Still, it does not hurt to study successful businesses in your space. The B2B model, where the big boys play, is where companies transact directly with other companies. In the B2C space, companies sell directly to consumers. Companies such as Staples are in a unique position in that they deal with other businesses as well as with consumers. In the B2B space there are many ways in which companies transact with each other.
Marketplaces exist where items are bartered or exchanged.
Auctions and reverse auctions are integral parts of market exchanges. In an auction, companies are able to sell excess inventory and used or refurbished equipment. Because a company can not be all things to all people, it is important to outsource some services. ASPs also aggregate content that would ordinarily be difficult or next to impossible for most businesses to build on their own. Companies like Akamai , Loudeye , isyndicate and Moreover are big in the content space.