Business booms on line.

The internet has spawned a dynamic and innovative industry in online business information, ranging from up-to-date financial figures to the latest thoughts and opinions from management gurus. Tracey Taylor reports

In the old days, before the internet crashed into our lives and changed everything, those who wished to better themselves as managers went to bookshops and bought self-help tomes such as In Search of Excellence by the management guru Tom Peters. Nowadays, executives hungry for brain food need merely log on to any number of sites to find inspiration.

On www.tompeters.com, for instance, the man himself reveals, among other things, who his latest "cool friends" are, what he is reading, as well as the contents of his suitcase (for those that are interested, this includes nine baseball caps, four alarm clocks and one 12-inch, antique ruler).

Peters is not alone in choosing to deliver his perspective on life and business through the web. Many individuals and companies are exploiting the internet's unique ability to provide direct, up-to-the-minute information as well as sometimes intensely personal viewpoints (see Getting Personal panel).

All the traditional media owners specialising in business information have web-based outlets -- from the Financial Times to The Economist, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Fortune and the Harvard Business Review. These range from online versions of printed products to standalone sites carrying the media owner's umbrella brand.

Broadcasters have captured a share of the market too, with sites from the likes of Bloomberg, CNBC and CNNfn complementing their television offerings.

Internet portals were quick to appreciate the demand for up-to-date business news and, therefore, also make up a slice of the business information pie. Yahoo! Finance is one of the best, providing global stock market updates, investing and business news and the resources to manage one's personal finances through the site.