The World Wide Web has changed our society and influenced every aspect of it. It has also made an impact on Business. Thousands of businesses are started on the internet every single day. Every monetized website can be considered a business. The internet has leveled the playing field and made everyone with a connection and a little bit of creativity an aspiring entrepreneur.
The new cradle of business
Its never been easier to start a business. All you need, except a profitable idea of course, is a little bit of money for hosting and that's about it.
Everything else, from getting content up on the website and designing the logo, to promoting it on social media, you can do yourself. This is why there's never been more businesses and there's never been more opportunity to make money.
The economy thrives on innovation. And while it still hasn't fully recovered from the recession and the crisis we experienced a few years ago, the internet allows for job creation. This generation does not have to wait passively for an economic cure -- we can create jobs for ourselves and others.
The impact
According to a report by McKinsey Global Institute, the internet accounted for 21% of GDP growth in mature economies over the past five years. The future is even brighter, as the same report concludes that "We are still in the early stages of the transformations the Internet will unleash and the opportunities it will foster.
Many more technological innovations and enabling capabilities such as payments platforms are likely to emerge, while the ability to connect many more people and things and engage them more deeply will continue to expand exponentially."
Clearly, we are yet to reap the full benefits of the world wide web when it comes to the economy and the development of business.
From another, arguably more important perspective, the fact that the world wide web has enabled everyone to start some sort of business can do wonders for the global economy, but also generate entrepreneurial optimism and breed creativity.
Our society is rapidly evolving and those who fail to adapt will have to face the consequences.
This is why it's important to pay attention to what's happening, recognize new potential, and, in the end, find a way to capitalize on it. Thanks to the internet, everyone has the opportunity to do so and that's never been the case. This is a unique moment in the history of our civilization and we should make the most of it.
