This cute graphic made me stop and think for a minute how lucky a cat is to be able to do this. We all know cats spend hours sleeping just about anywhere unlike humans who never seem to get enough sleep. How many of you actually get 8 hours of sleep a night? I can bet not to many since there is to much to do and not enough hours in a day to do it. Does this sound familiar?

I decided to use this graphic to remember that I need those lazy times to just relax and recharge. Online entrepreneurs often forget as much as we need to work and make money we also need to relax and actually step away from the computer. Wow there I said it! I love the computer but I know I accomplish more when I’m on the computer if I’m willing to actually spend time away from it. I know it’s hard to believe in this day and age we are able to become unplugged even for a short time but I know I am happier and more productive if I do just that.

So next time you feel overwhelmed why don’t you think about this graphic and take some time to relax and recharge. You might be surprised at how much better you feel and how much you can accomplish when you do get back to work.

We all know by now that social networking is important in both the brick and motor world and online. How do you decide where to spend your time and what social networking sites do you use?

There certainly are both good and not so good sides to each one and we have to decide what ones work for us. I vote for Twitter as my first choice and enjoy being part of that social network. I have met a great group of people on Twitter and both enjoy my friends there and also networking for business.

I decided to look into LinkedIn and have been spending some time there learning the ropes. I know each site has it’s own learning curve and it is good to figure that out in the beginning. I also have both a online business and a brick and mortar business and have been looking into using LinkedIn for both.

I believe like these seagulls we need to band together and one way to do that is by using social networking.

The world of racing was changed 10 years ago with the death of Dale Earnhardt. I sit here in Daytona Beach for Speedweeks like I have done for the past 20 years and look around and see how much the sport has changed. There are many changes in the world of racing and of course that is just part of life but Dale Earnhardt’s passing left a huge hole in the sport.

Let me say I was never a Dale Earnhardt fan. I was a Davey Allison fan but that doesn’t stop me from realizing how much the loss of Dale Earnhardt affected the sport. I think Dale had the ear of Bill France and he truly knew what was good for the sport and the fans. Whether you were a fan or not the racing world lost a great man on that day 10 years ago.

I was at that race and listened on the scanner as the accident happened and as the minutes unfolded after the race. It was a moment for me that I will never forget. We all have to move forward as hard as it is and these past 10 years in Nascar racing has seen huge changes. I often thought that if Dale Earnhardt was still alive the sport may be quite different today.

He truly was a racer first and had a gift for what he did. The racing world today and of years ago is so different I often wonder if it is the same sport.  I have a friend, Dick Fleck, who has been involved in racing his whole life starting with racing on the beach in Daytona. He is beginning to sell off his huge racing collection and has many vintage Dale Earnhardt items among them.

These framed cards cards show Dale in an earlier time and make great collector items. I have many more vintage racing items to list on eBay in the coming weeks.

So if you are a Dale Earnhardt fan or just love vintage racing stop the Book Corner Cafe and check out my unique vintage collectibles.

Some of us are able to get away for a vacation but for others that isn’t always possible but that doesn’t mean we can’t find some downtime. It does take a lot of discipline and focus to be a business owner but that is also needed to make time for a break.

I took this picture of  some pelicans out on the water one morning when I was out walking on the beach. Spending a week at Daytona Beach is very relaxing but of course then it’s time to head home. This picture is not the same as being there but for weeks when I need a break looking at pictures like this can take me back to that relaxing week on the beach and seems to have a calming effect when I have a very hectic business day.

This is a good time to take a look at your schedule and fit in some time to relax and see what works for you on those absolutely crazy busy business days. I know you will be glad you did.

Business Owner

1. I set my own prices
2. I make all purchase decisions
3. I hire and fire
4. I choose where and how to advertise
5. I make each and every decision affecting my business.

I also have sold on eBay for many years and have a business there but it is not the same as having my own business. I really like selling on eBay and am happy to be selling there. I think many think they own their eBay businesses and they really don’t they are more like a subcontractor for eBay. That isn’t a bad thing just different from owning your own business and how you do things as a subcontractor is different then say what you would do as a true business owner.

Subcontractor

1. Sets pricing within Contractor guidelines
2. Job specs come from Contractor who deals with the customer directly
3. Deal with Contractor not the customer
4. The job is not technically yours it is the contractor’s job
5. Decisions for changing things made with Contractor not customer directly

These are some fine differences between a person owning their own business and working as a subcontractor for someone. There are other differences and some similarities and it is good to know the differences if you are subcontracting work rather then doing the job as your own business.

