In my e-book The DIY Retirement Plan, one of the first discussions I start is WHY you need to seriously consider building a business on-line.

The first Why, and perhaps the most obvious, relates to the fact that a huge percentage of the world’s population is on-line now and uses the internet for information-gathering and shopping.

Phone books, dictionaries, medical journals are becoming a thing of the past as people get used to the fact that they can find information in seconds at the tips of their fingers. Job seekers and head hunters both operate on-line. Information, statistics and reviews are all searched via the internet. A full 78% of U.S. consumers use the internet to shop: either to purchase products or to research products and services. I believe those numbers are pretty standard globally and there are not nearly as many borders on-line as there are on-land.

Combine those facts with the reality that building a business on-line can be done at a fraction of the cost of a brick and mortar, and the day-to-day expenses are also minimal in comparison. You can grow at a speed that is comfortable for you, and change lanes with very little trouble. You don’t even need to quit your J.O.B. until you are comfortable and confident.

Put the above information together and it’s obvious you can learn, develop and operate on-line at the very same time as your customers are searching for you on-line. Staying abreast of trends is as easy as bookmarking a few sites. Not only do your potential clients come from anywhere on the globe but you can develop your business based on where your clients are coming from and what their needs are. Keeping a finger on the pulse of your business is also just a matter of setting up on-line tracking systems.

This sort of flexibility bodes well for you if you think your business ideas are a little unique. You can research and test the efficacy of your business plan and if you find you need to travel a little further to find your market, you need to do nothing more than spread your ideas and your advertising to where your market is.

Statistics have been resoundingly in favour of the internet for a number of years now and the margin is growing.

The trivial details that can seal the deal for many people are things like going to work in your pyjamas, opening your laptop anywhere in the world to run your business, and the ability to create multiple streams of income that allow you to totally disconnect from time-to-time without changing your income levels at all. My focus is Reclaiming Your Retirement Dreams… those “trivial details” aren’t so trivial to me!!

The following infographic is U.S.-based but numbers are comparable in all the industrialized countries.

picture credit: http://newsroom.cisco.com/release/1128065

J