june08-news

eBay Live 2008 is just around the corner. I hope to meet you there! I've been busy checking off my to do list and making last minute arraignments. We've been having a lot of fun with on OSI Rockstars - predicting what will happen at Live this year!

A quick reminder; please join us on the first un official eBay Live Photowalk. More information about it below.

Before I get into the news though, I wanted to let you know about a video series going on right now. I just watched the first video this morning and can tell you this is full of great information. This is an amazingly comprehensive “how to build a recession-proof business with eCommerce” video. It takes the viewer through the 3 most important keys of building an online business selling physical products: Product, Traffic, and Conversion. This video is based on in-depth interviews with TRULY SUCCESSFUL eBiz Entrepreneurs who share the secrets of their success, genuine wholesalers who talk about the best ways to sell their products, and well-known online experts who are all beating the recession and actually GROWING their businesses even through these troubled times. It comes with a PDF that contains detailed step by step information and extensive resources.
The series is being put on by World Wide Brands and the best part is they are offering it for free. If you'd like to take a look check out their blog at http://blog.worldwidebrands.com

eBay Live! 2008 Update

I just received my eBay badge and booked my plane ticket. I hope to see you in Chicago. There's still time to get your ticket for the June event. If you want more information about eBay Live go here. If you're going I'd love to meet you. Here are a few of the places you can find me.

I've been asked to be part of the eBay Education Specialist Panel called: Teach Others To Sell On eBay on Saturday June 21st . I'll be speaking alongside eBay sellers: mltring, xoxmas & brooklynbooks.

I'm also volunteering at the eBay Education Booth on Thursday June 19th from 12:00 to 3:00 pm. Please come on by I'll show you how to become an education specialist - or just say 'hi"

The Unofficial eBay Live! Photo Walk will be Friday Morning from 8:00am to 9:00am. I've found a tour guide who will show us some of the downtown Chicago artwork including Picasso & Miro. Our guide is a photo blogger and you can see some of Peggy's fantastic photographs of Chicago on her Chicago Photo blog by going here.

We'll be meeting at 8:00 am (walk lasts an hour, so you'll have plenty of time to get to the convention center) at the the "Fountain at Millennium Park" right on the corner of Randolph Street and Michigan Avenue. I'm sponsoring this it is free for anyone who wants to learn a little about Chicago and learn a little more about their cameras. If you want to send me an email - I'll keep you up to date on the event.

The Ten Day Squidoo Challenge

We're right in the middle of an exciting new contest called the "Ten Day Squidoo Challenge."

So here's the challenge, in a nutshell: Make 1 lens a day, spotlighting just 1 item or theme of items you have for sale, for 10 days.

Winner (ie, the person with the best eBay lens as voted on by our judges) gets a free iPod, and way better: Lens of the Day and a reference in Seth Godin's presentation at eBay Live. Not to mention 10 great pages pointing to the stuff you sell...

The Challenge starts Wednesday June 4th 2008, and ends on Tuesday June 17th at 10PM EST. (Hey, we'll give you weekends off).

Read on for more details!

New Flip Video Mino is coming

These little video recorders make it easy to get videos into your eBay listings. They really are simple, plug and play - so anyone can use them.

I'm beginning another eBay Basics Class when I return from eBay Live on Wednesday, June 25th, in Lynnwood, Washington.

When: June 25th & July 2nd

Time: 6:30 -9:30 pm

Where: Sandpoint Education Center, Seattle

Call (206) 527-3705 to register

For more eBay Classes this summer go here

More On The Local Scene

The June Monthly Success Meeting is on:

Wednesday, 6/11, at Lake Forest Park (9:30 - 11:30 am)
Lake Forest Park food commons meeting room (Third Place Commons)

From Carol Hearn:
Alice Rudolph will share some ideas she got from a recent meeting about the importance of moving old inventory at all costs, how much you're losing by hanging onto it, formulas to figure your true inventory/storage cost, and the importance of your store looking fresh and new

Please bring your ideas about how to cope with ebay's recent changes. I'm sure we can all agree that there's little to gain from wailing about the changes (in feedback, DSRs, removing all links to other web sites, etc.). These are a fact that we can't change, and we can all benefit from sharing ideas about how best to adjust.

If you have any specific suggestions for discussion topics, or need more information please email Carol Hearn.

For those who can't make it to eBay Live this year - this is the next best thing

The Skip McGrath Boot Camp DVD series with Skip McGrath, Lynn Dralle, Jen Cano and me. We did a weekend long workshop last fall that covered everything from start-up to marketing and more. We'll be pulling the special introductory price soon. To purchase, or for more information go here.

This newsletter is getting long so I'm excluding my How to Make an Honest Living feature this time. I'll pick it up again, when things slow down a little.

That's it for now,
Cindy

PS - Don't forget to check my blog for updates - I post eBay news and tips regularly. You can find the blog here.