For over 200 years, small businesses all across the country have relied on their local post office to play an important role in achieving success. The post office has provided small businesses all across the country the opportunity to connect with customers from coast to coast and everywhere in between. “Neither snow, nor rain, nor heat, nor gloom of night” have prevented the postal service from being a trusted business partner to the local small business owner.

Although commerce has dramatically changed since Benjamin Franklin was named the first Postmaster General in 1775, there is one thing that has remained the same: small businesses still rely on the United States Postal Service to reach their customers.  Internet enabled small businesses are no different.  In fact, eBay sellers account for one quarter of all packages shipped by the USPS, which means that eBay sellers are collectively the USPS’ single largest package customer.  Since the USPS is such an important partner to the hundreds of thousands of small businesses that use our platform, eBay believes a financially and structurally sound postal service is critically important.

That’s why the eBay Inc. Government Relations team has encouraged Congress to take action and pass meaningful postal reform legislation that preserves and promotes affordable and reliable shipping alternatives for small businesses.  Good federal postal reform legislation should:

• Guard against rate increases that would compromise the ability of small businesses to compete against the volume-driven shipping prices offered by their larger competitors;
• Maintain Saturday delivery and give the USPS flexibility to meet its customers’ delivery day needs; and
• Preserve delivery standards by requiring the USPS to consider alternatives before closing post offices

The online small business retailers of today must compete with large multichannel retailers that blend networks of stores with a highly competitive online business.  USPS’s shipping alternatives are important components of the shipping infrastructure that allows small Internet-enabled retailers to compete, grow, create jobs and offer new competitors to established retail giants.

Congress is currently debating postal reform legislation and the future of the USPS.  It is important that Congress hear from small businesses back home that rely on the services of the USPS to remain competitive.  If you are a small business or entrepreneur that utilizes the USPS services, contact your Member of Congress and ask that they keep the USPS a viable option for small businesses across the country.