New Fashion-preneur and International-preneur of the Year recipients
announced alongside coveted Entrepreneur of the Year Award
TORONTO, Oct. 1, 2012 /CNW/ - eBay Canada is pleased to announce that Jean-Francois Lapointe of Gatineau, Quebec is the 2012 recipient of eBay Canada'sEntrepreneur of the Year Award, which honours Canadian entrepreneurs who run successful online
businesses and contribute to the overall growth of eCommerce in Canada.
Selling more than $1 million bicycle parts each year, Lapointe started his online store BDH Bikes in
2006 after purchasing his father's bicycle shop. Since launching on
eBay, he has racked up sales of $6 million, and now employs five
full-time eCommerce personnel.
In addition to the highly coveted Entrepreneur of the Year Award, eBay Canada is delighted to recognize winners in two new categories
for 2012: Fashion-preneur and International-preneurof the Year.
Tina Kastana of Ste-Rose, Quebec takes home the inaugural crown for eBay's Fashion-preneur. She set herself apart from thousands of eBay fashion sellers by
catering to both high-end and vintage buyers, offering incentives like
free shipping worldwide and customer loyalty coupons.
Bernd Eisele of Williams Lake, British Columbia receives the honour of being eBay's
first International-preneur. A model airplane engine retailer, Eisele grew up building and flying
model airplanes powered by Cox engines, and decided to revive his
passion for Cox products after discovering a niche-market opportunity.
His eBay business took off, attracting model airplane enthusiasts from
around the world. Today, he sells more than $200,000 in Cox engines and
parts a year.
"Entrepreneurs are the engines of Canada's economy," said Andrea Stairs,
country manager of eBay Canada. "Each year, the Entrepreneur of the Year Awards uncover stories of Canadian sellers who have harnessed the power of the
Internet to capitalize on business opportunities, both in Canada and
around the world. This year's winners have built successful online
businesses by understanding their market, and satisfying their
customers' needs time and again."
Almost 200 eBay sellers entered this year's competition. Along with
bragging rights and promotion of their eBay business to more than two
million online buyers, the Entrepreneur of the Year Award winner will receive $3,000, and the Fashion-preneur and International-preneur of the Year willeach receive $2,000.
Congratulations to the 2012 Winners!
eBay Canada's 2012 Entrepreneur of the Year:Jean-Francois Lapointe, Gatineau, QC (eBay ID: bdhbikestore)
After purchasing his father's bicycle business in 2006, Jean-Francois
Lapointe recognized the opportunity to sell online and offset slowdowns
experienced during Quebec's cold winter months. Jean-Francois started
by specializing in bike suspensions, a very niche market in the cycling
industry, and was so successful that he managed to pay his father back
in less than four years. Today, BDH Bikes is a $6 million business,
selling mid to high-end bicycle components to a growing community of
bike enthusiasts around the world. Jean-Francois proudly states that he
is now the largest online bike parts and accessories reseller in
Canada, proving that it's possible to take a local, seasonal business
and turn it into a global, year-round enterprise.
eBay Canada's 2012 Fashion-preneur of the Year: Tina Kastana, Ste-Rose, QC (eBay ID: fashionalacarte_com)
With a personal interest in fashion and online retail, Tina started on
eBay by selling the clothes she purchased while employed as mystery
shopper. Tina was so impressed by the response that she reinvested the
money to buy more clothes, and Fashion A La Carte was born. Tina has
set herself apart from thousands of eBay fashion sellers by catering to
both high-end and vintage buyers, and offering buyer incentives like
free shipping worldwide, and coupons to promote return business. In
addition to 10 years of fashion retail experience, Tina attributes her
success to always knowing the top trends and hottest designers, and
delivering eBay shoppers a variety of stylish finds.
eBay Canada's 2012 International-preneur of the Year:Bernd Eisele, Williams Lake, BC (eBay ID: xenalook)
Bernd Eisele turned to eBay full-time after his motor vehicle arbitrage
business was impacted by the recent economic downturn. Looking to find
a niche market, and one that did not compete solely on price-point,
Bernd decided to revive his childhood hobby of building and flying
model airplanes. Against the objections of friends and family around
him, Bernd and his partner Xena sought out miniature gas model engines
and soon collected enough inventory to build a store. Bernd receives an
overwhelming response from buyers around the world, who share his
passion for model airplanes. In fact, approximately 50 per cent of
sales transactions take place beyond the borders of North America, in
countries such as Australia, Pakistan, Indonesia and United Kingdom.
Founded in 1995 in San Jose, Calif., eBay Inc. (NASDAQ:EBAY) is a global
commerce platform and payments leader connecting millions of buyers and
sellers. We do so through eBay, the world's largest online marketplace,
which allows users to buy and sell in nearly every country on earth;
through PayPal, which enables individuals and businesses to securely,
easily and quickly send and receive digital payments; and through GSI,
which facilitates ecommerce, multichannel retailing and digital
marketing for global enterprises. We also reach millions through
specialized marketplaces such as StubHub, the world's largest ticket
marketplace, and eBay classifieds sites, which together have a presence
in more than 1,000 cities around the world. In Canada, eBay was visited
by more than 7.8 million Canadians in June 2012 (comScore Media
Metrix).
SOURCE eBay Canada
Image with caption: "Jean-Francois Lapointe of Gatineau Quebec is eBay Canada's 2012 Entrepreneur of the Year. Selling more than $1 million bicycle parts each year, Lapointe started his online store BDH Bikes in 2006 after purchasing his father's bicycle shop. Since launching on eBay, he has racked up sales of $6 million, and now employs five full-time eCommerce personnel. (ebay ID: bdhbikestore) (CNW Group/eBay Canada)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20121001_C2975_PHOTO_EN_18685.jpg
Image with caption: "Tina Kastana of Ste-Rose, Quebec takes home the inaugural crown for eBay Canada's Fashion-preneur. She set herself apart from thousands of eBay fashion sellers by catering to both high-end and vintage buyers, offering incentives like free shipping worldwide and customer loyalty coupons. (ebay ID: fashionalacarte_com) (CNW Group/eBay Canada)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20121001_C2975_PHOTO_EN_18687.jpg
Image with caption: "Bernd Eisele of Williams Lake, British Columbia is eBay Canada's first International-preneur. A model airplane engine retailer, Eisele grew up building and flying model airplanes powered by Cox engines, and decided to revive his passion for Cox products after discovering a niche-market opportunity. His eBay business now attracts model airplane enthusiasts from around the world. (ebay ID: xenalook) (CNW Group/eBay Canada)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20121001_C2975_PHOTO_EN_18683.jpg
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