The internet is, for now, a great equalizing force in the business world. Any online business, no matter its size, can compete with any other business, no matter its size.

Just because a business is considered to be “small” in the brick and mortar world, doesn’t mean that it cant appear just as professional and well established as companies 100 times its size. Virtually every critical office task can be outsourced competently and cheaply today. Small business can run much more leanly than large corporations, and therefore are far more agile.

The internet means democratization. Offline, it’s not yet possible to buy 5 minutes worth of adverting in the hottest marketplaces available; online it is. The internet as is stands presents awesome opportunities for tailored marketing campaigns for small businesses. Even if you can’t afford a million dollar marketing budget your business can market to a small group of motivated buyers for a minimal amount of money. For a fraction of what it used to cost, companies can market, make sales and reinvest the profits in a matter of weeks not years.

The internet means you can be your own media. Can’t get profiled on prime time television? In the past, press coverage was vital to the growth of a company. Today you can create a media network rivaling the look and feel of CNN, in some cases free of charge. Media freedom is freedom to tell your story the way you want to, in front of massive audiences.

Small businesses are nimble. They’re in a unique position to capture opportunities while larger businesses take longer to mobilize their resources. Creating a respectable online presence is so inexpensive today it’s that it’s virtually free. There is no excuse for a small business not to look big ,except perhaps for its inability to capitalize on all of its advantages.

The biggest impediment to the success of a small business is its owners and managers own reluctance to act big. To do, rather than just thinking about doing, to act rather than perpetually planning and waiting for a better opportunity. This generation marks the nexus of the biggest change in the fundamental ways that business gets done in the recorded history of mankind. This window of opportunity will not stay open forever; it is inevitable that larger companies learn to adapt and begin to monopolize all opportunities once more.

For now however, great opportunities still exist for those of us who are brave enough to pursue them.