We made a pitch recently for one of potential clients - unfortunately we lost the deal.
But the remains of the pitch gave us unexpected results… My website about the pitch displays first on the Google results page, and the client's website - fourth!
That's why it is no longer sufficient to merely “make a website” - it needs to be done prpoerly to allow people to find you when they look for… you :)
I’m now looking for a contracting position in Central London or South-East England (I don’t think there’s any chance of finding such position in Kent where I live 
Also, the preview versions of my two companies’ websites are now live:
Reliable Systems Ltd (during registration)
And ComeOnLine
This is both exciting and scary, I always had a permanent position and the prospect of having to fight for each commision and attend interviews triggers the all the primal instincts in a human
Anyway, if you’re in need of some LAMP development, or consultancy, are seeking a partner in a new and exciting business venture, or just want to chat, just drop me a line (marcin [at] brzezinski.net)
It seems like the maket forces in the UK are more and more favorable for the e-commerce than high street shopping - and that is a good news, there’s still plenty of opportunity to invade the web with your online shop and start building a customer base - there’s a long way before the market gets saturated, and I think the growth accelerates every year.
But the question is - if we know more and more people will want to buy goods online, and want to sell it to them - why won’t the high street suppliers handle the e-commerce side of thing themselves, completely eliminating the “middle man”? That might be a danger for all the small online shops that spring each day, and if it comes to our market sector (web development) - that might mean a decline in number of potential customers interesting in opening their own online shops - who needs another online grocery if Tesco.com delivers your stuff to your doorstep?
I think we’ll see a lot of consolidation in the e-commerce sector now, so we really live in very interesting times.
But in spite of all the consolidation that goes on I still see a lot of opportunities for niche companies to really bloom and blossom - hence the future’s bright.