Is The Perfect Business Right Under Your Nose?
April 27, 2012 | 
Author Stumbling
That is what I had been doing over the past few years. My husband ran a very successful business and after years of owning a retail business and then being a stay at home mom I wanted to do something to make extra money. I found out the hard way that an MLM business was not for me. I believed in each company and believed the products were all good. I signed up friends and family, got on calls, and held meetings. Companies I had worked hard to grow folded. After the 4th company I decided it may not be the right avenue for me. I say for me because I have met great people who have been through the MLM circuit and have found the right one for them. They are thriving and making a living and are passionate. I know others that like me have moved away from that industry.
Right Under My Nose
I was looking for a reputable company now that had an owner I could trust, a long history of being successful, quality products that sold all over the country , and I knew would deliver. The company was mine! City Mattress Factory has been in business for 28 years, I live with, love, and trust the owner, and our products are sold to retail stores, retail customers, and on the internet in the thousands. In an attempt to have a business I passed right by the avenue I could take with my own. I would not be at the factory, I could work from home, I could make a nice income, and I knew what I was selling was quality!
WOW Power Seller in 90 Days
I took some of my products to Ebay! It took some trial and error moments but I am now in a business I know will grow into something I can be proud of. We have started with our Futon Mattresses, Futon Covers, and Organic Bedding Toppers. We will add more and more mattress, futon and patio cushion items as our limits on #Ebay increase.
Change the look of your room by adding a new fabric.
Posted in EBAY, Home Based Business | 
Tags: futon, Futon cover, futon covers, futon mattress, futon replacement mattress | 
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6 Things Your Home Office Needs
For the home business owner, the home office is the center of the company’s universe. It’s where business is conducted, orders are fulfilled, and the future gets planned. Since you will be spending a lot of time in your home office, here are six things you absolutely need if you are to function effectively as a home business owner.
1. Ergonomic Furniture – The human body was not built to sit around and type on a computer all day. To prevent injury, support natural body movements, and improve cognitive abilities, you need to invest in ergonomic furniture. This includes having chairs that provide adequate back and leg support as well as keyboards that conform to the natural angles of the hands and wrist.
2. A Desk with Drawers – There are two reasons why you need a desk with drawers. First, the obvious reason is to have a place to store all of your important paperwork like contracts and sales receipts. The second reason, however, is not so obvious. The desk drawers also help keep your desktop clean of unnecessary miscellanea.
One of the major causes of low productivity is distractions. When your desktop is filled with paperwork, Post-it notes, and other assorted items, your attention is constantly drawn to these things, making it hard to concentrate. Your desktop should be clear of everything except the information needed to complete the task you are working on and your computer.
3. Thinking Spot – Creativity calls for a restful mind, and you should have a spot in your office where you can have a quiet moment of reflection. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy. A futon chair that can convert to a bed and a small table to hold your cup of tea works well as a place to take a break.
4. White Noise Machine – While your desk may be uncluttered, you still have to deal with noise from the outside world, which can also be distracting. The sound of children playing, street traffic, and your neighbor’s radio can all break your concentration. One way to deal with this is to get a machine that produces white noise that will cancel out the other sounds penetrating your home office. It can be something as simple as a fan or an electronic sound conditioner.
5. An Exercise Machine – If the majority of your day is spent sitting at the computer, then you need to take frequent breaks to exercise your limbs. Having a stationary bike or treadmill in your home office is a great way to get in five or ten minutes of exercise that will stimulate circulation and boost your energy levels. An alternative is to take a walk around the block, buy an exercise video, or develop a short routine that will get you moving for a few minutes.
6. Do Not Disturb Sign – If you are like most home business owners, then you probably have a full-time family in addition to your full-time business. It can be tough for family members to respect the fact that you are working when you in your home office. In addition to having a frank conversation with your family about not disturbing you when you are working, invest in a Do-Not-Disturb sign. This can serve as a visual signal, especially for small children, of when you are available and when you are not.
Optimizing your workspace is the key to improved productivity and creativity. What are some things you absolutely must have in your home office in order to be productive?
If you want to get a futon for your home office, check out my EBay store City Mattress Furniture – a great place to get an awesome deal on your futon needs.
Five 2012 New Year’s Resolutions for Your Business
Lose weight, read more books, reduce debt. It’s 2012 and chances are pretty good that you have made a New Year’s resolution to improve some part of your life. The beginning of a new year is an excellent time to ponder the future and make course corrections in our journeys. But while you are making plans for change in your personal life, you should also be making New Year’s resolutions for your business.
Goal setting is essential to success in life and business. Goals help focus our attention and energy on the things that matter. If you want to increase sales, get more customers, and achieve more success in your business this year, here are five New Year’s resolutions you should have for your business.
