Megatrends in Electronic Business: An Analysis of the Impacts on SMEs

This paper analyses the impact of megatrends of electronic business on small and medium sized businesses (SMEs). The limited resources of SMEs create particular challenges in surviving the fast pace of changes in electronic business. This paper discusses megatrends and presents a qualitative study of e-business trends. The authors reveal entrepreneurial opportunities for agile small businesses and emphasize the need to keep up with technology. They examine core competences and finding a role in networks, the creation of business models and processes, and the challenges of multi-channel digital environments. The main trends are analysed for their particular impact on SMEs, and directions for development needs in SMEs are discussed. DOI: 10.4018/978-1-4666-2946-2.ch002