GPSR - The General Product Safety Regulation: A Global Crisis for Small Businesses

The European Union's General Product Safety Regulation (GPSR), officially set to take effect on 13 December 2024, has sent shockwaves through the small business community worldwide.

While its stated intention is to enhance consumer safety, the regulation's broad and burdensome requirements threaten to decimate countless small businesses both within and outside the EU.

The ripple effects of this legislation are enormous, with implications far beyond EU borders, yet the issue has been misrepresented and misunderstood in public discourse.

What is the GPSR?

The General Product Safety Regulation (EU Regulation 2023/988) applies to new, used, repaired, and reconditioned consumer products sold in the EU. It introduces stringent requirements to ensure product safety, such as:

• Detailed Safety Documentation: Businesses must provide health and safety information, origin tracing of components, and compliance certifications for all products.
• Traceability: Products must include clear labeling, specifying the manufacturer, a Responsible Person in the EU, and detailed product information.
• Administrative Oversight: Businesses are required to maintain and store extensive documentation for years to prove compliance.

While these rules aim to protect consumers, they impose an overwhelming administrative and financial burden on small businesses, making compliance nearly impossible for many.

Impact on Small Businesses Worldwide

The Compliance Burden

Small businesses and sole traders, particularly those selling on platforms like eBay, Amazon, and Etsy, are finding the regulations untenable.

• Impossible Requirements: Many small sellers deal in niche or second-hand goods, often involving items where manufacturers no longer exist. For example, retro computer upgrades or repairs for machines over 40 years old fall under the regulation, yet it is impossible to provide the required documentation for such products.
• EU Representation Costs: Non-EU businesses must appoint a Responsible Person within the EU to represent them, a cost that is prohibitive for small enterprises. Incredibly, this requirement also applies to personal individuals. If someone in the UK or another non-EU country wishes to send a gift to a friend or family member in the EU, the law technically requires them to appoint an EU representative. This bizarre extension of the regulation has no distinction between private sellers, personal individuals, or commercial businesses. Effectively, the movement of goods into the EU, regardless of scale or purpose, now seems illegal without adhering to these requirements.

Considering this law was in development for over four years, it's astonishing that such sweeping and impractical rules have been implemented without accounting for their real-world ramifications. From sending a small gift to a friend, to shipping high-value commercial goods, the regulation creates insurmountable hurdles for everyone, from personal individuals to large businesses.

This regulation, while aimed at ensuring consumer safety, is effectively driving sellers out of business, punishing personal individuals, and removing affordable second-hand or niche items from the marketplace.

EU's Power Over Global Markets

The GPSR grants the EU unprecedented power over global markets, as it applies not only to EU-based businesses but also to companies worldwide that sell into the EU. Many businesses, especially small sellers, are unaware of the regulation's existence, creating a potential compliance crisis.

This means the EU could theoretically fine every small business or seller globally for non-compliance, effectively driving them to bankruptcy. The scale of this power is alarming—no governing body should have the ability to disrupt and potentially destroy small businesses on a worldwide scale.

Elon Musk, in a recent interview, highlighted this bureaucratic overreach by stating that “we can design and build a rocket to send into space quicker than it takes to deal with all the red tape bureaucracy” and lamented that “nothing can get done anymore as everything is basically illegal.” This sentiment reflects the growing frustration with the ever-increasing regulatory burdens that stifle innovation and small enterprises.

Loss of Revenue

For many small businesses, EU customers account for a significant portion of sales. Losing access to the EU market means substantial financial losses. For example, businesses like mine, which rely on retro computing markets, stand to lose 33% of annual revenue—amounting to approximately £12,000 per year.

Boycotting the EU Market

Many sellers are left with no option but to cease trading in the EU entirely. eBay sellers, for example, have reported boycotting the EU market because they cannot supply the documentation required by the GPSR. This exodus not only harms small businesses but also deprives EU consumers of unique goods often found only in niche markets.

Impact on Small Businesses Worldwide

Buyer Frustration: A Hidden Consequence

Another serious consequence of the new regulations is the growing frustration among EU buyers who find themselves unable to purchase products from their favorite small sellers. For many years, small businesses and sole traders have provided unique, niche, and affordable goods to EU buyers. With these sellers now forced out of the EU market due to the impossibilities of compliance, EU buyers are increasingly expressing anger and disappointment.

Sellers are already experiencing an influx of complaints and even abusive emails from frustrated EU customers who do not understand why they can no longer purchase items. Many buyers are unaware of the new GPSR regulations, leading them to blame sellers directly for the inability to ship goods to the EU. This creates additional hardship and stress for sellers, who are already overwhelmed by the administrative burdens of the regulation. Now, they must also deal with a flood of complaints and negative feedback, which can harm their reputation and further erode their ability to do business.

Small businesses often lack the resources to handle large volumes of complaints or abusive correspondence, and the emotional toll on sellers cannot be overstated. The relationship between buyers and sellers, which has been built on trust and mutual support, is now being strained under the weight of these regulatory changes. For many sellers, this added layer of distress is yet another reason why they are choosing to close shop entirely, further reducing the availability of products in the EU and increasing dissatisfaction among buyers.

This vicious cycle-where regulations harm sellers, leading to buyer frustration, which in turn further harms sellers-demonstrates the far-reaching and poorly considered consequences of the GPSR. EU buyers are being inadvertently punished alongside small sellers, creating a lose-lose situation for everyone involved.

Growing Frustration Among Sellers

Sellers are becoming increasingly frustrated as time passes. Many small businesses and sole traders struggled to survive through the challenges of the pandemic, only to now face a fresh wave of obstacles with the introduction of the new EU General Product Safety Regulation (GPSR). For sellers trying their best to navigate a tough economic environment, it often feels like their efforts are met with the rug being pulled out from under them.

These new laws add yet another layer of stress and uncertainty for sellers who were already stretched thin. Many feel that instead of receiving support to help rebuild their businesses post-pandemic, they are being burdened with regulations that make survival even harder. The sheer administrative and financial cost of compliance, coupled with buyer frustrations and shrinking markets, leaves sellers questioning how they can continue to operate.

While small sellers can easily be held accountable for any number of compliance issues under these laws, the real question is: who holds the government bodies accountable for the negative impact these regulations have on businesses worldwide? Small sellers and sole traders do not have the power or resources to challenge such sweeping legislation, yet they are the ones who bear the brunt of its consequences.

This growing frustration is not only harming the mental health of small business owners but also eroding trust in the systems that are supposed to support innovation and entrepreneurship. Sellers who have poured years of effort and dedication into building their businesses now feel abandoned and betrayed by the very institutions that should be helping them thrive.

A Global Problem, Not Brexit

Contrary to claims by some media outlets, this crisis has nothing to do with Brexit. The GPSR applies to all businesses selling to the EU, regardless of their location.

• EU Companies Are Not Spared: While EU businesses can represent themselves under the regulation, many still face the same challenges as non-EU sellers, such as providing exhaustive documentation and meeting safety standards.
• Worldwide Impact: Businesses in the USA, China, and other countries face identical barriers. Many sellers remain unaware of the regulation, raising the alarming possibility that they may unknowingly operate illegally within the EU.

It was basically impossible to find any media outlet which did not swing blame onto Brexit. This also raises serious concerns about the accuracy and reliability of the majority of media outlets. Such misinformation is not only unhelpful but actively harmful, as it gets picked up and spread by Brexit haters, further fueling hate and fear based on inaccurate and frankly nonsensical reporting.

