A former Esquimalt High School student has been named eBay Canada’s exporter of the year as part of the annual Entrepreneur of the Year Awards.
Kimberley Wotherspoon, who currently lives in Halifax, was named exporter of the year for her work increasing the eBay sales of LumberMart, a family-run business, by more than 1,000 per cent from the previous year.
“It was pretty cool. It’s a nice pat on the back for showing that a small business can compete with big box stores and we can run a successful online business along with the store and stay competitive,” she said.
Wotherspoon was hired last September to run LumberMart’s online presence, including social media.
In less than a year, Wotherspoon set up the online eBay store to include a variety of tools, plumbing parts, hardware accessories, faucet and shower heads, door knobs and locks to huge success.
“I’ve gone from them having nothing to a store that has won national awards and we’re selling products around the world,” she said, adding Australia, the U.S. and England are their top-selling countries.
She noted daily sales have increased by more than 1,100 per cent over what they were generating before online.
Wotherspoon, a self-taught online guru, is one of three women to pick up the top awards in the entrepreneur, exporter and made in Canada categories at this year’s 11th annual eBay Canada’s Entrepreneur of the Year Awards. There were roughly 150 entries this year.
The awards recognize Canadian entrepreneurs who harness online commerce opportunities to build thriving businesses.