eBay launches search for Canada's most entrepreneurial and successful sellers

~For the ninth year in a row, eBay Canada's Entrepreneur of the Year Awards celebrate e-commerce, with new 2013 categories, and spotlight past winners~

TORONTO, July 15, 2013 /CNW/ - Today, eBay Canada put out the call for sellers to enter its ninth annual eBay Canada Entrepreneur of the Year Awards. This program is designed to highlight successful and innovative e-commerce in Canada, aiming to further boost this growing market. In addition to this highly-coveted award, Canada will also crown winners in two additional categories: Young-preneur and Home-preneur of the Year.

"More and more Canadians are buying goods online and supporting a new wave of Canadian business," said Andrea Stairs, country director for eBay Canada. "eBay is looking for examples of great Canadian entrepreneurial innovation and creativity, and by showcasing this year's winners, we hope to inspire more Canadians to start selling online."

Last year a Canadian sold an item approximately every 2 seconds on eBay Canada, proving that eBay - the world's largest online marketplace - is changing the way Canadians shop by connecting sellers to millions of buyers across the country and around the world. eBay continues to support sellers in the world of online commerce and the Canadian economy overall by facilitating billions of dollars worth of online transactions.

Apply within!

Sellers who meet eBay requirements must submit their entries online by Monday, August 12, 2013 for a chance to win in one of the three following categories:

• Entrepreneur of the Year Award: The highly sought-after prize will be awarded to a seller who has built a successful online business. The 2013 winner will exemplify eBay sellers who, in the face of challenges, have achieved their business goals by not only understanding their market, but also delighting their customers.

• Young-preneur of the Year Award: This year's Young-preneur winner, under the age of 29, will have overcome challenges faced as a first-time eBay seller due to their limited experience. The entrepreneurially spirited winner will have built their model eBay business through combined social media know-how and innovative business practices.
  
  
• NEW!  Home-preneur of the Year Award: As the world's largest online marketplace, eBay provides Canadian sellers the opportunity to sell anywhere, anytime, including from the comfort of their own home. This award will recognize a seller who does just that by managing and operating a seamless eBay business that sells to buyers near and far all while utilizing home resources and family member contributions.

Past Winners: Where are they now?

Jean-Francois Lapointe, Gatineau, Quebec (eBay ID: Bdhbikes)

Last year, eBay Canada crowned Jean-Francois Lapointe Entrepreneur of the Year. After purchasing his father's bicycle business in 2006, Jean-Francois recognized the opportunity to sell online and offset slowdowns experienced during Quebec's cold winter months. Jean-Francois kicked-off his online business by specializing in bike suspensions, a very niche market in the cycling industry, and was so successful that he managed to pay his father back in less than four years. Today, Jean-Francois runs a $6 million business, selling mid- to high-end bicycle components to a growing community of bike enthusiasts around the world. He proudly states that he is now the largest online bike parts and accessories reseller in Canada, proving that it's possible to take a local, seasonal business and turn it into a global, year-round enterprise.

Shaun Shienfield, Toronto, ON (eBay ID: Knetgolfcanada)

In 2009, Shaun Shienfield of Toronto was crowned eBay Canada's Entrepreneur of the Year. Offering exclusively premium pre-owned golf balls on eBay, Shaun partners with resorts, private facilities and top daily fee courses to retrieve golf balls from the lakes and hazardous waters by using a team of scuba divers. Since winning the coveted eBay title, Shaun's business has grown exponentially, seeing a 100 per cent year-over-year growth since April 2012.

"eBay has helped me get my business to where it is today," says Shienfield. "I've been able to qualify as a top-rated eBay seller, which has helped give my customers a better experience, and the eBay-automated checkout tool has helped me fill orders more quickly and efficiently to the tune of increasing our productivity tenfold."

About the 2013 Entrepreneur of the Year Awards program

The Entrepreneur of the Year Awards program is open to full- and part-time eBay sellers aged 18 years and older. All entrants will be considered for the Young-preneur of the Year and the Home-preneur of the Year categories, if applicable.

Along with bragging rights, the Entrepreneur of the Year will win $3,000 and the Young-preneur of the Year and Home-preneur of the Year will each receive $2,000.  All three winners will also enjoy promotion of their eBay business to more than two-million online buyers.

• Entrants must meet eligibility criteria and answer essay questions in order to enter the competition.
• Entries must be received by midnight (ET) on August 12, 2013.
• Winners will be announced during Canadian Small Business Month in October.
• For more information and to enter, visit: http://eoy.ebaypromotion.ca

About eBay Canada

Founded in 1995 in San Jose, Calif., eBay Inc. (NASDAQ:EBAY) is a global commerce platform and payments leader connecting millions of buyers and sellers. We do so through eBay, the world's largest online marketplace, which allows users to buy and sell in nearly every country on earth; through PayPal, which enables individuals and businesses to securely, easily and quickly send and receive digital payments; and through GSI, which facilitates ecommerce, multichannel retailing and digital marketing for global enterprises. We also reach millions through specialized marketplaces such as StubHub, the world's largest ticket marketplace, and eBay classifieds sites, which together have a presence in more than 1,000 cities around the world. In Canada, eBay was visited by more than 7.9 million Canadians in May 2013 (comScore Media Metrix).

SOURCE: eBay Canada

Megan Vickell
eBay Canada
[email protected]
416.934.2028

Rosie Shipton
Edelman (on behalf of eBay Canada)
[email protected]
416.849.1505