There is little use in reading media outlets, particularly those reporting on politics, when it is clear they are biased toward supporting the EU and blaming Brexit for the EU's sheer incompetence or deliberate actions to harm the worldwide small business market. We urge our readers to boycott any outlets that link Brexit to this clearly EU-generated problem.

Media outlets falsely linking this issue to Brexit are spreading deliberate misinformation, seemingly to provoke public outrage and deflect blame. This misrepresentation downplays the true scope of the problem and manipulates public opinion, further exacerbating the distress for small businesses.

The only remaining advantage for small businesses is the ability to trade within our own country, outside of the EU's jurisdiction. However, this freedom is under threat if the UK chooses to adopt similar regulatory frameworks.

The only saving grace currently for UK businesses is the fact that we are not inside the EU and do not have to abide by these rules at present. If the UK were still part of the EU, on Friday the 13th of December 2024 (an ironically ominous date), UK businesses unaware of the new regulations imposed by the EU would likely be operating illegally. So thank God for Brexit! Otherwise, UK sellers would be in even more trouble than they are now!

The Threat to UK Businesses

The situation becomes even more dire when considering the UK's potential alignment with similar legislation. The Product Regulation and Metrology Bill, currently proposed by the Labour government, could pose serious challenges to UK businesses if it is implemented poorly or closely mirrors the EU's existing regulations.

• Domestic Market at Risk: If the UK implements such measures, small businesses that have avoided EU markets due to GPSR will face identical barriers at home, leaving them nowhere to turn.
• Severe Consequences: The regulations include harsh penalties, such as fines and imprisonment for non-compliance, creating a climate of fear and uncertainty among small sellers.

For many small business owners, this means the end of the road. After decades of building niche markets and catering to loyal customer bases, these entrepreneurs face financial ruin as they are forced out of both EU and UK markets.

Economic and Environmental Implications

Impact on Recycling and Sustainability

The GPSR has devastating consequences for the used and second-hand markets, which thrive on recycling and reusing old items. By effectively banning the sale of older goods due to compliance challenges, the regulation contradicts the EU's stated goals of promoting sustainability and reducing waste.

Economic Fallout

The regulation risks triggering a wave of closures among small businesses, leading to job losses and reduced market diversity. The loss of these businesses disproportionately harms local economies and deprives consumers of unique, affordable goods.

Additional Concerns

Impact on Innovation and Creativity

Overregulation threatens to stifle creativity and innovation, particularly in niche markets like handmade goods, retro items, or custom products. Small businesses often thrive by experimenting and developing unique offerings, but the high compliance costs discourage taking risks with new ideas. Furthermore, aspiring entrepreneurs may abandon their plans entirely due to the overwhelming regulatory landscape, creating a significant barrier to entry for future small businesses.

Unintended Consequences for Sustainability

The GPSR conflicts with global environmental goals by making it difficult to sell refurbished, repaired, or second-hand goods. Businesses focused on sustainability, which play a critical role in reducing waste and promoting recycling, face insurmountable challenges under these regulations. As a result, many sellers may find it more cost-effective to dispose of unsold items, contributing to landfills and undermining environmental efforts.

Supply Chain Implications

These regulations do not only affect sellers but also have significant impacts on their suppliers. Small suppliers may struggle with compliance, creating disruptions across entire supply chains. Additionally, suppliers who manage to comply may pass on their increased costs to sellers, further squeezing the already narrow profit margins of small businesses.

Lack of Support or Guidance

Small businesses are often left without centralized resources or government assistance to navigate the complex web of regulations. Many sellers are unaware of the full extent of the rules and lack the tools to ensure compliance, leaving them vulnerable to inadvertent violations. The varying requirements and reporting schedules across EU member states exacerbate the confusion, creating an almost impossible task for small sellers trying to comply.

Erosion of Market Diversity

The loss of small sellers from the marketplace will lead to a significant reduction in product diversity. Large corporations typically focus on mass-produced, high-demand items, leaving niche markets underserved. Additionally, many small sellers provide culturally significant goods that reflect local traditions, and their disappearance represents a loss of cultural identity in the marketplace.

Buyers Long-Term Discontent

As small sellers exit the market, consumers will face higher prices and fewer choices. Unique or custom goods, which are often only available from small sellers, will become increasingly scarce. Over time, this lack of competition will harm consumers by reducing access to affordable and innovative products.

The Digital Divide

Sellers in developing countries face even greater challenges due to limited resources, infrastructure, and access to information about the regulations. These barriers disproportionately exclude them from participating in global trade. Additionally, large platforms like eBay, Amazon, and Etsy are better positioned to enforce these rules, creating another layer of bias that favors established players while marginalizing smaller sellers.

Enforcement and Legal Risks

Inconsistent enforcement of the regulations across EU member states creates further confusion and leaves small sellers vulnerable to arbitrary penalties. Even minor mistakes in compliance can result in hefty fines or legal action, making the risks of operating within the EU market far greater than the potential rewards.

Psychological Toll on Small Sellers

The constant juggling of regulatory demands, buyer frustrations, and financial pressures is taking a significant toll on the mental health of small business owners. Many sellers report feelings of burnout and disillusionment as they struggle to navigate these challenges. This growing sense of abandonment and betrayal by the systems that should support them threatens to demotivate sellers and drive even more out of business.

Call for International Cooperation

A harmonized approach to global trade regulations could reduce the complexity and ensure fairness for small businesses operating internationally. Governments must collaborate to create simplified and standardized rules that balance consumer safety with economic realities.

Government Accountability

Governments must recognize the devastating impact these regulations have on small businesses and take meaningful responsibility for mitigating the harm caused. This includes establishing robust support systems, creating exemptions for small sellers, and implementing proportional penalties that target bad actors rather than penalizing legitimate businesses trying to survive. However, it is not enough to simply recognize the issue--governments must take tangible actions to offset the consequences their regulations impose on the small business market and sole traders.

When governments create rules without any accountability to themselves, they must also bear the responsibility of addressing the fallout. Small businesses should not be left to shoulder the financial and operational burden of compliance alone. If regulations force businesses to shut down or boycott markets, governments should provide compensation or create mechanisms to support those affected. Furthermore, this compensation should take into account not only the financial losses incurred but also the toll on sellers' mental health. The stress and anxiety caused by these burdensome regulations have left many sellers feeling overwhelmed and hopeless. Governments must provide adequate mental health support and recognize the emotional cost inflicted on business owners who have worked tirelessly to build their livelihoods.

Many eBay sellers have been coining the phrase "eBay sales dropped off the cliff," reflecting the severe downturn in sales. While it is certainly possible that this trend is linked to the rising cost of living and other economic factors, it has become increasingly clear that eBay sellers are also bearing the brunt of regulations like the EU's GPSR. Over the past several months, many sellers have reported significant losses, leading them to make the difficult decision to boycott the EU entirely in a desperate attempt to continue surviving.

Unfortunately, these regulations don't only affect sellers outside the EU. Sellers in Northern Ireland, for example, who depend on trade with either the UK or the EU, now find themselves penalized and unable to source even simple items like sticky tape or packaging materials. This disconnect from the global market is affecting almost 1.9 million people in Northern Ireland, many of whom are now deeply concerned and saddened that they may have to close businesses they have built over numerous years.