Trim the Fat
If you have been doing business for awhile, then you probably have products that are not selling well and ineffective business processes that are costing you time and money. Put your business on a diet and get rid of the stuff that’s not working. You may love selling a particular product or service, but if it’s not pulling its weight, then it’s got to go. This will free up money and energy that you can put towards promoting the products/services that are selling and building a better business.
Expand Your Network
Business relationships are one of your company’s best assets. Taking time to network and build relationships with other people produces several benefits. In addition to receiving customer referrals, your network can provide leads to products that help improve your business, tips running your business better, and opportunities for collaborative projects that will make both of you money. Take part in networking events in your community, and join social sites like Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook to find new friends online.
Market Your Business on Social Media
Speaking of social media websites, they are the most visited sites on the Internet. Facebook alone gets 100 billion hits per day according to WebProNews. If you really want to increase your brand recognition and get more people knocking on your company’s door, then you need to be marketing your business on these social networking sites. Take a look at a previous articles I wrote about marketing your site on Facebook. If you are ready to take advantage of all that Facebook has to offer, here is a Facebook marketing tool I recommend.
Learn How to Delegate/Outsource
As a business owner, it is tempting to do everything yourself, especially if you are not generating a lot of income. The truth is that there will come a time when trying to do it all yourself will cost you more money than it will save. By delegating and outsourcing routine tasks, you will free up time that can be spent generating income for your business. Think about it. If you hire a virtual assistant at $25 an hour and you use that hour to make cold calls and generate a $100 sale, you just profited by $75. Needless to say, it pays to outsource.
Make Business Planning a Habit
When you are working hard on the day to day operation of your business, it’s easy to get distracted from your goal. Make time every week to take stock of where you are in your business and to make the necessary course corrections that will help you stay on track. Look at what worked, what didn’t, and make decisions that will get you closer to your goal. Use a journal to track your progress.
A new year means new opportunities to improve our lives and achieve our dreams. Use the energy of this new beginning to start creating the successful business you want.
Sleep is an important part of business success. Check out our EBay store where we sell high-quality futon mattresses.
What’s Your Definition of Success?
No one is born to fail. Yet, that is exactly what it feels like when we do experience failure. It is a crushing blow that hits us right in our hearts, our spirits, and – yes – our egos. But striving to succeed according to other people’s definition of success is worse than failing on your own. I believe this is the main cause of unhappiness and mental strife for many people in the world.
Society is built on structure and rules. Without these things, the world would descend into chaos and it would be hard to achieve any level of success individually or collectively. On the other side of the equation, structure and rules can have an inhibiting affect on creativity, growth, and cause people to pursue paths that may not be best for them.
For example, many young people have been told over and over again that they must go to college in order to be successful in life. While this is true to a certain extent, obtaining a college degree isn’t the only way to achieve success. Plus, advanced schooling isn’t for everyone.
Yet a lot of people pursuing a college degree aren’t doing it because it makes them happy. They are trying to achieve a level of success defined for them by someone else. I heard as mush as one-third of college graduates end up working in an industry that has nothing to do with the degree they earned at school. To me, that is wasted time and effort.
[Got a futon in your dorm room? Click here to buy futon mattress replacements.]
Whether you are pursuing a career or trying to build a home based business, it is important to define what success means to you and chase after that; even if that definition is counter to popular thought. You are considered successful if you make obscene amounts of money. Most people, though, would be happy with doing work that is personally rewarding while only earning a livable wage.
If you want to achieve true and meaningful success in your life, take some time to define what that means to you. Here are few tips that may help.
* What do you truly want to get out of life? Take honest stock of where you are. Is this really where you want to be? If it isn’t, then what will make you happy?
* Realize you are not locked into your current situation. People tend to believe they are trapped in their current situation by their obligations and responsibilities. But even with those, it is possible to change your life and walk a different path. It is a matter of believing alternatives exist and having the strength to take steps in a different direction.
* Explore alternatives. If you are not happy with the state of your life, but you are not sure what direction you want to go, explore the alternatives. You don’t have to commit to anything right away. Simply look around for inspiration. Read books, surf websites, talk to people who are doing things you may be interested in doing. Expand your horizons far enough and you may find the one thing that will make you happy for the rest of your life.
You are responsible for your own success. Therefore, you should pursue success on your terms. Look at all of your options and choose the path that best fits you. Need a good night’s sleep? Check out our EBay store where we sell high-quality futon mattresses.
Posted in Inspirational And Motivational | Tags: Defining Success, Journey to Success, Success | No Comments »
6 Tips for Selling on EBay
My husband and I have recently decided to take our traditional mattress business online and begin selling some of our products on EBay. To be perfectly honest, there is a learning curve when it comes to using this popular platform to sell products. However, it is a great way to sell stuff online, whether you are a brick and mortar business looking to add another stream of income or you just want to clean the junk out of your garage. Here are six tips that may help you sell more stuff on EBay.
