QUESTION- How Many Powersellers Have Employees?

[axe_n_gear_music]

OK, here's one that I've been wanting to ask you guys for a while now. How many of you actually conduct every single part of your business by yourself?
And how many of you have other people helping you on a regular basis in various roles of your business?

By help I mean in each aspect of your business such as: product research, buying, receiving, stocking, picture taking, making up/maintaining listings, answering emails/phone calls, packaging, driving to the Post office, entering each sale into the books, tax figuring (keeping track of all of the GST, HST, & PST and totalling and submitting them to the gov't), website creating/maintenance if applicable, and finally business income tax filing.
Personally, I do all of the above myself, except for the last one- filing my own income taxes- (I leave that one up to the pros to get me as many writeoffs etc, that I possibly can get!!!).
I am interested, because although most of the major leg work is done now, the amount of time required to invest is still usually upwards to 10 hours per day. There are many days that I spend wishing I had a few helpers with my experience that could help me out!!
I still have over 100 items that I still need to get into my store, and I just can't find the time!! I get the feeling that many of you are in the same boat. How do you guys do it?!?!

Axe

[ameroindustries]

My wife and sister in law do my accounting .

My brother helps me pack 1 day outta the week .

Other than that i do everything else .

One good thing about ebay is keeping over head down .

Getting stuff down to a Science finally .

Im maxed at 600 items a week so now i work listings / supplyers to make more money and build off that .

[recped]

I have a partner, he does the listing, I do the collecting and shipping, we both work at half-speed (or less sometimes).
"What else could I do? I had no trade so I became a peddler" - Lazarus Greenberg 1915
- answering Trolls is voluntary, my policy is not to participate.

[pstacey]

Just me, myself and I for on Ebay...although I have someone that manages my website. I work 10-12 hour days..7 days per week, 364 days per year (I take Christmas off) I make everything I sell on Ebay, many items are custom-made. Downsizing though..my hobby has gotten out of control..and looking forward to a well earned vacation!

Pat

[momoftwingles2]

It's just me, myself and I that does everything on eBay from start to finish each day. My husband takes my mail on his way to work as we do not have mail pick up or delivery where we live. Regarding income tax...I take care of my financial books right up to the point where I give our accountant everything completely organized and he fills in the lines to maximize my deductions. Is it rough...you bet. I have three young daughters also that I care for. Mind you, at least I'm at home and that's a major bonus for our family especially since my husband does shift work. Inventory has been a killer as my eBay store has grown in leaps and bounds over the past year and I have an off eBay website that is waiting for me to populate it with product. But...as I mentioned...it's just me, myself and I. Susan

[westernstargifts]

I do everything myself except for the income tax which I take to a bookkeeper once a year. I send my hubbie to the post office occasionally. He is a gem. He totally supports me in my eBay business. Though he works full time he still insists on doing dishes and a lot of other things around the house just so I can continue. I think I'll keep him!

He also helps me with my craft shows and goes to the trade shows with me to look for new products. He is my driver...I refuse to drive in Toronto. And he works cheap...I just take him out for dinner and he is content. So actually he is a partner in this business because he gives me the time to spend doing it.

Judy

[numero_1]

hire some unemployeed relatives or friends
there's always somebody willing to give a hand for cheap or experience 🙂

[whoscloset]

I have one of those DH's too Judy. He also helps with my shipping. I'm blessed. 🙂

[palms_and_pdas]

Two of us here and we bring in another person when we are very busy.

[futuretech_liquidations]

Me, myself, the wifey (due any day now) and my sone - plus two no-salary energetic jack russels -> Jazz and Junior. Jazz (female) is in charge of licking stamps, boxes and virtually everything else. Junior (male) is in-charge of chewing-off the corners of boxes and also ripping/stripping the tape off of boxes(I guess he likes the taste of glue).

When needed we call-in the INLAWS to help with packaging and sorting of new inventory.

All in all it's a family affair.

[mode1lingerie]

We to are a family affair. The business is owned by my husband, me, my aunt and my uncle. I list, answer emails, watch for payemtns (or lack of), maintain the store
Hubby: sources product, prepares for the accountant, finds new marketing stradegies
Uncle: does everyting shipping and inventory
aunt: nothing
Im currently pregnant and about to move my household (and the business) to a new location in just under a month.
We all have full time 40hour+ a week jobs on top of the ebay deal.

[vesivus]

I used to have four employees -- and I generated about $30,000 a MONTH revenue for ebay -- this amounted to about $40,000 - $50,000 a year for them in fees.

However, due to eBay's increasingly restrictive policies and increasing fees (not to mention the increase in PayPal Fees, the skyrocketing CND dollar, and increasing Canada Post fees), I have seen a continual decrease in profits even through my revenues were up. I stuck it out for another year and when I actually started LOSING money on $450,000+ per year revenue, I had to look for other options and downsized away...

So -- in my humble opinion, eBay is killing themselves if their contributing to running people like me off of eBay instead of encouraging us to stick around.

I just got a 'nice' little phone call from eBay telling me their introducing another 'policy' that will no longer allow eBay stores to have items under $1 in them. Well, there goes a large chunk of my miniatures and dice. Thanks, eBay, for making that decision for me! Without you, I'm not sure what I would do...

Oh wait... relax and enjoy profits through other venues. Right.

John

[ciderantiques]

Just me. I buy it, clean it (linens), list it, pack it and ship it. Work about 5 hours a day and attend 2 to 3 auctions a month to buy the various antiques I sell.

[ameroindustries]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=23TomS5--nQ

[tea_past_times]

Oh wait... relax and enjoy profits through other venues. Right.... it's working for me!!

[cottonwoodindustries]

Me, myself and I. I also have a full time job in the medical field, run a cow/calf operation - farm. I work with highschool football, basketball & volleyball programme in fundraising where I order and organize redistribution of a 1000 large cedar hanging baskets for 2 high schools. I am an editor of a Mopar car club newsletter and last but not least I am working with Junior football and their board of directors. I do send my income tax to my accountant.
I wish I had at least another 12 hours a day, and then I might have some time to myself 🙂

[*stealthtech*]

I work full time elsewhere and run my eBay Drop Off Store (http://www.sell-ur-stuff.com) part-time on the side. I am in Kawartha Lakes, Ontario (cottage country) and in the sumemr months I get alot mroe traffic then in the winter months and may consider part time staff come this summer that way I can enjoy my days off 😉