Tag: PRO

  • How to Sell Your Stuff Like a Pro

    How to Sell Your Stuff Like a Pro

    Old pair of sneakers but still got some life in them? Hoodie that doesn’t fit anymore? Headphones in the back of your drawer collecting dust? Perfume you bought but actually…hate? 

    Sell it! It’s like they say, “one person’s trash is another person’s treasure”. So put an eye patch on and slap a parrot on your shoulder. Here are some hot tips to help you secure the gold bag!

    Step 1: List Your Item Online

    Channel your inner photographer 📸

    No one likes a blurry photo and no one likes just one photo. Providing multiple photos from different angles will more likely influence buyers to message. Videos also work wonders, especially for electronics to prove that they work! 

    Create your listing 🛍️

    Facebook Marketplace, Karrot, and Kijiji are the most popular platforms. They are all relatively the same, so explore the app/site and familiarize yourself with how it works. On Facebook, you can also join local groups to increase your odds of selling to someone close by.

    Be honest, hon 💯

    Don’t lie about the condition of the item. If it’s used, mention that it is used. Playing off an item as ‘new’ will only make the exchange awkward and, in the worst case scenario, they leave without buying it. Include the condition of the item in your listing description with clear photos showing any defects. Honesty is the best policy, bestie. Price accordingly. A half-used bottle of perfume should not be going close to retail price. But hey, cleaning a dirty item so you can price it slightly higher is totally valid. Include the size and measures where applicable!

    Be a smarty pants with that price 🤑

    Do your research. Search your item on the platform and see what it’s going for. If you live in an urban city, there might be a higher demand. Price your item around the same price or slightly lower if you want to sell it faster. Take the condition of the item into your pricing decision. If it’s BNIB (brand new in box), it should definitely go closer to retail price. Conversely, if it’s looking a little rough, knock 10-25% off what people are selling it for. If you’re offering to drop off, be transparent and add the cost of commute, gas and travel into the price (and the listing). You can also upcharge $10-20 on purpose to counter lowballers (so you end up selling for the price you want!)

    Step 2: Exchange Details

    Communicate clearly 🗣️

    When you’ve received a message from a potential buyer, answer any questions they might have. They may bargain with you, so decide if you’re willing to give that discount to sell the item quicker. Remind them of any defects or imperfections (a lot of people don’t actually read the listing description). Decide and agree on a meetup date and location, and check in on the day of. Exchange numbers only if you’re comfortable. If they are long-winded and not securing the deal, move on!

    Cash is king/queen 💵

    Deal with cash only and have some pocket change ready when trading. Make a note in your listing that you only accept cash and confirm it (with the item cost) in chat when discussing meetup details. It’s possible that they want an additional discount during the trade. Stand your ground and sell at the price you set. Frankly, the likelihood of them leaving just because they can’t get an additional $5 off is slim. 

    E-vade e-transfers 🙅🏻‍♀️

    E-transfers can take up to 30 minutes to process and sometimes even longer if auto-deposit is on. You don’t want to hand over the item unless the money is with you already. Plus, you also won’t need to share any personal info like your email address! The one exception will be if you’re offering to drop off the item, then have them e-transfer and deposit the money first before making the commitment. Nothing worse than a flake after you’ve made the distance!

    Step 3: The Trade

    Let’s meet there 📍

    At the end of the day, it’s a stranger and taking stranger danger precautions is smart. Meet up in a populated public area like a Tim Hortons at a major intersection or a subway station. Ask a friend to come with you for strength in numbers (especially if you’re dropping off a trade). For safety reasons, it’s best to avoid giving your home address for pickup. 

    5 stars, thumbs up, would trade again ⭐

    When trading, be friendly. It’s normal if they want to have a look at the item thoroughly. If it’s a BNIB, don’t let them open it unless you accept the money first. After the trade is done, give them a friendly reminder to give you a positive review. The more positive reviews on your profile, the more likely you’ll sell more in the future.

