Enter eBay listing services. With these convenient services’ you don’t need to spend all your valuable time listing many repeat auctions. eBay’s listing services will automate all the repeat listings of online auctions so that you can concentrate on running your business and keeping your customers happy’ and spend less time on repetitive chores.

eBay has lots of easy to use auction management software. One of the best ones for managing repeat online auctions is eBay’s Turbo Lister. What this program does is keep track of multiple auctions at once’ using a program that looks a lot like Windows Explorer’ so experienced Windows users will have no trouble adapting to it.

Using an easy-to-understand WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) user interface’ Turbo Lister enables you to keep track of literally hundreds (or even thousands) of auctions at the drop of a hat. The best part? This program is completely FREE to registered eBay users!

What Are Some Other Helpful eBay Services?

eBay provides many helpful listing services to both experienced and novice’ small and high volume sellers to help them keep track of their auctions’ no matter how much or how little they happen to be selling. For low volume sellers’ eBay’s basic listing form is very easy to use – you don’t need to be a computer expert to use it.

For sellers who sell the same items repeatedly’ eBay provides their “Turbo Lister” to help you with your online auction management. And for higher volume sellers’ eBay offers their Selling Manager and Blackthorne listing services.

John Lenaghan writes about eBay and other online auctions for the Online Auction Advisor website’ where he writes about things such as dropshippers‘ how to make money on eBay and many other auction-related topics.

So I took a moment and sat down and thought how I could deal with these items and still make money. What I ended up doing was thinking outside the ebay sellers box and coming up with selling them at cost to make a fortune.

What I mean by this was that I was going to sell the items at no loss to me on ebay but then use the opportunity to build a relationship with the buyer that could be used to build long term profit for me. Think of it as :

A loss leader without the Loss!

Let me use a couple of examples :

Scenario One

Item sells on ebay for 20 profit’ buyer buys the item and pays and thats the end of it. Your total profit is 20.

Scenario Two

Items sells at cost’ zero profit but you use the sale as an opportunity to build a relationship with the buyer and lock them into your business. The buyer then buys one item a month (maybe more!) for a year giving you a profit of 240 (minimum). If these are from your website not ebay your profit will be greater as you will have no fees. Over the lifetime value of a customer this could mean thousands of pounds profit…

It is common knowledge that when a customer is locked into your business or product then they are more likely to repeat purchase’ which is where the fortune part of the equation comes in. The principle can also be used when you sell at full price but as you are selling at a bargain price the customer is more likely to be interested in your offer as they will put your product and value into the same sentance.

What I am asking you to do is to take a critical look at what the true worth of ebay actually is’ is is not just in instant terms but the long term possibilities far outway the short term profits.

The question is now’ ‘How do you build this relationship?

There are a number of ways but by far the most successful that I use is by using a simple email!!! No harder than that this building a relationship idea…

Once the customer has bought my ebay item I send a simple receipt via email thanking them for thier purchase and making them aware of my website and offering them the opportunity to join my mailing list so that I can contact them with furthur offers they may be interested in.

I make it very clear that I have no intention of flooding them with spam and give them the choice of the number of times they will be contacted in a month. This has two effects’ they gain trust in your professionalism as you are seen not to be just harvesting emails and it also makes them feel in control as they set the frequency of contact.

It does mean that I have to operate a number of mailing lists but this is a small price to pay to lock customers into my products.

The majority of my customers (approx. 90%) join the ’1-4 times a month list which is great as this means that I can contact them once a week with offers if I needed. This is a frequency that I feel is adequate to maintain the relationship between me and my customers as I am not seen to be spamming them but still seen to be offering products of interest to them.

It is also important to note that I do not always send out one mailing a week as it is dependent on the product you sell as to whether the customer would want to purchase once a week. i believe greatly in the relationship that I have with my customers and can see the long term benefits of maintaining this and therefore I refuse to jepordise it for a quick profit.

A point to remember’ if they choose not to take the opportunity to join your list then do not keep emailing them. this is SPAM and will do no more than tarnish your company’ website and products image in the eye of the buyer.

What I am saying is Think outside of the ebay box‘ ebay offers a massive opportunity in terms of potential customers and long term profits as opposed to short term profits.

How much would it cost to get the number of page views’ that ebay listings get’ on your website using your own traffic generating methods’ use ebay and use it good.

Mike – Webmaster and ebay Power Seller
Online Auction Trader – an ebay sellers bible.

Here are some tips that will help you create paper piecings that will sell!

Save some time by eliminating the “tracing” of patterns. Take your pattern’ lay it over your cardstock and use your stylus to “trace” it onto your cardstock. You won’t need a light box or copier for this and you can re-use your patterns again and again.

