Around two thirds (63%) of Gen Z consumers in Austria would consider running a small business alongside their main job, a new survey commissioned by eBay has found.
According to the eBay Entrepreneurship Survey Austria, some 48% of individuals aged between 18 and 29 want to become self-employed, compared with 28% of individuals over the age of 30%.
Across all cohorts, around two fifths (38%) said they wanted to start a business, while the same percentage (38%) said they were at least considering it.
Money issues
Additional income was the main motivation cited by respondents, with 46% eager to generate money on the side. Younger individuals, however, were more likely to view a side business as a way to test an idea before moving into full-time self-employment, while older respondents placed greater emphasis on financial security.
However, a lack of financing is preventing many respondents from taking the plunge – some 35% of respondents identified a lack of financing as their biggest obstacle to starting a business, while younger respondents also frequently cited uncertainty about how to get started.
‘A realistic first step’
“The results clearly show that many people in Austria want to start their own business – but not necessarily by taking a big risk from day one,” commented Sara Lapi, head of European Central Markets at eBay. “For many aspiring entrepreneurs, starting as a side hustle can be a realistic first step. Platforms like eBay can make it easier to test an idea, reach customers, and grow gradually alongside a regular job.”
Digital sales channels were the preferred route for many potential entrepreneurs, with 30% saying that they would prefer to build a business through an online marketplace, compared with 28% who would choose their own webshop.
Elsewhere, 75% of respondents said that they were aware that online marketplaces such as eBay can enable sellers to reach customers internationally. Some 62% said this international reach made starting a business more attractive, rising to 68% among respondents aged 18 to 29 and falling to 55% among those aged over 30.
The survey was commissioned by eBay and conducted by Bounce in January 2026. It questioned 531 people aged 18 to 64 in Austria about self-employment, business creation, side businesses, barriers to entry, digital sales channels and international markets. Read more here.
