EBay businesses have proven to be a lucrative business adventure for many moms that prefer to work at home. One thing to think about before beginning this type of business venture is the time commitment involved with it.
Work Life Balance
Keeping a work life balance is vital if you want to keep your sanity. You will need to decide ahead of time how many hours per week you want to devote to your business and come up with a plan on how to implement that.
A discussion with your family will be necessary so the children understand that at certain times (during your designated work hours) there should be minimal interruption so that you can focus on your new business. You may decide that you only want to work during nap times and after the children are in bed.
EBay Selling
If you are going to commit to an eBay selling business, you will have to decide ahead of time what you will be selling. Taking the time to research your chosen items will take time in itself. Some things sell better on eBay than others, and it will save you time in the end to know if you have made a time and money-smart choice.
Of course, there is also the option of listing items that you have around your home, which may or may not be lucrative for you.
Shopping
Shopping for items to sell on eBay will take time, and this needs to be built into your business commitment. Whether you decide to sell used items from local garage sales and thrift stores, or buy items in bulk on the internet to sell, it's all time that needs to be a part of your time management plan.
Listing Items
Many people starting an eBay business do not realize the time commitment involved in listing individual items to sell. If you are selling many of the same type of items, your time commitment may not be so involved once you have set an original template. However, if you are selling many different items, with different prices and descriptions, the time commitment is much larger.
Each item must have an accurate and detailed description in the Ebay listing. This can take considerable time, depending on the item and how many you are selling.
Checking Email
In order to build a successful eBay selling business, you will need to plan on checking your email at least once per day, and preferably more often. This is because often potential bidders will inquire about items, and it's important to be prompt in responding.
Checking your email is also important if you decide to stagger your listings to end at different times and days. You will have to wrap up your sell promptly in order to receive positive feedback from the bidders.
Post Office Runs
You will have to have established times to send out your sold items, either by designating days you will go to the post office, or by printing shipping information and having your local carrier pick the items up.
Any at-home business takes time to run; an eBay business has considerations that you may not have thought about, so be thorough in your research and business plan.
