• by Sarah Mahoney  @mahoney_sarah, April 22, 2020

As COVID-19 shutdowns decimate Main Streets across the country, American Express, eBay and Etsy are all stepping up their support for struggling small businesses.

American Express, long a champion of mom-and-pops through its Small Business Saturday each December, is kicking off a partnership called “Stand for Small.” The coalition of 40-plus companies is designed to provide support to small companies as they fend off the COVID-19 downturn. 

With an eye toward helping companies reduce operating expenses, manage teams remotely and enhance digital capabilities, the initiative includes many familiar names, such as FedEx, Adobe, Paychex and Sam’s Club. But it pulls them all together in a single digital platform, making it easier for America’s 30 million small businesses to access them.

EBay is also cheering on the little guys, launching a new ad campaign called “Up and running.” Ads focus on four companies that have both brick-and-mortar shops and now an eBay store.

The idea is to help small companies launch online, so “business can stay open even if your doors are closed.” The San Jose, California-based company says that since it launched the program earlier this month, business registration has increased 55%. EBay is also pledging up to $100 million in support for small businesses in North America, including waiving seller fees through July, offering 50,000 additional free fixed-price listings for store sellers and 200 more free listings for non-store sellers.

The company is also encouraging big-heartedness, allowing sellers to choose organizations like Feeding America, Direct Relief and the Opportunity Fund, donating between 10% and 100% of a sale. EBay will match those donations, up to $1 million.

Brooklyn-based Etsy is also cheering its small businesses on, adding video to the “Stand With Small” campaign it launched earlier this month.

Proclaiming that Etsy sellers from around the world are “always open, still making,” the ads show off 14 sellers from around the world, making everything from jewelry to furniture to wallpaper. Spots are running on national TV, as well as streaming channels.