More than 36,000 new businesses joined eBay in 2018, the largest rise since 2015, reports the online marketplace. Rob Hattrell, Vice President of eBay in the UK, said: “Britain’s small business scene is booming, fuelled by a desire for greater flexibility, independence and empowerment. According to eBay : 43% of UK small businesses feel positive about their growth prospects in 2019, compared to just 22% who are pessimistic – a margin of two to one. eBay’s Small Business Barometer suggests that digital retail will play a key role in small business success in 2019. Small business owners surveyed expected most of their growth to come from online sales (22%) and increased product lines (14%) in the coming year.