posted on September 26, 2005 03:19:43 PM new
Hey fellow Vendonians ... I'm getting burned out with listing again. It always happens this time of year when I kick my auctions back up. I'm trying to list 10 a day 7 days a week for auctions and as many as I can in my store. Plus, shipping all of this stuff out. I'm really burned out. It is so tedious at times that I find myself doing anything else (even, gulp, housework!). How do you beat the burn out?
posted on September 26, 2005 03:39:55 PM new
I am a fiber artist and I stop listing stuff and work on my art. Now that I have moved all my ebay stuff; storage, photographing, wrapping, etc to another space, (back part of the garage), I can ignore it and concentrate on what is important. You need a break to do something you enjoy. A good book, a hobby, trying out a new recipe, get out of the house for an hour or a day. Do something else and your frame of mind will improve. Lunch with a friend; have a large glass of wine. Take a nap. Best of luck, Ruthie
posted on September 26, 2005 03:57:24 PM new
I just started "crafting" again as well. I make boxes and also do some glass painting. Great way to escape from the monotony. Problem is that after years of directing all of my creativity toward Photoshop I have rediscovered the fun of gettin lost in paint and wood dust and other mess making activities and sometimes forget to list. Finally just went ahead and started setting up a full weeks listings once a week. Now I just have to deal with the packing and shipping... and clearing space to do it
It's been a great way to deal with the burn out sice I don't consider the ebay thing to be my main focus.
~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~
An intelligent deaf-mute is better than an ignorant person who can speak.
posted on September 26, 2005 04:15:26 PM new
i have slave labor - my husband. thank God. he took over the packing and bookkeeping end of things, and that freed me up somewhat.
also subscribed to netflix, so when i can't stand listing anymore, i veg out on the sofa and watch last year's "desperate housewives" episodes that i missed. if not vegging out, i ride my exercise bike while watching movies. have gotten up to 14 miles a day and 20 pounds have dropped off, despite the fact that i still seem to spend most of my time sitting in front of the puter.
posted on September 26, 2005 04:28:19 PM new
I work a full-time job and sell online and I'm gearing up to start auctions again for the holiday season and burning the midnight oil getting my website spiffed up for the holidays doing SEO and new products etc.,etc., and I'm so burned out I could be a lump of coal
But I keep reminding myself that my end goal is to dump the FT job and just be home with my kids working on my own business and that keeps me at the computer. Pick your goal - whatever motivates you - and imagine reaching it.
posted on September 26, 2005 04:41:35 PM new
Wow, Bizzy - that's alot of auctions - what about just taking a 3 days per week and doing the listings then -scheduling them out for the rest of the week - then set aside a day or two off for yourself.
That's what I've been doing since eventually your eyes glaze over at the computer - and you feel like you could never look at Ebay again.
Also, see if there's a way to speed up your process - really review your routine to see if you can improve and get it done quicker. The less # of times you handle a product, the more efficient it is.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Caroline
posted on September 26, 2005 06:47:28 PM new
I found a huge box of Cross Stitch leaflets at a garage sale for just a few $$ so I am trying to list all those. I decided not to scan each one. I used my camera instead. Much easier and less time. I am now trying to sort out which ones are for my store and which ones are auction worthy. Sold a few already so at least I have made my money back and then some. I not only have all that but I have piles of stuff I want to get rid of that I haven't listed yet. I also have my regular cosmetic inventory I am still trying to get listed.
On top of everything I am working on craft items for relatives, craft shows and to sell online.
And on top of all that I am working full time. I just got a new job that I start next week as a Teacher's Assistant. I will only be working 35 hours (but making the same amount as I am working 40 hours right now) so I will have a little bit of extra time. I will also have a couple of days in October and Thanksgiving break to work on all this.
I just look at my office/craft room/Ebay room and shake my head. Ugh!!!
posted on September 27, 2005 10:27:45 AM new
My biggest "burn out reliever" is having an item sell for LOTS more than I expected...works for me every time! I also "escape" by watching re-runs of "Law & Order".
posted on September 27, 2005 10:38:54 AM new
I have been sewing lately also took on another part time job. I have cut way back on E-Bay,I list a few auctions and thats it.
**********************************
Two men sit behind bars,one sees mud the other sees stars.
posted on September 27, 2005 11:05:59 AM new
Bizzy:
They keyword is "tedious." I assume you sell a lot of very similar items -- which sounds, well, tedious.
Have you considered branching out into something different, perhaps something entirely new but an area in which you've always been interested? Otherwise, only selling in one small area sounds as repetitious as tying twist ties on electrical cords on an assembly line!
For those of you who sell post cards, kudos! Don't know how you do it without going soul and brain dead.
posted on September 27, 2005 10:17:02 PM new
LOL Birgitlaw I don't THINK I am brain dead yet- certainly hope my soul's not gone! Postcards are not for everyone but most of them are different enough to be interesting to those of us who like them.
Burn out is all part of the game I think...we all get it at some point or another. A few great sales do a lot to recharge listing batteries!
I list around 50 postcards/day and "tedious" can be an understatement!! I try to make it more interesting by experimenting ... sometimes by testing the effectiveness of using different titles - sometimes I try to find new listing/scanning shortcuts - whatever it takes to get me going again. I read this board to break up the tasks and sometimes the Vendio Roundtable for humor.
I have days where I just CAN'T list - I put up a bunch of relists on those days and just do something else. I am seriously thinking about scheduling listing 100 items 4-5 days/week instead of 50 on 7 days.
I had serious burn out about a month ago and decided to take an "email break". This new ebay message system has doubled the time it takes to answer "questions to seller" and most days I have to FORCE myself to read the emails...never used to be like that. The email break experiment DID NOT WORK so I don't recommend that idea!
Maybe you can try drafting 12 listings for 5 days (launch 10 and schedule 2 for the 6th day) so that you will have a "free" day on the 6th day...and then don't worry about your listings until it's time to send invoices.
You'll get through it..if all else fails - go BUY some new inventory - that ALWAYS works for me!
Caroline 