Today is International Women’s Day, a global day which celebrates the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women - while also calling for the acceleration of gender parity.
This year’s theme is #BreakTheBias, and so we’ve spoken to two female eBay business sellers whose work challenges gender stereotypes about what today means to them, which women have inspired them in their careers to date, and advice for others looking to start their own businesses and begin selling on eBay.
Meet the sellers
Rachel McGill runs McGill Motorsport with her husband and sons. The business is a specialist supplier of motor parts, as well as racers' hardware, race parts and racewear from major brands. It was the winner of the Family Business Award at the 2020 eBay for Business Awards.
Kerrine Bryan is a qualified chartered electrical engineer, who is the founder and co-author for Butterfly Books - a social enterprise that is part of eBay for change - alongside her brother Jason. The educational books they write aim to challenge gender stereotypes and instil in children a belief that they can be anything they want to be, irrespective of sex, race and social background. Popular books include My Mummy is an Engineer and My Mummy is a Plumber.
Making a change in male dominated fields
To start, we asked Rachel and Kerrine what International Women’s Day means to them. Both responded that as their work is in largely male dominated fields, they think it’s especially important to showcase the work women are doing in these sectors as we continue to rewrite outdated narratives on where women fit in the world of work.
Rachel said “The sector my company sells in is still largely male dominated, but this is an area where progress is being made these days. As a female born at the start of the 1960s, I have seen many changes in attitudes and biases towards women’s roles within business over the years”, indicating that we as a society are moving in the right direction.
Looking ahead, Kerinne commented that International Women’s Day for her is “a time where we can focus on the achievements of women and highlight the work that they do, particularly in fields of work that are male dominated. It's a time where all people can be inspired by these amazing female role models, giving us motivation for the year ahead.”
The power of female role models
Rachel called out her mother as an important role model for her. She said:“It sounds like a cliché, but my late mum was a key inspiration for me. I can’t recall a time when she didn’t work, and she was so energetic, positive, and just got on with whatever life threw at her. She couldn’t have set a better example for me and my younger sisters to follow.” Kerinne also agreed that her mum was important in inspiring her to work hard and be the best version of herself.
Beyond this, Kerrine also said that she has found it encouraging to see more black female role models who she can relate to. She talked about Stemettes founder Dr A-Marie Imafidon MBE as a particular inspiration, saying when she first met her at an event in 2014 she was “immediately amazed and impressed by the outreach work she was doing alongside her day job, to inspire more women and girls into STEM.”
Top tips for women starting out as sellers
Thoughts from Rachel and Kerinne:
- Believe in yourself! Rachel said “If you have an idea of something that you believe people would want to own, go for it! Gender, perceived social status or anything else you feel you may be pigeon holed by, makes no difference to your ability to create a successful online business.”
- Build a network of like minded people by joining relevant groups and attending events. Kerinne pointed out “We are all going through the same process but at different stages, meaning there is always someone able to help you or point you in the right direction, and as you grow your own business you can also pass your knowledge onto others who are starting out.”
Looking more specifically at the selling process on eBay:
- Keywords are key – take the time to get your keywords right and bidders will come. It’s important to write your listing in your fellow users’ language and use the terminology they search for – especially brand and product names.
- Include good quality pictures – Take photos in natural light against a neutral background to showcase your products – most users will not bid on items they cannot see.
- Be as detailed as possible – Be honest about the condition of the product and make sure you note any wear and tear. Including details that can’t be made clear in an image, such as the feel or fit of a product, will also help buyers decide if this is the item for them.
- Be realistic with pricing – consider your pricing strategy carefully following the eBay pricing recommendations. eBay.co.uk has a function that allows you to search for the item you want to sell and then filter the results by sold items, so you can view the price the item has sold for previously, and use this to guide your own pricing.
- Selling Sundays – eBay’s busiest time for buyers is Sunday evenings, so schedule your listings to end around that time – and choose 10 day auctions to ensure the maximum number of bids. The longer your item is listed, the more chances you have of people seeing it, so unless it's time-sensitive, pick 10 days.
If you are feeling inspired this International Women’s Day and are interested in starting your own selling journey, check out our eBay Academy for more tips. What does International Women’s Day mean to you? And what other advice would you give a new seller starting out? Let us know your thoughts below!
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