Make 'Em an Offer

Consumers aren't the only shoppers loving eBay. Entrepreneurs from dozens of industries regularly sit in on eBay's online auctions in hopes of getting good prices on the equipment and supplies they need to operate and grow their businesses. In fact, business buying on eBay doubled last year to an estimated $2 billion in global gross merchandise sales, according to the San Jose, California, online auction giant.

Not surprisingly, businesses use eBay because they can score great deals on business equipment. Entrepreneurs are also flocking to eBay because of its global reach, which gives them the opportunity to search for merchandise among millions of vendors worldwide without ever leaving their desks. "EBay is a very popular place now for small businesses to look for new and used equipment beyond their local areas because of the selection and price-two important considerations for any small business," confirms Jim "Griff" Griffith, dean of eBay education.