Buying S E L L I N G O N T H E ` N E T

Its everywhere you click on the net...some odd banner inviting you to their website and selling you their product(s) / service(s) online. Selling on the Internet is big, to be more correct, doing business on the Internet is big business. According to Forrester Research online transactions (buying / selling) on the Internet for 1997 was estimated to US$ 2.4 Billion and is expected to surpass the US$ 10 Billion mark easily by the turn of the century. On the other hand eMarketer newsletter and Web site projects that it will jump to $268 billion in 2002, up from $5.6 billion in 1997.
Either way you look at it, e-commerce on the Internet is growing fast. Real fast. Areas expected to grow include financial services, Travel, Entertainment, Retailing and Groceries.
Why? the answer is in the simplicity. The web / Internet is no longer a luxury, or a network for the privileged, today it is indeed the core of all networks. Businesses, governments and the home-user all have access to it, at very reasonable rates. Doing business on the Internet, is very cost effective, it reduces a lot of physical logistical problems, it is the great equalizer, i.e., your online web-front is on the same playing field as that of say Amazon.com, Sears, Ford or ISN. It is very economical, no more buying of physical store space, fitting and fixture costs, insurance, infrastructure investments, today all you need an idea, a few dollars and a computer with access to the Internet. You too can make that idea of yours sell online, others sure did!
Online merchants can leverage themselves by associating their storefronts with companies that are in the business of setting up stores for merchants seeking online presence. However, at this point in time, merchant applications from Pakistan are not being accepted, as international merchants cannot obtain merchant IDs necessary for conducting online business transactions on the Internet (in the US). Some companies, may issue Merchant IDs to non-US or non-European merchants, but only after careful scrutiny of the merchant's application, credit history and if approved requiring merchant to keep a considerable amount in deposit.