Exciting Changes
So lately, I’ve been mentioning my new wholesaling and bulk buying ways of sourcing. This is the good/great/excellent and really exciting part of this post! A whole lotta things at a teeny little cost. Thumbs up to lowering those costs of goods! Amirite?
Related: My Super Secret Top 3 Online Bulk Sourcing Places
However! With the good, always comes the bad as we know. This, of course, is the not-so-exciting part. I really, really like keeping my COG down and have been doing an excellent job at that this past month.
Let me explain more in-depth why I have mixed feelings about those purchases.
Not So Exciting Things to List
Here’s the reality peeps. As resellers, usualllyyy most of our days are fun and we get to A: Do what we love! and B: Work from home with our babies/furbabies! BUT. There’s a downside that no one wants to talk about.
This downside is of course the monotonous, tedious, repetitive, annoyingly time-sucking tasks such as:
- Lint rolling…who can raise a hand for that? I raise three hands!! (Just kidding I only have two).
- Buttoning ALLLLLL of the buttons. Grr.
- Trying to not step on your pets while they sit under you during photo time (maybe this is just me!)
- Steaming/spot treating/scrubbing items when necessary.
- Checking the hundreds of pockets that are secretly hidden inside garments!
- (To my newbies…you may be thinking Hidden Treasures! Cash! Nope. Think more along the lines of dirty tissues! and funny combs! and pins that poke you and then you run to your husband because you’re bleeding and sad now.)
- Sorting through giant piles of items to decide what to go together for lots.
My point here is that ohemgee there is SO much more to reselling than a lot of people don’t realize. This is why I truly appreciate the moms/9-5 goers/stay-at-home dads that still make reselling their side hustle. Like seriously, how do you guys do it?!
Related: Why Comfort is Key in Your Work Space
My Own Experiences
Sometimes I feel like I should just buy the Grade A/1 items. Then I remember that these are pretty pricey. I always look for more ways (as you guys know!) to keep my COG down, (especially since I’m still small and growing), and that would just be doing the opposite. Now and then though, I do mosey on over to the thrift to check out what I’ve been missing!
I know some resellers only pick up top-notch items and then wait on them to sell to the perfect buyer. Unfortunately, this is not how my business model works, as I go for volume and affordability. (Affordability on both my end and my buyers!)
After all, most of the buyers are eBay are looking for items priced below $30. This makes it a lot easier to find those everyday items that they’re searching for, and a lot less expensive to list 10-50 items per day. (I’ve currently just ramped it up to 40/day! Let me know in the comment section how many listings you like to add to your store every day!)
Some days can definitely get you down when you have legit mountains of inventory to crush through. But look on the bright side! At least you have that inventory to go through and are not stuck in a rut without any at all.
Stay positive and get to work on your death pile because after all, it’s just unlisted cash.
How to Make This a Better Experience for Yourself and/or Your Employees
I like to keep this quote out and available for me to glance at when I’m having a frustrating day.
“Someone else is dreaming about the things you take for granted.”
This really makes me remember that as a reseller, I really do have the best of both worlds. I get to be my own boss, set my own schedule, and make my own rules.
However, it also reminds me that to be a successful reseller, I still need to remind myself that what I do is not a side hustle, or a part-time gig, or a little extra. It is a full-time career, which provides me with a full-time income.
I know there are some others out there that are able to make it work part-time, or after their kids go to bed. This is just not how my business works. And it’s okay for us all to have different strategies!
That’s what makes each and every one of our stores and brands unique to us. So don’t fret. There IS a light at the end of the tunnel! (Or a floor under that gigantic overflowing death pile staring back at you…)
Helpful Products to Expedite Your Processes
I’ve linked a few products below that I find helpful and productive when trying to get through these monotonous tasks in the day. I hope you’ll find them just as useful and can implement them into your business as well!
- Lint roller supply in bulk (Save 10% right now if you apply the coupon provided!)
- Fabric shaver
- MAGNETIC staple remover (Ohhh yeahhh. *Koolaid man voice*)
- Oxi-Clean spot remover
- Sorting bins (I have something similar, but these are too cute! They would be perfect for separating polybags.)
- Cute garbage can for your office…trust me, you’re gonna need the big one!
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 and hope that you will continue to stop by.
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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Disclosure: As an affiliate, I may earn a small commission from the links listed above. Please know that I highly value each one of these suggestions. I want only to pass these gems forward to you guys, so that you’re able to truly get value from them, such as I have. Thank you for reading and for your continued support! -Shelby