Amazon sponsored 'small business week' in San Francisco and hosted a panel on how to start selling goods on its website

• Amazon is a sponsor of San Francisco's small business week, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.
• Small businesses in the city say they view Amazon as a competitor, not a supporter. 
• Amazon relies on small sellers for sales, but its marketplace poses problems for businesses.

Bookstores, hardware stores, and other small businesses in San Francisco got a surprise during the city's small business week: Amazon, perhaps their biggest competitor, is sponsoring the event.