List stock as soon as it arrives
I don’t mean the stuff that’s already buried at the back of the warehouse, that’s for a rainy day project and lets face it I no longer know what’s there anyway. I’ll just try not to add to the several racks of forgotten treasures and list everything that comes in before the next delivery arrives.
Keep accounts up to date
Daily, maybe weekly, well I’ll at least do them monthly. Ok ok, I promise to do them at least once a year! Accounts are best done little and often, I know this, so why is it so hard?
Ship promptly
Well as quickly as I can anyway, if it can go today it get’s shipped today. Why put it off until tomorrow (and yes the customer does appreciate it).
Premises
I’ve been meaning to sort them out for ages, I have had a tidy up and re-org and I can get across to the back of the warehouse again. This’ll be the year to move into bigger premises and get properly organised though. Not only will I know where everything is, I’ll be able to get to it as well!
Know what’s listed
I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve sold out of a listing without realising and not relisted a new batch. No excuse now with the new 30 day listings so I’ll try keep on top of it.
Stats & Fees
I’ll spend more time to understand what’s selling well for what price. I’ll no longer have stock hanging around because the average price has dropped or not selling because I’ve not used the best keywords in the title.
Credit Control
Ok ok, so it’s not a sale until it’s paid, but I honestly don’t have time to chase the odd Non paying bidder. I’ll make time.
Time Management
Look I know I can pack everything before the courier arrives and still spend half the day answering ASQs and generally being distracted on Skype or phone calls, but that’s just how it is, it’s all work. I aim to do an extra hour’s real work each day (if I can fit it in). Turning off Skype and all open chat programs/browser windows/email for an hour should do the trick.
Forums/Facebook/Scrabble/Reversi
Reading forums isn’t a priority. I’ll save my next Scrabble move on Facebook for lunch times only. I also promise not to play Reversi unless it’s lunch time (anyone want a game?).
Lunch Time
I’ll set at least 30 minutes aside for lunch to do all the stuff I used to spend all morning doing. After all if I work harder I’ll deserve a break. (Oh… and that does tend to imply I’ll get to work well before lunch time, no more 2pm starts to the day).
So that’s my New Year resolutions, what do you intend doing to give your business a boost this year?
15 Responses
Finishing off the website….
1. Setting up more websites and another eBay store.
2. Close Amazon stores.
3. Try to finally convince Paypal that the UK’s largest Pallet Network does exist and it should except there POD’s as proof of delivery.
4. Stop going on about bloody eggs on Twitter, and trim down the list of people I follow who quiet frankly bore the hell out of me with there constant tweets about e’commerce.
5. Poke fun at anyone or anything involving Webinars.
6. Crush the competition on price and service.
7. Take a HTML course of some desciption, being the top poster in Technical Issues is getting a tad embarrasing.
8. What Chris said about Credit Control and Personal Accounts.
9. Most importantly, have fun. I sell an awful lot more when I am happy.
To do the important things before they become urgent.
Remember I work to live, not the other way round.
1, Realise it is easier to set up 50 websites each making £1000/pa than making 1 website hoping it makes £50K/pa
2, Realise it is easier to set up 50 websites each making £1000/pa than making 1 website hoping it makes £50K/pa
3 – 10, same as 1 and 2 😯
a. Find time to list the £5k of stock which has been sitting in dining room for 6 months
b. Not to post on the business board on .co.uk (thats one I will break by 9am tommorrow no doubt!).
c. To empty one of my two double garages so I can actually get to my fishing gear with falling over 1/2 tonne of seed beads!
1. try not to get carried away and buy more stock until the boxes labelled “2004” have been emptied
2. List more on eBay so that 1) might happen.
3. Keep blogs and Twitter to twice a day instead of every hour. Nobody will mind…
4. Find time to get more stock onto website, which will never get really off the ground unless it has stock in it.
I think if I could do at least a bit of these 4 it would be more than any other year… 🙁
oh, and just read Chris’s list and thought of
5 Stop whining about the accounts and actually get on with them.
and also
6. Stop worrying about what anyone else is doing and concentrate on doing what I want to do to the best of my ability
find time to spend the money I make! rather than spend time making more
February 5th & 6th could be a good time for you Northy ?
Plenty of people ‘down there’ will take your money 😀
Brilliant list!
My top 3
1. Finish website (eCommerce)
2. Offer customers are more personal shopping experience.
3. Make all customers feel that indeed they are Number 1.
I have a ton, but these 3 should provide an insight 🙂
Happy New Year
1. Stop buying new stock until 1999’s is listed and sold (I joke not).
2. Sign the tax return which has been sitting under the table since 12th December & return to accountant.
3. Accounts – do half an hour everyday.
4. Close down the tabs of chatboards, poker and games !!
Well I’ve already broken number 4.
Happy New Year tamebayers
1. List the ‘I’ll deal with that later’ stock pile.
2. Scale up the business and cut out the middleman by starting to import directly from manufacturers.
3. Finish the website.
Caroline
Is your shop an ‘off the shelf’ packge? If so do you mind saying who provides it?
Thanks
1. Make an eBay daily schedule and stick to it.
2. Learn to Just Say No on listing certain consignment items and concentrate on more quality consignment items. (it takes up too much time)
3. Start Selling on eBay U.K. (I’m over in the U.S.)
4. Stop wasting time and getting caught up in reading why everyone hates eBay.
(it still is the best Auction Website)
Good Luck to everybody in ’09.