The day we launched this new website we also received an invitation to participate in the Ebay #RetailRevival program. This is a new program being run by E-bay and the City of Akron to educate and help small businesses in the Akron area. We will be given an E-bay store (ours can be found here) for a year and educated on how to use it properly. There will be some free promotion for us as well. As I write this part of this post that is what I know about it. If interested you can find out more about it here. This will be posted the day after our first seminar.
While this business was not built on E-bay the wife and I got started selling online with E-Bay 20 years ago for fun. So our roots are intertwined with theirs. Over the years 4theGrill has used them on and off with varying levels of success. In fact I have a Power Seller certificate on display next to an award for an article that I wrote next to my desk.
I signed us up for the E-bay Retail Revival program because they mentioned covering international shipping. Something I know next to nothing about. I also thought will our long selling history that we wouldn’t get in. Apparently I was wrong. What else is new.
It took a month or so to get the e-mail, so long I had forgotten about it. The e-mail had a list of things we needed to do with dates they needed to be completed by. So I sat down and did them all but one within an hour or so. The one I didn’t complete was setting up our store, I had to wait on them for that. Four days before the seminar I got the e-mail that it was good to go.
Having had a few items on e-bay last month I re-listed them and did some basic setup on the store for now. I would begin loading all of our items into it now but have a fear of them showing me something cool and having to go back and redo them all.
I am excited for the opportunity and cannot wait to see what the E-bay retail revival program has to offer. I also have this fear of me being the old-timer and most experienced e-bayer of the group and being bored but we will see. I never was good just sitting and listening. Just ask any teacher I have ever had. If nothing else I hope to meet some interesting people and network a little.
Did I mention our E-bay store?
E-bay Retail Revival program seminar #1
So I just got back from our seminar and I have to say it was wonderful. It started off with all of the participants in a coffee shop, just hanging out and B.S.ing. We all received an E-Bay swag bag. Everything I read about retail revival prior said 40 businesses would be involved and it looked like a lot more. Turns out there were 120 of us. E-bay took everyone who applied, how great is that?
We were moved to a room that had to be an old church at some point. When the first speaker was the mayor of Akron and the 2nd was a senator I had my concerns. Between the church and politicians I though I was doomed but honestly they were not half bad.
Then they began the E-bay portion of the talk with three different speakers and videos. I have to say it was very affective. I was a little pumped up to get my E-bay store running at this point. At my age I don’t get excited by much so this is good.
Then a couple of how to classes basically for beginners but even I learned something from each segment. Each was hosted by an E-bay employee that had a couple of actual users with them. At the point my excitement had subsided. Then professional head shots. I don’t understand why we got them yet but here is mine.
Then off to lunch break followed by seller success stories. There was one person on the panel who sells regular items like we do and to me he was inspiring to me. The excitement was back. This was followed by a reception and more networking. I am not a social butterfly more of a social wasp if anything so I didn’t hang around long.
I did meet several great people Twist candy company and 2daughters teas to name a couple
So I came home finished this post now I am off to E-bay to purchase some lighting equipment then begin tweaking the items I have in our E-bay store.
Thank you E-Bay and Akron for this wonderful opportunity!
Lastly I feel obligated to mention that part of this program requires us to post on social media about it.
Mike
aka Sultan of Sizzle
I have been blogging about and selling grilling tool for over 12 years. A Certified Food Safety Professional, KCBS member, award winning writer and have over 10 years experience in the food service industry.
“I have experienced some of the best food this country has to offer and nothing is better than the food that comes off my own grill!”
