In this age of e-business, most business is not electronic at all.
Most businesspeople still buy and sell goods via methods that have been around for decades.
They write a contract and shake hands. They pick up the phone and send a fax. The truly enlightened might communicate via e-mail. That's why the founders of Envera, a Richmond, Va.-based startup, think their idea of providing an electronic hub through which chemical companies can forge links with each other will strike a chord in the industry. A purchasing agent from the buyer then calls the seller's toll-free number to confirm price and quantity and schedule the shipment of an order.