Dissatisfied with the lack of suitable online e$-$commerce platforms through which he can sell his snowboards, Tobias L$$tke founded Shopify in $2004$ as a home$-$based business. Today, Shopify enables small businesses, many of which are home$-$based firms, to easily sell products online using its suite of e$-$commerce tools that facilitate payment processing, marketing, shipping and customer engagement.

With sales of $$1\mathrm{.}6$ billion in $2019,$ Shopify serves more than one million businesses in $175$ countries. A key reason that is attributed to Shopify's success from its humble roots as a home$-$based business is its use of computer technology.

How has computer technology contributed to the increase in home$-$based businesses?

Question $16$ options:

Computer technology eliminates the need for home$-$based entrepreneurs to set up a traditional storefronts, which reduces startup costs $($e$.$g$.,$ rent, inventory, etc.$).$

Computer technology enables home$-$based entrepreneurs to access information and communication capabilities that were formerly accessible only by large companies.

Computer technology enables home$-$based entrepreneurs to access and purchase goods from China $($e$.$g$.,$ alibaba.com$)$ at low prices and sell them to customers globally.

Computer technology enables home$-$based entrepreneurs to dropship from Ali Express and the Oberlo Marketplace. This reduces risks associated with purchasing, shipping and storing inventory.