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 Motivating Others

This is something I can totally relate to in the eBay world.  I work with eBay sellers every day, coaching and helping through eBay challenges. 

Sometimes, the solution can be as easy as a second set of eyes glancing over an item to put the last piece of the puzzle together.

Other times, it can be a little nuge to get someone motivated to get back in the game. 

Here are some key phrases I like to use when helping to motivate others:

“Take Baby Steps!”  It’s very common to see the end result before you get started with a project.  The result is usually grand accomplishment with nothing but success, wealth and happiness.   There is nothing wrong with thinking big – we all do it.  Just realize all of the little steps in between that you need to do, to get to your grand finale.  Mapping each little step, is more motivating than skipping ahead to the end and stumbling backwards to start over again.  Don’t forget to cross off each accomplishment along the way!

“Look at how far you’ve come!  I’m so proud of you!”  Doesn’t it feel good when you look back on how far you’ve come in your eBay selling?  Remember when you had no clue how to do those little things that you just breeze through today?  Do you remember when you made your first eBay sale?  How awesome was that?! 

“Keep your focus crystal clear!” Don’t get me wrong, money IS motivating! But, what drives you to stay focused to move forward everyday improving your business?  Is it your kids?  Saving for a vacation?  Finacial freedom?  Quitting your day job?  Maybe it’s a few of the above!  Whatever the reason, keep that focus on the prize and don’t lose sight of it no matter what.

“I Support YOU” Be supportive and/or have a support system!  I can’t tell you how many spouses don’t like their significant other selling on eBay.  I can relate.  My hubby wasn’t always on my side either.  We have since worked through it and he supports everything I do online.  “Do whatever it takes” is what he tells me!    Those four words are VERY motivating to me!

There are a lot of eBay community groups, forums, Facebook groups and people on Twitter that are die hard eBay fanatics that will listen and support the beginner to the most advanced eBay seller.  Support is very important and very motivating in every way.

I’m always an email, comment or a Tweet away, shoot me a message if you have a question or need help getting out of a rut!

I’d love to hear your thoughts on how you motivate others!

Hope this helps!

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 making real-life connections with people you know online.

There is one extremely easy way to do this. But it might require you to channel your mother — or someone else who is kind of, well, old.

1. Pick up the phone. Really, it’s that simple. I offer a free one-time 30-minute phone consultation to my clients. I’ve been able to get to know them through hearing them speak, listening to their stories and sometimes just hearing the background noice.

I’ve even discovered a universal phenomenon this one: It doesn’t matter what part of the world you’re in, the minute you get on the phone, your kids will need you desperately. Even if they haven’t needed you for anything all day long (no matter how many times you ask or stick your nose into their business).

Of course, since this is the 21st century and all, we can connect with each other through our iPhones. And if we want to make a real-life connection with someone half-way around the world, then Skype will save a few bucks for everyone.

Whatever technology you use, speaking with someone, listening to her voice, getting to know her thoughts as she describes them is the best way to create a real-life connection.

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 Improving Your Workspace.

Don’t you feel refreshed and ready to get things accomplished when your workspace is neat and organized?

I love a clean work area.  For me, there is nothing worse than sitting down to a mess of paperwork in front of your computer. Or having to step over piles of items you need to take pictures of and get listed to your eBay store.  It’s so UN-motivating. 

Do you have a pile of invoices and packing slips that have to be filed?  Articles that you printed out that have to be read?

Try this:

I like to call it the ‘paper game’.  Take the pile of papers that are stacked in a pile in-front of you and make them disappear once and for all.  And I don’t mean putting them in the trash can under your desk . 

Start at the top of the pile.  Take the first piece of paperwork in your hand and don’t put it down until it is filed away in it’s appropriate place.  Do this with each piece of paperwork until your are done with the pile.

On to your eBay inventory.  This is a tough one for some of us – it’s OK.  Keeping things organized may depend on the items you sell.  Storing clothing is a little easier than storing toys.  I used to use the big rubber bin method:

OK, yea – I’m 5ft. tall – as my business grew – so did my bins, all the way to the ceiling!  Not a very productive use of time when your digging for an item to ship that is in the very bottom bin!  So, I cleaned up my bins and went to the shelving method:

MUCH more organized.  When an items sells, I can see it, reach out and grab it in a second and ship it out the door.  Isn’t an organized space a happy space??    Oh, and the treadmill in the last picture – sold it on eBay. 

How do you organize YOUR space?  I look forward to hearing from you!

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 enjoying a holiday business free .

Can you really enjoy a holiday when you’re running an online business?

One of the things that I love about being plugged in techologically, is that I can take my business with me wherever I go — to a relative’s house in Texas, to the lake a few miles away or a beach in Florida.

The downside of this is, it’s not easy to let go and take a few days off without constantly running back to the iPhone or the laptop to check on business.

This is not good.

One of the things I’ve learned over the years is that you’ve got to give your brain — and your family! — a break from your business. If you don’t, you’ll get burned out and your customers will sense this from your attitude. It’s very important to take time away from your business and a holiday is the perfect time to do it.

