Another letter from Ken Muggli:

When folks hear the words ‘North Dakota‘ they have preconcieved ideas in their heads of flat land, livestock, snow, cold–and little else.  Most folk’s mental picture of North Dakota does not include sophisticated big businesses using cutting -edge technology equal to the best in the nation. 

North Dakota is a land of dichotomy.  There is the sparsely-populated North Dakota of agriculture and livestock and another North Dakota of big business conducted mostly in the city environment.  There is also an alternative business:  e-busines.  E-business is the third leg of the business triad in North Dakota.  It can be big like Amazon.com or small like Dakota Clock Repair.

Regardless of the size, it all adds up to make North Dakota what it is:  a state of opportunity.

I like all the North Dakotas.  I especially like the sparsely populated open country of western North Dakota.  I like small city life.

By small city, I don’t mean a suburb of a large city.  I mean a city without a 7-11 store or a stoplight.  I live in such a small city.

A small city, by virtue of the small number of consumers, makes it harder for a business to thrive if you depend solely on the local population.  With e-business, you open your market to millions and millions of potential additional consumers.

Day by day the number of people shopping online is growing, and growing fast.  Almost all brick-and-mortar businesses benefit by having at least a presence on the internet, if not a full-blown e-store.

I live in a city with no 7-11 store or stoplight, and yet I own three internet-based businesses.  My businesses are niche businesses and could be brick-and-mortar establishments if I lived in an area of greater population density.  Because I choose to live in a rural area with a low and widely dispersed population, that wouldn’t be economical for me. 

And yet, because of the internet I am able to have a nationwide presence.  My products and services are available 24/7.  I have done business in all 50 states and internationally, too.

ALL FROM GLEN ULLIN, NORTH DAKOTA.

Whatever your circumstances, I encourage you to look into the possibility of opening an e-business.  E-business is a natural fit for niche products.  You can start small or large, as your circumstances dictate.  Even if you don’t have a 7-11 or stoplight in town, you can be self-employed.

For me, life began with self-employment; everything else was just waiting.

Tempus Fugit,

Ken Muggli

Dakota Clock Repair