http://www.MyeHive.com

Set to capitalize on peer to peer technology in a huge way, they are offering a browser "skin" that allows linking to and download from other desktop users -- any digital content you like from ebooks to music. But they've worked out a way to pay YOU for it! This site is still in beta and will go live soon. (Bookmark it!)

http://www.gocard.com

Affordable advertising for little guy. And guess what?! You'll be in rack with big boys. It's open to even you and I on a first-come first-served basis. Your postcard on racks right beside American Express and major manufacturers in big cities!

http://www.ibill.com

Various payment processing solutions for small business online. These folks have been around for awhile and although they take a hefty chunk of sales, it beats some of other options for little tiny businesses like mine. ;-)

http://www.cihost.com

These folks were a big hit at show. As attendees lined up to grab CIhost tchotchkes like keychains and pens with thier logos on them, sales staff started throwing CIhost t-shirts to crowd. Good natured fun, and not reason enough to choose a web host, but they offer top-notch customer service as a key component of sales. Good pricing and great webmaster revenue share affiliate program.

http://www.goback.com

Back-up and restore software that tops anything I've seen for system crash recovery. $40 bucks that could save you thousands in lost time and information. You just gotta check this one out! It's unbelievable in it's power to get you back up and running after an ugly system failure.

My favorite crowd pleasing publicity stunt was from

http://www.SpiderCache.com

Your picture with a friendly Tarantula on your shoulder. They offer a wonderful product aimed at small to mid-sized ISP or company with it's own servers. Traffic spikes and heavy bandwidth users gain stability and reduce peak loads. Where does that spider come in?

Unbelievably, there are more. But I'll save them for later. Good show. Most journalists were discussing low crowd count and a few no-show show demonstrators. I was real happy to have chance to talk with some innovators without too much t-shirt tossing and was glad to see Siebel Systems salespeople with nothing to do. Little-guy solution providers were quite busy.

Finally, let's look at your website. Your website is your store- front and here, you'll have to go an extra mile in order to create a good first impression. If you can afford it, I would recommend that you hire a professional web designer. However, if money is tight, there are various alternatives that will help you to create a professional image. One of my favorites is BigStep ( http://www.bigstep.com ) that will help you to create your site in several easy steps. Another good source is Working Solo ( http://www.workingsolo.com ) and SCORE program ( http://www.score.org ) that offers free consulting for over 500 categories. Once you have your website ready to be published, you should think about finding a host for it and securing your own domain name. InterNIC lists major ISP providers here (http://www.internic.net/alpha.html ). There are some very good solutions: http://service.bfast.com/bfast/click? bfmid=12768212&siteid=37618938&bfpage=home offers 200 MB of web space for $200 upfront without Any Monthly Fees. This is a good deal, especially if you plan to keep in business for at least a year. Here: http://www.namezero.com you can secure your business name for free (the free service comes with a navigation bar) or upgrade to deluxe version.

Think about safety

This section includes anything that may jeopardize your business— from word of mouth that a customer tripped in a toy and broke her neck to a costly lawsuit for damages. Don't dismiss any of these possibilities and research carefully how to insure and protect your business.

Finally, I wish you success with your newborn business!