The reason I point out these differences is selling on eBay is often more like a subcontracting job and many people fail to realize this. The terms, conditions, rules, etc are all set by eBay not the seller. For instance eBay sellers are no longer allowed to say they take checks or money orders as payment. As a subcontractor I must abide by these rules even if I don’t agree that is the difference between a person that owns his own business and subcontracts from someone and in this case it would be eBay. I don’t have the choice of putting this in my listing since eBay says it is not allowed and it doesn’t matter if it is a good or bad thing it is the rules.

I have often thought that if eBay sellers would look to their selling as a subcontractor rather then the contractor they would have an easier time of it. As any subcontractor knows the conditions and rules are in place before you accept the job. The subcontractor knows up front what is required so once he accepts all that is left to do is the job. This would also work well for an eBay seller to learn the rules and conditions before listing and becoming a seller rather then becoming a seller and trying to change the rules to fit your way of thinking.

The final thing about being a subcontractor is rules can be changed or modified by the contractor not by the subcontractor. If you are an eBay seller think about this statement and although you may not like the changes or agree it is up to the contractor to do what he thinks should be done.

I think being a business owner and also having an online business on eBay and made me think about this and I try to keep these points in mind with each new set of changes that are rolled out.

I would love to hear what you think and with any opinion I know there are some that will agree and other that will disagree but I hope this gives you something to think about if you are an eBay seller.

This must have been one of the biggest storms to hit the United States since almost every state has been affected. There was rain, sleet and snow in fact 9 states had blizzard conditions last night to prove that Mother Nature has the upper hand. I have always loved the weather and the fact is it’s the one thing that man has never been able to control. We can study it and track it and prepare for it and then just hang on for the ride.

Here is Pa I woke up to no electric about 4 am and at least an inch of ice covering everything. We are lucky to have our wood stove and I really appreciate it on a morning like this. The kitchen was soon toasty warm as I woke hubby up for work. Then by candle light and battery operated lanterns he got ready. I made a cup of tea on the wood stove and then slid out the door to start the truck to melt off the ice.

Everything was a solid sheet of ice and the truck ran for 20 minutes and still we had to do some scraping to get all the ice off. He headed off to work and about an hour later our electric came on but it has been going on and off all morning as they are working on the lines.

I took a look along side of the house and was amazed at all the icicles hanging on the siding. This is a sight I don’t see very often row after row of tiny icicles hanging down. The house was completely covered like this.

 As I slid out towards the driveway to get the newspaper this willow tree was completely covered in ice. I stood there just listening and you could hear the freezing rain hitting the branches and adding more layers to the ice.

I know many are dealing with these conditions and worse so I wish that everyone stays warm and safe as they face the day ahead.

“Any man who can drive safely while kissing a pretty girl is simply not giving the kiss the attention it deserves…”

We all multi-task sometimes in fact most people think it’s just a way of life today. The world certainly was a different place in Albert Einstein’s time but his take on multi-tasking can be applied today. We just don’t really do two things at one time very good although it would be hard to find anyone that would admit to it. I actually have come to the same conclusion in many of the things I do. I’m not saying I don’t multi-task but I do a lot less of it now then I used to and have found overall I have better results with the things I am doing.

I sell vintage collectible items on eBay and have really learned to just focus on listings. I used to have the TV on or listen to some of the eBay radio shows and in between even check email. So one day I decided to turn everything off take the pictures and work on my listings in complete quiet. I know it’s hard to believe that anyone would work in silence but I tried it and it worked. I could really focus on my research, my listings and putting the item where it belonged. I have been doing this since the fall and have seen an increase in listings and sales. I also have found that I am able to find the item I need, pack and ship it very quickly, instead of being distracted and putting it in the wrong place. I have spent quite a bit of time looking for items that were in the wrong place or even refunding if it couldn’t be found and that is not something any seller wants to do ever.

I have gotten used to this way of working and so I hadn’t really thought about it until my husband came downstairs and put the TV on. I wondered what he was doing and he said how can you work down here without the TV and he thought he was being nice turning it on for me. That would have been a sweet gesture if I had wanted it on and so I told him I had been working all the time now in silence and I he just looked at me like I was crazy. He loves music and never does anything with out the music on so he really didn’t understand what I was doing.

