This question reminded me of a documentary I once watched about the great city of San Francisco. This beautiful city came into being due to the discovery of gold. This discovery created a massive gold rush that changed many lives. Massive numbers of people left their homes and lands to pursue a dream of wealth.

Since the gold was found next to the ocean it attracted not only people inland but people from across the waters as well. Hordes of people came via horses, carts, wagons, boats, and many walked for weeks to realize their dreams. The population literally exploded within a matter of months and has continued to grow to this day.

Though thousands of people came in hopes of making their fortunes, only a few truly made it. Guess who these fortune finders were! They were the retailers and shop owners that lined the streets providing support to the gold crazed. Interestingly enough the majority of those successful were women!

One of the most lucrative services was laundry. Since panning for gold is such dirty work and the fact that 90% of the panners were men it was a natural fit for the women to start laundry services. $8.00 would have bought you a single washing. Not bad for the mid 1800's!

Of course there were other goods and services to make money with. Baked goods, meals, baths, sewing services, and essentials for daily living. Prices were extremely inflated but where else could a man go for these things?

These retailers saw the need and realized the market. They didn't rush out with their picks and shovels to dig and work for weeks. They set up shop on the sides of the street and provided simple services, which proved to be extremely lucrative.

Most of those that worked and slaved to find the gold went home tired, dirty and broke. Those that chose the less obvious path went home fat, happy, and rich. This just goes to show that jumping on the bandwagon and going along with the "rush" may not be the road to your fortune. It may be the person providing the goods and services that help these hordes of determined people that actually discover the wealth.

This can directly relate to the Internet. Look at the massive numbers of people coming online every day! Literally hundreds of thousands of people daily are moving to the net for many different reasons. There are thousands of unrealized markets right now just waiting to be discovered.

Are you just part of the movement or are you looking for that niche market that you can fill? In relation to the net and with this realization, what is the latest "gold rush" and what goods or services can you provide for those that pursue? It's definitely something worth thinking about!