In the exploding world of e-commerce, online trading companies are making enormous advances. The question for small and medium sized companies which feel they cannot take the risk is: "Can we afford not to be involved?"
The main reason why most businesses have not acted already is the fear that it would be uneconomic to acquire an expensive full time direct internet connection, a big time computer server, and a complicated catalogue program.
Once that is assembled, they would then require expert advice, not to mention someone from Mensa, to install real-time secure credit card processing.
But help is at hand from "e-commerce service providers" who allow small businesses the facility to create online stores in a few hours.
Take IBM Home Page Creator, for example. Sign up online for £15 per month and you are in business. That's the basic system. If you require the credit card authorisation service, sign up for the "bronze" service for a monthly fee of £24.
With that comes your own website with real-time secure credit card authentication, multiple shipping rates, product descriptions and images.
Included in the package is free registration with major search engines and the facility to register with NetNames your personal domain name, similar to www. yourname.co.uk
IBM is offering a 30-day free trial on the No Risk option to businesses contemplating the e-world. Having the capability to take orders securely 24 hours a day, seven days a week in a global marketplace for £6 per week, plus the security of dealing with IBM, must appeal to every businessperson.
Other similar services are beginning to emerge. Search engine Yahoo!, US company NetNation and Canadian companies SunCommerce Corp and DXShop all allow you to create an online store in a matter of hours. They offer between 10 and 30 days free trial and charge $100 per month.
Most people look at the front end of a program (that which appears on the screen), as opposed to the back end, where information and buying trends are recorded. SunCommerce has included access to a fund of effective information.
When you consider that a comparable program, Microsoft Enterprise, costs more than £3,000 to buy, you start to realise the e-world is a considerable leveller and holder of many opportunities.
Any business that is contemplating an e-world presence must have a strategy. The first question must address how to achieve and sustain a competitive advantage through a website. In many cases this will involve re-engineering their business relationship with customers.
While a website designer is not required, help will be needed in developing an e-world strategy that makes business sense.
Many people complain that the internet carries too much information, and that it is difficult for a business to discover how to use it properly.
But the internet is not going to go away, and businesses that are willing to invest will find that it is a valuable and powerful tool. Those not online are no longer part of the game.
• Christopher Lynas is the chairman of Scotland's Craft Brewers Co-operative.
