I more or less put my eBay store on hiatus the last number of months while I focused more on my own blog and a handful of other side projects.  Unfortunately, because I never took the time to truly reorganize everything and streamline it, I never fully realized how overextended I had become.

It’s the side projects that get me every time.  The “sure, I’ll do it” promises.

I appreciate your patience while I have been only sporadically posting here at eMoms at Home and assure you that I am in the process of revamping my efforts here, as well.  I’m looking to bring in more of the how-to stuff and maybe even some of those obligatory Top Ten lists.  I know I said I wouldn’t, but that seems to be what you want…  I hear ya.  All the best in one place?  A mix of the technical and the personal?  Step-by-step instructions and the gestalt?  If you want it, I’ll find a way to get it to you, even if that means bringing in a little help.

In the meantime, this is a great opportunity to answer some relevant questions you have sent in regarding, among other things, the great shuffle and juggle we as work-at-home parents are constantly doing.

Right now, I am still repaving the road in Radiator Springs.  But, just like Lightning McQueen, I’m making some great friends and discovering in them the ideal pit crew.  Look for answers to many of your submitted questions and suggestions tomorrow.  See, I’m holding myself accountable to you!

eMoms at Home.  The best pit crew an eParent could want.

What I did not fully anticipate is the degree to which this platform at eMoms at Home would be different from my personal blog, Velveteen Mind. I am exposed to an entirely different audience, and as such, exposed to very different interpretations of what I write. Understandably, this also opens me up to misinterpretation.

I love a challenge. So let me clarify. I’ll quote myself from Burnout and Fear of Succes for the Work-at-Home Parent:

“This may sound strange, but I fear that I may have enjoyed too much success too soon. I became complacent. The challenge dissipated and the fun went with it.”

Selling on eBay did not “become work” and I then scurried into a hole and cried over not having fun anymore. It had always been work. I had always treated it like a job. I handled it like a business from the beginning.

The problem was that I was too good at it.

I became complacent when it became too easy. When the challenge dissipated, the fun consequently went with it. The fun was the challenge. The fun was the work.

Perhaps that is why I engage in a bit of self-sabotage. Perhaps that’s why we all do, based on your comments and emails. If we can make it just a little harder on ourselves, create just enough trouble for ourselves, then it will be a challenge again. We will be tested again. We will have fun again, seeing what we are capable of and how far we can take it.  How far we can push it.

I welcome work. I love a challenge.

Opening myself to misinterpretation by an unfamiliar audience may have been the best thing I have done so far. Ignorant comments and shallow characterizations have proven to be invigorating. Huh.

Some of my best moments are immediately preceded by my being antagonized into saying, “Oh heellll no!  I know you just didn’t.”

I love a challenge.

My house is now clean.  My office is in order.  My stock is re-inventoried.  My packing supplies are lined up.  I have hired part-time help to keep up with my shipments for me, the one bit of monkey work that I just hate doing.  I am revamping my store and templates.  I am reorganizing and streamlining.  I am rarin’ to go.  In short, my fire is reignited.

Get your game faces on, sellers.  It’s time to play.

Impressive. The number of insults in the full comment, coupled with the ignorance displayed, was simply entertaining.

Rather than be offended or delete it from the post, however, I want to use it as an opportunity to illustrate what we are up against as eBay sellers.

We are up against mediocrity.

Think you can handle the competition?

A few more pearls of wisdom from the same comment:

“Secondly, u dabbled on ebay, made some money, and now that its actually requiring some work and the fun of it is a little lost, ur too lazy to do what is essentially a job.

I work full time and sell stuff on ebay that i have lying around, stop proacrasting and just do it instead of whining that its overwhelming your life.

It really doesn’t take that long to take some pics and throw up a description. And if you’ve got so much, then just learn to streamline it.”

Who wants to pick out the problems in these eloquent statements? Woah, woah, settle down, eParents, one at a time. Here, I’ll start:

The last thing I want you to do is to grab some stuff you have lying around the house, take some pictures and throw up a description. Folks, this is what everyone else does and that is precisely why eBay seems like a big junkyard of unappealing clutter half the time. That is also why a little research (okay, a lot) and attention to detail will set you apart from the sea of mediocrity.

eBay can be a blinding mass of mediocre sellers and bland listings. Set yourself apart. Pay attention to detail. Your customers will reward you for it.

Your customers will notice when you are taking your listings seriously. They will notice that you are treating your eBay business like a business. This translates to respect, which grows into trust. If your customers trust you, you’ve won. Now you just have to deliver.

Unfortunately, it’s the having to deliver part that can become a little overwhelming. And no, dear insult-slinging commenter, I don’t mean literally deliver, as I’m not being held back by trips to the post office. This may come as a shock, but I am well aware that USPS will pick up your packages for you. She of multiple website authorship was able to use mah wicked huge internet smahts to edumahcate mahself on that one.