1. Use a Descriptive Title – To attract the most attention to your listing, use descriptive titles that tell customers at a glance what is being sold. Put your thinking cap on and look at your listing from the viewpoint of the customer. What would you be interested in knowing immediately about the product? The title should relevant information about what is being sold including the manufacturer’s name, brand name, and/or important features such as color and size.
2. Use Keywords – A powerful EBay listing also includes relevant keywords. Most people know exactly what they want when they shop on EBay, but some people like to browse and use general keywords to find product listings. Use the appropriate keywords in your product title and description to maximize views.
3. Include Pictures and/or Video – People still want to see things before they purchase them, and this is even more of an issue when shopping online since they are not able to handle the item before buying it. Adding pictures and video can create an interactive experience that will greatly influence your customer’s buying decisions.
EBay Instructions for Adding Video
EBay Instructions for Adding Pictures
Additionally, video can be uploaded to YouTube and be used as part of a social networking campaign to direct people on that site to your EBay listing.
4. List a Buy It Now Price Too – Some people don’t want to deal with the hassle of bidding on a product. They would much rather just buy it, get it, and be done with the transaction. If you are hosting an auction, list a Buy it Now price for those people who want to make a quick purchase.
5. Research Similarly Items Sold – You have to be smart about your pricing if you want to compete with EBay retailers selling similar items. You don’t want to price your products too high or you’ll lose sales to cheaper retailers. But, you don’t want to price them so low that you don’t make any money on the sale. Research similar items to see how much similar products are being sold for to help you with your pricing strategy.
6. Increase Credibility – This is a key factor in whether you will be successful on EBay or not. People want to buy from reputable sellers who they know won’t cheat them out of their money. You must build and maintain your reputation on EBay if you want to make sales. Encourage all buyers to leave feedback, and resolve any problems quickly to avoid getting negative feedback.
Selling on EBay is a great way to make money online, but learning how to sell effectively on the auction site is critical to your success. I recommended getting Tom Barnes guide to building an EBay business called Ebay Fortunes. Click here to learn more about this program.
For high quality futon mattress pads, visit our EBay store.
The Importance of Sleep to Your Success
As a business owner, you have a thousand things to do every day. No matter how hard you work, your to-do list only seems to get longer. So it may seem like a good idea to wake up a few hours earlier or go to bed a few hours later to give yourself time to get just a few more things done. But, in reality, you may be doing yourself more harm than good.
The average adult needs 7.5 to 9 hours of sleep per night. However, most people are lucky if they get 6 to 7 hours of sleep. In addition to that, the quality of sleep you get can also affect your performance. Even 9 hours of sleep can leave you feeling fatigued, disoriented, and unfocused if the quality is poor. To experience the full healing benefits of a good night’s rest, you must spend time in REM (rapid-eye movement) sleep; otherwise known as the dream state.
[Visit our EBay store to buy high-quality futon mattress replacements]
Consequences of Chronic Sleep Deprivation
Even losing an hour of sleep per night can lead to decreased performance including:
* Sluggishness, fatigue, and lethargy
* Inability to concentrate on tasks
* Increased susceptibility to diseases like colds and the flu
* Weight gain and a higher risk of health problems like heart disease and diabetes
* Moodiness and irritability; reduced ability to handle stress
You also put yourself at a higher risk of having an occupational or automobile accident. In fact, according to the Department of Transportation, drowsiness and fatigue is the cause of over 40,000 non-fatal and 1,300 fatal car crashes each year.
Tips for Improving Your Sleep
* Go to bed and get up at the same time every night. It may be tempting to sleep in on the weekends to “catch up” on your beauty rest, but you could actually make it difficult to fall asleep and get up the rest of the week. Additionally, you’ll fall asleep faster and get up more naturally if you stick to a schedule.
* Shoot for a minimum of 7.5 hours of sleep. You may feel like you are losing time that could be spent on cutting down your to-do list. However, when you are well rested, you will have the focus and energy to get more done in less time.
* Sleep should be a priority in your life. You make appointments to get your hair done or workout. Sleep is enormously important to your overall health and wellness. Make it a priority to get the rest you need so you can be effective in your life.
* Try to avoid sleep disruptions. As noted before, the quality of sleep you get is as important as the length of time you sleep. While it is not always possible to avoid being awakened before it’s time for you to get up, do everything you can to sleep through the night without interruptions.
* If you have been suffering from chronic sleep deprivation for a long time, then you will need to take a sleep vacation to get back on track. Take two weeks off from work, go to bed at the same hour, and sleep until you wake up naturally. Eventually, your body will work off your “sleep debt” and you’ll end up on a sleep schedule that is right for you.
To compete effectively in life and business, you need to be at the top of your game. The right amount and quality of sleep you get each night will improve your performance and help you get ahead. For high-quality beds, take a look at our EBay store.
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