Sellers have already begun boycotting various EU states due to other burdensome laws, such as Germany's packaging law, which forces sellers to pay a license fee simply to ship items into the country. This law alone has driven many small businesses to stop trading with Germany entirely. The GPSR is merely the latest in a series of laws that are having a cumulative and devastating impact on small businesses worldwide. These laws demand time, money, and resources that small sellers simply do not have, leaving them unable to keep up with the constant changes and administrative burdens.

Small businesses should not be bogged down by bureaucracy when their primary focus should be on creativity, innovation, and producing goods that bring value to the market. The endless cycle of regulation changes and administrative hurdles eats away at their time and profit margins, leaving them increasingly vulnerable to bankruptcy. Creativity and innovation are the lifeblood of small businesses, and governments must take responsibility for ensuring that these enterprises can thrive rather than being crushed under the weight of unnecessary and disproportionate regulations.

The GPSR and similar laws are not just regulatory missteps--they are eroding the foundation of the small business world. Without intervention, governments risk stifling the innovation and creativity that drive economies forward, leaving a legacy of bureaucracy and lost potential. It's time for governments to be held accountable for the consequences of their actions, providing compensation that acknowledges both financial losses and the emotional toll on sellers, ensuring these businesses have the tools, support, and freedom they need to succeed.

Consumer Education

Educating consumers about the reasons behind the disappearance of small sellers and their products is essential. This could help build public support for small businesses and encourage consumers to advocate for fairer regulatory practices.

Media Accountability and Bias

Another critical concern is the clear lack of accountability in media reporting. While the role of the media should be to inform the public with unbiased and accurate information, many outlets fail to meet this standard. Instead, they often demonstrate an obvious bias towards the European Union while portraying Brexit in an overwhelmingly negative light. This one-sided reporting creates a distorted narrative that misleads the public and prevents meaningful discussions about the true sources of economic and regulatory challenges.

The majority of media outlets routinely spread half-truths, exaggerations, or outright inaccuracies, focusing more on generating hate and fear than delivering factual reporting. Hate and fear drive clicks, which, in turn, drive profits--leaving journalistic integrity as an afterthought. This constant sensationalism fuels public outrage and divides communities, turning complex regulatory issues into opportunities for political point-scoring rather than constructive debate.

To address this growing problem, there should be a government entity specifically tasked with holding media outlets accountable for their reporting. Every single media outlet should be required to fact-check their content rigorously and adhere to strict standards of journalistic integrity. Outlets that fail to meet these standards should face penalties, just as businesses are held accountable for their compliance with regulations. This would not only ensure more accurate reporting but also restore trust in the media and create a more informed and united public.

The Endless Bureaucratic Nightmare: How EU Regulations Block Small Businesses

In the European Union (EU), Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) regulations for packaging vary by member state, but many countries enforce zero thresholds, requiring all businesses to comply regardless of size or packaging volume. Countries such as Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Luxembourg, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, and Sweden have no minimum thresholds for EPR compliance. This means all businesses, regardless of turnover or the amount of packaging placed on the market, are required to register with national authorities, report packaging volumes, and contribute to the costs of waste management and recycling.

These regulations add yet another layer of complexity for sellers, further endorsing the massive challenges faced by small businesses. Even if the General Product Safety Regulation (GPSR) were magically resolved, the packaging regulations alone would effectively block access to key markets for my products. Navigating and dealing with these ever-changing requirements would result in an ongoing bureaucracy nightmare, leaving no time to develop or produce my retro computing goods. Without time for innovation and creation, there simply would be no goods for sale, as my energy would be entirely consumed by regulatory compliance.

It seems increasingly clear that the EU is taking deliberate actions to boycott any and all small businesses by any means necessary. These regulations not only make it impossible for small sellers to thrive but also create a hostile environment that prioritizes bureaucratic hurdles over entrepreneurship, creativity, and fair trade.

Downfalls of EU Packaging Laws on Manufacturers

The EU packaging laws introduce several challenges that go beyond the financial and logistical burdens. Below are some of the significant concerns, particularly related to the disclosure of manufacturer information:

• Exposure of Supply Chain Sources: The requirement to include manufacturer details on packaging makes it easier for rival companies to identify the original source of goods. This could lead to competitors securing exclusive deals or creating barriers that disrupt the supply chain, effectively harming the original manufacturer.
• Unfair Competition: By exposing supply chain sources, businesses risk enabling rivals to undercut their pricing, replicate products, or leverage exclusive agreements with suppliers. This fosters an environment of unfair competition that can hurt smaller businesses unable to counteract such tactics.
• Supply Chain Disruptions: Competitors or malicious actors could exploit this transparency to intentionally harm manufacturers by disrupting supply lines or causing delays. Such interference can be particularly devastating to small businesses reliant on niche or limited suppliers.
• Loss of Competitive Edge: Many manufacturers keep their sources confidential to maintain a unique advantage in the market. Mandatory disclosure removes this layer of protection, leaving businesses vulnerable to imitation or predatory practices that can stifle innovation and industry growth.
• Harm to the Industry: The lack of confidentiality can discourage manufacturers from entering certain markets or innovating new products, knowing their supply chains will be exposed. Over time, this could harm entire industries by reducing competition to only the largest players, leading to monopolistic practices.

Overall, while the packaging laws aim to promote transparency and environmental responsibility, the unintended consequences can significantly impact businesses, particularly smaller ones, by exposing them to risks that may outweigh the intended benefits.

Potential Long-Term Effects on Businesses Worldwide

• Shrinkage of Small Business Markets: Many small businesses that rely on niche markets, second-hand goods, or cross-border trade may either go out of business or cease trading with the EU entirely due to the cost and complexity of compliance. This could lead to reduced competition, fewer unique products, and a monopolization of markets by larger corporations that can absorb regulatory costs.
• Increased Costs for Consumers: With fewer small sellers, the remaining businesses (likely larger corporations) will face less competition, which could result in higher prices for goods within the EU. Limited access to second-hand or niche products may also drive up costs for consumers who value these markets.
• Global Trade Barriers: Businesses outside the EU may increasingly view the EU as a difficult market to engage with, leading to decreased trade flows. Countries with emerging markets or specialized industries may struggle to meet the EU's demands, limiting their access to one of the world's largest trading blocs.
• Innovation Stagnation: Small businesses and niche sellers often drive innovation in many industries. Burdensome regulations that stifle small businesses may reduce the diversity and innovation of products entering the market, leading to stagnation.
• Shift to Alternative Markets: Non-EU businesses may prioritize trade with regions that have fewer regulatory hurdles, such as North America, Asia, or emerging economies. This shift could reshape global trade patterns.

What Needs to Change?

