eBay Kicks Off National Small Business Week with Entrepreneurial Initiatives

Washington D.C. eBay Seller Advocacy Day brings attention to key topics and issues that impact small businesses

eBay announces Baton Rouge as sixth Retail Revival city

Shark Tank's Daymond John partners with eBay for virtual mentorship session on May 9

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May 07, 2019, 15:00 ET

SAN JOSE, Calif., May 7, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- In celebration of National Small Business Week, eBay is unveiling a set of key partnerships and entrepreneurial initiatives that support the growth of small and medium-sized businesses across the country.

eBay announced the expansion of its economic empowerment program, Retail Revival, to a sixth city - Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Join “The People’s Shark,” Daymond John, for a special virtual conference to offer small business owners tips, tricks and advice for success. On May 9 at 6:30p.m. EDT, John will tap his experience as a businessman and investor by answering questions via Instagram Live that focus on empowerment and expansion through ecommerce.

"eBay is built on the invaluable contributions of small businesses around the world, and we jump at every opportunity to lift them up and show our appreciation," said Steve Wymer, SVP and Chief Communications Officer at eBay. "This week, we're standing alongside our sellers nationwide to put a spotlight on their needs, while also providing resources and guidance to support their success."

Seller Advocacy Day Kicks Off in Washington D.C.
Beginning today, eBay is kicking off the company's 14th annual Seller Advocacy Day in Washington D.C. During the two-day advocacy event, 24 sellers from 20 states are meeting with Members of Congress to tackle issues facing small business. With 96 percent of eBay-enabled small business owners exporting their goods - compared to just 1 percent of traditional businesses - initiatives like postal reform and cross-border trade legislation have a significant impact on their operations. Advocacy Day is another way that eBay lives the company's purpose by championing its sellers and the issues critical to their success.

eBay's Retail Revival Expands to Sixth City
This morning, eBay announced the expansion of its economic empowerment program, Retail Revival, to a sixth city - Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Retail Revival helps small businesses grow by taking full advantage of the digital economy and eBay's global marketplace. Local retailers in Baton Rouge will join participating sellers in Akron, OH, Lansing, MI and Greensboro, NC in the US, plus Wolverhampton, UK and Halifax, Canada, who are accelerating their growth with training and support from eBay. To date, eBay has partnered with more than 300 small businesses through Retail Revival and facilitated the sale of over 260,000 items to customers in 122 countries around the world.

New Partnerships with Shark Tank's Daymond John and Nonprofit SCORE
Additionally, "The People's Shark," Daymond John, is hosting a special virtual conference, "Daymond John x eBay Power Talk," to offer small business owners tips, tricks and advice for success. On May 9 at 6:30p.m. EDT, John will tap his experience as a businessman and investor by answering questions via Instagram Live that focus on empowerment and expansion through ecommerce.

"As an entrepreneur and branding expert, I have seen first-hand what it takes to turn a small business into an empire," says John. "My partnership with eBay is the perfect opportunity to engage directly with entrepreneurs and share the many lessons I've learned during my own journey, including how to grow a thriving company online."

eBay is also partnering with the SCORE Foundation - the nation's largest network of volunteer, expert and business mentors - and making a $50,000 donation to benefit nearly 150 small businesses.

"We are proud to partner with eBay for Charity and honored to be the recipient of this generous donation during National Small Business Week," said Ken Yancy, CEO of SCORE. "Last year, SCORE volunteers helped clients start 32,000 new businesses and create 135,000 new jobs. These funds will allow SCORE mentors to help clients create more than 147 new businesses or 617 new jobs in the next year. Our client's success is our success; and, it is support from organizations like eBay that provides so many rich opportunities to learn and grow. All 11,000 SCORE mentors join me in thanking you for this wonderful donation."

To further acknowledge its seller community, eBay is holding the fourth annual Shine Awards for Small Business, sponsored by Intuit, which prompts sellers to submit their stories for a chance to win $15,000, a VIP trip to eBay Open and invaluable business exposure. To enter, visit ebayopen.com/shineawards.

To tune in to "Daymond John x eBay Power Talk" follow @thesharkdaymond on May 9 at 6:30p.m. EDT. For more information on eBay's Seller Advocacy Day, visit ebaymainstreet.com/sban/advocacy. And to learn more about Retail Revival, visit ebayinc.com/impact/retail-revival/ and shop participating small businesses on eBay at ebay.com/retailrevival.

About eBay
eBay Inc. (NASDAQ: EBAY) is a global commerce leader including the Marketplace, StubHub and Classifieds platforms. Collectively, we connect millions of buyers and sellers around the world, empowering people and creating opportunity through Connected Commerce. Founded in 1995 in San Jose, Calif., eBay is one of the world's largest and most vibrant marketplaces for discovering great value and unique selection. In 2018, eBay enabled $95 billion of gross merchandise volume. For more information about the company and its global portfolio of online brands, visit www.ebayinc.com.

SOURCE eBay Inc.