Recently, we announced the recipients of the 8th annual eBay Canada Entrepreneur of the Year Awards.
eBay Canada has crowned Jean-Francois Lapointe of Gatineau, Quebec (eBay ID: bdhbikestore) eBay Canada’s 2012 Entrepreneur of the Year.
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.
Tina Kastana of Ste-Rose, Quebec takes home the inaugural crown for eBay’s Fashion-preneur.
With a personal interest in fashion and online retail, Tina (eBay ID: fashionalacarte_com) 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.
Bernd Eisele of Williams Lake, British Columbia receives the honour of being eBay’s first International-preneur.
Bernd (eBay ID: xenalook) 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.
The annual eBay Canada Entrepreneur of the Year awards program recognizes Canadian entrepreneurs who are running successful online businesses and contributing to the overall growth of e-commerce in Canada. Along with bragging rights, winners of their year’s contest will be featured in communication to millions of Canadian eBay buyers and received a cash prize.
Congratulations to the 2012 Winners!
Will you be next year’s Entrepreneur of the Year?
Sincerely,
Megan Vickell
eBay Canada
