(article from eStat)
Entrepreneurs Embrace the Net
Published: April 22, 2005
(After April 29, 2005, this article will only be available to eStat Database subscribers.)
About three-fourths of US adults believe that the Internet has made it easier to start a small business, according to a new survey commissioned by Yahoo! Small Business and conducted by Harris Interactive.
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Over 70% of those surveyed also said that they have considered starting their own business. The survey found that entrepreneurship is attractive for a variety of reasons. About one-quarter of the respondents wanted to work in a business that they loved, and another one-quarter wanted to be their own boss. Others said they wanted to make more money, while some simply were attracted to the challenge of a start-up.
The Net has become an essential tool for those at the helm of small businesses. A report by OPEN: The Small Business Network from American Express found that over 80% of small businesses use the Internet to conduct business activities.

In addition, the percentage of US small businesses that use the Internet to conduct e-business jumped between 2003 and 2004, rising from 22% to 73%. In 2005, it is predicted that this percentage will rise to 82%.

Once a small business has a Web site up, the benefits continue, according to small business leaders surveyed by Interland. Over 80% of respondents said that their Web site generated leads for their business, 77% said they believed that a Web site helped to make them more competitive, and 55% said an Internet presence helped them through the economic downturn of recent years.

To learn more about how small and medium sized businesses are investing in technology, read eMarketer’s SMB IT and E-Business Spending report.