So off he went and off went the TV and it had me thinking about the quiet and my way of working. I know it won’t work for everyone but you may want to think about really focusing on the task at hand and see the difference. For myself and listing on eBay this is what I noticed but this list can be done for any task.

1. Increased listings
2. Increased sales due to increased listings
3. No items lost
4. No time lost due to hunting for lost items
5. Less time revising items with mistakes
6. A sense of accomplishment

The question is does multi-tasking really save you time or would you be better off giving your full attention to the task at hand? You might want to take some time and think about your answers they might surprise you.

We are all so busy with our lives it seems that we never have any time to really stop and catch our breath. I like so many others are pulled in a million directions each and every day and then it happens the world stops for just a bit. I am trying to keep up with everything listing items on eBay, Twitter, Facebook  plus everything thing else that happens in a normal day around here. I know just about everyone feels there aren’t enough hours in our day and of course we are never done.

Then it happens the weather man is calling for snow and it looks like a lot. So we all make a made dash to the grocery store since heaven forbid we run out of chips or ice cream  and come home and wait. We all have things we do before that big snow comes and since we have a woodstove bringing wood in is first on my list. Then we wait.

There are many times as we all know the weather man is wrong but this storm here is PA was not one of them. Even though man truly can’t predict Mother Nature at times he comes pretty close. All reports said we were looking at 10 to 18 inches this time and as we look out the window it starts.

This time it started as darkness fell and it snowed all night. As the night wore on I would turn on the light and check and just watch the snow coming down and covering the yard. So with the winds blowing and snow coming down I headed to bed to see what I would awake to in the morning.

 As the sun came up we awoke to a winter wonderland and as far as one could see everything was covered in snow. I know snow means headaches to many people but you can’t deny in those first quiet minutes in the morning the world stops. I shovel out the back porch and head out to get the paper realizing we got a lot of snow. There were 18 in of snow here in PA.

As I stand there looking around I realize that there is total quiet no cars, no neighbors, no barking dogs just a blanket of white and silence. I took those minutes to treasure that quiet and realize that what man can’t do Mother Nature does. She in her wisdom gives the ground the moisture it needs and stops this crazy world if only for a short time and now if only man could learn to slow his world down and treasure those quiet moments we all would be better off.

Don’t get me wrong I love my computer and the Internet has put the world at my fingertips.  I love being able to sell online and all my friends but is there a point where you are online more then you are off? Think about this what is the first thing you do when you get up? I like most check email, facebook, twitter etc but we all connect online before even thinking of dealing with our family. It is hard to admit but it’s true in my house and I think it is true for many others.

I was lucky to grow up without a computer and I wouldn’t want to change that. I appreciate many things that I think I would have missed growing up if I was able to be online. I think in a way today the kids are missing so much sitting in front of a screen instead of learning real world skills but that is a post for another day.

As the world of Internet devices has gotten smaller and we carry them with us constantly do you even realize that you are basically connected to the Internet 24/7? I realized this when I went from a laptop to a netbook which I love. The netbook went everywhere with me and then one day I realized what was happening. I would be talking to a family member and having one eye on the computer just in case. LOL I think now what is the just in case that was so important I couldn’t give my full attention to the person I was talking to. I also began to watch people with internet phones and saw the same thing happening. When did texting and talking to a person need to be done at the same time? It also made me stop and think how that person felt when it seemed no one really gives their full attention to anyone anymore. I know there are times it is good to multi-task but in the world of personal relationships I think it is wrong.

So take a minute and really look at your life and your computer is yours running or life?

We all read the great success stories about people that make millions doing this but honestly do you personally know those people or really how they do it? The answer is probably not or you would be one of those people.

The first thing I have been thinking about is my blog and how often I think twice about what I want to write and what I think people want to read. Have you ever felt that way about writing? I read a lot of newsletters telling me what I should and shouldn’t do with a blog but it seems like some of those things work and others not so much.

Have you ever thought that to much information is not always a good thing? How many newsletters and sites do you read? There are a million ways to do things and it seems the key to all of this is finding what works for you. I have found that what works for one person and makes them money doesn’t work for the next person. If you think about it if it worked like that we could all read the same information and do what they are doing and make a ton of money.

So I have decided I am going to write about things that are important to me and hopefully they will be things that are important to you. If you think about it we each start day as a business owner and look to improve ourselves and our lives each and every day.

So today is the last day I am going to get up spinning my wheels. I am going to put a plan in place to balance my work and personal life and see exactly where it leads me. Does anyone want to join me?