Turn Your "Rusty Junk" Into eBay Gold! by Pete Egeler

Often times people to stop to realize income potential of their "junk". And, when they DO decide it might be worth selling, they never give eBay a second thought.

As I preach over and over again to my clients, don't ever think that you have something that nobody else would want, unless you've really taken time to do a little eBay research.

I've sold my wife's old tea pots, bowls, AOL CD's, books, etc. that we no longer had a use for. And, it usually brings a lot more cash to table than a yard sale or flea market sale would.

Most items in good condition will bring a pretty fair price on eBay if you take just a bit of time to locate correct category for that item.

Then again, there are times when you may have something that really doesn'tlook all that great. What should you do then?

Well, depending upon what it is, you may want to sell it "as is."

Case in point is a lamp I'm getting ready to auction.

It's obvious that this lamp is old. It doesn't work (that I know of,) and it has a bit of tarnish on it. But, I'm NOT going to try and "spruce it up" before I put it up for auction.

When you are owner of a home business, you will find hundreds of distractions that vie for your time, energy and focus.

Common distractions include: children, family, friends, neighbors, pets, phone calls, mail, household chores, video games, television, neighborhood children, visitors, and so many more.

As an owner of a home based business, you must always remember your purpose in bringing your profession home. What was your reason for wanting to own a home business? Was your goal to work from home so that you can share in lives of your children? Was your goal to be out from under rule of a tyrannical boss? Was your goal to have freedom to work when it is convenient for you? Was your goal to make tons of money working for yourself?

Here's a few good tips that will help you stay focused on your home business:

TIP #1: Whatever your reason for going out on your own, you must keep your reason in forefront of your mind. If you forget your reason for starting your own home business, you will not be working for yourself for long. It is far too easy to let circumstance drive your activities --- and when circumstance is in driver's seat, you are more likely to crash and burn.

TIP #2: Remember --- your own business is a lot like a real job. Some people go to work to play, some go to socialize, and others --- most often those who are paid in a commission or tip environment --- go to work to work and to make money. When you work for yourself, your salary is directly proportional to your productivity. Therefore, wouldn't it make sense to stay focused on getting as much done in as short of a period as possible?

Go to work to work and to make money. Leave playtime and recreation for when your workday has ended.

TIP #3: When you are dealing with family in course of your workday, it is important to schedule your activities as much as possible. With small children, you must take time when you must, but you should also work hard to make sure you dedicate a specific number of hours to your workday.

With older children, it is much easier to tell them that you will be working between hours of x and y. Your children and your friends must understand that certain hours of your day are devoted to activities of your business.

TIP #4: Don't permit your friends and extended family to run over you. Many people get blind idea that if one works from home then they are not actually working.