Since the industrial revolution, we have been living in a linear economy. Our consumer and "single use" lifestyles have made the planet a "take, make, dispose" world. This refers to a unidirectional model of production: natural resources provide our factory inputs, which are then used to create mass-produced goods to be purchased and, typically, disposed after a single use. This linear economy model of mass production and mass consumption is testing the physical limits of the globe. It is, therefore, unsustainable and a shift toward a circular economy is becoming inevitable.

The circular pathway, also called the “cradle‐to‐cradle” model, is more than just recycling and environmental concerns. It is about a new way of thinking how we could grow without resorting to just expending resources. Its rapid expansion, as a new norm for companies, has characteristics of a Fast Expanding Market, given its exponential growth. In this article, we examine how the circular model is pushing companies and entities to come up with disruptive technology and business models that are based on longevity, renewability, reuse, repair, upgrade, refurbishment, servitization, capacity sharing and dematerialization. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The development of the new economy through the advent of the Internet and the World Wide Web has created many threats and opportunities for firms in general and small businesses in particular. There appears to be an inextricable linkage among the new economy, new enterprise, and the new technology, which may have a potential effect on the way small businesses formulate their business strategies. This paper provides a theoretical approach that looks at the advantages of the digitisation of the economy and strategy formulation of small businesses taking three specific themes into account – virtualisation, molecularisation, and disintermediation. The strengths and weaknesses of various e‐commerce strategies in the context of these dimensions are discussed. Some strategies that are suitable for small companies are recommended and four principles are stated in order to assist these firms to formulate strategy in the new economy.

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