eBay has awarded more than £50,000 to 23 businesses across the East Midlands made up of cash grants of up to £5,000 and support packages worth £1,200 each.
The eBay Business Roadshow invites small businesses across the country to apply for grants and packages to support with growing their online shops. In addition to the grants, winning small businesses benefit from a full year of 1-2-1 mentoring with an eBay ambassador to support their unique growth journey.
The Roadshow visited the East Midlands to offer guidance and training on starting a business with eBay, sustainable basics for small businesses as well as access to the regional support available in the area.
Successful applicants in the East Midlands sell a range of pre-loved items including vintage clothing, collectable Marvel and Star Wars items, children’s party accessories, musical instruments and model trains.
Nine roadshows have been held across the country so far with thousands of small businesses attending.
A panel of expert judges with representatives from Small Business Britain attended the roadshow event in Leicester. They considered the entrepreneurs’ need for funds, how they plan to use the money, and the potential positive social impact the funds would have through sustainable business practices or support for the local community.
Jake Harris, the founder of Into Music, impressed the judges enough to earn himself £5,000 to support his growth plans. Jake, who has been trading in drums and percussion instruments since 2016, spent weekends trawling through car boot sales with his Grandad to take home, repair and resell on eBay. The judges recognised Jake’s entrepreneurial vision in setting up one of the largest online inventories of pre-loved drum equipment on the platform.
Sarah Bryant, director of Small Businesses at eBay UK, said: “Small businesses have been forced to navigate a never-ending list of challenges in the past couple of years. We’re committed to using the power of our platform in a way that supports our sellers and nurtures individual business growth, despite these challenges. And we acknowledge the power that funding and investing in these sellers has to foster such growth.
“We’re pleased to celebrate the East Midlands entrepreneurs that will receive grants and support packages to enable further business growth in the months to come. Each business has an exceptional story, and we look forward to seeing how each business benefits from the added support. Congratulations to all our winners!”
Jake Harris, from Into Music, said: “I’m so grateful for the grant I received from eBay. The support really catapulted the growth of my business, allowing me to secure new suppliers and increase the range of products that I can sell on my eBay store. This has opened up doors for us and we’ve been able to take big steps forward that would have taken much longer without eBay’s backing.”