1. Exemptions for Small Businesses: Small businesses should be exempted from the most burdensome requirements or allowed simplified compliance pathways. Rules that fail to distinguish between large corporations and small businesses are inherently unfair and disproportionately harmful to sole traders and micro-enterprises.
2. Support for Niche Markets: The regulation must recognize the unique challenges faced by niche markets, such as retro computing and second-hand goods, and adapt its rules accordingly. These markets often deal with older items or products where manufacturers no longer exist, making compliance with documentation and safety standards impossible under the current rules.
3. Increased Awareness and Clarity: Governments and regulatory bodies must launch widespread awareness campaigns to ensure businesses worldwide understand the regulations and their implications. Clear guidance and accessible resources should be provided, especially to small sellers, to reduce confusion and ensure compliance is achievable.
4. Proportional Penalties: Punishments for non-compliance should be proportional and focused on bad actors rather than legitimate businesses trying to survive. Governments must stop penalizing small sellers who lack the resources to navigate complex bureaucratic requirements.
5. Comprehensive Compensation Schemes: Governments should establish elaborate compensation schemes to address the negative impacts and financial losses incurred by small businesses due to these regulations. This should include compensation for lost revenue, time spent in bureaucracy, and the costs of compliance or relocation to continue trading. Additionally, businesses forced to shut down entirely due to regulatory burdens must be provided with fair compensation for their closure, reflecting both their financial losses and the years of effort invested in building their livelihoods.
6. Accountability for Government Actions: Governments must take responsibility for the negative consequences of their regulations. If these laws are found to harm businesses disproportionately, governments should implement corrective actions, including repealing or amending harmful policies. Legislators must ensure that regulations consider the realities faced by small businesses and provide tangible support to those impacted.
7. Media Accountability: Media outlets must be held accountable for spreading biased or inaccurate information. Governments should establish independent entities to enforce journalistic integrity, ensuring the public receives balanced and factual reporting about regulatory changes. The misrepresentation of issues like the GPSR has fueled unnecessary anger and confusion, often blaming unrelated factors like Brexit rather than addressing the real problems.
8. Consideration for Personal and Non-Commercial Transactions: Regulations must distinguish between commercial businesses, private sellers, and personal individuals. Laws that impose the same requirements on someone sending a gift to a family member as on a multinational corporation are impractical and damaging. Clear exemptions for non-commercial transactions are essential to prevent unintended consequences that stifle basic human connections.
9. Support for Northern Ireland Businesses: Special provisions must be made for businesses in Northern Ireland, which are disproportionately affected by these regulations due to their unique trading position with the UK and EU. Nearly 1.9 million people in Northern Ireland face significant challenges in accessing goods or maintaining their businesses, and targeted assistance is urgently needed to address these issues.

Small businesses need the freedom to focus on creativity and producing unique products, especially those that are handmade, without being burdened by excessive bureaucracy. These businesses thrive when they can dedicate their energy to innovation and craftsmanship, and frictionless trade is essential to sustaining their operations. Small sellers are always willing to make reasonable changes when it is within their power to do so. For example, if EU states required more recyclable packaging, such as paper-based materials instead of bubble wrap, this would be a realistic and meaningful change that small businesses could adapt to with relative ease. However, the current system, which demands contacting multiple EU states individually,potentially in different languages,reporting packaging volumes for each country, and paying additional licensing fees or taxes, creates an unsustainable burden for small businesses. The sheer complexity and time investment make compliance impossible for many. Advocacy for frictionless trade is vital, not only for the success of small businesses but also for promoting fair and sustainable practices in the global marketplace.

Conclusion

The General Product Safety Regulation may be well-intentioned, but its implementation threatens to cripple small businesses worldwide. The lack of flexibility, combined with the immense administrative burden and financial costs, makes compliance nearly impossible for many.

The EU's power to enforce fines and penalties on a global scale risks bankrupting countless small businesses that are unaware of the regulation's existence. This level of control over the global market is unprecedented and raises serious questions about the balance of power in international trade.

This is particularly devastating for small business owners who have spent years, even decades, building their companies from the ground up, often through hard economic times and significant personal sacrifices. The creativity and innovation of many individuals will be lost, leaving sellers disheartened and feeling betrayed by the very governments and institutions that should be supporting them. Sellers who are simply trying to make an honest living now face an uncertain and bleak future.

Sellers have taken to forums, online marketplaces, YouTube, and even reached out to government MPs or officials to express their growing concerns for their future. Despite their efforts, their cries for help and appeals for leniency are being ignored. The resulting stress has led to extreme worry, with some sellers experiencing mental breakdowns as they feel their voices are not being heard. This lack of support and empathy from governing bodies adds to the despair, leaving many feeling abandoned in a time of crisis.

Another significant issue is the likelihood that many sellers are unknowingly operating illegally within multiple EU states. With regulations like Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) and country-specific requirements such as Germany's Packaging Act, sellers are expected to comply with a complex web of rules, often differing by country. This includes registering and paying fees in each EU state they sell to, regularly reporting sales data (sometimes in different languages and on varying schedules), and adhering to country-specific environmental policies. Petitions have started appearing such as the one on ebaymainstreet who want simpler and more lenient regulations in place for small and medium enterprises.

For small businesses, trying to navigate these fragmented and overwhelming regulations proves to be a monumental and nearly impossible task. The burden of staying compliant across all 27 EU countries is so great that many sellers inadvertently fail to meet the requirements, leaving them vulnerable to hefty fines or penalties. These challenges force countless small businesses to reconsider their ability to sell to the EU, further reducing market access and compounding the damage caused by the broader regulatory environment.

The worldwide market is clearly shifting toward favoring large commercial entities, effectively pushing every single small business seller out of existence through overregulation. While we support, to a point, the idea that large corporations should be held responsible for a multitude of obligations, these corporations have the resources to navigate the massive minefield of laws and regulations. Small sellers, on the other hand, spend most of their time creating products, often working long hours for minimal profit, while already shouldering listing fees and other costs on selling platforms that further reduce their margins. For individual sellers, there is simply no time left to navigate the worldwide complex web of rules and regulations, leaving them at a severe disadvantage.

This regulatory bias creates an unprecedented and unfair marketplace where small sellers will ultimately be wiped out, leaving only large corporations to dominate. Small sellers, however, are often significant contributors to their local economies and the backbone of entire industries. Once these small businesses are driven into insolvency, governments will be forced to pay out more in unemployment benefits, housing subsidies, and food assistance programs, further straining public finances. This could lead to higher taxes, which would eventually impact the larger businesses as well. The irony is that once the general public has no money due to economic strain, who will even be left to buy the products from big businesses?

There is a clear and alarming bias toward overregulation, which threatens to create a devastating global economic imbalance. If this trend continues unchecked, it could lead to a worldwide recession, as small businesses disappear and consumer spending collapses. This is truly the last chance for governments to get their act together and address these issues. Immediate action is needed to support small sellers and create a fair and sustainable marketplace before the damage becomes irreparable.

Governments must act now to protect small businesses from being unfairly penalized under these new rules. If changes are not made, the consequences will be catastrophic—not just for small businesses but for the global economy and the principles of sustainability, creativity, and innovation that they represent. Time is running out, and small businesses need support before the December 13 deadline marks the beginning of an unprecedented crisis.

Summary

The EU's General Product Safety Regulation (GPSR) is poised to devastate small businesses worldwide, imposing impossible compliance requirements such as extensive product documentation, safety certifications, and the appointment of an EU representative--even for second-hand or niche items. These regulations fail to distinguish between large corporations, small sellers, or even personal individuals sending gifts, effectively criminalizing the movement of goods into the EU without exhaustive bureaucracy. Many small businesses, already strained by the pandemic and tough economic conditions, now face the loss of EU sales, frustrated buyers, and a flood of complaints that only add to their struggles.

The financial and emotional toll is immense, with sellers forced to close shops, relocate, or abandon years of hard work due to impractical laws designed without consideration for real-world impacts. Recent laws, such as Germany's packaging regulations and similar requirements, have already caused many sellers to boycott EU markets altogether, compounding the challenges they face. While small businesses are held accountable for every minor infraction, government bodies face no accountability for the catastrophic damage their policies inflict on livelihoods worldwide.

Governments must introduce compensation schemes that address not only financial losses but also the mental health toll on business owners. Sellers deserve compensation for the time spent entangled in bureaucracy, lost revenue, forced relocations, or outright closures. Media accountability is also critical, as biased and misleading reports often deflect blame from poorly designed regulations, creating unnecessary division and confusion among the public.

