Check out the roadshow wrap-up, below.

DBO Wrap Video v04.0 from Peter Crocker on Vimeo.

PayPal Australia established DBO last year as a national initiative to educate the offline business population about online retail. A team of online commerce experts met with hundreds of regional businesses to conduct workshops and provide them with tips and tools to grow their business online. The 2012 campaign includes eight workshop seminars across seven states and territories, a series of webinars and an educational website.

Two hundred and fifty people attended this year’s kickoff event on Aug. 1 in Parramatta, Sydney. They met with senior leaders from eBay Inc. and partner organizations including Elena Wise, Director of PayPal Merchant Services, and Russell Zimmerman, Executive Director of the Australian Retailers Association.

“Driving Business Online proactively provides our local small- and medium-size businesses with the tools and guidance to link their business with the online world. We’re excited to work with thousands of new local businesses throughout Australia during our 2012 campaign,” Elena said.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard emphasized the importance of online commerce via a video link message for DBO.

“I know technology can be daunting for some businesses, just like the advent of things like shopping malls and television were challenging to retailers in a previous generation,” the premier said. “The message from the roadshow is: Don’t be afraid . . . I don’t want to see anybody miss the fantastic opportunities that exist in the digital age.”

For more information, visit https://www.drivingbusinessonline.com.au/.

It seems every day I am reminded of the parallels between growing a business using social media and managing an eBay business. One of these parallels has been the value of great images. Great images have contributed to entire social media sites, like Pinterest, and have greatly changed the way Facebook and Twitter display their content. In recent research, eBay buyers ranked photos one of the top 3 factors in deciding where to buy. And starting July 2, 2012 up to 12 pictures, per listing submitted, will be free for all sellers (excluding eBay Motors vehicle listings).

These are some of the reasons why I am so happy to share a resource with sellers; the eBay Top Tips for Great Photos Guide.

In 2011, eBay shoppers purchased more than $5 billion in merchandise on mobile devices. One way to optimize your listings for mobile is by using eBay pictures. While item photos embedded in the item description area may not render properly across every mobile device platform, eBay picture hosting ensures that your items will be visible on a variety of mobile platforms. And, of course, great photos are much more likely to be shared through social media by your current and future customers!

From the PayPal Blog:
PayPal Here is the world’s first global mobile payment solution that allows small businesses to accept almost any form of payment. It’s designed to help those merchants make more sales and grow their business with confidence. And it gives them choices. They can accept payments by swiping cards with a fully encrypted thumb-sized card reader, or use a phone camera to scan and process cards and checks. It also allows them to invoice directly from the mobile app and, of course, accept PayPal in a brand new way.

For more information and to check out a demo, please see the latest PayPal Here blog post.

Cheers,
RBH

The Agenda and the networking opportunities alone seem to make this a must-attend event for any small business owner (particularly given its FREE price tag).

Some highlights include:

10:30am EDT: The Keys to Success for Your eBay Sales
Presented by eBay in the Auditorium – followed by a Scheduled Chat in the Networking Café at 11:30 AM EDT

***Learn how selling on eBay can open the doors to consumers worldwide
***Bigger profits for your business utilizing e-commerce
***Understand how to open a PayPal account to accept online payments
***Setting a price for your item and easy shipping techniques

Presented by: Jason Miner, eBay University Instructor

4:30 PM EDT: Digital Marketing & Social Networking
Presented by Google and Facebook in the Auditorium – followed by a Scheduled Chat in the Networking Café at 5:30 PM EDT

***Understand free resources available online including Google Docs and Google Calendar
***How to use YouTube to promote your business
***Building your online presence and directing people to your website through Google
***Creating a Facebook business pages to engage customers and build brand loyalty

Presented by: Google and Facebook

For those unable to view the above video, you can learn more by checking out the Show Guide and you can also check out the speaker bios here.

Cheers,
RBH