Shropshire entrepreneur crowned national eBay award winner

Josephine Marsh, owner of Brown and Ginger, is one of 10 eBay sellers to be recognised for their entrepreneurial success in the nationwide awards, which saw a record number of entries this year.

Prior to starting up her home, garden and giftware business, Josephine felt that she never quite found the right career for her.

In 2016, she made the decision to open Brown and Ginger from her bedroom in a shared house, while continuing to work full time. Within six months her turnover was significant enough for her to work part-time and focus more of her efforts on her business. Fast forward to today and Josephine’s business has gone from strength to strength, and she has now moved into a 1,600 sq ft warehouse with an office and photo studio.

Josephine said: “If someone had told me four years ago when I was packing online orders from my living room that I’d be where I am today, I don’t think I’d have believed them. Building Brown and Ginger has been an incredible experience, allowing me to follow my passions and improving my confidence at the same time.

"Winning the Be Your Own Boss Award has now given me the boost I needed to take the next steps for my business. I’m so excited to see what the future holds.”

The eBay for Business Awards is an annual moment designed to recognise and celebrate the most inspiring sellers among eBay UK’s community of 300,000 small and medium-sized businesses.

eBay received over 2,000 entries for this year’s awards across all categories, ranging from kitchen table start-ups and university ‘side hustles’, to established family businesses and those complementing offline stores with online avenues.

This year, there were hundreds of applicants from businesses that had started up during the Covid-19 pandemic, when eBay saw a 237 per cent boom in the number of small shops setting up on the marketplace – the equivalent to a new business registering online every two minutes.

The awards build on eBay’s £33 million investment to help its 300,000 sellers weather the challenges brought on by Covid-19, and follows the launch of Capital for eBay Business Sellers, a financing scheme to help small businesses access much-needed funding.

Murray Lambell, general manager of eBay UK, added: “To turn an idea into a thriving business, it takes someone who is willing to take risks, who can think creatively to innovate, and has the determination to overcome whatever challenge is thrown at them. That’s never been truer than it is now.

“This year’s eBay for Business Awards has been a celebration of this entrepreneurial spirit that has withstood despite small business reeling from the impact of the pandemic. I’m delighted to have had the opportunity to recognise the very best and brightest of the small British businesses selling on our platform. It’s been inspiring to hear each of their unique stories and I feel privileged to celebrate their success with them.”