The GPSR is not just a regulatory failure--it's a global economic disaster in the making, further eroding the foundations of small businesses. Without immediate changes, creativity, innovation, and countless livelihoods are at risk of being irreparably damaged. Governments and institutions must take responsibility for the consequences of these regulations before it's too late.

EXTERNAL SITES OF INTEREST BY PERSONAL INDIVIDUALS
(NO MEDIA OUTLETS!)

I have yet to find a responsible media outlet that accurately represents and reports on these issues. As a result, most of the links below are YouTube videos created by individuals who are directly on the front lines dealing with these challenges. Personally, I believe that "going to the source" for information, rather than relying on third-party media outlets, has become a more reliable approach in recent years.

How eBay's GPSR Policy Will Ruin Businesses in Northern Ireland

eBays Recent Changes Dropped My Sales by 50%!

ebay & GPSR - Should we be worried? - So much confusion!

GPSR... THE END Of Sales To Europe?

Over 1,900,000 People Could Be Blocked From Buying On eBay Through EUs GPSR Minefield

ebay sales fell off a cliff....

An IMPORTANT Change eBay Forgot To Tell Us About...

A Short Lived Adventure... It Will Be Sad To Say GOODBYE

What the EU's New GPSR Means for International Sellers - Should You Stop Selling to the EU?.

GPSR Northern Ireland Update

GPSR Changes: What Sellers into EU Need to Know (And Why There's Still Hope, maybe!)

The New General Product Safety Regulation Podcast with Ferry Vermeulen

Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR): The Gift That Keeps on Taking

This is a devastating blow as I have many lovely and loyal EU customers

Sad times indeed, GPSR EUR and NI

New GPSR rules for Europe in the Summer Update - Goodbye EU Sales?

GPSR Compliance issues - ebay community

UPDATE 11 DEC 2024 - There was hope, until there wasn't.

Out of desperation and in an effort to give small businesses a voice, I reached out to one person who I thought might be interested in covering the problems with the new regulations: Nigel Farage. One thing Nigel has is a loud voice and a large audience, and he has been actively fighting for small businesses lately, particularly farmers, so it seemed like an easy choice.

I wrote an in-depth email explaining the situation, and he replied saying, "Thank you for bringing this to my attention in such detail. I will have my team work on it. The EU doesn't like small businesses!" Great, I thought!

The next day, a friend of mine, who I believe is also a supporter of Nigel, pointed out a clip from his show on Tuesday, the 9th: https://youtu.be/brpLIPvcyvw?t=1954

Jo: The small businesses are hugely impacted, and that means many of them will just go out of business because if you're selling something for 25 quid but you've got to...
Nigel: 95% of small businesses do no business with Europe.
Jo: Quite a lot do, apparently.
Nigel: Well, well, but you know...

On the surface, this may look like an innocent exchange, but it deeply concerns me. Nigel essentially dismissed the remaining 5% of businesses as unimportant. Whether the 5% figure is accurate or not, it still represents thousands of people,angry people,whose livelihoods are being destroyed under the government's very noses. If farmers matter, then why don't sellers on platforms like Amazon and eBay? I personally think this was a major blunder, and Nigel should not have said what he did.

At the time of writing, Nigel has yet to address the European regulations and their devastating impact on small businesses. Instead, much of the media continues to twist the narrative, blaming the ramifications entirely on Brexit. While I’m not here to defend or dismiss Brexit, the harsh reality is that small businesses are being thrown under the bus, and nobody seems to care. Media outlets are flooded with claims that these new regulations are solely a result of Brexit, but as I’ve pointed out earlier in this article, while Brexit does bring its own complications, this is fundamentally a worldwide issue. Nigel should be actively countering these baseless accusations and shedding light on the true scope of the problem, but at present, he seems entirely unaware of what’s unfolding.

I've tried reaching out to Jo Phillips to bring these issues to her attention. If Nigel doesn't care about them, then there is literally no one advocating for the sellers who are being punished by these regulations. I really hope I'm wrong about Nigel, and that he will address this soon, but only time will tell.

There was a glimmer of hope, but that was all it was.

Upon researching the regulations further, I've found that the retro computing goods I sell are classified as parts. As such, they do not require CE approval, which nullifies the requirement for an EU representative. This means I can theoretically sell to EU countries, provided they meet basic health and safety checks,something I already do. We thoroughly test items before dispatch, and many products undergo long-term testing before production runs.

However, the German packaging law complicates matters significantly. According to my research, the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) regulation for packaging materials applies to most EU states, including:

• Austria
• Bulgaria
• Croatia
• Cyprus
• Denmark
• Finland
• France
• Germany
• Greece
• Hungary
• Luxembourg
• Poland
• Portugal
• Romania
• Slovakia
• Slovenia
• Spain
• Sweden

Compliance costs can range from £12 to £60 per country. Even with discounts for all EU countries, the best-case scenario would still cost around £400 a year. For products with thin profit margins, like my popular £8 items, recovering that cost would require charging EU customers a "packaging fee," further increasing their already high costs due to postage, import VAT, admin fees, and more. For a £10 item, a customer might end up paying £30 in total costs, making the sale unviable.

Overall, there are simply too many "fingers in the pie." By the time goods have gone through the system start end, it results in a -290% loss. Postage, customs charges, recycling fees, and handling fees chip away at every transaction, while the time required for compliance,writing labels, filling forms, and packaging,is enormous.Platforms like eBay assume sellers have unlimited time to deal with bureaucracy for minimal profit, which is simply not sustainable.

While I can sell parts without CE approval or an EU representative, this exemption doesn't apply to final products like dog toys or doormats. Sellers in these categories face exorbitant costs, with representation fees quoted at £3,500 for 20 items or £200 per item on some platforms. For large sellers with thousands of items, representation costs could reach hundreds of thousands of pounds annually. How can businesses selling low-margin items like dog toys survive such a burden? The situation is utterly unrealistic and deeply saddening.

Few people seem to understand that for sellers like myself, we rarely get paid for our time. Any profit we make comes solely from the sales of goods. In my case, it can take weeks, months, or even years to design and test a product, all of which I have to do without compensation, as there's no one to pay me for this work. Once the product is complete, it must be priced low enough for customers to afford, leaving only minimal profit margins. Admittedly, this is far from an ideal business model, but for sellers like me,who have essentially been out of traditional work for over a decade,it's the only way to put food on the table and pay the bills. We are already stretched thin trying to manage the time and effort required to keep things running, and adding layers of bureaucracy and regulations only pushes us closer to the point of giving up entirely.

The EU rarely admits mistakes in its regulations, preferring instead to provide compliance guidance. But they fail to understand that small sellers don't have the resources to spend hundreds of thousands of pounds to comply with rules like this. The entire system has been poorly thought out, from start to finish.

I will keep this page updated with any progress. I urge everyone to reach out to media outlets and raise their concerns. We cannot simply roll over and allow these regulations to destroy small businesses and their invaluable contributions to the marketplace.

UPDATE 12 DEC 2024 - Questionable Rules and Real Issues

Over the years, some of the rules and regulations imposed by various governing bodies have raised eyebrows. For instance, the infamous rules about the size and shape of strawberries and bananas. While these rules were meant to standardize quality, they also led to enormous food waste as growers had to discard perfectly edible but non-conforming produce. Thankfully, initiatives like "wonky strawberries" and "perfectly imperfect" ranges have mitigated some of this waste.