Use the Fiskars soft-tip micro-touch ones. They have an ultra fine tip that will allow you to get into small spaces and make precision cuts. You should also try to move your paper around instead of moving the scissors. This will allow you to cut a smooth and even line.

Sets that have more than one matching piece do better than a stand alone paper piecing. Even a title or matching smaller accent piece of paper helps! Other things that help are matching tags’ journaling boxes’ corners’ borders’ or stickers.

Learn how to do details. Invest in a very thin tipped black pen and a white gel pen to add detail to your pieces.

Use lots of shading on your paper piecings. Shade with chalk – use the teenie tiny pompoms with hemostates to hold the pompom to do your chalking and shading in small places. Take a look at some tole books to learn how to create proper shading on your sets. Practice shading techniques by taking a household object and shining a light on it. Note where the shadows and highlights are. Move the light and see how the shading changes.

Make your paper piecings special or unique. Try to use the latest scrapbooking trends in new and unusual ways.

Pay attention to color schemes. Invest in a color wheel and earn how to use it.

Organize Your Paper Piecings

Use a set of drawers’ page protectors or other filing system to keep track of all of your paper piecings. Separate them by:

(1) paper piecings that have been bid on/sold but not sent out
(2) paper piecings that have not been sold
(3) paper piecings in progress

You can also have them packed and ready to ship as you list You may need to combine some paper piecings for a customer that wins multiple pieces’ but the packing is already done and makes shipping go faster!

Setting Up An Accounting and Tracking System

Having a detailed and organized accounting system is essential for a paper piecing business.

Set up a three-ring binder’ index card’ folder’ spreadsheet or file system that includes the following information for each auction:

Title (you may want to place a printed copy of the paper piecing along with the information)

Date Listed
Starting Bid
Date Sold
Final Bid
Winning Bidders Information:
E-mail
Ebay ID
Name
Address
Fees:
Ebay
Postage
Insurance
Packaging
Total Due
Total Profit
1st notice sent
2nd notice sent
3rd notice sent
Form of payment
Payment received date
Date PP sent to buyer
Notice that it was sent
Give feedback
Receive feedback
Other bidders

Spruce Up Your Auctions With Basic HTML

Basic HTML is easy to learn and can really make a difference in the appearance of your auctions. Go to http://www.lissaexplains.com/html.shtml and learn some HTML information that you can use in your auction description box. You can type up a “template” using HTML in Word or WordPad and just “fill in the blanks” each time you want to list a new auction. This saves a lot of time.

Advertising Your Auction

Don’t count on your auctions to advertise themselves! Create an email list and ask every customer if they would like to be notified when you list new auctions. Repeat customers will become some of your best customers.

Keep your email addresses grouped in your address book on your computer and send using the “BCC” so that you are not revealing their email address to everyone else.

When you list new auctions’ just send out a short email letting them know what you have listed and include a link to your listings page.

You can also send out advertisements on scrapbooking related “groups” or email lists. You can do a search on Yahoogroups.com’ the MSN groups or any other email list to find scrapbooking groups. Email the list owner to find out what their policies are regarding ads. A lot of lists allow ads to be placed once a week.

There are also “For Sale and Trade” message boards at scrapbooking sites that you can advertise at. I don’t recommend advertising on regular message boards’ though’ because most of them don’t allow it and it will really get everyone upset!

Accepting and Pricing Custom Orders

You’ve got QUESTIONS? “I was just asked if I could do a Custom of one of my PP’s for a person that lost out on the bid. How would I charge someone for something like that?”

We’ve got ANSWERS! You should try to charge right around the same price of the ended auction. Maybe a few dollars short of that. Only do this if you are satisfied with the ending bid price. If the price was too low’ feel free to quote a higher price for your work. Be sure to make it worth your time and effort. Don’t sell yourself too cheaply!

Here is a form letter you can use to reply to custom requests:

“Hello! Thank you so much for you interest in placing a custom order for XXXXXXX. I would be willing to make this paper piecing for you for $XXXX plus $XXX for shipping. Please note that insurance is optional and would cost an additional $XXX.

Custom orders may be slightly different than the set you have seen because these items are handmade. Colors may vary slightly also’ but I always attempt to get as close to the original as I can.

Please be advised that I am currently allowing XXX weeks for any custom orders. You can pay for this order using PayPal’ check or money order.

Please respond to this email to let me know if you still want to order this set. Include your name’ address and any special instructions for the paper piecing. Thanks again for your interest!”

Providing Good Customer Service

Working with customers through online auction sites is the same as working with any other type of customer. Do your best to provide good customer service. If somebody isn?t pleased with an item that they receive’ do your best to replace the item or refund the money.

