Hey all! I hope you’ve been enjoying whatever stage of reselling you’re currently in! Over time, we all seem to learn a little more about organizational skills, and how they can come in handy when running a business. Today, I’d like to talk a little bit about mine, and how a whiteboard or two has really made an impact. Let’s go!
The First Whiteboard Isn’t Always The Best Whiteboard
A while back, I had mentioned in a post that implementing the use of a cute little $3.00 whiteboard had really improved my listing process. We’re going to dive deeper into that throughout this post.
At that point, I had come a long way. In the beginning, I used to write EVERYTHING down by HAND. Crazy! I know. But then I got to thinking, is this really the most efficient way as I grow my inventory??
Obviously, it was not. I tried to tell myself over and over again that, “I just like doing things the old-fashioned way. I like keeping paper trails. Keeping track of things one by one is definitely going to work.” Yeah…don’t waste your time peeps!
This can be a great option if you have only 100 items or so, but once you start moving into the hundreds (or even thousands), this version of tracking just won’t be possible anymore. (And that’s okay!!)
I would track everything you could think of in a notebook. See the (way too long) list below!
- Brand
- Item
- Size
- Measurements
- Flaws (if any)
- Gender (if applicable)
- Price I paid for the item INDIVIDUALLY
- Place I had sourced the item from
- I even added SKU numbers on it before I even truly understood how they worked!
(If you’re just starting out and wondering the exact same thing, I would highly recommend checking out the post below!)
Change Can Be Beautiful
Needless to say, this wasn’t the best way to do it. So, I made a few changes.
The first thing I did was pitch that old notebook…it was doing nothing but making me more confused as I searched high and low for items that matched the paperwork. (VERY time-consuming.)
I started keeping track of my items on a Google spreadsheet, which helped save me an immense amount of time since I could just enter the item info on my phone or computer easily and quickly.
I also purchased a nice small $3 whiteboard from the dollar store and started tracking my measurements and SKU on there instead, which I would then take a picture of after the photos that I’d taken for each item.
This worked well, as I could then add these measurements to my description, and then could remove the whiteboard image at the end of the listing. Perfect! Right?
Not right. This also became time-consuming, so I went in search of a quicker and easier way once again.
From then on, (and still in use today), I have used a yardstick. It works beautifully. The measurements can be seen right there in the photos and can be zoomed in on if necessary.
This helps to save me time in writing anything down during each item’s photo sesh, and helps my buyers see the approximate measurements before deciding to purchase.
Out of Sight, Out of Mind
I’ve always tried hiding my work when it’s not time for well, work. I would close it behind doors, curtain up closets that held more inventory, and put my paperwork away when I was done for the day.
Unfortunately, as a reseller, you are never truly “done for the day.” It is a “round-the-clock” kind of gig. And that’s why I decided to go big or go home!…well, in whiteboards at least.
I found that the small whiteboard wasn’t doing it anymore for my business and that it was time for an upgrade.
So, I went in search of a larger, more organized one on Amazon, of course.
I found one that was just perfect. It had a calendar, a note section, and a pretty, minimalist wooden border. I decided to take down a large old mirror that was near my office space and placed that beautiful whiteboard up in its place. (Well if we’re being completely honest, the hubs did!)
At first, I didn’t know where to put it. But the more it kept sitting there on the floor staring back at me, the more I realized that I needed this thing right in front of my face every morning.
The old saying goes, “Out of sight, out of mind.” That rings true for situations like these just the same.
We all need days to just “shut work off” for a little while, but I’ve still got a pile of goals to crush, and hiding them in the corner or on crumpled-up pieces of notebook paper sure isn’t going to get me there.
Find something that helps you become more organized and ready to take on the day. Create or print out motivational notes if desired to stick on your new whiteboard!
The less stressed and more open you are about conquering your day, the better you’ll be set up to do so.
- Related: How Being a Reseller Has Changed Me
Thank You!
A giant thanks to everyone that has supported me this far into my journey! I greatly appreciate you returning to read my posts hope that you will continue to drop by in the future.
Please feel free to drop any comments below that you would like to add! I am always open to advice, suggestions, or even hearing related stories of your own!
I stay as active as possible in the comment section, therefore I will reply to any questions asap.
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Happy selling friends!
-Shelby
