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2 years ago
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I am often asked what is the secret to success to selling on eBay. What is the secret product that will make me money? What are the secrets of the real eBay PowerSellers? Where are the secret wholesale sources that no one else has? The truth is that none of these are secrets –practically everything about eBay is known.
Are their new ways of doing things and clever things that sellers discover? Sure, these happen all the time. You could call these secrets, but on eBay, once someone discovers a new secret for selling on eBay, they are quickly unearthed by everyone else and the secret doesn’t last very long.
There is one secret that top eBay sellers have however, that most people don’t know. And it’s very simple. You have to believe in yourself, believe in your business and seize opportunity that comes your way. Mostly don’t listen to the naysayers and non-believers. If you doubt the truth of that statement, here is a great article that should convince you.
I’m a Believer! Leaving Doubt and Seizing Opportunity!
Why do some people triumph against the odds in business? One of the reasons can be summed up in this phrase: “I’m a believer.” Much of what we can accomplish depends on whether or not we believe we can do it and then create opportunities for ourselves to accomplish our goals.
Take Mrs. Fields’ Cookies, for example. The critics said:
“A cookie store is a bad idea. Besides, the market research reports say Americans like crispy cookies, not soft and chewy cookies like you make.”
— Response to Debbi Fields’ idea of starting Mrs. Fields’ Cookies.
If Debbi Fields had not persevered when the going got tough, if she had not believed that she could make a business out of her idea (despite the skeptics), and if she had not moved forward without letting herself get hindered with self-doubt, she would have missed out on the opportunity of a lifetime.
What’s Just around the Corner?
To be open to the possibilities that may be just around the corner, you have to believe that something is there waiting for you. This means keeping your eyes open and your mind active. It’s having the skill, confidence, creativity, and discipline to seize opportunities the moment they arrive.
“Radio has no future. Heavier-than-air flying machines are impossible. X-rays will prove to be a hoax.”
— English scientist William Thompson, Lord Kelvin, 1899.
Enterprising people are always developing, following, and revising a plan until it works. They are extraordinarily resourceful, never letting anything get in their way. They do not understand the word “no” when it applies to their vision of the future. And when posed with a problem, they say, “Let’s figure out a way to make it work.”
Self-enterprising people see the future in the present. They find a way to take advantage of a situation, and not be burdened by it. They’re hard working and they don’t wait for opportunities to come to them—they go after the opportunities. Self-enterprise means always finding a way to keep yourself actively working toward your goal—toward your dream.
“The world potential market for copying machines is 5,000 at most.”
— IBM to the founders of Xerox, 1959
Leading Yourself Forward
What could you do if you had more skills? If you read the books, listened to the tapes, took the classes, went to the seminars, and stayed up late and burned the midnight oil? What true value could you develop? Once you can see how valuable you are, understanding self-worth is a whole new experience.
Self-worth plays a major role in self-enterprise. Your self-worth is the difference between being lazy and being active—being self-enterprising. Enterprise is always better than ease. Every time you choose to do less than you can, it effects your self-confidence, your self-worth. If you keep doing a little less, every day that you keep doing a little less, you are also being a little less.
By doing a little more each day, you’ll develop a new habit of doing rather than neglecting. Days and weeks and months of doing a little more will ultimately increase your confidence, your courage, your creativity, and your self-worth.
In the end, it’s how you feel about yourself that gives you the increased courage and creativity for self-enterprise. Your feelings about yourself provide the greatest reward for self-enterprise. It’s not what you get or what you accumulate that makes you valuable; it’s what you become.
“I’m just glad it’ll be Clark Gable who’s falling on his face and not Gary Cooper.” — Gary Cooper, after turning down the lead role in “Gone With The Wind.”
Success is in the Doing
Success isn’t in the having; success is in the doing. It’s the process of doing that brings value. It’s the activity that transforms our dreams into reality, which converts ideas into actuality. Self-enterprise is found in the activity, for without activity you’ll miss the opportunity.
“Space travel is bunk.” — Sir Harold Spencer Jones, Astronomer Royal of Great Britain, 1957, two weeks before the launch of Sputnik.
Business Plans For Online Sellers
You may not have written it down yet, but you probably have a few ideas in your head already about where your business should be headed and what your goals are.
It doesn’t matter if you have already started your business or you are getting ready to start your business; writing down your business goals is the first step towards writing your business plan.
You might be saying that you want to sell that camera you just picked up at a garage sale, at a great price by the end of the month. Bingo, you now have a business plan, albeit a very small and short term one. You just need to expand that somewhat and you are on your way.
A business plan should be dynamic. You should go back to it and change it maybe as often as every few months. You should review it often to see if you are still working towards the same goals you set for yourself when you wrote down your goals. If not, then take the time to revise and update your plan.
Your business plan should also include your expectations. Do you plan on this being a part-time business or full-time?
One you have your goals set, the next step is to figure out your costs and a budget
- How much money do you expect to make from your sales?
- eBay and PayPal fees
- Cost of shipping materials
- Cost to store your products
- Bookkeeping costs to record the transaction
So now how much is left? Is there any money left for you? If there is that is great, because that is why we are in business, to make some money.
Did the amount you have left for yourself meet the business plan goal you set? If not then you need to take a look and see how you can change your plan to reach your goal.
You could look for lower costs on your product and shipping materials. You could streamline how long it takes to do your bookkeeping. Ultimately there is a break even point where you sell a certain amount of items to meet or exceed your costs. Those costs include the money you plan to have leftover for yourself.
Review, Revise, Reward: Review often. Revise as needed to reach your goals. The Reward is a solid business plan that keeps you on the road to success with your business.
Consistent and Continuous application of organized effort towards a goal will lead to reaching that goal.
English (US) ·