No longer just a trendy way to consume, online shopping is also a market ripe for white collar workers looking to earn some extra income in their free time. However, according to a recent survey that polled over 4,000 such white-collar entrepreneurs, only 20% of online business undertakings become steady sources of supplementary income.

One Third of Office Workers Have Setup an Online Store

Nowadays, with the multitude of B2B (business to business) platforms available, it is fairly easy to open and operate an online store. Surveys show that 30% of office workers have opened up online stores; another 57% have seriously considered it. When asked about their reasons for starting an online store, over 56% cited supplementary income as their primary goal; almost 20% considered an online store a good way to make use of their free time; around 10% thought that it was an easy way to sell unwanted articles online and provided a sort of instant gratification.

More Time-Consuming than Managing Stocks

At first it may seem like a no-brainer managing a virtual store, but it usually proves to be very time-consuming in the long run – much more so than managing stocks. Less than 20% of white-collars with an online store reported successfully making their stores into a steady source of supplementary income. Around 35% admitted to having shut down their stores due to an inability to restock and resupply, or a loss of interest altogether; 27% said that they closed their stores down due to a lack of time and energy; 18% announced that they found they lacked the skills needed to make their businesses succeed.

One Third of Office Workers Manage Their Stores During Work Hours

Relative surveys showed that 62.3% of office workers concentrate on managing their online stores during their own time at home; the other 27.7%, however, tried to squeeze in time for their online store management during office hours. Career consultants advise white-collars against taking time out of work to manage private operations since companies don't appreciate workers taking care of their own business when they’re supposed to be focused on the company’s. If you find yourself spending more and more work time on your online business, you might want to remember that only 20% of online stores become profitable, and if fired, you may not be able to make a living out of your little online adventure.

Source: Beijing Evening News

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