PowerChicks Flourish with Help from eBay Groups
by Zigmund
eBay Staff Member

Since its inception, eBay's online Community has always offered a place on the Internet where people from all walks of life, and all regions of the world, can come together around their passion for eBay. Like communities in the brick-and-mortar world, eBay board communities offer a place for members to get help from others, learn best business practices and practical advice, and have fun. Some eBay communities form very special bonds, and some groups of people form communities within communities. This is what happened with PowerChicks.

Like most groups, it was a common bond that first drew the PowerChicks together.

"PowerChicks was started because there were distinct needs for a lot of women - especially PowerSellers and aspiring PowerSellers - that weren't being served by being scattered on various other public eBay boards," said member chezgems, the group's founder. "Besides being an all-women group, we bonded over the fact that we're sellers and want to excel."

The group actually got an informal start about three years ago when several women, who bumped into each other often on the boards, became friends. "Some of us had known each other for a few years on boards or through different contact situations and have been calling each other 'PowerChicks' for some time," said chezgems. As time went on, they found themselves leaning on each other quite often for help and the occasional kind word.

Eventually, a group of women began to consider themselves a group, and the PowerChicks were born.

The PowerChicks consist of all levels of sellers, from the occasional 'toe-dipping' seller right through to Shooting Star PowerSellers, and everything in between. But no matter how big or small the seller is, the goal of the group remains the same: to help each woman be a better seller on eBay.

"We started this group not just for personal encouragement and support, but also to learn, and help others, how to improve business and increase sales. We're proud to have a number of aspiring Powersellers who are increasing their selling levels all the time."

As the group began to grow, the PowerChicks were mindful that having too many people in their circle would make it even tougher to maintain the supportive environment they wanted to provide. Every new person was referred by at least one existing member, which helped the group stay connected, while still allowing the opportunity to invite in and meet new people.

Powerchicks started on the eBay discussion boards, which offer a great way for members who want to talk about a variety of topics. While these are well suited for individual members to interact with many other individual members, they were not ideal for a group of members who wanted to talk mainly amongst themselves, as chezgems and the PowerChicks were finding out.

"Keeping track of each other was a hit-and-miss affair. We were somewhat able to keep in touch through various threads on regular eBay boards, emails, and some rare face-to-face contact. We tried having chat threads on regular boards, but being busy Powersellers for the most part, it was hard to maintain discussions, as they would soon fall down the pages."

Communication was still a problem, but a solution was on the way. "The Groups technology changed all that dramatically," said chezgems.

In late August 2003, eBay introduced eBay Groups, a new technology that allows eBay members to create groups based around a common interest or physical location. Each group has its own area where its members can hold discussions, post announcements, and share pictures. Groups can be public and open to anyone who wants to join, or private, so that only invited members have access.

It was exactly what the PowerChicks were looking for, but first they had to test it out for themselves.

"People were unsure of what the Groups technology was at first or what it was useful for, as compared to other eBay forums," said chezgems. But soon they found it an easy and comfortable forum to participate in.

"We felt a great relief to have a 'home' on eBay. It's allowed us to create a safe, private and very useful place to network, gather and interact. It's still on eBay and therefore convenient for our busy members, and it doesn't make the responsibility (and expense) of creating and maintaining a separate off-eBay board fall to a single member."

Now that they have a centralized place to meet as a group and no longer have to struggle to keep up with each other, the PowerChicks have become even closer. "We have gotten to know each other very well in all aspects of eBay life and personal life. There is a camaraderie and respect that we've rarely seen in real life and never in an Internet group. We can now accomplish all of this in a close and supportive environment that was absolutely impossible before."

With the logistics of managing a group dealt with, PowerChicks can focus on their original mission: providing support for other female sellers, while adding in a bit of fun! chezgems shared that group members often leave motivational messages in their group to urge other PowerChicks forward, and a daily "life" question is posted so they can debate on various topics.

"Most members work long hours, which can leave little time for social interaction. These give us some personal insight and room for intelligent debate that we don't often get the chance to indulge in."

They like to interject a little fun into the mix, too. They have regular group events like the "Fuglies" contest where they list the funniest, ugliest things they can find and award prizes to the winners. In addition, last Christmas season, the PowerChicks tried something new and combined their excitement for eBay with their love of the holidays by participating in the eBay Secret Santa promotion.

The eBay Secret Santa promotion also used Group technology, and allowed eBay members to start special groups where, on a date specified by the group leader, eBay would conduct a drawing and assign a "Secret Santa" for every group member. The Secret Santas would then buy gifts for their designated members based on a "Wish List" that each member had created when they joined. Later, everyone exchanged the gifts.

"You couldn't get a bunch of women together who wouldn't want to exchange gifts and go shopping for each other after having gotten to know each other so well!" said chezgems about her group's Secret Santa experience. "We had an online virtual Christmas party to open gifts and share holiday cheer together…..several eBay sellers certainly got some good business out of us this year!"

So what's next for the PowerChicks? According to chezgems, one area that they'd like to tackle is charity. Now that the Giving Works program is available through MissionFish , the group would like to start planning some future charity auction events.

But mainly, the group's focus is to make sure the PowerChicks stay as strong as they always have been. Said chezgems, "we plan to find more and new ways to encourage each other, both on eBay and personally, and to keep the PowerChicks group a safe, fun and smart place to be."

To join or start an eBay Group, please click Community from the navigation bar at the top of any eBay page, then click on the "eBay Groups" link in the People area.