Have you heard about our September Challenge yet?  It’s time to get serious!  But serious work requires serious preparation.  Are you ready yet?  Here are 13 tips to help you get there!

Don’t be overwhelmed!  I don’t expect you to do all of these today.  In fact, over the next few weeks we will be covering these topics (and more!) in depth.  This is just a sample of what awaits!

1)  Clean your workspace!  A tidy, organized space makes for a more productive worker.  Remember to take pictures of your work, too!  We’re running some contests this month, and I happen to know that those before and after pictures could be lucrative for you…

2)  Organize your shipping supplies.  Group like items together, and find a home for them where they can be neatly displayed and easy to access.

3)  Take inventory of your shipping supplies.  While you’re straightening up, make note of what you are low on and order them now.  It really stinks to be out of your favorite size of polymailer, or the free priority mail boxes.  Stay ahead of the game!

4)  Think about the shipping ‘extras’.  Tissue paper, plastic bags, business cards, stickers.  Is it time to re-evaluate your methods?

5)  Along with re-evaluating comes re-pricing.  Have you compared prices recently?  Look around to make sure you’re still getting the best deal!

6)  Think about where you spend your time each day.  What is the hardest for you?  What takes the longest?  Where are you most in need of improvement?

7)  Go through existing inventory.  Before you list another thing, look at what you’ve already got listed.  Compare your physical inventory to your eBay/Amazon/website listings, and make sure everything is accounted for properly.  It is *so* easy to get off-track!

8)  Branch out!  If you’ve never sold on Amazon before, this is a great time to give it a try.  If you’d like to be able to sell toys at Christmas, you must meet Amazon’s sales requirements now (more on this tomorrow).

9)  Get your ducks in a row.  Your paperwork *must* be in order before the busy fall and holiday season is upon us.  Trust me – if you get it together now, you will be very glad you did come tax time!

10)  Consider your image.  Does your store represent you in the way you want to be represented?  Is it time for a makeover?  A new listing template or a new storefront design can bring a spark of energy to your store, and motivate you to take your business to the next level.  I don’t for a second believe that my cute storefront increased my sales.  But I definitely believe that it made me happy, thus inspiring me to list more and work harder.  And if you list it, they will come!

11)  Give us your feedback.  What do you need to change?  What are you looking for in this month’s challenge?  Please share below and we will use your input to tailor our blog posts this month.  We want to help YOU!

12)  Encourage your fellow storks!  We’re all in this together, and we ALL benefit from a positive, encouraging atmosphere.  HCTS is known for being friendly and helpful, and as Emeril would say, this month we’d like to kick it up a notch!

13)  Comment!  Every comment you make on our September blog entries will earn you an entry into a prize giveaway!  By reading the blog you will gain motivation and inspiration.  By commenting on the blog, you could gain even more!

As I mentioned earlier, don’t let all of this scare you off!  We will be writing about all of these topics (and more!) in depth over the next month, and we will be here to help you every step of the way.  We’ve got fun games along the way, and prizes that I know you’ll love.  It’s gonna be a great month!

And if you aren’t a HCTS member yet, what are you waiting for?  Please, click the link below and join us now – you won’t regret it!

Filed under: Listing Challenges, Tips and Tricks by BellaBuggy
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