So how do you take time away from your business, when you’re the only one running the show? I have two recommendations.

If you’re a very small business and the products or services you are offering are not time-sensitive, then you can simply shut down the business for a short time. Close the doors and hand a sign, so to speak. Here’s how:

1. Put a notice on your website notifying your visitors that you’re on vacation until a certain date, and that you’ll fill all orders when you return.
2. Email your existing customers, letting them know that you’ll be gone and that you’ll handle any orders or emails when you return.

While this is a good solution for some business owners, it may not be feasible for others. Like me, for example. As a web host, I can’t just close the doors and say I’ll be back in three days. Too many clients have questions that need to be answered within minutes after we receive them.

Those of you who can’t just close up shop, need to start outsourcing now. Even if you don’t plan on going on vacation until next year.

What is outsourcing? It’s when you hire someone else to do a specific job for you. That someone else is often a virtual assistant who provides the same services to many businesses. For example, one of my VAs provides customer support via helpdesk to several clients, including me.

Why start outsourcing now? Because you need time to get to know your new assistant, and she needs time to get to know your business. This way, when you leave for your vacation, you’ll know that she’ll be able to handle whatever comes her way. And she’ll know how and when to reach you in a worst case scenario.

While it’s very tempting to take your business with you, it’s also very important to take a break and rejuvenate yourself. Outsourcing can help you do that. If you’d like to learn more about outsourcing, my friend Alice Seba has a resource for you called Outsourcing Sweetie. I highly recommend it, as Alice is one of my mentors who helped me learn the importance of getting the help I need in my business. Click here for her free outsourcing tips.

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! 

You will get all you want in life if you help enough other people get what they want. — Zig Ziglar

That quote just hits home for me. In a nutshell, it says what your business should be about. In reverse — if your business isn’t helping people get what they want, then it’s going to fail.

I look at my every piece of my business and ask myself: Is this helping someone get what they want?

What do you think?

Are there pieces of your business that aren’t helping other people get what they want?

What are you going to do today that will help someone get what they want?

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!

If you’re one of the busineses promoted often by your online group, you know that it’s been a long road to reach top of mind awareness in your community.

But if you’re new to the whole social networking scene, it may seem like an unwelcoming clique, where being cool and being online the longest are the only ways to get your business on that oft-promoted list.

I’m here to tell you though that it IS possible to get yourself on the list of businesses that are talked about online. And I’m going to tell you exactly how to do it. But first, before you get out there and start making your first contacts, you need to make sure you have your business in order:

1. An outstanding product. You aren’t going to get to the top of the promotion list by selling dirt-encrusted ice to Eskimos. Make sure you have a product that meets your target markets needs and that does what it is supposed to do.
2. Excellent customer service. Now more than ever, people go online to purchase products for two main reasons: Better prices and better service. Why go to the local drugstore to buy pregnancy tests when you can call an online dealer who will answer all your questions, in the privacy of your own home?
3. Shipping and return policies. Makes sure your prices are fair and competitive and that you have well-thought-out policies. And make sure they’re posted on your website.

Once you have the basics down, you’re ready to start telling the world about your business. But first, consider this: Social networking isn’t selling. You aren’t going to go to an online group and sell the members on your product. You’re going to go get to know them. You’re going to build a relationship with them. Then they’re going to ask about what you do and that’s when you can tell them. Pretty soon, someone is going to buy your stuff. And if you’re product is great and your service is great, then that someone is going to start telling others. And that’s social networking for business in a nutshell.

Of course, taking that tidbit of truth and creating a social networking campaign out of it is another story. Below are three techniques you can use to get started:

1. Forum networking. Unlike forum marketing, you aren’t just joining forums and putting a link in your signature, or purchasing ad space. In forum networking, you must become a valuable member of the community. Share your knowledge, help other people, and provide information that is needed. For example, let’s say you sell baby slings and you find a forum full of parents who believe in attachment parenting and live in your state. You’ll want to join their forum and then socialize with them, just as you would if you’d joined the forum for purely social reasons.When you see questions being asked about baby slings, provide information. Never promote your own product in your posts. Depending on the rules of the forum, you may be able to link to your website in your signature or in your forum profile.Once people notice your helpful answers, they will start clicking through to your site. And soon, those who purchase from you will start posting reviews and recommendations.
2. Facebook. With facebook, you can friend colleagues and members of your target market. Then keep them updated  through your profile of any news you may have, or link to articles on your blog that contain information beneficial to your customers. You can also create a group of people who will benefit from your product or service and communicate with the group. You can create a fan page for your products and you can even run very affordable and targetted ads. But primarily, you want to get to know your customers through Facebook.
3. Twitter. This is an excellent way to communicate with your customers. You can send them messages, like announcements of a free event you’re hosting, product updates, and tidbits of information that will benefit them. You can also answer questions your customers have — and ask them questions as well. For example, twitter would be an excellent place to poll your market about new color schemes for a new line of baby slings.

Of course, I’m just scraping the tip of the iceberg with these short paragraphs of information. You can learn more about a social media marketing at Product Sellers Talk Radio.

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 That Shows Appreciation.

From Jenn:

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!