The eBay Government Relations team recently hosted 19 eBay small business owners from around the country for the 15th annual U.S. of eBay Advocacy event. The sellers, whom hailed from nine states, were reflective of eBay’s vibrant and diverse small business community and attended virtually this year due to the pandemic. Additionally, their small businesses represented a variety of product categories including Auto Parts, Health & Beauty, Clothing, Shoes & Accessories, Jewelry & Watches, Consumer Electronics and Pet Supplies.
During the month of May the sellers visited with 14 congressional offices and were joined by Jordan Sweetnam, eBay SVP & General Manager, North America, and Andrea Stairs, eBay Chief Marketing Officer & VP, Seller Community, North America for a number of meetings. Each meeting provided an opportunity for the sellers to talk about their experiences as eBay-enabled small business owners and how COVID-19 has impacted them and their community. They discussed how eBay provided a lifeline during the pandemic and enabled them to remain connected to their customers all over the world. They also advocated for congress to oppose policies that make it hard for small businesses to sell online and hamper economic opportunities. The Advocacy event culminated with a roundtable for participating sellers with Jamie Iannone, eBay President and CEO. The eight sellers who were able to attend talked with Jamie about their small businesses and offered suggestions on how to improve eBay for sellers and buyers.
eBay would like to thank the 19 sellers for taking time away from their businesses to advocate on behalf of all eBay-enabled small businesses nationwide and participate in this important dialogue centered around economic recovery. Since 2003, the eBay Government Relations team has brought sellers to Washington, DC to meet with Members of Congress to discuss public policy issues that will impact their small businesses. Although this year’s event was virtual, it was no less important. Now more than ever we must ensure that government officials recognize the importance of online businesses to the economic health of communities across the US.