Web Sellers Circle
By · CommentsI recommend the site Web Sellers Circle and as a member I know this is another great way to network.
Web Sellers Circle is a site that gives you the tools you need to be successful with any online venture. They cover topics such as online selling venues, e-books, marketing, product sourcing and much more. I’ve been a member since the beginning and I am always amazed how much I learn.
Cindy Shelbly and Dany Bryn are the owners and the brains of this great site. The amount of knowledge the two of them have is impressive and the fact they can take that knowledge and teach us is a talent. There is a great discussion board for questions and lots of help. You can find articles and hours of video filled with information covering many topics. Cindy and Dany are both very approachable and always asking for ideas on what the members want and I feel that is important.
You can sign up for the free newsletter or consider joining by clicking on the banner on my site. There are 3 ways to join one month renewal, 3 month renewal, or yearly and at $125 that is by far the best option.
This is another great way to network especially on the discussion boards where you meet other members and share ideas and information. I used to think that you needed a huge network to be successful but a smaller group of sharing and networking together can accomplish a lot. I think getting to know the people you are networking with means a lot and over time can really help your business. The plus side to a smaller network is many over time become friends as well as business associates and in the world today no one can have to many friends.
Networking on Twitter
By · CommentsI have found that I actually enjoy Twitter and as an added bonus it is a great place to Network. We all have our favorite social networking sites and for many it is Facebook. Don’t get me wrong I’m on Facebook too but given the choice Twitter comes first every time.
I think that since time is always short Twitter is a lot quicker to use and not as involved as Facebook. I tend to get on Twitter for a little bit and then get off and get some work done and it is easy to just pop in and out during the day without spending a lot of time on the site.
I think with any type of social networking you have to establish some relationships with people. I am quick to unfollow people that only post stuff for sale and nothing else so I try to find a balance between sales and sharing with people.
I have been very lucky to meet some great people that over time have become friends. We share part of our day and also sales which is a great way to network. I usually try to get on Twitter about the same time every day and often my friends are on then too. There are days it is not even about networking just a couple of friends chatting about their day. I actually look forward to seeing my friends on there and it is often a nice short break during the day.
I use Tweekdeck and have my friends organized in lists which makes it very easy to see tweets from them. I also use Hootsuit to schedule my tweets at times but have to admit I tend to schedule less tweets and just do it when I am on.
I do try to limit my time on Twitter so that I can get my work done but if you are looking for a quick and easy way to network try Twitter . You can find me bookcornercafe and a few of my friends birdhousebooks, JohnJZiemba, renagades, brenners57, antiquedaze and mymomsbooks This is just a small group of my friends that I regularly tweet with on Twitter. If you haven’t used Twitter lately you should check it and come follow me.
Friends make Great Networking Partners
By · CommentsI belong to a group that was started by a very special lady using yahoo groups. Beth has been an online seller before Ebay even started and has been on Ebay since the beginning. She set up a yahoo group for sellers on ebay and other venues and we all take turns writing to a blog . The name of our blog is The DSR’s of Our Lives and it truly is the soap opera of our lives. The nicest thing about our blog is sharing our lives and our businesses with each other which helps and promotes us all.
I bet you are wondering what this has to do with Networking. We all take turns writing to the blog about anything. There are posts about or lives, our families, our selling venues, our items the topics are actually endless. The one thing this does is help us all with our sales since many of us post using our business names. There are also many of us who use both Twitter and Facebook and so once the posts are done we all post and comment on each others posts. My favorite is Twitter and so I always Re-Tweet my friends posts and I also comment on the posts on Facebook.
Every time people comment or Re-Tweet posts it helps with Google and showing up in Google searches is very important today. I know by having a close group of friends who are doing this we are all helping each other. There are many ways to get your name out there or your items for sale and this is a very simple and free way to do it.
The next time you are looking for some free ways to promote your business and your products look to your friends.
How Important is Online Networking?
By · CommentsI wonder if you realize how important online networking is today and how it can help your business? We are all trying to carve a little piece of the web for ourselves and our businesses and to do that we need to network.
I am going to use Ebay as an example since I have been selling there for many years. I, like most Ebay sellers have had both good and not so good times with Ebay but overall I like selling there and my sales have been improving. I sell many one a kind vintage type items so I have some repeat customers but not as many as I would say if I sold kids clothes. We all know kids constantly need clothes but one of a kind items need that special buyer looking for that item.
There are many different ways to network today and really there is no right on wrong place just what works for you and your business. I am partial to Twitter as my first choice and have seen my business grow using Twitter . I do know that in order for any type of networking to work you need to have a relationship on the site not just post your items for sale. I also believe to build up that network you need to take time and nurture it just like you would in the brick and motor world. If you think about it networking online is not that different from networking in your personal lives.
The same basics apply regular contact with people, sharing (not just sale items), treating people like you want to be treated, passing along their information to help them and all working towards the goal of building a business. These things apply to both Twitter and if you were a member of the local Chamber of Commerce. There is really no difference in the principles just how they are done.
There are many ways and many places to network online today and we each need to find what works for us and our businesses. I joined the ultimate blog challege which besides helping me to focus on blogging it is also a networking opportunity. We are posting our blog posts on Twitter . and sharing information and it’s a great way to meet new people, share business info and even become friends long after the challenge is over.
