The number of people earning a second income by trading online has doubled in the last year. A survey by Collect+ [http://www.collectplus.co.uk ], the parcel delivery and returns service, dubs such online entrepreneurs ‘e-pportunists’, finding that a third earn over GBP10,000 a year.[1] Over half (59%) of those trading online began doing so within the last 12 months, suggesting many have turned to the net to supplement their income as real wages fall and the job market remains stagnant. More than a quarter of these (26 per cent) are young entrepreneurs, aged 25-34.

According to the research, many e-pportunists depend on the additional income to make ends meet: almost a quarter (23 per cent) said that they would struggle to pay bills without this additional income. However, for a third of those surveyed, success has meant that they are planning to leave their day job and focus on online trading as their primary source of income in the near future. That ambition is shared by almost three-quarters (71 per cent) of those quizzed, who hope to grow their hobby into a full-time business and start employing staff.

Mark Lewis, CEO of Collect+, says of the research:

“I have met with many of these e-pportunists who find an additional income online, for example selling on eBay. But to do this full time, and to make the leap of faith required, you need to know that the support is out there for you to scale your operation. One element that can often be forgotten is how do I get my goods to customers? For many juggling the demands of stating up a business being able to send goods outside of normal working hours is real help.”

The entrepreneurial spirit is particularly strong among younger self-starters. Recent research found that 32 per cent of graduates in 2010 and 2011 are considering starting up their own company following graduation and that nearly a quarter are already running a business.[2]

This latest research finds that a quarter (25 per cent) can’t afford to spare any more of their time on their own business, struggling to fit it in and around the demands of their day job. In addition to the pressures of time, many e-pportunists are held back by access to finance. 44 per cent of those who trade online are fearful that they do not have enough capital to grow the business any further.

Collect+ offers easy to use parcel send services through 4,000 specially selected local retailers that are part of the PayPoint network. All are open from early until late and the vast majority are open seven days a week, meaning that people can pick up or send parcels at a time convenient to them. Collect+ services are securely delivered by Yodel, the UK’s leading parcel delivery company.

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• Making a Living Online (billshrink.com)
• E-Commerce will be fundamental to entrepreneurial success over the next five years (uk.prweb.com)