Still, it begs the question: How relevant are such rules? Have the policymakers simply got nothing better to do? It is perplexing that while these bizarre regulations dominate headlines, more critical issues affecting everyday lives are left unaddressed.

Real Issues That Deserve Attention

Blinding Headlights

One of my personal annoyances is the brightness of car headlights. Modern headlights are so bright that they can be damaging to people's eyes. I resorted to wearing yellow anti-glare glasses for driving several years ago because I was essentially being blinded. It's even worse when drivers fail to turn off their high beams, which blinds other drivers even more. This is an issue that has persisted in the UK and globally for far too long.

The Lack of Indication

Another pet peeve is the widespread failure of drivers to indicate. Imagine how much smoother traffic could flow if people used their indicators properly. For instance, on roundabouts, many drivers fail to signal when turning left, leaving others guessing. This leads to unnecessary idling, wasted time, fuel consumption, and added environmental impact. Multiply this across the globe, and the scale of the problem is staggering.

What's worse, indicators on modern vehicles are often poorly positioned. In the past, indicators were placed on the corners of vehicles, making them visible from multiple angles. Now, many manufacturers position them closer to the middle or front, where they are drowned out by headlights. And don't get me started on flashy, animated rear lights,more distraction than functionality!

Tailgating and Unsafe Driving

Tailgating remains a serious issue despite being illegal in the UK. It's not just dangerous but also blinding for the driver in front due to bright headlights reflecting in their mirrors. Campaigns to educate drivers on maintaining safe distances are sorely lacking. Similarly, the rise of impatient drivers undertaking on dual carriageways is another growing concern.

Why Aren't These Issues Prioritized?

It's disappointing that issues like these, which genuinely impact public safety and quality of life, are often ignored. Governments have countless opportunities to make small, meaningful improvements,such as launching awareness campaigns about proper indication, safe driving distances, and headlight usage,yet they focus on rules about fruit shape and other trivialities.

Is it too much to ask for policymakers to address the concerns that truly matter? These are the changes that could make a real difference in people's lives, and it's time to focus on what truly counts.

A New Battle

A video popped up in my YouTube feed which caught my attention by a UK eBay seller. Watch the video here.

While it is certainly a little out of context for this article relating to the EU regulations, this is a perfect example of one of those "small" things which is eroding away sellers' time and profits,a perfect example of "something else" which sellers have to deal with.

Basically, what is being said is that there are a lot of 100m rolls of bubble wrap which barely get over 60m in length. I myself personally use bubble wrap and even got three new rolls about two weeks ago. I remember thinking at the time these rolls don't look very large for 100m, but I thought maybe they were just wound or packed tighter or slightly smaller bubbles or something. But now I will have to measure them all to see if I've also been scammed.

Things have been hard enough during the pandemic where it has been incredibly difficult to secure items from anything between parts to packaging materials. Of course, the prices of the cardboard boxes themselves have skyrocketed, which further erodes the profit margins. Annoyingly, I even purchased 1,000 boxes a few weeks ago in order to try and keep the prices down,boxes I could be storing for a long time now that a large chunk of my customer base has been wiped out.

Friday the 13th: A Business Nightmare

Tomorrow represents a pivotal moment for countless European businesses and sellers as they prepare to face the consequences of newly imposed regulations and challenges. It feels as though an entire segment of the market is on the brink of collapse. To borrow the words of Obi-Wan Kenobi:

"I felt a great disturbance in the Force, as if millions of voices suddenly cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced. I fear something terrible has happened."

A Harsh Reality for Small Businesses

For many sellers, these new regulations are not just another layer of bureaucracy,they pose a direct threat to their survival. Small businesses, already struggling with supply chain disruptions, increasing costs, and shrinking customer bases, are now confronted with even greater hurdles. For some, this might truly mark the end of their journey.

Take the pet supply market as an example. With many sellers unable to navigate the new rules, there may soon be a noticeable shortage of items like dog toys this Christmas. This impact extends far beyond individual sellers; buyers lose access to their trusted shops, and local economies feel the ripple effects of diminished trade. It has certainly been a disheartening week with only one very small order to the USA. Christmas should be the busiest time of year.

My Personal Battle as a Seasoned Entrepreneur

For me, these changes carry an especially heavy weight. After dedicating 30 years to building my business, the thought of it unraveling due to bureaucratic hurdles is deeply unsettling. In recent months, I have spent countless hours attempting to understand and adapt to the ever-changing regulations, leaving me with almost no time to manufacture products, manage inventory, or create anything new. Even historically reliable markets, like those in the UK and USA, are now fraught with uncertainty, as potential tax changes threaten to erode what little stability remains.

Though pushing forward might seem like the only option, the reality for small business owners like myself is that our resources,be they financial, physical, or emotional,are not limitless. After countless sleepless nights, the unrelenting pressure to persevere feels almost unbearable. When decades of hard work can be undone overnight, it's impossible not to question whether the struggle is worth it.

My Work Life Journey

My work life has unfolded like this: I spent about 10 years working for a large company, repairing electronic items. Eventually, the company was bought out, and everyone was made redundant. For the next two years, I was completely out of work. Ironically, my old boss called me out of the blue, offering me a job with what was essentially our former rival company, located practically next door to the old one. I worked there for around seven months, but then that company also shut down. While I enjoyed being in the industry and learned a lot, it was the end of the road for me. The work had become so repetitive and boring that I had wanted to leave the industry for some time anyway.

Ultimately, I stopped looking for work and decided to start my own electronics business. I focused on designing and manufacturing circuits for hobbyists and small companies, as well as buying and selling electronic kits. It took a long time, but I eventually started gaining traction. However, sourcing components for the kits and managing supplies was incredibly difficult, as I had very little money to work with.

Unbeknownst to me at the time, eBay entered the scene,a platform I now call "EvilBay." Overnight, my business was essentially wiped out because eBay became the go-to marketplace for many products and services. I also tried setting up an audio company, investing significant time and money into designing digital power amplifiers. But in the end, I had to give up. Consumers preferred cheap, mass-produced products from China, and it was disheartening to see poorly designed, overpriced amplifiers receiving rave reviews while my superior products struggled to sell. After my father, who was involved in the business, passed away 12 years ago, I no longer had the heart to continue pursuing it.

In an attempt to keep my dreams alive, I reluctantly began selling on eBay. However, as I've mentioned before, I couldn't cope with the platform. Around 50% of buyers turned out to be fraudulent, and competitors purchased items just to leave negative feedback. Many customers didn't bother to read the descriptions or instructions I provided. For instance, when I was selling refilled ink cartridges, I included detailed paperwork explaining how to use them,pressing "OK" to bypass the low ink level warning. I even created an online guide, but it made no difference. I was constantly accused of selling empty cartridges, even though everything was clearly labeled with images, descriptions, and warnings.

The abuse became unbearable. Scammers frequently claimed packages hadn't arrived, and eBay penalized me for issues beyond my control. I began sending everything with signed delivery, and magically, every package started arriving. Nonetheless, the stress of dealing with scammers, dishonest buyers, and eBay's punitive rules made me physically and mentally ill. Eventually, I shut down the business, sold off my stock at a loss, and left the platform. It was one of the best decisions I ever made, as I couldn't continue dealing with such a fraudulent and hypocritical system.

