North America

Stephanie Franco

About Stephanie Franco

Longtime business owner Stephanie Franco started re-selling on eBay in 2017 as a hobby, and then a business in 2021 to contribute extra income to her family when her marketing business lost clients during the pandemic. She had started working a temp job with the SBA, with intense hours and stressful situations in the middle of COVID-19, but ultimately decided to convert her online reselling business into an LLC to create flexibility and independence for her business ventures.

Shari Smith

About Shari Smith

Shari Smith began selling on eBay in 2015 after she left her stressful job as a corporate recruiter. Not long after leaving her job, Shari’s husband was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). Needing a source of income but wanting the flexibility to be with her husband as much as possible, Shari began selling used clothing and jewelry on eBay with great success. Sadly, Shari’s husband passed away in 2019 but she has remained committed to her online business.

Aly McBride

About Aly McBride

Aly McBride first started selling on eBay for a bit of extra cash while she was in law school. She never expected to become a reseller full time, but after a few years of private practice as an attorney, she decided to stay home with her children and needed an outlet in her spare time. Aly found it in thrifting and sourcing secondhand items with character, and decided to launch the Main Line Find, promoting her listings on eBay and social media.

Orion Gonzales

About Orion Gonzales

Orion Gonzales is the owner and operator of MindfulRecycle, an eBay storefront with an eclectic range of fully recycled, refurbished, or repurposed secondhand products including collectibles, clothing, and electronics. Prior to starting his small business, Orion worked in both local government and corporate roles in Oregon and Missouri but decided to explore other opportunities that would grant him more freedom and flexibility. His mother had been successfully selling on eBay for several years, so he decided to develop an eBay small business of his own with her help.

Daniel Trujillo

About Daniel Trujillo

Daniel Trujillo is a filmmaker and entrepreneur who first started selling on eBay casually in high school in 2007, selling everything from books to apparel to collectibles. Over time, his business on eBay grew and he was able to rely on the platform for supplemental income while attending film school. He ultimately registered as an LLC and took his business full-time during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Today, his eBay storefront specializes in selling wholesale and collectibles, operating out of a rented office space and several warehouse spaces.

Ken Gaitano

About Ken Gaitano

Ken Gaitano is a Filipino-born entrepreneur with a passion for sneakers and online selling. Born and raised in the
Philippines, Ken obtained his Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, specializing in Entrepreneurship. In 2013,
he made the life-changing decision to move to the United States, where he married his girlfriend, Jacy. Ken stumbled
upon the Hustler Hacks YouTube channel and discovered a fascinating opportunity to turn his love for shoes into a
thriving business on eBay. He founded Pursuing Passion LLC in 2017 and has since achieved remarkable success

Ajay Mirchandani

About Ajay Mirchandani

Ajay Mirchandani, owner of Bleacher Bum Collective, started his business as a brick-and-mortar store selling video games, posters and promotional items. In the early 2000’s he began experimenting with selling his extra product on eBay and was extremely attracted to the idea of e-commerce. He credits his long-term success on eBay from initially having a surplus of posters for a popular video game and seeing a massive profit return and sales across Canada and the United States. Ajay found popular video games and sold merchandise.

While the pandemic impacted people across the US from every walk of life and segment of society, from early on it became clear that women were disproportionately impacted economically and socially. This report explores how selling on eBay, whether to run or build a small business, or just as an individual to earn extra income, proved helpful to women during the pandemic. It allowed women to earn income, support their family or small businesses, and work flexibly and safely from home at a time when many were burdened by increased household and childcare responsibilities.

This report explores how independent small businesses and entrepreneurs across America were able to turn to eBay’s online marketplace during the initial months of the pandemic and use ecommerce to connect with consumers across the country and around the world. eBay helped small businesses, both existing and new to online commerce, meet growing consumer ecommerce demand and compensate for oftentimes declining local, in-store traffic. The report also provides insights into the trade and growth of eBay-enabled small businesses across the United States prior to the pandemic.

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