posted on January 7, 2004 05:40:07 AM new
I have not even made much money from EBAY, have to report for 'work' in two hours, and I sooo don't want to go. All I want to do is sit here and list my 'stuff'.
How much of ebay do you all think is the item itself, or the advertising or the idea that sells the item?
Sometimes I think my ideas are better than my products. (Gave some ideas to the owners of the new place I am at for promo on the business and hubby said not to do that. "Let them think of their own ideas and shoulder the burden of THEIR business, he tells me." But since doing EBAY I almost cant help it. I think of these things.
posted on January 7, 2004 06:27:28 AM new
Neroter - being the "new kid" at work is a very stressful thing. No matter how savvy you are or how qualified, there are so many things you don't know. I'm retired now (and really enjoying it) but about seven years ago I was the new 58 year old kid in a prosecutor's office. After two weeks, I almost quit. The stress spilled over to everything, making me feel unhappy and disconnected. I stuck it out (the money and benefits were good) and when I retired last year, I was loving it! I was told that I would be stressed and unhappy with retirement, but that didn't happen. Maybe because I still sell on eBay. So, hang in there and remember, it's only a job.
posted on January 7, 2004 07:08:21 AM new
earthmum, thanks for the note of encouragement. I need the income but really on the fence about it.
Trying to figure out if its me, because have been basically working for myself the past year - (and not used to taking anal comments,) or this is the way it is when you're bound working for somebody else?
I am waitressing at a brand new restaurant. The owners are new at it too and understandably, they want everything to be just perfect. Their vision is to cater to an upscale clientele, but its really still a lunch shop in an office park. I mean, were not wearing cumber-buns or anything, you know? Yesterday was my second day. I made a few goof-ups, ...havent waitressed for a long long time. But then one of the owners gave the other waitress MY Credit Card tips (by mistake or because she was mad I goofed??)on top of being reprimanded for the tinyest stupid things. I am a pretty strong and by nature a humble person, but I don't know if I can take this on a daily dosage basis.
Quick, somebody recommend a wholesaler for me!! lol.,Hope today is better.
posted on January 7, 2004 07:11:45 AM new
Aintrichyet - just go to work for 50 years and then it should be easy! And start planning for retirement, even if you are only in your twenties - makes for a stress free retirement. Neroter - I was in such a hurry to post words of encouragement that I did not address your question. I think that it is a blend of all three - the item, the advertising and the venue. I have snapped up many a good piece of jewelry that was poorly described; unique quality items are easy to sell; and eBay is a great venue, despite its shortcomings.
posted on January 7, 2004 07:21:24 AM new
Waitressing is a very tough job. And the owners appear to be really anxious, so they are not thinking about your feelings. I hope they gave you your CC tips. My daughter is a veterinary nurse, but before she found the right job, she was bartending. I was amazed at the tips she made. She worked at an American Legion post. She tells me that at the trendy bars, the bartenders make as much as $400 in tips per night. Don't know if I could put up with the drunks, though!
posted on January 7, 2004 07:38:25 AM new
Earth - the funny thing about bartending is that generally the lower the tips on the job, the worse the drunks are. Shot and draft clubs are the worst - lots of drunks, rotten tips. At the trendier clubs where the tips often reach that 3-400 a night mark bartenders have much less contact with drunks, the waitresses usually end up with them, or the bouncers. Management tries to keep the bartenders and some the waitresses as well insulated from things that will distract them since they are where the money is. Better to hire a couple extra inside security people to keep an eye on the patrons than to lose drink orders and possibly parons because of problems.
Nero - new business owners are the worst to work for. They have a picture of perfection in their head and most of what they own on the line. They are scared, they are nervous and they have put much of their fate into the hands of their employees who if it is a brand new business, they don't know well enough to quite trust yet. Stick it out, see if the next few days don't go better as you get used to their systems and they get to know you as someone capable of helping to carry their dream. Of course if a couple weeks go by and they are still shrews and have shreaded your patience and good nature then go to them put in your notice and tell them why. Sometimes people don't realise that their inner panic has tured them into a manic #*!@ from hell
~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~
If it's really "common" sense, why do so few people actually have it?
[ edited by fenix03 on Jan 7, 2004 07:39 AM ]
posted on January 7, 2004 09:07:10 AM new
Sort of on the subject here:
How many of you have read "Nickled and Dimed in America," by Barbara Ehrenreich? I read it about two years ago and it revolutionized the way I see service workers, including waitresses.
Barbara wrote a very readable, hard to put down book, out in paperback now. She decided to take a series of minimum-wage jobs and see if she could actually live on what she was paid, including tips if any. No, she couldn't. She worked in a restaurant, a nursing home, a WalMart, a Merry Maids (the worst!), and somewhere else I've forgotten, in various geographic locations around America.
Her description of working in the restaurant alone is worth the price of the book, and, after reading the book, I will NEVER hire Merry Maids to clean my house!
Easy reading, well worth the time. It was on the best-seller lists for a long time. I highly recommend it. (I now tip more than I ever did before, and, when I'm in Walmart I really look at the workers there.)
___________________________________
"I have resolved to allow my friends their peculiarities." -- Samuel Johnson
[ edited by Roadsmith on Jan 7, 2004 09:07 AM ]
posted on January 7, 2004 09:18:37 AM new
neroter: You sound as though you are considering doing eBay full-time.
Usually it is disgust or frustration with working for someone else that starts a part-time seller down this road.
I work three times as hard for myself as I ever did for anyone else. I make less money. But I don't have those late-night doubts, or trepidation about going to work, or frustration from having to deal with obstinately-stupid managers. I set my own hours and if I want to take a three-hour lunch, I do. As long as enough money comes in to pay the bills, everyone's happy.
Gave some ideas to the owners of the new place I am at for promo on the business and hubby said not to do that. "Let them think of their own ideas and shoulder the burden of THEIR business."
This is what makes me think you may be a nascent entrepreneur. I know that I have had to resist the urge so many times to give advice to other business owners about promotion and marketing. Here's what I would do if I were you: Stick with your current situation until it becomes intolerable. Meanwhile, visit Amazon and pick up some used books on marketing, like the original _Guerrilla Marketing_. There's a whole series of them now, but start with the first. They don't address online sales much but that's okay, because you're going to want to be thinking about how to promote your online sales offline.
There are sources for merchandise that don't require a top secret clearance. As most know by now, I sell on one of the big b2b auction places (who is a Vendio advertiser), but you may not know that I have also been a buyer on that site. There is money to be made. Stick with things that you know about or are able to research. And be willing to eat a mistake or two.
posted on January 7, 2004 05:54:51 PM new
I LOVE YOU GUYS, you know that??!!
Without sounding mushy, I hope I get to meet some of you one day at an Ebay Live or something so I can give ya a hug.
Everything everyone posted is so right on the money!! I really shouldnt be so surprised, but you are all clearly very experienced in life and astute people readers.
I'll see how it goes by Friday before making any final evaluation. Fluff, thanks for the point that direction. I appreciate it.
Horsey: It never pays to be as smart or smarter then your boss. But you live you life, and get to the point ya gotta be who you are.
Thanks again all. let you know how it goes.
(PS: why do *my* threads always sound like that line from 'doc hollywood' where he says, "so what happened with Ellen and the Pakistani?" lol
