Not only is the Internet the ultimate library when it comes to information, but it has also emerged as one of the world's fastest growing market places. The advent of websites, blogs, search engines, and social networks have given rise to an environment where an enormous amount of money can be made in the digital world. This money can be generated through advertising, or through the selling of products and services, and in some cases, the products or services which are sold are completely separate from the physical world. In fact, what I've found in talking to most brick and mortar business owners (those business owners that run traditional non-digital businesses), is that they often have no knowledge of the Internet, other than the need to have an official company website.
What this indicates is that the Internet is distinct from the traditional brick and mortar business world, though the two inevitably connect under some circumstances. Despite this, the point of this book is to teach you how to build wealth by deriving your income from the Internet.
Put quite simply, the reason why the Internet is so powerful is because it is the symbol of the Information Age; it gives you the ultimate ability to access information in the shortest time possible, and this information can then be applied in a manner which allows you to gain power and riches. The key thing that you must understand at this point in this book is that by itself, the Internet is nothing. Eighty to ninety percent of people who use the Internet every day will never be able to use it in a manner which allows them to build wealth. Part of this has to do with a lack of knowledge, while a lack of discipline and determination are other key factors. The Internet is best thought of as being like a rapier. While anyone can pick up a rapier, only a select few are able to use it with skill.
With the Internet, it is possible to make money from the comfort of your home without having to get up everyday and go work for someone else. If you want, you can take your lap top to the local cafe or restaurant, and if it has wireless Internet access (many businesses today do), you can sit down and have something to eat or drink while working online at the same time. Only the Internet gives you this power. By working as a freelancer over the web, you may even decide that you need a vacation, and after buying a plane ticket for Tahiti, you relax at the airport, finishing up your project or work from an Internet connection on a tropical island. Again, only with the Internet is this possible.
The power of the Internet comes not only through its flexibility, but also its anonymous nature. Unlike the traditional business world, where you have to meet with people face-to-face and deal with all the nuances that this entails, on the Internet you don't have to worry about appearances. On the Internet, the only thing you need to concern yourself with is your ability to complete jobs with a high level of competency, and to do them within a short period of time. It is possible to make millions of dollars over the Internet from clients, without ever meeting with them face-to-face. This anonymous nature of the Internet gives it a level of power that it is impossible to have in the physical world.
Because of the anonymous nature of the World Wide Web, discrimination is essentially obsolete. Because the people you deal with are unaware of your race, weight, or other personal attributes, it is impossible for them to discriminate against you. The only thing that they will pay attention to is the only thing that matters: the end result of your completed projects. Another powerful attribute of the Internet is the issue of making money.