You may want to offer incentive programs to repeat winners. You could offer a discount after so many wins or even offer to do a free paper piecing after the person wins X amount of your auctions.

Always answer emails in a timely manner’ ship items as soon as you receive payment and be polite in all of your correspondence.

Copyright (c); 2002 Antuanette Wheeler
http://www.misstonigifts.com

Miss Toni Gifts started out as a small pin sales site and blossomed over the last few years into a pin/bookmark combo design business.

We are three women who have known each other forever. We have all been involved in scouting’ scrapbooking and general arts and crafts for a LONG time. This is really a family affair because Glenda is the Mom’ Toni is the daughter’ and Missy is a friend for over 20 years!

Another thing you might want to do is to go where your probability of success is greatest.

When you work long and hard at the apparently futile’ remember that your sense of futility is a lie; it is merely your conditioned mind reminding you of your limits; the lie seeks to eliminate your future promise.

Sooner or later’ you’ll get results.

Above all’ in the throes of failure persist. Persistence can initiate success. When talent and effort have been exhausted’ persistence will carry you through to the end. Sometimes all that is needed to change a hopeless situation is hanging on until you find the millionth pebble.

In the memorable words of Winston Churchill’ "Never’ never’ never’ never give up."

The mass appeal of movie-character Indiana Jones is that he symbolizes the quality of persistence. No matter how bad things get’ he keeps on trying one more time.

Eventually’ somehow’ despite every reversal’ he breaks through to his goal.

You’ too’ must learn the art of persistence. Persist when you’re completely exhausted. Persist when all efforts fail. Persist when you feel hopeless. You will find your dream if you can persist long enough.

You may sometimes win through sheer luck. You may sometimes win through broad talent. But’ eventually’ neither luck nor talent will be enough’ and the principle of persistence is all that you will have left. In the end’ it may be that persistence is your only abiding friend. It will pull you through all the pain’ all the toil’ all the hardship. In the long run’ persistence’ more than any other trait of success’ makes a true winner. Persistence pays. It pays handsomely. With persistence comes learning and adaptation. With persistence comes luck and change.

To succeed in anything’ learn how to endure adversity’ learn how to feel confident in the midst of obvious failure. Let no-one and nothing deter you from your heart’s desire.

Water persistently washing against the hardest rock will eventually erode it away. Be as water. "Beware of no-one more than of yourself’" said Charles Spurgeon. "We carry our worst enemies within us." When you give up’ you let yourself down. You lose your chance at success. You also lose your self-confidence.

Persist! Stick to what you set out to do. Stick to it even if it doesn’t seem worth it. Physical energy’ moods’ circumstances change. The darkness passes. In the face of failure’ poverty’ loneliness and obscurity’ persistence brings you success.

Resource Box

Saleem Rana got his Masters degree in psychotherapy from California Lutheran University. His articles on the internet have inspired over ten thousand people from around the world. Discover how to create a remarkable life

Copyright 2004 Saleem Rana. Please feel free to pass this article on to your friends’ or use it in your ezine or newsletter. It’s a shareware article.

Or are you buying into the myth’ the illusions? There are so many things aimed at people to help them build their lives and businesses; as though they are not enough themselves; as though the magic and mystery of existence were there to thwart your success. It’s so far from the truth of the abundance available in the universe. It often shocks and surprises me to see this disturbing trend. Whatever the truths are’ I’m here to say there is MORE!

Dismantle the illusions of safety’ security’ structures’ that create a prison of expectation’ necessity’ and image. Get into the risk of playing in the mud’ getting dirty’ letting go and letting God’ magic’ Source’ energy (whatever belief/name suits you). You had it happening once as a kid. Bring it alive again. Inside’ you are yearning for it.

Get excited again about the adventure’ this life. Get curious and playful with your day-to-day’ with your business’ with your home’ relationships’ and finances. If you resist and prefer safety’ security’ and rigidity’ I’m curious:

• So how’s that working for you?
• Where are you still dissatisfied?
• What don’t you want to let go of?
• What’s it costing you?

These thoughts’ while universal’ really are inspired by the tragic scarcity demonstrated in the world. Obviously it doesn’t affect everyone’ but we do see some living in scarcity. This is a boost to those that do need it and a reminder to those of us who get it but are still human in our experience.

Lee Down is a Professional Coach’ Trainer/Facilitator’ Speaker’ & Writer of One Man Can Human Capital Development that focuses on relationships’ the key foundation to success in business and life. With more than 15 years professional experience and a thirst for truth and understanding’ he focuses on the human spirit and human capacity.

Working with clients’ he facilitates the breaking down of beliefs’ barriers or obstacles that bring clients forward on their journey of discovery with spirit’ energy’ abundance’ passion and purpose’ integrating the mind and body experience. Working with business’ he brings visionary leadership and relationship skills to the forefront that witnesses an empowered culture evolve and develop directly impacting the improvement to the bottom-line.

