A local entrepreneur from Cardiff has today been crowned the winner of the coveted Lockdown Lift Off Award at this year’s eBay for Business Awards, receiving a £5,000 cash prize and support to help grow their business.
Over lockdown, Moe Omar found that he had more time on his hands due to being put on furlough. When searching for a pair of trainers for his partner he found that sourcing the limited-edition sneakers was more difficult than expected and he found it frustrating having to spend so much time searching online for the sneakers which he felt were also overpriced.
This sparked his light bulb moment and he decided to start his business Mooky Kicks selling limited edition trainers on eBay. Since then, his profits have soared and he has been part of eBay’s Sneaker Authenticity Guarantee programme.
Moe Omar, founder of Mooky Kickz, said, “Having been furloughed at the start of the pandemic, I feel so privileged that I’ve been able to create a successful eBay business in just a matter of months. I started Mooky Kickz after looking for a pair of sneakers on my own and realising just how much demand there was on eBay from the sneakerhead community for limited edition and collectible trainers. I’m so pleased to have won the Lockdown Lift Off Award this year and to be able to celebrate how far Mooky Kickz has come. Demand for sneakers is only on the rise, so I’m excited to see where my business goes in future!”
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% boom in the number of small shops setting up on the marketplace – the equivalent to a new business registering online every 2 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.”