At the time, I had a good track record with PayPal and appreciated their credit card services, which made transactions smoother. But then, out of nowhere, my account was shut down. To this day, I have no idea why. I spent hours on the phone with PayPal, and even their staff couldn't figure out the issue. Apparently, someone reported me for something baseless, and PayPal didn't bother investigating. They simply closed my account. I sent multiple emails requesting a review, but I always received the same response: the decision wouldn't be reversed. I was left bewildered, as I'd only ever had one chargeback during my entire time with PayPal.

Scrambling to keep my business afloat, I turned to Stripe. I had a lengthy discussion with them before signing up to ensure such problems wouldn't occur again without proper investigation. Meanwhile, customers were pressuring me because they couldn't purchase goods anymore. I had to integrate Stripe's payment system and code an entire web store from scratch. It was an incredibly intense two weeks, but I managed to get the store back online. The ordeal left me completely drained.

Things slowly began improving again, but now new EU legislation has thrown a massive wrench into the works, threatening to put me out of business once more. I can't help but question why I keep trying and bothering. Big corporations have forced me out of business multiple times, and there's only so much a person can endure before deciding it's enough. Small sellers and sole traders like myself receive no support, while these massive corporations face no repercussions for their actions. It's a never-ending uphill battle, and the lack of fairness is utterly disheartening.

The Loss of Specialized Skills

Beyond the immediate business challenges, there is also a broader cultural shift,a diminishing value placed on specialized skills. As an electronics engineer, I once worked as part of a team repairing equipment at the component level, a practice that is now nearly obsolete. Today's "board-swapping" approach, driven by cheaper manufacturing and limited access to repairable parts, has eroded the appreciation for craftsmanship and expertise. For those of us who dedicated years to mastering these trades, it's a sobering reality.

Two decades ago, I was part of a small team in a major UK leisure company. Our work involved repairing electronic devices down to the smallest components,a skill that has largely vanished. Modern industries prioritize replacing entire boards over repairing them, driven by cost efficiency and the complexity of today's electronics. This shift not only devalues experience and knowledge but also signals a broader change in how expertise is perceived in the workplace.

A Never-Ending Struggle

The life of a small business owner often feels like an unending battle. From dealing with unreliable suppliers to navigating unjust platform policies, the challenges can seem insurmountable. One particularly frustrating experience involved purchasing a vacuum motor on eBay. It arrived damaged due to poor packaging, and despite providing clear evidence, eBay sided with the seller, leaving me to absorb the loss. Situations like these only add to the mounting sense of futility.

It seems like every task demands far more effort than it should. Whether it's chasing suppliers for overdue shipments or fixing issues caused by someone else's mistakes, the workload is relentless. My family shares similar frustrations, often recounting stories of fighting billing errors or dealing with customer service mishaps. This constant struggle drains even the most resilient individuals.

Current Financial Impact on My Business

While I have shared that EU sales represent 33% of my sales revenue, the reality is that the problem runs much deeper. Customers within Europe tend to spend more per order compared to their overseas counterparts, and I often receive relatively large orders from Europe. This means the true financial impact is likely closer to 50%.

To compound the situation, I recently started production of some Atari motherboards. With limited funds stretched thin, I initially planned to manufacture 20 boards. However, due to Black Friday deals offering significant discounts, I decided to produce 50 boards instead, hoping to benefit from better cost-efficiency by buying in bulk. Unfortunately, this meant spending over double my original budget.

Now, with half my customer base effectively gone and twice the stock I initially planned for, the challenges have doubled. My business strategy relies on forecasting sales and aligning project spending accordingly. With a significant portion of my customer base and income reduced, my financial projections for the next year have been completely derailed. Paying off credit card bills, for example, will now take twice as long, which creates significant financial strain.

Running a small business means producing items in bulk to reduce costs, but this requires substantial upfront investment. The current situation has created a twofold problem: excess stock and a reduced customer base, compounded by rising costs of living and related bills.

I am constantly strategizing to keep my business afloat. While I can continue selling products to the UK and overseas markets (excluding Europe) for now, the depletion of my stock will be a critical point. Once that happens, financial recovery seems impossible. Operating at reduced capacity would essentially set my business back a decade, and rebuilding that 50% of lost business would likely take another decade,a prospect I lack the motivation or enthusiasm to undertake. Future regulations and challenges would only hinder these efforts further.

The challenges of running a small business have never been more evident. The simplicity of creating and selling a product is long gone. The costs of shipping alone are prohibitive, with packages costing £20-£40 for overseas orders via Royal Mail,the cheapest option. Major couriers like UPS and FedEx charge double, albeit with better services. This raises the question: how much are customers willing to pay for shipping relatively low-cost items? The implications for small businesses and the wider economy are concerns that governments should address seriously.

It is already problematic with companies like Royal mail, where the "paperwork" has added significant work into the dispatch of items. Filling out forms now takes twice as long, and of course, all time lost which is not profitable or compensated for. This is an ongoing problem for a lot of small businesses, not just myself.

Despite my best efforts, it feels like the end of the road. Even if I navigate these challenges, the time and resources required are enormous, leaving little room for growth or recovery. And even in the best-case scenario, what happens a few months from now? The future looks bleak, and it is increasingly difficult to find a path forward.

The Emotional Toll

Running a small business comes with an emotional burden that is hard to quantify. Personally, I have endured countless sleepless nights, particularly during times of personal loss. When my father passed away 12 years ago, it marked a turning point for me and my family. While we managed to carry on, the combined weight of loss and business challenges has been overwhelming. Even simple joys, like maintaining a daily blog to share updates with readers, have fallen by the wayside as life's pressures have mounted.

I used to enjoy playing online games with my girlfriend at the end of each evening. As I began working longer and longer hours to try and sustain my business, gaming sessions dwindled. Initially, we played once or twice a week, then once or twice a month, and eventually only once or twice a year. Now, I simply have no time to play games at all. Almost every waking moment is spent trying to keep my business afloat. Often, I lie awake at night planning how to tackle the next wave of problems, though it increasingly feels like a futile exercise.

It's profoundly disheartening that individuals like myself, who genuinely enjoy creating and selling goods, are bogged down by overwhelming challenges. It seems as though those striving to make an honest living are overlooked by the authorities. Creativity and resilience should be celebrated, but I frequently question whether I chose the right career path.

For instance, during my school years, most of my peers dreamed of becoming football stars. I, however, was fascinated by electronics and decided to pursue a career in that field. While I don't regret my choice, it's disheartening to realize that electronics engineering has been a declining trade for years. Meanwhile, footballers are paid millions for kicking a ball around a field. The disparity feels undeniably unfair.

There is also the ongoing issue of competitors who continuously fabricate false claims, with the general public often mistakenly and foolishly believing them without assessing the necessary facts. While the number of such individuals is generally low, defamation is a matter the government should address, especially for small businesses.

Personally, there's always "that one person" who seems determined to belittle me, damage my reputation, and see me fail. While some may dismiss this as "the cost of doing business," it adds significantly to the burden and demotivates small sellers from continuing. This is precisely why I left selling on eBay. Other sellers would deliberately purchase my products with the sole intention of leaving negative feedback. Some individuals even bragged about it on their own eBay pages.

It was blatantly clear what was happening. However, all eBay saw was a rise in negative feedback, and their response was to instruct me to "improve." They even suspended my account for a week. Where is the justice? Frankly, leaving eBay's platform,a platform that fails to follow its own rules and consistently shifts all problems onto sellers,was the best decision I made. Their poor operating practices make them unworthy of being in the marketplace.