    Don’t give up 💪🏻

    “Hi, I’m interested in purchasing. Is it available?” … Then silence after you reply. You’re more likely to get non-responsive flakes than serious buying inquiries. Don’t give up, some items could take months to sell! But hey, you only have to post it once. The item can go back into storage until a trade happens. Lower the price once in a while if you’re not getting any bites.

    Hopefully, these tips will help you get started! But remember, no amount of reselling will help if you’re overspending. Budgeting and making smart financial decisions will always be important. Starting healthy finance habits as a student is the way to go! Check out some budgeting tips from our friends at CIBC here. 

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  • Senate Holds Markup of the Paycheck Fairness Act, Healthy Families Act and PRO Act – CUPA-HR

    Senate Holds Markup of the Paycheck Fairness Act, Healthy Families Act and PRO Act – CUPA-HR

    by CUPA-HR | June 28, 2023

    On June 21, the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee held a markup of three labor bills championed by Democrats: the Paycheck Fairness Act (S. 728), the Healthy Families Act (S. 1664), and the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act (S. 567). The three bills passed out of the committee by a vote of 11-10 along party lines, demonstrating the challenge these bills will face to be passed into law.

    Paycheck Fairness Act

    The Paycheck Fairness Act aims to address wage discrimination on the basis of sex. More specifically, the bill limits an employer’s defense that a pay differential is based on a factor other than sex, enhances non-retaliation prohibitions, prohibits employee contracts or waivers banning them from disclosing wage information, and increases civil penalties for violations of equal-pay provisions.

    Ranking Member Bill Cassidy (R-LA) introduced several amendments to the proposed Paycheck Fairness Act, including an amendment to substitute the text with the Wage Equity Act. ​​The Wage Equity Act would protect employers’ ability to use bona fide business-related factors other than sex to set workers’ compensation and allow workers to voluntarily disclose their prior salary histories when they choose to do so. The amendment was ultimately defeated by a vote of 9-12, with Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) joining Democrats in voting against the amendment.

    Healthy Families Act

    The Healthy Families Act permits employees of businesses with 15 or more workers to accrue up to seven job-protected paid sick days each year to recover from an illness and provide care to a sick family member, among other health-related activities. For employers with 15 or fewer employees, the bill would allow employees to earn up to seven job-protected unpaid sick days each year to be used for the same purposes. Under the bill, workers would accrue one hour of sick leave for every 30 hours worked, with a cap of 56 hours that may be raised by the employer.

    Cassidy offered two amendments to the bill that would exempt employers from the requirements of the bill if they already offer paid sick leave that is at least as comprehensive as the seven-day requirement or if they are religious employers denying sick leave taken for reasons that violate their religious beliefs. Both amendments were struck down by Democrats.

    PRO Act

    The PRO Act is a massive labor reform bill designed to increase union density. The bill includes several provisions that would overhaul existing labor laws — including the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA), the Taft-Hartley Act, and the Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act — and may impose burdens on both employers and employees. Such provisions include:

    • codifying the National Labor Relation Board (NLRB)’s Browning-Ferris Industries joint-employer standard;
    • imposing the “ABC test” into the NLRA for classifying employees, making it more difficult for workers to operate as independent contractors;
    • preempting state right-to-work laws that prevent forced unionization;
    • prohibiting arbitration agreements in employment contracts;
    • revoking attorney-client confidentiality for employers; and
    • facilitating secondary boycotts by barring claims against unions that conduct them.

    The PRO Act has been strongly criticized by congressional Republicans over the past several congressional sessions, and committee Republicans offered 35 amendments to modify the current text of the PRO Act. All 35 amendments were ultimately defeated when brought to a vote.

    Looking Ahead

    Despite the passage of these bills through the Senate HELP Committee, they are unlikely to be signed into law. Due to their partisan support, the bills are unlikely to garner enough support to bypass the 60-vote filibuster on the Senate floor and to be considered in the Republican-controlled House.

    CUPA-HR will keep members apprised of future developments on these bills.



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