be able to adapt to changes as fast and efficient as electronic publications. Some e-commerce web sites are E-Commerce Times, eRetail, and eMarketer. The statistical research firms that provide valuable information on E- Commerce are Forrester Research and Jupiter Communication. Both firms provided valuable statistical data that shows the rise of consumers shopping on-line and the predicted dollar amount that will be spent in the coming years. There are many reasons why every business should incorporate an e-commerce solution into the business operation. One of the first reasons a business would get involved in e-commerce is to establish a presence. There are approximately 70 million people worldwide that have access to the World Wide Web (WWW). No matter what industry or business one is in, one cannot ignore 70 million people. To be part of that on-line community, one would need to be on the WWW to allow access to that industry. Another very valid reason is to Network. A lot of what passes for business is simply nothing more than making connections with other people. Every smart businessperson knows, it is not what one knows, it is whom one knows. Passing out one's business card is part of every good meeting, and every businessperson can tell more than one story how a chance meeting turned into the big deal. Well, what if one could pass out the business card to thousands, maybe millions of potential clients and partners, saying this is what I do and if you are ever in need of my services, this is how you can reach me. One can, 24 hours a day, inexpensively and simply, on the WWW. Many businesses are also using e-commerce to make business information available, but what is basic business information? Think of a yellow pages ad. What are one's business hours? What does one do? How can someone contact the business? What method of payment does one take? Where is the business located? Now think of a yellow pages ad where one can have i...
