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On September 15, in a joint press release, the NFB and eBay announced the
NFB/eBay Entrepreneurs Program..<br><br>
<br><br>
We are now seeking blind people who want to participate in this
innovative pilot program.<br><br>
<br><br>
<br><br>
Business Start Up Pilot<br><br>
The NFB/eBay Entrepreneur Project is looking for serious entrepreneurs
who want to create new eBay businesses or expand existing businesses to
include eBay selling. We will offer successful applicants intensive eBay
training and connect them with successful blind business people and other
experts who will provide assistance in specific areas, such as business
planning, development, and working with accessible accounting
software.<br><br>
<br><br>
Individuals chosen for the Business Start Up Pilot will take part in an
intensive training program at the NFB Jernigan Institute in Baltimore.
They will receive transportation, lodging, training classes, accessible
training materials, and ongoing mentorship support.<br><br>
<br><br>
If running your own eBay business appeals to you, please write us at
<a href="mailto:entrepreneurs@nfb.org">entrepreneurs@nfb.org</a> and
request an Entrepreneur Program package. Your letter of interest should
include:
<ul>
<li>a resume describing your employment and education history, with
particular emphasis on entrepreneurial projects;
<li>a brief description of the product or service you intend to market
using eBay; (Is this a completely new enterprise, or are you intending to
create an eBay outlet for a business that already exists?)
<li>a basic budget outline.
</ul><br>
<br><br>
Because this is a pilot program intended to demonstrate the viability of
eBay businesses run by blind individuals, we must select from applicants
those with the strongest plans and the greatest willingness to mentor the
blind people who will follow. <br><br>
<br><br>
<br><br>
Training the Trainers<br><br>
<br><br>
In order to provide opportunity to as many people as possible, we will
train interested blind people to be eBay certified education specialists.
EBay Certified Education Specialists are people who buy and sell on eBay
themselves and want to create a business teaching others how to do it.
The trainers we train will be equipped to teach other blind people who
use screen readers; they will also be certified to teach the sighted.
With ninety-two million people already using eBay and more joining the
community every day, the business opportunity for anyone who can teach
them how to be more effective is enormous!<br><br>
<br><br>
The Certified Education Specialist training will consist of a program
that will take place at the NFB Jernigan Institute in Baltimore, plus
follow-up individualized support and group teleconference training.
<a name="OLE_LINK3"></a>Those selected for the “Train the Trainers”
program will receive transportation, lodging, training classes,
accessible training materials, and ongoing mentorship support.<br><br>
<br><br>
Is being an eBay Certified Education Specialist for you?<br><br>
<br><br>
If you have a deep desire to be of service to others, an entrepreneurial
spirit, the aptitude to teach, and basic computer literacy using screen
readers, we want to hear from you. <br><br>
<br><br>
Because selling on eBay has not been readily accessible to blind people
in the past, you will not need to have experience as an eBay seller to
take part in the first “Train the Trainers” class. However, you will need
to demonstrate success in buying and selling on eBay in order to graduate
and receive certification. <br><br>
<br><br>
You will need some ability to use a screen reader to access web sites,
though it is not necessary to be a screen reader power user. <br><br>
<br><br>
To apply to enter the “train the trainers” inaugural class, send a letter
to <a href="mailto:entrepreneurs@nfb.org">entrepreneurs@nfb.org</a>
explaining your background, qualifications (particularly your
entrepreneurial and/or teaching experience), and telling us why you want
to become an eBay Certified Education Specialist. <br><br>
<br><br>
Testing the Waters<br><br>
<br><br>
Even if you do not yet have a perfectly developed business plan, we still
want to hear from you. As eBay trainers receive certification, we will
help connect you with them so that you can get started on the path to
running your own eBay business.<br><br>
Contact <a href="mailto:entrepreneurs@nfb.org">entrepreneurs@nfb.org</a>
or phone <br><br>
Mary Ellen Gabias, coordinator <br><br>
NFB/eBay Entrepreneurs Project<br><br>
(410) 878-2660 for further information or an application package.<br>
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