"The world is poised on the cusp of an economic and cultural shift as dramatic as that of the Industrial Revolution. (OK, it doesn't take a genius, or even a politician, to figure out that big changes are afoot when we have a medium that lets someone throw up a virtual storefront on the Web and instantly gain access to the global market.)" From Random Access by Steven Levy, Newsweek, July 7, 1997.

"It is no exaggeration to conclude that the Internet has achieved, and continues to achieve, the most participatory marketplace of mass speech that this country--and indeed the world--has yet seen." From The Last Word by George F. Will, Newsweek, July 7, 1997.

"Almost overnight, the Internet's gone from a technical wonder to a business must". Bill Schrader, CEO of PSINet. Wired For Profit: The Growing Company's Guide to On-Line Success, Inc. Magazine, January 1996.

"The Internet has doubled in size annually for a decade and now spans 150 nations. It's that huge body of potential consumers that has businesses scrambling to get onto the Web, to which 6.64 million computers are already hooked up." Profits In Cyberspace by Vic Sussman with Kenan Pollack, Business & Technology, U.S. News and World Report, 1995, Vol 119, Issue 19, Number 13.

"They say a marketer's and consumer's dream is the World Wide Web. It's the best of mass advertising and the best of target marketing." David King of DDB Needham.

"The Internet, just a novelty for business a few years ago, is now seen as a necessary business tool for companies of all sizes and types. Skeptical business owners who sat on the sidelines and watched the Internet parade pass them by in 1996, are joining the procession in droves in 1997." George S. May, May International Company, a management consulting firm. The number of small and mid-size business owners using the internet for business-related purposes has more than doubled in less than a year, according to a national survey conducted by the May company.

"If you do it right, a web site can enhance your company's image, build customer loyalty, and get information to customers and potential customers quickly and cheaply. If you have a web site, it makes your small business look big", said Natalie Sequera, Spokeswoman for Claris Corporation in Santa Clara, California. Formulate a Solid Business Plan Before Jumping Onto the Internet by Rhonda Abrams.

"Chances are, you now know that the marriage of the computer and the telephone is one of the century's seismic technical and economic developments. In terms of potential social and economic impact, it is often likened to the introduction of assembly-line manufacturing or to the invention of the computer itself. In the meantime, savvy businesses are racing to stake a claim in cyberspace." Wired For Profit: The Growing Company's Guide to On-Line Success, Inc. Magazine, January 1996.

"There are more than 100,000 Web sites already, and the number doubles every 2 1/2 months. The message for business people contemplating their place in cyberspace is simple and direct: get linked or get lost." Profits In Cyberspace by Vic Sussman with Kenan Pollack, Business & Technology, U.S. News and World Report, 1995, Vol 119, Issue 19, Number 13.

"All the businesses we've talked to have gushed about their web business!" Linda Mitchell, Microsoft Small Business Marketing Manager. "They may not all be seeing a huge increase in business, but they are all building customer satisfaction, improving customer service, and making more information available to customers. These results are very valuable. If you've been thinking about getting a web site, start by checking out your competition. If they're there, you better be there too."

"By the year 2000 there will be a billion people on the internet." Nicholas Negro-Ponte of MIT's Media Lab.

"You will have a presence on the Internet World Web Web 24 hours a day. You will be able to expand and perform public relations, consumer education, retailer development, corporate image building, name recognition, database development, consumer communications, research, product feedback and development, direct sales and communication." David King of DDB Needham.

"The net users are the cream of the crop in terms of income." Neil Chase, Journalism Professor at Northwestern University.

"We personally think this is IT! This is going to be the number one advertising that we do." Herb and Lois Marsh, who operate a bed and breakfast in Asheville, North Carolina.

"The number of commercial sites is expected to increase nearly tenfold annually over the next few years. Sales generated through the Web grew a whopping 5,350% last year, from $8 million in 1994 to $438 million in 1995", according to ActivMedia.

"We are experiencing one of the great phenomena of the last few centuries. The Internet will change everything and everyone. You now have the opportunity to profit from this revolution." Clark Sampson of Netspace, Inc.

SUCCESS STORIES

Jeff Tauber of www.cybershop.com says in the first six months of 1996, he sold $1 million worth of goods, and was raking in nearly $6 million by the year's end.

Jason and Matthew Olim of www.cdnow.com say their site (which sells recorded music) grew into a $6 million a year business in only two years. Their site receives about 500,000 visitors per day, and they are selling product at the rate of $20,000 a day.

Peter Granoff of www.virtualvineyard.com says that within six months of setting up his site, it was attracting an average of 25,000 wine seekers a month. By early 1997, 80,000 visitors a month were browsing the virtual winery.

Tony Levitan of www.greetst.com ("Greet Street" card store) says he sells 10,000 greeting cards a month.

Craig Warner of www.ceram.com (Ceram, Inc., an electronics firm), says the company pumped up its sales to almost $4 million in 1996. The firm established its site in 1995 to better communicate with clients. "There's no question the Internet has helped us lower our overhead, reach a wider customer base and offer the most competitive prices."

Andrew Klein of www.interport.net/witbeer says he turned to the internet to raise capital for his brewing business. First he tried going to venture capitalists, large investment companies and wealthy individual investors. They all expressed an interest in the company but gave no firm commitments with capital, so he commenced a public offering of his shares on the internet. During the first 10 days of this offering he got about 6,000 phone calls, about 1/2 million visitors to their site, and e-mail world-wide. In a fairly short period of time he sold about $1.6 million worth of stock to 3,500 investors.

Bob and Arminda Alexander of www.maui.net/kona/mauicof.html (a Maui coffee-bean store) set up an internet branch location on the Web in 1995 to supplement their sales. Before long, Hawaii's Best Espresso Co. was pulling in so many internet orders that the Alexanders closed their store to concentrate on Web sales exclusively.