Appendix B

Online Marketplaces

The Internet has brought with it a completely new way of doing business for many entrepreneurs as well as already established businesses. It is no longer necessary for a business to have a brick-and-mortar store, mail catalogue, or even a company website to get products to customers. For example, there are thousands of businesses that use Amazon, Ebay, Buy.com, Craigslist, or other online marketplaces to communicate and negotiate with customers. Before these online marketplaces existed, many entrepreneurs did not pursue potentially profitable ideas because of the difficulty of communicating a product offering and getting that product to the end customer. I would venture to say that a majority of people who read ...

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