Besides, good sites pay for themselves. That is expected to change over the coming year, however. Contractors, suppliers, and professionals have started offering bids and making sales. For now, though, most small-business exchanges make their money in other ways. If there's not an exchange yet in your business' niche, chances are there will be soon.
Several efforts are under way to create markets in cookie-cutter fashion.
We believe we'll have hundreds, if not thousands, of these customers,'' predicts Roy Satterthwaite, vice-president of CommerceOne's MarketSite Portal line. President Jeffrey E. Richards says Biz2Biz will roll out the first dozen sites this summer, and he ultimately hopes to build as many as 175. If small business enjoys only a fraction of that, it will change the way thousands of small companies buy, sell, and interact. Both buyers and sellers stand to gain by joining an exchange. Instead of faxing and phoning, they can go online and place orders.