175
In the pre-Internet age, vast numbers
of people were often necessary for
administration. The combined power
of computing and the Internet changed
organizational structures forever.understood that the pointer was
broken. The buyer assured him that
he was a collector of broken laser
pointers. One year later, with two
full-time employees, the soon-to-be-
renamed eBay sold goods to the
value of $7.2 million. By acting as
an auction service, eBay sees itself
as in the business of linking users,
not selling them things.Starting small
Both eBay and Amazon started
small, and their platforms have
empowered countless other small
businesses around the world. Their
pioneering use of the Internet
changed the way that businesses
and consumers interact, putting
buyers and sellers in touch with
one another in a way that had not
been possible before. Amazon and
eBay demonstrate the power of the
idea that “small is beautiful.”
Anyone can sell products from their
platforms, from individuals selling
unique items to “power sellers”
who set up virtual stores, either
within the platform or linked to it.
In the online marketplace the same
opportunities exist for every
business, whether large or small.Before the existence of the Internet,
if someone wanted to sell their
products, a physical presence was
necessary: a store, market stall, or
going door-to-door. Generally, the
bigger the presence, the more
successful the business. Success ❯❯See also: Beating the odds at start-up 20–21 ■ How fast to grow 44–45 ■ The weightless start-up 62–63 ■ Creativity and
invention 72–73 ■ The long tail 212–13 ■ M-commerce 276–77 ■ Feedback and innovation 312–13
WORKING WITH A VISION
The Internet connects buyers
and sellers, and manufacturers
and suppliers; it acts as a global
marketplace.A seller in Japan can
source and sell a blue,
customized widget.A buyer in India
wants to buy a green,
customized widget.A seller in Poland can
source and sell a green,
customized widget.A buyer in France
wants to buy a blue,
customized widget.You don’t need a
huge company, just
a computer and a
part-time person.A business succeeds not
because it is long established
or because it is big, but
because there are men and
women in it who live it,
sleep it, dream it.
J. W. Marriott
US businessman (1932–)