The full set of rules

This gives us sixteen rules that can be used to select an appropriate business opportunity in the uncertain and unpredictable environment of e-business. They are not in any particular order as some of them are interdependent. They simply provide a checklist of conditions that must be met when a business project is contemplated:

1) The business should take advantage of a system's natural tendency to self-organise.

2) The business should not rely upon an ability to determine future profitability.

3) The business must be capable of starting with a small amount of capital and be able to generate enough of an immediate revenue stream to make further progress.

4) The business must be able to provide value right from the start.

5) The business must be such as to be able to solve immediate and real problems.

6) The business must be chosen such that it makes full and appropriate use of the founders' assets.

7) There must be enough suitable contacts, direct or indirect, available to cover all aspects of the chosen business situation.

8) All employees must be revenue producing and fully covered by a stable and reliable income

9) The product or service should be sufficiently distinctive to be able to take advantage of viral marketing.

10) The critical mass must be easily adjustable.

11) The essential infrastructure required must be such as to entail very low overhead costs.

12) The business should have a lower critical mass than its competitors.

13) There should be no substantial development or pioneering costs.

14) The business environment must be such as to allow switches in direction without too much disruption.

15) The business environment should offer ample scope for evolutionary growth and expansion.

16) There must be a variety of different kinds of funding possibilities available.

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