Courage is first step to e-commerce.

The Internet is here to stay, and business leaders need to grasp it and make it work for their companies.

That was the message Claudio Silvestri, director of small business and channel for Microsoft Canada, brought to Thunder Bay's Valhalla Inn, Oct. 3, where Kortex Computer was hosting the third Kortexpo. Silvestri offered a keynote address to large-scale computer users from business, education and government sectors attending the one-day exposition and trade show.

Silvestri says business leaders around the world need to move forward in the new economy and realize that not only is the Internet a valuable tool in doing business, but that "the old rules don't necessarily apply."

The theme of his presentation was "making cents of the Internet." Citingfigures released by Gartner Group Research, he says global Internet e-commerce is expected to reach between $300 billion and $1 trillion soon after the turn of the millennium.

By 2003, the Internet is expected to become the predominant mechanism for conducting business.

"I'd say we're already there," Silvestrinotes, adding that e-business is doubling every six months. He says only half of today's business leaders see e-business as a "tremendous growth expansion opportunity."

But even those who do not necessarily see the Internet as the place to be have a budget for it.

"Whether people believe it in their hearts or not, they're still investing in the Internet."

There are still plenty of business leaders around, Sylvestri says, who, despite knowing they should be launching their companies into cyberspace, have not identified the move as a priority. Others, meanwhile, have ventured onto the Internet but have not seen the results as quickly as they expected.

"This is where the highest casualty rate is because people start to doubt themselves," Silvestri says. "Expectations are high, but the returns aren't there yet. My advice to people at this stage is, stay the course. Stick with it, and you'll find yourself there."

He says the single most important thing to remember is that the Internet plays host to strong competition, so settling for a Web site alone is not enough.

"Just Web presence is not going to cut it," he says. "Competition in the Internet world is different from in the brick-and-mortar world. The Internet world operates at a different speed." .

Everybody has a Web site now, but rarely do those "virtual storefronts" provide any sort of return. This is where "transaction layers" fit in to e-business. By setting up a virtual store where orders can be placed and processed, companies can use the Internet to its full potential.

"It's the Holy Grail of where we're trying to get to from an Internet perspective," Silvestri says. "And it all starts with having the intestinal fortitude to make the transition happen."

However, he does acknowledge the risks involved. "The costs are big; investment decisions are critical. You don't have to do it all at once, but don't forget the cost to stay in the game."

Businesses considering making the move to the Internet have to factor in not only initial costs, but also the costs to sustain their virtual business. And training costs need to be considered. Not every employee needs to be trained immediately, but all should be trained eventually.

"Two to three years from now the world (of commerce) will be a difference place. You need to take a step toward it now and encourage anyone who hasn't started to get moving."