Web Business Benefits Big and Small, New and Old
A post by Jeff Jarvis at BuzzMachine got my entrepreneurial juices flowing. In an examination of the grassroots success of the Rocketboom vlog Jarvis notes:"But in this new small-is-the-new-big you no longer have to be No. 1 (or 2 or 3) to survive. You can be No. 3,000 or 30,000 and be big enough to succeed."Jarvis' point is drawn from a big media vs. small media debate, but the same comment holds relevance for any Web-based business. In the past, someone looking to start their own business faced a myriad of obstacles: finding start-up capital, purchasing or leasing office space, hiring employees, buying inventory/manufacturing a product. All of these things incurred significant expense and each, by itself, was reason enough to keep your butt firmly ensconced on the couch.
But not anymore. I'll use myself as a case study (how's that for ego?): I've always had an entrepreneurial bent, but for years I lacked the gumption to turn my ideas into reality. There were simply too many expenses and too many financial risks. But then I saw how the Web, with its direct connection to millions of readers/viewers/consumers, held enormous potential with virtually no risk. I know this sounds like a get-rich-quick pitch ("Discover how I made millions from tiny classified ads!"), but that's really not the case. The truth is, it doesn't take much to build the infrastructure for a Web site -- secure a domain name, buy server space, whip up some templates, and that's about it. Sure, running a site takes time and effort, but you can maintain sites from any Internet-connected location and the hours are completely up to you. The trappings of brick-and-mortar businesses really don't apply.
So what's this have to do with Jarvis' point? Jarvis addresses a second -- and still pervasive -- business excuse. Despite the ease of developing a Web-based business, many people still hold back because they believe someone has already developed the same type of site or has already mined the same idea. It's the "I'm too late to the game" syndrome. But here's the thing: It doesn't matter! "You can be No. 3,000 or 30,000 and be big enough to succeed," Jarvis writes. Likewise, you can be first to the game or last and there's still a place for you, especially if you create great sites with interesting content, products, services, etc. The Internet is HUGE and there's always room for more exceptional ideas.
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