Yet, no matter what I do or say, there always seems to be "that one person" who tries their hardest to see me fail. Reasoning with such individuals is impossible and an utter waste of time. On eBay, I also faced attacks from numerous fraudulent buyers, which added to the stress and ultimately drove me to quit the platform.

While it may only be "that one person," there always seems to be someone like this in every venture I pursue. It's a never-ending battle,a futile and exhausting one at that. I even wrote an article about the state of people's mentality on the Internet, which can be found here. Unfortunately, this is just another example of how small business sellers like myself are eroded away over time. All these problematic people from various angles add up over time into a monumentally huge problem which sellers should not be having to deal with in the first place.

There is simply no protection or assistance for us, and no support from government authorities. We are on our own from start to finish. The only time the government shows any interest in us is when they want our tax money. If we fail to pay, we suddenly become their top priority.

You can read more about my experiences on eBay in my article titled eBay Horror Story.

There are always those who smugly say, "You simply don't have what it takes to stay in business," with a tone dripping in condescending sarcasm. And you know what? They're absolutely right,I don't have what it takes. Because "what it takes" apparently means being several people at once.

One person would need to manufacture goods and manage supplies. Another would handle product design and innovation. Yet another would be responsible for running the forum, maintaining the server, ensuring security updates, and performing upgrades. Then there's the person who would package items, label them, and take them to the post office. On top of that, someone has to slog through the paperwork and tax returns each year.

Another person has to look for manufacturers, while someone else has to deal directly with the manufacturers. Yet another person has to constantly search for supplies, compare prices, and ensure the best deals are found. And let's not forget the magnitude of other related tasks that arise, each requiring their own time and focus.

Add to this the constant need to track finances, provide customer support, and stay compliant with regulations,many of which seem deliberately obscure, leaving you to guess their meaning or predict upcoming changes with a metaphorical crystal ball. It's exhausting to juggle all these unpaid roles simultaneously, and frankly, it feels impossible to do it all perfectly.

So yes, maybe I don't "have what it takes,"but perhaps the real issue isn't me,it's the unreasonable expectation that one person can carry the weight of an entire business alone. the solution seems to be employing a bunch of people but as I don't get paid and are constantly working for free, where the several people going to come from ? It seems clear that small businesses and start-ups simply cannot survive in the modern world.

The U.K.'s Jobseeker's Allowance Escapade

While this is indeed off-topic for European legislation, I think it is important to illustrate why I decided to start my first business in the first place.

In the UK, there is an out-of-work system called Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA) for unemployed people actively looking for work. This is my story of what I went through around 20 years ago and why I simply refuse to go back to that.

Firstly, when I was made redundant from my long-term job due to a company takeover, the entire staff was let go. I joined the Jobcentre scheme and actively looked for work.

The problem stems from the requirement to contact a small number of employers each week and apply for at least three jobs to qualify for the scheme. After a few weeks, you simply run out of places to apply. As an electronics engineer in an extremely specialized market, there were no similar jobs at all in the UK. In fact, people from all over the country were calling our company inquiring about employment. I even tried getting supermarket jobs or any available position but ultimately gave up.

The last job I applied for involved packing crisps into boxes at a local company in Uttoxeter. In desperation, I stopped mentioning my qualifications as an electronics engineer and focused on a small aspect of my job,ordering and stocking parts,hoping it would be more relevant to general positions. I contacted the company late at night, already exhausted, and mistyped my name. The owner replied sarcastically, stating they only employed people with extreme attention to detail. Feeling belittled, I sent my full CV and qualifications but received no response. This condescending behavior was the final nail in the coffin for me working for another company.

During my first stint on Jobseeker's Allowance, things went relatively smoothly. However, after a few weeks, I found a potential part-time job maintaining computer equipment in a school for disabled children. Tasks included ensuring printers worked properly and replenishing ink. However, after accounting for travel costs, I realized I would earn less than staying on JSA, so I reluctantly declined the interview. A week later, I was removed from the scheme because my savings disqualified me. In hindsight, I regret not taking the job, as it would have been my only source of income.

The staff at the Jobcentre were mostly sarcastic and condescending. I recall one instance when I struggled to find parking and arrived at my appointment exactly on time. The receptionist, however, sarcastically accused me of being late and lectured me on timekeeping. Frustrated, I asked to rebook and was told the earliest available appointment was in two hours. I had to wait unnecessarily in an almost empty office while my car remained illegally parked. The way they treated people was despicable, and their attitude toward jobseekers was horrendous.

My experience worsened when I had minor health issues that made walking painful. The Jobcentre required me to attend a three-day CV writing course. However, I had a hospital appointment on the second day and explained the situation, even showing my hospital appointment card. The staff insisted that missing the course would result in being kicked off the scheme. Left with no choice, I had to leave the scheme altogether. Days later, I received a call reminding me to attend the course, revealing that the staff who forced me out hadn't even canceled my appointment properly.

It was clear the scheme was designed to belittle people like me and make life harder. Losing my long-term job, which I had loved, was depressing enough without the added humiliation.

Around that time, I was dealing with other personal stresses and began accumulating debt. To distract myself, I focused on my hobby,retro computing upgrades. I started documenting my projects, writing repair guides, and selling spare PCBs. Over time, this small venture became my business, providing me with an income and eventually growing into what it is today.

Does Work Really Pay?

The slogan "Make Work Pay" has been a recurring theme in UK government policy over the years, aimed at ensuring that employment is financially advantageous compared to reliance on benefits. However, the reality paints a different picture.

A History of "Make Work Pay"

In the mid-1990s, the Conservative government under John Major introduced the "Back to Basics" campaign, which included measures to "make work pay" by reducing dependency on welfare and encouraging employment.

During Tony Blair's Labour government (1997-2007), the concept was central to welfare reforms, such as the introduction of Working Tax Credits. These were designed to supplement the income of low-paid workers and incentivize employment.

In the 2010s, the coalition government led by David Cameron emphasized making work pay through the introduction of Universal Credit. This aimed to simplify the benefits system and ensure that taking up work would always lead to increased income.

The Harsh Reality

Despite these initiatives, "Make Work Pay" seems to have fallen short for decades. Apart from periodic increases in the minimum wage,which come with their own economic implications,the core problem persists: for many, work does not pay. Rising living costs, stagnant wages, and systemic inefficiencies have eroded the promise behind the slogan.

Time for a Different Approach?

Given the persistent shortcomings of these policies, perhaps it is time to consider an alternative perspective. I might as well save my money, retire, and finally dedicate my time to watching the hundreds of DVDs and TV series that I've collected over the years but never had the time to enjoy. After all, if work doesn't pay, maybe leisure should.

Looking Ahead: Is There Hope?

Perhaps some leniency will emerge within these new regulations, or perhaps markets will adapt over time. But the underlying question remains: is it worth continuing the fight? Each step forward feels like pushing a snowball uphill, only for it to grow heavier with each new obstacle. For many, the prospect of starting anew under such conditions seems unthinkable.

As governments and corporations shape the future of commerce, they must acknowledge the human cost of their decisions. For small business owners, this isn't just about profit margins,it's about livelihoods, dreams, and decades of relentless hard work.

At this moment, all we can do is hope for a more compassionate and supportive approach to the struggles faced by small businesses. Without such understanding, countless voices in the market may indeed fall silent forever.

Friday 13th - EU gets turned off

Good luck everybody! My heart goes out to all the small businesses out there.