Wait. Cain’t think. Have the duhms. Must go paint my toenails and spend my husband’s money.

Okay, I’m back.

My point is simple: You are up against both professional dynamos and mediocre schmoes. Don’t be intimidated by the dynamos and don’t be tempted into complacency by the schmoes.

This is a job. If you want to do it right, if you want to be successful, it’s going to take work. This isn’t a hobby. And as such, you are going to have ups and downs. You will be riding high one day, full of energy and motivation, and then you’ll find you can’t even muster the enthusiasm to check your feedback the next.

Such is the nature of a real business. When you are the boss, when you are in charge of your own professional future success or failures, rather than just a drone at a “real job,” the details are never so simple as black and white. It won’t always be as simple as “manning up” and just doing it. It is not a question of laziness or motivation. It’s far more complicated.

If you are going to do this, if you are going to sell on eBay with any hope of being a long-term success, then do it right. Commit. Go “all in.” Accept the challenge and know that it won’t always be simple.

Are you “all in” or not? Time to put it on the table.

Remember when I told you that this wouldn’t be a how-to blog about eBay? I said that it would stand apart from all of the mundane and functional “Top 10 blahdy blahs about eBay” posts out there? Well, no sooner had I typed those words than I began writing how-to articles.

Sure, I have been including my personal experiences in all of the pieces, but I don’t feel like it’s been personal enough.

So, here’s the real deal: I am sick of eBay. When I think of eBay lately, my feelings are well summed up with one word: “Eh.”

This may sound strange, but I fear that I may have enjoyed too much success too soon. I became complacent. The challenge dissipated and the fun went with it.

eMoms at Home founder, Wendy Piersall, has written frequently about the dangers of burnout for work-at-home parents. In fact, it was one of her articles that made me decide to finally take this job at eBay Selling for eParents. I was already suffering from eBay burnout and felt that writing about it might reignite my once consuming passion.

Spark… spark… … … fizzle. Damn.

So here I am. Rather than imbibing this blog with honest stories about what it really takes to be an eBay success, I’ve been beating around the bush with the nuts and bolts stuff. Every time I sit down to write to you, I consider telling you that sometimes, occasionally, it’s tough to maintain an eBay business as a work-at-home parent. But then I chicken out. I’m afraid of scaring you off. Afraid that I’ll talk you out of what I know for a fact to be a fantastic home-based business if I write too frankly about the ups and downs involved.

Stop. We’re all adults. Heck, being adults (and therefore privy to certain horizontal extracurricular activities) is what got us into this mess as parents anyway, right? I don’t have to tiptoe around the tulips with ya’ll.

My eBay store has been on an hiatus of its own for a while now. A few months ago, I more or less closed my eBay store in order to temporarily focus on other things. I was worn out from managing customers, feedback, and shipping (the single hardest aspect of eBay for me), and found that I was constantly distracted by so many projects. I had begun considering bringing in some kind of child care so that I could get things done. I’m supposed to be a stay-at-home mom and I’m considering in-home daycare?

My inventory stares me in the face everyday. The finance charges on my credit cards from buying the inventory in the first place are a sickening reminder of how I haven’t been doing my “job.” And yet. I just can’t seem to get back on the horse.

If I’m not careful, the horse is going to ride on by me.

Holiday sales on eBay are big. Huge. And they start early. Last year, I actually closed my store a few weeks before Christmas because I could not keep up with the volume of sales I was achieving. That’s right, you heard me. I was making too much money. Too many buyers were bidding on my auctions. I was too successful and, therefore, overwhelmed.

I warned you that there are monster profits to be made on eBay. But you had better be ready for it.

I swore that this holiday season, I would be ready for it. I would plan ahead, using my experience from last year. And that, my friends, has been my excuse to not reopen my eBay store. I am in a perpetual state of wanting to get all my ducks in a line before I relaunch everything, aiming for a level of perfect organization that will likely never happen.

This is stagnation. Welcome to my rut.

At its root, what appears to be keeping me from fully reopening my eBay store is a fear of success. Everything I need to move my inventory in a snap is right at my fingertips. I could be selling thousands of dollars a month in listings right this very second if only I would just do it.

Instead, I have become self-defeating. I look around my home and see an endless list of things to do. I look at my children and feel a guilt that pulls me away from an entrepreneurial passion. An endless list of excuses.

Working at home is complicated. It is challenging. It is far more difficult than working outside of the home.

Rather than end this post on my perpetually optimistic high note, I’m going to turn to you for help. Something that is very difficult for me to do. It is my nature as a psychologist and self-sufficient know-it-all to work things out to their ends, analyzing the “why’s” and “how’s” and “what now’s” of every situation.

Knowing what to do (and knowing for a fact that it will work, with ease) and doing it are two very different things.

Success has immobilized me.

Someone explain that to me.