According to a new survey conducted by eBay, entrepreneurs in record numbers are setting up shop on eBay. More than 724,000 Americans report that eBay is their primary or secondary source of income. In addition to these professional eBay sellers, another 1.5 million individuals say they supplement their income by selling on eBay, according to the July 2005 survey.
In the first six months of 2005, eBay members in the U.S. sold merchandise worth approximately $10.6 billion. The report concludes that the number of eBay entrepreneurs in the U.S. has increased 68 percent since the last time a comparable study was conducted in 2003. That study indicated that 430,000 Americans at the time were making some or all of their income selling on eBay.
Bill Cobb, president of eBay North America, said "In just 10 years, eBay has become the destination for Americans pursuing their visions of entrepreneurship. It's exciting to think that many of them will go on to build thriving businesses, create jobs and fuel their local economies -- while achieving the satisfaction of turning their vision into reality."
Additional survey findings include:
58 percent of Americans say they've dreamed of starting a business and becoming their own boss. In support of this, the eBay Day Small Business Tour will visit major U.S. cities this summer.
The most common reason for wanting to start a business is to:
The primary barriers to starting a business are:
For more information about the USPS and eBay small business tour, look here.