Four small businesses across the country –
from Mississauga, Saint Hyacinthe and Montreal –
awarded as national winners of eBay's annual awards program ahead
of National Entrepreneur's Day
TORONTO, Nov. 6, 2023
/CNW/ - With small businesses continuing to drive innovation and
embody passion within the seller community, eBay is excited to
announce the winners of its 2023 Entrepreneur of the Year
Awards. This is the 19th year of the Entrepreneur of the Year
awards, which celebrates Canadian entrepreneurs using eBay's global
marketplace of 132 million buyers across 190 markets to build and
scale their thriving businesses.
"The ability for Canadian businesses to scale across borders –
for the benefit of both sellers and buyers – is critical in this
day and age," said Garry Thaniel,
General Manager, eBay Canada. "Our
award winners represent best-in-class examples of how using eBay's
global platform not only allows them to flourish within their local
communities, but also enables them to successfully connect with
buyers around the world."
Further to its existing lineup, eBay has introduced a new
category – Sustainable Seller of the Year – to recognize a
seller who has leveraged the platform in support of a more green
and sustainable ecommerce economy.
The 2023 eBay Canada Entrepreneur of the Year Awards winners
are:
- Entrepreneur of the Year – Karn Rai of SlabSharks,
Mississauga, ON. With a
longstanding passion for trading cards, Karn, alongside his group
of friends and now co-owners, recognized a shortage of trading card
consigners in the Canadian market in 2022. Since starting
operations, SlabSharks has become a significant presence at shows
and expos across the country, growing its pool to roughly 500
unique consigners and counting across North America. In their first year, they broke
seven figures in eBay sales, and have already more than doubled
their gross sales in 2023.
- Micro-Multinational of the Year – Amy Ozueh of ACO
Repairs & Sales Solutions, Mississauga, ON. With a background specialized
in repairs for manufacturing components, Amy saw an opportunity to
start her own business selling parts directly to customers
worldwide. Leveraging her understanding of the landscape, ACO
Repairs & Sales Solutions has quickly grown beyond Canada and the U.S., with over 20 per cent of
its sales outside North America,
made even more impressive by Amy's ongoing efforts to change
perceptions within an industry that has conventionally been
dominated by men.
- Sustainable Seller of the Year – Jimmy Lachance and Genevieve Gaudreault of JLS Distributions,
Saint-Hyacinthe, QC. Running a
used appliance store for the past 15 years, Jimmy and Genevieve
soon found that they could also sell parts to help others keep
appliances in working order and out of landfills. With the support
of their daughters, the Lachance family has supported their local
business while helping buyers across North America reduce waste.
- Emerging Ecommerce Entrepreneur of the Year – Nick
Pasaritis of Partsterr, Montreal,
QC. Having grown up in an automotive family where his father
and grandfather ran a brick-and-mortar parts shop where he worked,
Nick saw an opportunity for an online automotive parts retailer
given the growth in ecommerce. Founding his business to accommodate
the specific fitment needs across online parts and accessories
sales, Partsterr has become one of eBay Canada's top sellers.
Read winners' full bios here.
As part of its ongoing commitment to help support safe and
healthy communities for Canadian small business owners, eBay is a
proud participant in Digital Main Street and the Canadian Digital
Adoption Program. By providing dedicated resources to businesses,
both programs offer exclusive benefits and training sessions that
enable brick-and-mortar businesses to transition seamlessly online
and integrate with eBay's commerce platform.
About eBay Canada's Entrepreneur of the Year
Awards
This year's award winners, selected from a record number of
online submissions, will receive cash prizes ranging from
$5,000 CAD to $10,000 CAD to reinvest into their businesses. In
addition to cash prizes, each winner will receive a one-year eBay
Store subscription upgrade, a one-year quarterly consultation
session program with an eBay Canada business development specialist, and a
professional photography session.
Categories include:
- Entrepreneur of the Year: This award recognizes an eBay seller
who best represents the spirit of eBay's seller community.
- Micro-Multinational Entrepreneur of the Year: This award
recognizes an eBay seller who has achieved great success in
marketing and selling beyond Canada's borders.
- Sustainable Seller of the Year: This award recognizes an eBay
seller who has helped to build a more green, sustainable ecommerce
economy using eBay.
- Emerging Ecommerce Entrepreneur of the Year: This award
recognizes an eBay seller who has achieved great success in
building a resilient and thriving business by integrating ecommerce
as a new sales channel.
More information on the eBay Canada Entrepreneur of the Year
Awards can be found here: eBay.ca/eoy.
To learn more about bringing your business online with eBay,
visit: eBay.ca/upandrunning.
About eBay
eBay Inc. (Nasdaq: EBAY) is a global commerce leader that
connects people and builds communities to create economic
opportunity for all. Our technology empowers millions of buyers and
sellers in more than 190 markets around the world, providing
everyone the opportunity to grow and thrive. Founded in 1995 in
San Jose, California, eBay is one
of the world's largest and most vibrant marketplaces for
discovering great value and unique selection. In 2022, eBay enabled
nearly $74 billion of gross
merchandise volume. For more information about the company and its
global portfolio of online brands, visit www.ebayinc.com.
SOURCE eBay Canada