eBay Officially Launches California Up & Running Program

April 2, 2021

Up & Running is a training program created in 2020 to help small businesses get online and grow through the pandemic and beyond.  As part of this initiative, eBay is partnering with the California Office of the Small Business Advocate (CalOSBA) to bring this ecommerce training program to California retailers.   As eBay’s corporate home and with the diversity and tenacity of its small business community, California is the ideal place to continue to demonstrate our purpose of enabling economic opportunity for all.

Earlier this year eBay reviewed hundreds of applications from small businesses all across the state.  At the end of the application period 310 highly deserving California small businesses were chosen to take part in this 6-week, 100% free program. Included in this training is full access to eBay Seller School, our interactive online learning platform, twice weekly webinars lead by an eBay Growth Advisor and an eBay Seller Starter kit. This is everything one needs to get started, or to grow your business, on eBay. 

This week eBay formally launched the program with a virtual kick-off event for all participants as well as other California small business stakeholders. Held in partnership with the CalOSBA, the hour long event served as both a celebration of the event participants as well as an overview of the program. The event featured two guest speakers: Dee Dee Myers, Senior Advisor to CA Governor Newsom and Director of the Governor’s Office of Business & Economic Development (GO-Biz), and Andrea Stairs, CMO & VP, eBay Seller Community.

eBay’s Andrea Stairs kicked off the event by welcoming the California small businesses. Andrea reinforced eBay’s commitment to helping small business by empowering people. “This is our DNA” said Andrea. “We want to do everything we can to help small businesses grow and stay open into the future.” As the backbone of eBay, Andrea reiterated that eBay is always in partnership with our small business customers and never competes with them.

Dee Dee Myers then congratulated the new program participants. “[California small business are] the backbone of our state and each of our communities” said Dee Dee. “We’re really excited to be able partner with eBay and support you in this opportunity to [enhance] your digital skills.” Dee Dee also thanked eBay for bringing this program to California small businesses.

eBay is extremely excited to begin this journey with our new California small business program participants and looks forward to helping them grow and succeed as they embark on this ecommerce journey.

Additional Information on California Small Businesses

Selling online offers vast economic opportunity for small businesses and enables them to tap a larger global customer base. For California small businesses, a recent eBay study found an increasing number of entrepreneurs turned to the marketplace for an additional source of income following the onset of the pandemic lockdowns in March 2020. Read the new, California Small Online Business Report at ebaymainstreet.com/california.