Written by When Neil Armstrong first stepped onto the moon, this was vividly hailed as a “giant leap” for humanity, and that is absolutely correct. But the last 100 years was the stage for yet another giant leap for mankind. This was the enormous escalation in our communications technology. From using horses and carts, and normally requiring face-to-face encounters for instantaneous discussion, we can today voyage across the globe in a few hours, perform instantaneous Internet business via the Web, and work from home in online jobs where it’s possible to converse directly with someone on the other side of the world.
Reflect on the past times of gas lights and horseriding. People had to assemble in one place to discuss important business, perhaps travelling for hours along dangerous roads to get to the appointed meeting place. It was vital to conclude all matters at such a meeting, the sole chance for businessmen to have a face to face discussion. Matters that remained unresolved at the meeting were called a ‘hangover’ (it is of interest to note how this word has altered in meaning since those days).
In the 21st century, people continue to hold meetings, but it is now possible to settle matters via electronic communications. Furthermore, meetings can be held between attendees all over the globe, via telephone or video conference. Thus it is not nearly as important to have people all in the same place. There is no real hindrance if you work from home. This fact has given rise to a new sector of online jobs, whereby people can start up an Internet business and use the World Wide Web to market goods and services, or even specialise in Internet technologies.
Talking of transportation progress, it is interesting that the mean speed of traffic in London has not improved in the last century. When people used horses, a velocity of 9mph was the best they could do. in our day it is no better. We have the technology to achieve 100mph in our cars, but pinned in big Smoke’s congestion, we can only go at the same speed as in 1900.
The next occasion you spot a line of vehicles in a traffic jam, observe the people driving and ask yourself if they look like they are happy. In effect, they are fittering away time – they cannot either work or relax as they sit there waiting for the car in front to move. when you decide to work from home in an Internet business you’re able to make all your time productive, since the only jam you’ll see is what you put on your sandwiches for lunch.
Of course, what is essential for succeeding in online jobs is a fast and dependable Internet connection. The Internet itself has rapidly grown in its range, and the YouTube video site two years ago took up as much bandwidth as the whole Internet in 2000. But Internet services have grown accordingly. I recall just 10 years ago, when surfers had to have a dial-up modem, and my itemised phone bills were several pages long. In 2010 you can get unrestricted broadband access from most ISPs, for a reasonable price.
You should also dedicate a time and place for working. It is all too easy to succomb to the temptation to surf the web rather than focussing on Internet business matters that will help you make a profit. In the absence of a manager to look over your shoulder, self-discipline is the key. It is also best to demarcate one place in your house as an office where you can work undisturbed.
Internet business openings aren’t guaranteed to make you the next person to fly to the moon. But they can enable you to work from home, earn a good salary and greatly improve your work satisfaction.
