Forrester Research says women will outnumber men on the net in 1999. That's very good news for Internet business. Radio and television advertising has always centered around women. And for good reason. Women determine 80% of the purchases in most homes and, increasingly, in many businesses.

Have you noticed that Wall Street stocks hung on through the last half of 1998 when everyone predicted investors would lose their shirts? It was Internet stocks that kept the Dow riding high. With nowhere else to go, investors are putting their billions into Internet and e-commerce ventures. Massive amounts of cash are being pumped into every online business imaginable. As a result, watch for your Internet to hit warp speed.

Now...How can YOU capitalize on this incredible shift in the business world? I have five things you must do immediately to secure your future on the Internet frontier.

1. Get your own web site. In the Internet world, having a web site is as important as having an office, a mailing address, or a phone number in traditional business. Do-it-yourself web design programs are getting much easier to use and first class hosting companies like Third Sphere Hosting Systems give you the reliability and features you need.

2. Start building a audience. On the Internet having lots of money isn't nearly as important as having lots of friends. Build your Internet name by offering plenty of good, free information. Those who help others are remembered, shoving you up the ladder of Internet prestige.

3. Make sure your web site takes advantage of search engines. Engines are much smarter than they used to be and millions more people are using them each day. Now, being listed on a search engine is more important than being in the Yellow Pages for many businesses. Make sure your site has meta tag info, a good descriptive title, and copy that echoes your main keywords. Register your site with lots of search engines with one click at Pertinent.com.

4. Learn to use email with the same ease you use the telephone. Email is cheap, fast, and highly efficient. Your own email newsletter is easy to produce, almost free to send, and works better than anything else at building contacts, prospects, and customers. Autoresponders can be loaded with your sales and pricing information for 24-hour access. Much of Internet business takes place late at night when most traditional offices are closed.

5. Finally, if you don't have a credit card merchant account, get one. People shop the Internet because it is convenient. If you can't take their credit card, many will simply skip over you. Increasingly, local banks are happily giving merchant accounts to home-based Internet businesses. There are many excellent firms that specialize in merchant accounts for small online ventures.

The Internet is going into overdrive much, much sooner than anticipated. Watch for Internet commerce to double or triple over what was expected just a few months ago. Act now to make sure YOU have a stake in the online explosion.