We are living in the Age of the Entrepreneur, a time when small businesses can be launched overnight based on the strength of a single brilliant idea. Even during a historically bad economic stretch, fiery new engines of commerce are being created everyday, all across the world, by intrepid entrepreneurs who are driven by their conviction that they can make the world a better place, or at least earn a mean buck. This revolution is fueled by high-speed Internet services, a flatter, more globalized world, and ever-changing business models. A motivational speaker for conferences will tell you that anyone can achieve entrepreneurial independence, and he or she is correct. These days, nearly anyone can go it alone and use online services to create a platform for their own business:

Musicians: Forget the 90s and forget the traditional view that a band or musician must sign with a record label in order to release music. Release your own tracks through iTunes and promote it through social media while marketing into niche Internet radio communities like Last.fm and Pandora. If you’re a deejay, check out the multitude of DJ social networking communities and create a webpage for yourself.

Artists and craftmakers: You no longer need a physical location in some expensive downtown loft in order to promote your gallery. Put your work on Deviant Art or Etsy.com, where you can have your own online shop and do your own marketing. While traditional art collectors may still prefer only to buy their art in person, a new generation of arts and crafts enthusiasts is growing up online, where storage is much cheaper.

Writers: Don’t wait for a publishing house to come to their sense because you may be waiting forever. Self-publish your work with services like Lulu and Blurb and then get your work listed on Amazon Kindle, Barnes and Noble Nook, Kobo Books and other e-book stores.

Innovators and Inventors: You don’t need to wait until you meet a billionaire investor lounging around in a bar, bored with his/her life. Raise your own money with the incredible online fundraising (popularly known as crowdfunding) tools like Kickstarter, Indiegogo, Prosper, RocketHub and others.

The message here is that in the Age of the Entrepreneur anyone and everyone has the ability to use their talents to create a unique self-propelled business model, without the need of an intermediary agent or company. Whether you’re an artist, an inventor, a musician, or a craftmaker you have the ability to forge your own career path by taking advantage of online tools like social media, crowdfunding, e-commerce, and Internet radio.