53 Percent of Americans Consider Starting Their Ow

- 2 in 5 Americans are motivated by a need for secondary income in recent years.

- Modern website packages allow any level of user to conduct business online

PHILADELPHIA, July 15, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Some 53 per cent of American adults have seriously considered starting their own business, according to new research out today by 1 &1 Internet, Inc., www.1and1.com , a global leader among Web hosting providers. The data from over 1,300 Americans shows that in recent years many have weighed their options for increasing their household income. The minimum income expectation from efforts to start a side-line business is on average $50,000 gross per year.  The study would suggest that US entrepreneurial spirit remains strong.  1 &1 advises anyone considering starting a new business project to think about the online tools available today that can greatly increase chances of business success and more flexible working.    

New research of 1,301 Americans(1) finds that both aspiration and confidence towards starting a new business is in mind for many.  A total of 53 percent of those surveyed have 'seriously considered' starting their own business.  There appears to be a slight variation by gender - 59 percent of men versus 43 percent of women.  On a regional basis, the Southwestern United States has the most ambitions, with 57percent considering their own business, followed by the Southeastern region (54 percent) and Midwest (52 percent).  The people of the New England region are the most reluctant, with only 50 percent being interested.  

Some 20 percent of those surveyed have considered starting a side project in tandem to their existing job, in order to boost family income.  Other primary motivations included the opportunity to be their own boss (24 percent), a better work/life balance or family life (19 percent), and passion for a hobby (21 percent).  Perhaps unsurprisingly, the desire to start an enterprise does decrease with age.  Those aged 35-44 years are most driven towards launching a business (67 percent).  

An interesting aspect of the study is the average US expectation for the amount of secondary income that would make creating a start-up business worthwhile.  The average US requirement was $50,384 gross per year from such a project.  This figure is much lower yet comes in second to the highest expectation, that of Germany with its average being $67,039.  The US is followed by Spain, $43,750, and then UK, requiring $38,148.  Both French and Polish citizens would be happy with far less additional income, at $33,148 for France, and only $16,098 for Poland.

Robert Hoffmann, CEO Hosting, 1 &1 Internet, comments, "The Internet makes it much easier today to start a business.  A powerful website and the right tools to attract customers can often be the key needed to transform a business dream into a real life success.  Modern website packages deliver the necessary eBusiness elements for attracting, interacting and transacting with online consumers – ready to place your website on top of Search Engines and connect you with Internet communities like Facebook, Twitter and eBay.  Since you can use these powerful tools over the Web with no software or programming skills needed, starting a website is easier than many realize – the result being that a sideline or hobby business can become economically feasible and conducive to work/life balance".

Internet Psychologist Graham Jones believes that Internet-based tools can certainly help entrepreneurs to succeed.  Jones comments, "Research over the past few years has shown that when people use the Internet as the focus of their business their productivity goes up.  If only more people would tap into the online tools available, they too could run productive businesses which are using the extensive knowledge available online to give them a competitive edge".

1 &1 MyWebsite offers easy website creation in minutes with industry-specific templates and content for over 200 business types, and is ideal for start-up companies.  Integral social media and Web analytics tools allow business owners to better understand and engage with their online audiences.  1 &1 MyWebsite also offers more than 75 Web applications that can be added simply by 'drag and drop' into a website design to add functionality across eCommerce, communication, social media, or business management.   

Since 2000, 1 &1 has been at the forefront of promoting and driving the use of the Web by US small businesses.  As a global leader among Web hosts, 1 &1 is well placed to deliver a high quality service to its customers. The company currently holds 12 million customer contracts worldwide and manages over 11 million domain names. For more information about 1 &1 Internet, Inc., visit www.1and1.com .

About 1 &1 Internet Inc.:

1 &1 Internet Inc. is a subsidiary of United Internet, a profitable public company with a market cap of more than $5 billion. 1 &1 was founded in 1988 and manages more than 11 million domain names, while more than 70,000 servers run in the company's five state-of-the-art, green data centers. 1 &1's global community is over 12 million customer contracts strong. The company's U.S. headquarters is located in Chesterbrook, Pa. For more information, visit www.1and1.com or contact the company at 1-877-GO-1AND1, on http://facebook.com/1and1 "> Facebook , or www.twitter.com/1and1 .  
 
[1] 1,301 US adults surveyed by OpinionMatters via electronic feedback form 

Kelly Meeneghan Phone: 610-560-1526 Fax: 610-560-1511 Courtney Pugh Phone: 610-560-1530 Fax: 610-560-1511