Over at TechCrunch, Stephen Martin lays out his thesis about an interesting turning point for entrepreneurs in this economic climate. I could quote the piece at length, but I think this part is especially important:

These business mavericks live by a new dynamic of success â€" unique individual strengths, expertise and credibility â€" fueled by today's cultural and technological changes. In this new dimension of business lies the secret to success in our transformed world of commerce. Armed with a new viewpoint, and the tools to make a difference, these entrepreneurs run their businesses based on the central principle that once all of the barriers to entry, transaction costs and other hurdles are stripped away by technology and cultural changes, an individual's strengths and weaknesses are primarily what determine his or her success.

I've been trying to put my finger on something like this for a while and I think he says it really well. It's cheaper than ever to start a business and run a business because of all the technology small business owners can use to leverage their time. It's easier to communicate with lots and lots of people and instead of being buried in the back office, to quote Stephen again, "the opportunities provided by the transformation to an online business landscape...have left individual strengths, passions and expertise as the only distinguishing factors remaining in an individual's or business' success. Who you are as a person, and your expertise and passions, are more important than ever. In fact, they drive your own personal enterprise."

Very cool!

Read the full article here.