Archive for the ‘eBay’ Category

Perfection at eBay Live!

Jun 20 2007
Perfection at eBay Live!

I’m back from Boston and eBay Live! this week.

The conference was great! Lots going on, here are some photos and some highlights:

My book eBay Inventory The Smart Way for sale in the eBay Live! Book Store.

Doba booth filled with people. Met lots of new people, caught up with lots of others.

Adjusting my mic on stage at the 2nd session of our presentation on Product Sourcing that I do with with Lisa Suttora from What Do I Sell and Rob Cowie from Worldwide Brands. Why am I adjusting my mic you might ask? Well, Tuesday night last week I went to a Boston Red Sox game. Major league ball players (and probably others

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eBay Live 2007

Jun 13 2007
eBay Live 2007

As I continue my whirlwind travel schedule I find myself in Boston this week for the 5th annual eBay Live event that starts tomorrow.

For the past 2 years I’ve been involved in a panel presentation that covers the basics on how to find products to sell on eBay. I present with Lisa Suttora from What Do I Sell and Rob Cowie from Worldwide Brands. This year, “Product Sourcing – Find Products Buyers Want.” will be presented twice, once on Thursday the 14th at 3:00 p.m. and again at 9:00 a.m. on Friday morning the 15th.

(You can watch my part of the presentation from last year’s eBay Live in Vegas by clicking on the Sourcing Success chapter.)

If

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Where’s the JELL-O?

Jul 10 2006

I’m always impressed when I run across the owner or general manager of a large retail store working the check-out line. It doesn’t happen very often, but when it does, it’s usually a sight to behold (think over-aged person fumbling with cash register and credit card terminal, and you won’t be too far from the truth). Aside from the joy one receives as a result of watching the big dog work just as hard as everyone else, I’m usually hopeful that the owner or manager in question is gaining a specific and measurable level of respect, appreciation, and understanding for his or her customer’s and their needs and wants.

Most business owners–especially those who run large retail operations–remove themselves from the

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The People You Meet by Blogging

Jun 16 2006
The People You Meet by Blogging

One of the really cool things about blogging is that it affords you the opportunity to meet people you may not have otherwise met had you not had a blog of your own. Case in point: Guy Kawasaki, managing director of Garage Technology Ventures and one of my favorite authors and bloggers (starting to see the connection?).

As I mentioned in this past Wednesday’s post, Guy took time out of his eBay Live! 2006 schedule to stop by the Doba booth for a meet and greet. The meeting, which was informal at best, was arranged entirely as a result of me reading and leaving a comment on his blog. Had I tried to connect with him through a more traditional channel–say

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Update From eBay Live! 2006

Jun 14 2006

It’s day two of eBay Live! 2006, and the show has been nothing short of amazing. Highlights include:

  • Doba signed up as many new members on the first day of the show as we had expected to sign up over the entire three-day event.
  • Ten percent of the show’s attendees–around 1,500 people–attended my Monday panel discussion on Product Sourcing.
  • I met one of my favorite bloggers and author, Guy Kawaski, who stopped by the Doba booth for a meet and greet.

Suffice to say, eBay Live! and Doba are firing on all cylinders. To top it all off, hundreds of our current customers have stopped by our booth to share their excitement about the show and Doba,

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What Happens in Vegas Won’t Stay in Vegas

Jun 12 2006

After months of planning and working alongside a dedicated core of co-workers who pulled college-style all-nighters just to get us here, Team Doba and I are in Las Vegas through Thursday for eBay Live! 2006. A lot goes into a show like eBay Live!, and as I’ve stated before, I’m completely sold on the notion that a successful conference or trade show happens as a result of the work you choose to do beforehand.

With that in mind, I’d like to thank everyone back at Doba World Headquarters who worked so hard to get the 22 or so of us here. In particular, I’d like to recognize the work of:

  • Doba’s Creative Director/Brand Maverick, Wade Preston Shearer: From designing and



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My Bootstraps Are on Fire

Jun 7 2006

I have a theory about why so many startups go up in flames even before they’ve truly had a chance to get off the ground. Rather than finding a product or service they can sell enough of to survive, far too many entrepreneurs pour valuable resources, including ridiculous amount of cash, into efforts aimed at servicing the business they hope to receive.

In my experience, the best entrepreneurs are the ones who are savvy enough to find a product or service that people need, build enough of it to meet the most basic of demands, and then scramble forever to keep up. Said differently, inexperienced entrepreneurs spend more time ramping up and getting ready for business that simply never comes their

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