I remember back in the 80s when people thought we'd have flying cars and robots that cleaned our houses and walked our dogs by the year 2000. Well, it's the year 2006 and I don't see any flying cars, I still clean my own house, and while I don't have a dog I'm quite confident that my neighbor is human. I highly doubt she's bought some secret look-a-like android that walks her dog every morning.
We do, however, live in a time where our refrigerators are connected to the internet, our phones no longer need chords, and computers are 150,000 times more powerful and 100 times cheaper than they were 26 years ago. This tremendous leap in technology has led us to a business world of unwavering competition in what we now call 'the global market' or 'the world market'.
Businessmen and women are growing rapidly in numbers. Trading from Tokyo to New York now only takes seconds. You can purchase products online from a business in the U.S.A and have it shipped right to your doorstep in Pakistan in just 24 hours.
It is because of this technology that it is now possible to start your own small business venture, right from the comfort of your own home, at virtually no cost to you. Some of you might think this is impossible, but have no doubt about it. It is very possible and it's no secret. Countless people are doing it and many have managed to succeed prosperously at it.
There are some 32,000 web hosting providers around the globe. Their services range from $0 to as much as several thousand dollars a month. So you can literally start up a website in minutes without even having to leave your house - or wherever you may be (considering some of us have notebook computers with WIFI internet), wait impatiently in an office reception area, or interact with any human beings at all. That makes building your online business that much easier and with the accessibility of online money transfer and credit cards your business can be making transactions 24/7.
Let's face it. Almost everyone owns, or has access to, a computer these days. Nearly 15% of the world's population is online. It's no wonder the internet is creating new markets, opening up new channels of trade, selling faster, and growing exponentially.
It's easier today to start your own one-man, home-based, business operation with scarce resources, little or no financing, and no prior experience than it was just 3 years ago and it's becoming easier every day. Just imagine what people would have thought of you if you would have proposed such a scheme 30 years ago when the internet didn't exist. Surely they'd say you've lost your mind. What seemed impossible just a few decades ago is now a reality. However, today the chances of small business failure are much higher. The risks are increasing, but the rewards are also increasing dramatically.
Auction websites like eBay or uBid are creating increasing opportunity for online trade. It's like having a garage sale without having a garage. Freelancing is now possible online with sites like elance and rent-a-coder.com. Data entry jobs are available right in your living room. But it doesn't stop there! Everything from commodities to services are now being sold online and many of them are being sold by average people like you and me.
It doesn't take a million dollar capital and a suit and tie CEO to startup a profitable business these days. According to recent statistics, small businesses account for 98% of all non-farm businesses in the United States. Times have changed. People are getting smarter, because technology is getting cheaper and the internet is growing faster.
With the power of information at your fingertips there is no limit to what you can learn online. Take a piece of the digital information pie now! You'll be surprised at how you can make use of your skills through the internet. There are trillions of web pages to be surfed and a billion computers processing digital information every day. Think not? The cash register at your local supermarket (a computer), your cell phone (also a computer), the ATM machine in the street (another computer). Think again.... With those numbers in mind, we must still consider that information is useless without intelligence.
All you need is a good idea, a confident attitude, and tremendous determination to start your own online business. Although ideas are cheap it is your confidence and determination that will drive you to success, because, after all, anyone can get a million dollar idea, but not just anyone can turn that idea in to a plan, establish the proper strategy, and create a successful business - without sheer determination.
It is evident that our predictions of the future, many years ago, were not entirely accurate. Flying cars or not, however, we were pretty much heading in the right direction when we believed that technology would soon be an essential and rapidly growing part of our lives. I guess that it would be equally optimistic to say that the internet will soon overthrow the 'brick and mortar' business world and become our new global economy. Though what would be a bit more realistic, perhaps, is that the internet is merely a means to change - not a means to an end.
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