This post originally appeared on the eBay Inc. blog. Written by Hal Lawton.

The secret of every successful business -- big or small, global or local -- boils down to the same two things. A great idea, and someone who refuses to let it go.

At eBay, we see those big ideas -- and that dogged determination to bring them to life – transformed into thriving small businesses every day.  

Whether it’s the young Dad who started an eBay store so he could be there to watch his kids grow; the woman who turned her passion for clothes into a fashion empire; or the couple who just knew there had to be a better way to live, and found it on eBay, their stories are the stories of our marketplace.

That’s why I’m so excited to announce, at the start of National Small Business Week in the United States, the launch of eBay’s first seller recognition program, the Shine Awards for Small Business.

The awards will celebrate the brightest and the best of our vibrant selling community in the U.S., across a number of categories --– including women-owned businesses; family-run businesses; global businesses; businesses showing strong growth; and charitable businesses. We’ll also be recognizing one Grand Prize Winner as the 2016 Small Business of the Year.

We’ll be looking for shining examples of our small business community -- exceptional, original sellers, who embody a passion for eBay and encapsulate our core values. And because eBay is, at heart, a community – one connected by commerce and bound together in a spirit of entrepreneurship – we’ll be asking the community to vote for the most deserving winners across the 15 finalists across each category.

Since the very beginning, the story of eBay has been the story of entrepreneurs taking a dream and turning it into a business – starting with our founder, Pierre Omidyar, whose idea for an online buying and selling website became the global marketplace that never sleeps. In a sense, the Shine Awards are about going back to our roots and celebrating the very spirit of eBay. I couldn’t be more excited.

Read more about our Annual Shine Awards here.