This is the 1st of a series how to's that we have learned from in our experiences of traveling and continuing our eBay business, both by car and now in the RV.
When we bought our RV we knew we would be selling on the road, so made sure it had lots of storage space. Everything is stored in the plastic bins with tight fitting lids and stored in the 'basement'. Smaller and more valuable items are in their own plastic shoe boxes under the bed.
Hardware - Besides the computer and printer the only way to go is with an air card. I call them a cell phone for a laptop. Most companies have them now and they run about $60.00 a month.
There have been only a few spots where there is no cell phone signal so therefore no air card signal either.
Depending on the size of your business, there is no way to work and keep up with email, questions and sales, looking for someplace that has WiFi. And that is especially true in an RV where you don't have a lot of flexibility on where you park and instant decisions where to turn.
For us and this is just MHO, I hate putting my store on vacation. It is risky business, and hard to get geared up again.
Mailing Packages - It is a good idea to use the zip code you are mailing from. I think this is especially important when it is a priority package - because of the zones - Not so much with 1st class.
Most RV parks will accept outgoing mail. We had one problem when we were parked at a WalMart over night since they do not take outgoing mail! That is a whole 'nther subject and we won't be doing that again anytime soon - only in an emergency!!!!
Shipping - My husband is the shipping department and brings all the materials he would use at home including larger things in the event of large combined purchases. He also brought some priority boxes, with the thinking if he needed more he could get them easy enough from a post office. And if we ran out of something there are always office supply stores.
Merchandise - We have structured what we sell on the road in a way that won't be to heavy or bulky. We left all breakables at home. That took several weeks of planning and organization so the items would expire just before we left.
If you are parked in one place for awhile it is easy to visit thrift shops and yard sales or outlet stores. Don't forget the local Craigslist too!
List the items right away so you don't have to carry them with you very far. But stick to the rule of light things. You don't want them to be heavy and accumulate without selling and you have to haul them.
I am always available to talk eBay so if you are passing through or near Colorado Springs, CO write and lets meet up and visit.
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