Tomorrow I will share another way to network with friends and as the days go by I will show you the sales that have followed from networking.
Ultimate Blog Challenge
By · Comments
We all look at Jan 1st as a new beginning in our lives and a chance for a fresh start. I want to work on regularly blogging and this challenge looks like just what I need.
I decided to join the Ultimate Blog Challenge today for the month of January. This will help to motivate me in regularly blogging and meeting new bloggers. I have enjoyed blogging but often for me it gets put on the back burner and I am hoping this challenge will help change that. This will also help all of us with Traffic to our blogs by sharing on Twitter and Facebook
The great thing about this Blog Challenge is anyone can join so here is a video to watch if you would like to find out more about how it works.
A Challenge like this will help keep me accountable for the month and I am hoping after this month is over I will continue to blog. I enjoy writing on my blog and reading other blogs and this Challenge will help me do both.
This is the beginning of the month and it is easy to sign up and join and did I mention this is free. What a great way to start the New Year and I look forward to seeing you there.
Do You Realize How Precious Your Time Is?
By · CommentsOur lives center around a 24 hour day and we each have the same amount of time. Today’s world is filled with technology and wasn’t that suppose to make our lives easier? Do you think managing your time is any easier with a computer then it was without one? I love the computer but I know it hasn’t made my life easier just different in so many ways.
We live in the age of the computer now and our lives both business and personal are tied to that machine. The trick is learning how to manage your computer time with your non computer time. This is often easier said then done for many people especially online entrepreneurs. We work at home which makes it even harder to walk away from the computer but everyone really needs to find that balance.
Our businesses are the computer and we spend hours writing, listing, advertising and of course social networking. The list never ends and email is a whole other post. How often have you sat at that computer reading just one more email and an hour has gone by before you realize it? I think we have all been there done that at one time or another.
The first thing you have do is realize how precious time really is and how you spend it. Then work towards achieving a balance on how you want to spend your time. Remember we are all unique and we all need to learn to balance our 24 hours. There is no right or wrong answer on how you decide to spend those 24 hours just remember the word balance.
December 1st
By · CommentsI looked at the date today and couldn’t believe it is Dec 1st 2010. The first thought to cross my mind was where did this year go? The second was Christmas is not to far away. We all know we can’t control time or how fast it goes but we can control how we use our time. Those 24 hours we have in a day can be spent in so many different ways the real question is are you using yours productively?
We all want to think we are doing our best and are being productive. The trick is to find the balance that makes us productive and efficient yet enjoy our personal lives. This is for many easy to write about but hard to put into practice on a daily basis.
This is the time of year when we are going in a million directions at once listing items, shipping, decorating, Christmas shopping and the list is endless for most of us. Do you often wonder where the day went and it’s over before you know it?
The best Christmas present you could give yourself is learning ways to manage your time in the upcoming year. I would love to hear from others on how you manage your time.
Have you Thought about Your Weaknesses?
By · CommentsOften it is hard to think about having any weakness but we are all human and so of course we have them as well as strengths. There is no right or wrong answer to this question but helping to know your weaknesses as well as your strengths can help you become a better business person. I think taking the time to look at both your strengths and weaknesses is important to any business owner and it will help you improve.
I know myself that being a morning person is a strength but doing important jobs at night is a weakness of mine. I have decided that after dinner is the end of my working day that includes listing and packing for that reason. We all make mistakes at times but I have a greater chance of making a mistake such as sending the wrong item to the wrong person if it is late at night. The fact that I know that helps me to avoid those problems and wait until the next day to pack and ship.
This is just one small example of a weakness and no one can really answer that question except for yourself. I think it is always good to take a few minutes at times and look at our self it will help both your business and your life.
Do You Know Your Strenghts?
By · CommentsA few days ago I posted about knowing yourself and how important it is when you are self employed. I wondered if you have had any thoughts about that statement over the past few days. I know we each are different and so there is no right or wrong answer to this question but one we should all think about.
I know I am a morning person and knowing that would be one of my strengths. I love getting up before the sun comes up to a quiet house, gather my thoughts about the day and set some goals I want to accomplish.
I know I do my best work in the morning and knowing that makes a big difference in my world. I try to do all my listing, packing, and important things early in the day. I am not a night person and so I know that trying to list or pack at night is often just looking for a mistake to happen.
This is important to know these types of things about yourself so you know when you are most productive and focused.
So now it is your turn to think about your strenghts and how they can help you be more productive in your business.
Do You Know Yourself?
By · CommentsAsking the question do you know yourself might seem silly but if you are self employed it is very important to know the answer to this one. Let me explain when you are self employed at any level be it online or in the world away from the computer you are completely responsible for everything that happens with your business.
The best part is you decide where and what your business will be, how big or how small, your budget, etc. The list is endless since as the owner of any type of business the buck stops with you.
The worst part is you have to completely rely on yourself to be successful. That is where knowing yourself comes in and it is very important. You need to know your strengths and your weaknesses to make them work for you and to be successful.
Take a minute and really think about how well you know yourself and it can really help you in your business.