In the eternal journey of life’ human beings are almost comical in a bizarre kind of way. Television ads tell us that we “need” certain products and services to “make” us feel better’ look better and think better. Other sociological commercialization is exhibited by actors and actresses — as they all seemingly have an incredible physical appearance’ coupled with extreme self-confidence. But here’s the bottom line: not all people are perfect. Not all actors and actresses have super bodies. Not all individuals have perfect complexions’ and gorgeous hair. So what do we do? We improvise — and then we compromise.

We improvise with products’ services’ clothing’ makeup’ and the like. We compromise ourselves’ though’ because we are no longer “true” to our natural form. Persons who feel they “must” actively change themselves to appear like others’ is moreover a matter of self-esteem — or lack thereof.

The most proficient and successful goal of life is to “Aspire to be YOU.” Take a long look at yourself in the mirror. Ask yourself the following questions:

• What do YOU want to do?
• How do YOU wish others to see you?
• What defines me?
• Am I confident?
• Am I happy?
• What can I do to be happier?
• What are my goals?
• What are my dreams and aspirations?
• Do I ‘need’ to transform myself? And most importantly’
• Do I know where I’m going in life?

There are no paradoxes in aspiring to be you. When you aspire to be you’ one doesn’t need to comparison shop for personalities. One merely has to look within to find his/her unique meaning in life and how s/he emits himself or herself in the community. When you aspire to be you’ you don’t have to be superman or woman. You only have to be you — in mind’ body and spirit. Nature’s gift to mankind’ is not how you define yourself by becoming someone else — rather’ how you present yourself to you. Aspire to be yourself’ and the rest of life’s voyage will be smooth sailing.

Copyright 2003 – Aspire to Be
by C. Bailey-Lloyd/LadyCamelot

About the Author: C. Bailey-Lloyd/LadyCamelot is the Public Relations Director & Staff Writer for Holistic Junction — Your source of information for Holistic Practitioners; Naturopathy‘ Naturopathic Schools‘ Massage Therapy Schools and Reflexology Schools; Alternative Healthcare; Insightful Literature and so much more!

If you’ve decided to keep reading answer a couple of questions first.

How old are you? What have you done in all these years that you can be proud of? What have you done to become successful and happy person? And now let me ask you just one last question – WHY aren’t you successful and happy yet?

In my long practice with people I’ve heard so many different answers that if I’d decide to write them all down I could publish a 500 page book. I’d call it “The guide for people who want to be miserable and stay that way forever”.

Think about it… Who is responsible for you not being happy and successful?

Not your neighbors’ not your wife’ not the circumstances’ not the economy or the weather. YOU ARE.

It is YOUR life’ YOUR choices and YOUR responsibility. I know it is very hard to accept’ because we are so used to blame everyone and everything for our unhappiness and our failures. We don’t want to take responsibility for our actions. Furthermore’ we’re afraid of the responsibility because if something goes wrong we will have no one to blame for it’ but ourselves. This includes the level of your achievements’ the quality of your relationships with other people’ the state of your physical health’ your debts or your lack of self discipline.

When you refuse to accept responsibility for the situation’ you lose control over it. You will feel depressed and frustrated because you can’t change the circumstances’ you can’t change the economy and you can’t change other people’ you can only change yourself.

That change will give you great benefits. Instead of a life victim’ you will become a successful’ self-confident person. You will make life what you want it to be. Responsibility for the actions and self-esteem is the only small but crucial difference between a dismal failure and an impressive success. It doesn’t take long to go from failure to success. All it takes is an attitude adjustment.

You can start making small changes in your life right this moment. Don’t wait any longer’ because until you don’t do something about your life’ nothing is ever going to change.

For example’ if you had a fight with someone’ say “I’m sorry I overreacted. I shouldn’t have yelled at you”. Don’t say “You said this or did that. You made me lose my temper!” If you are late for work’ say “I’m sorry’ I overslept. I’ll make sure it won’t happen again”. Don’t say “My alarm clock didn’t ring” or “Traffic was really bad”.

If you screw up’ admit it. Take the responsibility for your actions instead of saying “Mistakes were made”.

Learn from your mistakes. Analyze what kind of changes you can make right now to achieve your goals in future. Important thing is to constantly move forward. Don’t wait for the opportunity to appear at your door step or the planets align the right way. Create your own opportunities.

Copyright 2005 Arina Nikitina

Arina Nikitina is the owner of http://www.RecipesForYourSuccess.com website where she shares proven tips and techniques on how to lead happy and fulfilling life you deserve. Visit: http://www.recipesforyoursuccess.com