Nothing makes a man work harder than the right motivation.

(Why I got busy with online sales)

I had my own reasons to start selling online. Upon learning that my wife and I were expecting our first born, I went into “Daddy Preparation Mode.” (My wife kindly refers to it as “Da-Da went Berserk”). I began anticipating and planning for our son’s birth and all the new responsibilities I would face as a father. Many people think about the possibilities of the future and ignore the need more increased financial needs. Our meager income was barely paying the bills we already had. What are we going to do now?! My financial worries ranged from the baby’s immediate needs: a crib, changing table, dresser, bookcases, car seats, high chair, strollers, diaper bags, etc to the future needs (not just the projected cost of the 6000+ diapers we would have to buy) but the  countless other clothes and toys not to mention college funding. I realized I had to do something and needed to get busy fast.

Almost immediately I started working extra shifts at my job. My plan was simple. Work as many hours as possible and try to save as much cash as possible to make up for the loss of my wife’s income while she (and I) would be out of work on maternity leave. Seeking to earn more cash for our current needs and plan for the future. Well, by working lots of extra shifts on nights and weekends I made a few extra bucks but the 60-80 hours a week I was working left little or no time to spend with my wife and family. After a few months of working lots and lots and LOTS of overtime I and everyone around me realized the time I was at home I was so tired and … well, let’s just say I was cranky. OK, I was downright grouchy! Actually I was exhausted and the baby wasn’t even born yet.

Then one evening while my wife and I were at dinner with family and some friends I overheard someone ask my brother in law “how’s your stuff selling on eBay?”  He replied, “I sold a pool last night for $380,”. I heard this and thought, wait did he just say...  he made money by selling a pool on eBay? My brother in law is a nice guy but he works for a living and was at work the prior night. Furthermore, in all the years I’ve known him he has never sold anything, has never owned a pool, and I’m almost certain he can’t even swim!

As the weeks and months went on, we got closer and closer to our due date. I continued working like crazy and being even more … unpleasant. I began skipping social functions and avoiding even common tasks like mowing the lawn, I was a working zombie, Sleep, eat, work, eat, work, sleep, work, sleep, eat, work, work, work …

Finally the blessed event occurred and our wonderful baby son was born. Yet for all my efforts I had barely saved enough money to pay for all the new found infant necessities and afford a few short weeks off work to spend with my wife, now a mother, and our beautiful son.

 While visiting with us and our new bundle of joy, my brother-in-law asked to use my computer, of course I said yes. On his way to the den where the computer was set up, we passed his wife in the hallway  He paused to tell her he would only be a minute, he needed to go online to ship a floor jack he had sold earlier that day on eBay. Now wait just a minute! Did I hear that right?

I was ready to know more.