When is it time to pivot to increase eBay sales? And what does it even mean to pivot? Maybe you’ve noticed that certain items just don’t sell well for you. You might find your storage area for your eBay items just filled with items you don’t even enjoy listing. It may be time to pivot your business. This means to change strategies or direction.
Pivot to Increase eBay Sales and Win the New Year
Taking Stock
As the new year is moving in, I found myself reflecting on my sales for the past year and looking at a lot of inventory just sitting around. It’s not uncommon for me to have an item listed for months. Some things just take longer to sell than others. However, a little over a year has passed since some of the inventory was acquired and it wasn’t moving. I have tried sales and auctions instead of buying it now, but these items just wouldn’t budge. It was time for a change! I needed to pivot to increase eBay sales.
What wasn’t moving for me? Toys, mainly. I also had a few household items and clothing. I’ve decided to make a pivot in my own eBay business, so it was time for me to find a new home for these items. New in box toys went to the school I work at for Christmas gifts for kids in need and then I boxed up the rest of the items to be donated to the Salvation Army. My eBay room looks so much cleaner and I am excited about changing direction by selling items I enjoy selling instead of forcing myself to sell things I don’t enjoy selling just to make a profit.
When To Pivot
How do you know when it’s time to pivot to increase eBay sales? First, take a look at your bottom line. I looked at my profit as well as my expenses and it just didn’t make sense to keep sourcing and listing items that weren’t selling. Look at what actually is selling and decide if it’s worth it to devote more time to these items. I sold a lot of books, so that is one category of inventory I will be keeping. Other categories didn’t do so well and some were even a pain to box up and ship out because of their weight and bulk.
Next, sell what you enjoy or know a lot about. Selling books is easy for me because they are usually small and don’t weigh a ton. It’s easy to ship them out and source them as well. I discovered that I hated taking pictures of clothing and taking the measurements to sell a clothing item. I’ve decided I won’t be sourcing or listing any more clothing. This is a very profitable niche for some, but I just didn’t enjoy selling in this category. Trying to sell a little bit of everything works great for some people, but ultimately I found that books and ephemera were my jam. I had more sales in this category and I actually enjoy it.
Finally, realize that it’s alright to change your mind when it comes to your eBay sales and try new things. While deciding what not to source and sell anymore, I realized that I’m probably leaving money on the table by not trying to sell a little of everything. However, I’ve decided that it’s OK for me to try a different way. If I see where it’s not working out, I can always switch gears and pivot to increase my sales again. Trying and failing has taught me more about running my eBay business than anything.
Making the Pivot to Increase Sales
So, I am headed into the new year with some fresh ideas for running my eBay business and I hope this pivot will help me increase eBay sales and help me reach my selling goals a little better this year. I hope your year of selling is great as well! Have you ever decided to pivot your business? How did it work out for you? I’d love to hear your stories in the comments. Please share!
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