Entrepreneurs like you are the beating heart of eBay - and the backbone of the UK’s vibrant communities. It’s no secret that times have been a little tough. But we continue to be amazed by the spirit and steely determination of businesses to keep doing what you do best: selling!
So, to recognise all of your hard work and to give a little something back, we’ll be shining a light on inspirational small businesses for our 8th annual eBay for Business Awards. Read on to discover all of the essential information about how to enter, what’s up for grabs and top tips to craft a winning entry.
Enter the eBay for Business Awards
Tell your story for a chance to win one of 6 great prizes, including:
- The chance for 6 award winners to each receive £10,000.
- Feature in an eBay ‘Seller Stories’ video.
- A business support package with 1:1 Marketplace Advisor support.
- A celebration at eBay Open UK with all the winners.
How to win:
- Tell us your story!
- Showcase the best of your business and the journey you’ve taken to get to where you are today.
- Your aspirations
- Give us an insight of your future goals, what makes you tick, and how £10,000 will help your business get there.
- Submit your entry
- Make sure you submit your application entry by 11:59PM on Wednesday 3 July 2024 to be in the running.
- Get shortlisted
- Judges will select candidates for each category, before voting opens for the general public to choose their favourite.
- Get votes
- Voting is open from Wednesday 24 July 2024 to Wednesday 7 August 2024. Don’t forget to ask your friends, family and customers to vote!
- Evaluation
- Winners will be determined by an eBay judging panel and public votes, each making a 50% contribution to the result.
Top tips for a great entry
- Try and answer the questions below in your entry:
- How did your business journey start?
- What inspired you to become an entrepreneur?
- What have you been able to achieve on eBay?
- Have there been key moments in your journey?
- What are some roadblocks you have overcome?
- How could winning £10,000 help you achieve your business goals?
- Decide what category / categories you’d like to enter for:
- Above and Beyond Award
- Business Growth Award
- eBay Pioneer Award
- Community Contribution Award
- Social Impact Award
- Start-Up Award
Take the time to learn more about the categories (find more details below) to see which are the best fit for your business. This will help you to tailor your entry, to make it all the more compelling. Please note that you’re free to enter as many categories as you please! But we recommend only submitting an application for categories that feel relevant to your business and unique eBay journey.
- Get comfy and take your time
It’ll take about 20 minutes to submit your entry. So, take time to think about what you want to say before you start. Once you’re ready to go, find a comfy spot, have any refreshments at the ready, and start crafting your submission. Please note, once you start you won’t be able to save your entry, so make sure you allocate enough time to get it done to the best of your ability.
- If English is not your first language, try these tips:
- Use AI tools, such as Grammarly or ChatGPT, to sense check your entry
- Do you have any English-speaking friends or colleagues? Ask them to read it over!
- If you find talking easier than writing, record a video entry!
But don’t just take our word for it, here’s last year’s winners top tips:
Phil Comics
“My main advice is to persevere and definitely enter, even if you've had no luck in the past. You’re up against hundreds of excellent businesses, so competition will be strong. I entered the first 3 years of the awards, then didn’t enter for a couple of years.
Last year, the eBay Pioneer Award really jumped out at me, having sold on eBay for over 20 years - so I gave it another shot and ended up winning! I think it’s also important to apply for the category that appeals to your business the most and focus on the specifics of that category.
Describe the passion that drives you to sell on eBay, what makes your business unique and why customers keep coming back to you. It can be the small, personal touches that make the difference with your customers, so identifying those in your application may also make that small difference with the judges”
Jon-Luc
“Write your entry believing you can go and win it. Self belief has taken me to many places”
Found So Pretty
“My main tip is to just enter the awards, even if you think winning is farfetched. I did and here we are! Then, to craft a winning entry, think about what’s unique about your business and what’s personal about its story. Don’t be shy, show the person behind the seller account and why your business deserves to win”
Vintage Honey Pots
“Don't be shy to shout about your eBay success. We entered thinking that if we even made it to the shortlist of finalists it would be a massive win for us with the extra publicity and something to be proud of. But my top tip is to make a video! It doesn't need to be anything fancy, I made a simple slideshow of our achievements, but it really helped to tell our story and make us stand out from the crowd”
Check out the eBay for Business Awards categories
Above & Beyond Award
Our Above & Beyond Award recognises businesses that constantly strive to do better for their customers. Do you continue to receive outstanding feedback for your excellent customer service? Is there an example of how you went above and beyond to keep a customer happy? If this sounds like you, apply for our Above & Beyond Award!
Business Growth Award
Our Business Growth Award recognises bold businesses that have honed their craft, seized opportunities and embraced the tools at their disposal to unlock new revenue streams or overhaul existing ones to deliver an upsurge in GMV. If this sounds like you, apply for our eBay Business Growth Award!
eBay Pioneer Award
Our eBay Pioneer Award recognises the longstanding, upstanding sellers that have been there every step of the way - taking advantage of all that eBay has to offer, to be the star of their own real-life success stories. If you’ve been selling for over 10 years, with a roll call of achievements in that time, apply for our eBay Pioneer Award!
Community Contribution Award
Our Community Contribution Award recognises outstanding contributions to the eBay Community. Do you create meaningful connections with the community? Such as sharing tips and tricks on a social media channel, hosting seller meet-ups, or running a support group? If this sounds like you, apply for our Community Contribution Award!
Social Impact Award
Our Social Impact Award recognises social enterprises that strive to empower their communities and lend a helping hand to those who need it most - stopping at nothing in their pursuit to lead the way to a fairer, more sustainable world. If this sounds like you, apply for our Social Impact Award!
Start-Up Award
Our Start-Up Award recognises a business that has combined the power of imagination, innovation and steely determination to start a successful business, which has also been able to impact the world in a meaningful way. If this sounds like you, apply for our Start-Up Award!
Next steps once you’ve submitted your application(s)
Once all the entries are in, our panel of eBay judges will select candidates for each category to make up the shortlist. Voting will then be opened up to the eBay Community and wider public. So, get sharing and ask your friends, family and customers to vote!
Winners will be selected by an equal combination of community votes and judges scoring.
Don’t forget to submit your entry before the deadline on Wednesday 3 July 2024, good luck!
Enter the eBay for Business Awards
Check out last year’s winners on our eBay for Business UK YouTube.
How could winning help your business?
Travelruss GB Stamps
Winning my award last year has helped to develop my eBay business in so many ways. The prize money has helped me grow my inventory and with the help of the Pro-trader programme, money is also being invested in promotions and advertising - something I'd never done before.
The results from these activities have been great - my impressions are up almost 50%, I've added more followers and I continue to see sales growth. Over 90% of my listings now also qualify as a eBay Premium Service listing thanks to the Pro-Trader programme. I've also set up business and shipping policies, which have helped speed up doing new listings.
Winning the award also encouraged me to attend events such as the roadshows and having been to two this year, I've picked up so much useful information from the eBay team along with networking and learning from other knowledgeable sellers.
I almost didn't apply for the awards last year - and I'm so very glad I did! In my experience it doesn't matter what you sell. If you do a good job and go that extra mile for your customers, apply and hopefully like me you could win! Best of luck.
Found So Pretty
“The eBay for Business Awards was a huge show of appreciation and vote of confidence in the direction that I am taking my business and in the values I uphold. In practical terms, the prize money and the one-to-one mentorship were invaluable tools to help me reach the next level for my eBay business. On top of that, I had so much fun with all the award celebrations and the opportunity to meet some amazing people in the eBay community of sellers and staff”
Good luck! We look forward to reading your entry.
Your eBay Team
