Internet based businesses

4.5 million Spaniards purchase items via the Web, with total sales in 2005 totalling over €2bn, an increase of 17% on the previous year.

Amongst the sectors which have experienced a greater growth are pet-related purchases and cruise-ship reservations.

Previous barriers to growth of online commerce in Spain appear to be coming down, particularly where security of internet payments is concerned. Only 30% of Spaniards, according to a study by Nielsen, now claim that worries over the safety of their online payments put a stop to making a purchase via the Web.

This trend is now opening up opportunities to Internet entrepreneurs, both in terms of establishing an online commerce operation in Spain but also in terms of exploiting an increasing thirst for content-based and social networking websites adapted to the taste of the Spanish-speaking consumer.

Entrepreneurship Desire in Spain

According to a recent study published in the Spanish Gazette, 8 of 10 young Spaniards confess to having an entrepreneurial spirit. The study, which examined trends across Europe and interviewed a total of 22,000 young persons, revealed that 82% of Spaniards expressed a desire to embark on an entrepreneurial venture. However, upon further probing, only a quarter of Spaniards think they would do so within the medium term and seem to put a higher value on stability and a secure employment.

This contrasts sharply with young Chinese, Russians and Poles, where respectively 50%, 41% and 35% of the population sampled thinking they would put their desire into practice in the near- or medium-term.