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EBay Business good, growing, exec says

Rocky Mountain News

Published December 4, 2006 at midnight

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There's more to eBay than just selling collectibles and clothes. Ben Hanna, a metro-area native, is senior manager of eBay Business, a company that's been a large part of the auction site's success.

Hanna, who grew up in Littleton and graduated from Heritage High School before heading to the University of Michigan and then Stanford, spoke to Mile High Tech Editor Darrell Proctor from the eBay Business headquarters in San Jose, Calif.

How's business?

Hanna: Very good. Since we've created that eBay business page, eBay has grown considerably as a business buying and selling destination.

(EBay) did $1 billion in business in 2002 and $4.7 billion (worldwide) in 2005.

Somebody says, "We need a new copier for the office," and lo and behold, we'll have hundreds listed at any one time.

How did eBay Business begin?

Hanna: We looked at the activity going on at the site, and we noticed some of the other categories, there were a lot more business items being listed and sold. So we formed the business and industrial categories.

It was a way to make more shelf space and to help buyers and sellers in those industries understand what eBay has to offer and how it can help grow their business.

What have been some of your sales highlights?

Hanna: There's always something interesting (for sale): a corporate jet that sold for $4.9 million, highest price ever for an item on eBay.

How did the high-tech bust affect your business? I suspect it was pretty dramatic.

Hanna: Absolutely, that definitely was the case, especially because there were so many high-tech firms. And there's a traditional industry liquidation network that will buy up offices, etc., then turn around and sell it on eBay.

I'm sure there are people who have taken advantage of eBay Business' presence to further their own careers.

Hanna: There are 1.3 million people worldwide making their living selling on eBay. Oftentimes, they're selling to businesses.

Take someone with a background in tractor parts, a person who then has a supply of those they want to sell themselves. It's the perfect place to do that. We definitely have seen on the business side, the B-to-B side, people who have quit their jobs and are selling full time on eBay.

Why would businesses want to buy on eBay?

Hanna: There's a level of purchase protection. EBay offers a good amount, up to $200 on any item, $1,000 on any item (paid for) on PayPal. And for certain business and industrial categories, it's up to $20,000.

And it's a place they can get some good deals, too.