Members Reach New Heights With eBay Certified Providers
by Randall
eBay Staff Member

In all walks of life people have goals. However, reaching, or surpassing these goals can seem a daunting task. Many eBay sellers have dreamed of achieving PowerSeller status but had little or no idea how to get there. Now some sellers are finding that they don't have to do it alone.

eBay's new Certified Provider Program is a way companies and other professionals with eBay expertise can offer a wide range of software and service solutions to help sellers grow their eBay businesses. Non-technical providers (Certified Service Providers) offer services such as auction strategy and web site template design. Technical providers (Certified Solutions Providers) offer services and custom software solutions, including integration with the eBay platform and custom software development.

The eBay Certified Provider Program carefully screens applicants to ensure that they can provide eBay members with quality services and solutions to grow their eBay businesses. Among other criteria, participants must have extensive experience with eBay, pass a strict certification exam, and provide a number of proven customer references.

After three years on eBay, cashco1000, a stay-at-home mom with two small children, reached a feedback score of 2,000 with her relatively small home décor business. Her success had been quite remarkable, but she had a feeling that her business didn't have the potential to grow much more. She was interested in new ideas to grow her eBay business. Coincidentally, the CEO of Marketworks, an eBay Certified Solution Provider, saw her story in an online newsletter and contacted her about ways to grow her eBay business. She decided to try Marketworks' software, and ultimately she achieved great success with it.

“I had taken my business as far as I thought it could go,” says cashco1000, “and I wasn't really sure that I could take it much further.” By enlisting the support of eBay's first Certified Provider, Marketworks, she was able to automate most of the systems she previously managed manually, achieving far greater efficiencies than before. Marketworks helped her implement an inventory tracking and management system that reports information like how many items she has listed at any time, how many items have been purchased from her eBay Store, how many items are waiting to be shipped, and which items needed be re-listed. Just two years later, cashco1000 has increased her feedback rating to over 25,000.

blueberryboutique began selling on eBay almost two years ago. What began as a way for a husband and wife to unload some extra clothing that was taking up shelf space around the house quickly grew beyond what they could have predicted. As has been the case for many eBay members, they realized an opportunity was presenting itself – a chance to quit their jobs and run a successful business on eBay full time.

“Selling on eBay was a great opportunity to work from home and spend time with family,” commented blueberyryboutique CEO David Yaskulka.

Unfortunately, even as their staff grew to seven people, there just didn't seem to be enough resources to fulfill the potential of the business. They turned to the same Certified Provider cashco1000 used, Marketworks. By automating emails and listings, as well as integrating listings with inventory management, blueberryboutique has been able to continue their rapid growth without adding more employees. This freed time to pursue consulting for social mission companies and nonprofits looking to sell on eBay.

Richard Wright knows the value of seeking outside help to grow his eBay business too. He was selling about $3,000–5,000 in apparel each month on eBay before turning to As Was, another eBay Certified Service Provider, for assistance. As Was helped with simple but effective improvements in Wright's auction template and content. In August, 2004, Wright grossed $15,000 on his eBay apparel business, an increase of more than 200%.

“I give As Was 50% of the credit and I take 50% of the credit. They provided me with the verbiage, a better look and feel, and just a more professional template. I've been listing more auctions now, and the business is doing great."

If you're wondering how you can ramp up your business by using a Certified Provider, visit the new eBay Solutions Directory. When browsing, just look for the Certified Provider logo next to the provider's name in the directory listing to determine who is certified by eBay. If you are interested in becoming a Certified Provider you can learn more here.