eBay for Small Business

It seems like just about every company these days professes to want to reach down into the small and medium size business market. Even eBay.



EBay offers a section of its site just for businesses called The Business Marketplace, "The world's largest online marketplace for business."



Once there, businesses can find anything from office technology (computers, printers), to businesses for sale, to commercial trucks, to professional services. There are even specialized marketplaces to help businesses search for industry-specific goods (agriculture, healthcare).



An especially interesting section of the site is called Wholesale Lots. Smaller businesses and discounters can purchase odd lots (and not so odd lots) of inventory to stock their businesses.



The Business Marketplace is tailored to appeal to businesses that want to equip and supply their businesses inexpensively. It can also be used by businesses to sell excess inventory or turn underutilized assets into cash.



Savvy businesses for years now have used listings on eBay as a marketing tool to draw in customers from the Web. In the past those listings primarily drew in enthusiasts, collectors and individual consumers. With eBay's Business Marketplace, more and more businesses will be using eBay to grow their B2B channels.



eBay has been a leader in transforming the face of online business, and bears watching to see the next moves it makes with its Business Marketplace. If you want to see where the SMB market is headed on the Web, keep an eye on eBay.