In the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, "artisans" were craftsmen -- and women -- who generally worked alone and did one task extremely well. Think: baker of candlemaker.

The twenty-first century is seeing a return of the artisan, according to an intriguing new report by small biz vendor Intuit.

The new artisans: Web designers, authors, consultants and other service-oriented workers.

I picked up word of this new report from Small Business Trends, a great small business blog.

You can download the report here: Future of Small Business Report

Courtesy of Small Business Trends, here are some of the reports highlights:

- Large businesses will tap smaller businesses as sources of innovation

- Lightweight technologies such as online software, allow small businesses to manage growth with less time, money and technical skills

- The family-room factory emerges, as advances in production technologies allow entrepreneurs to develop a wave of innovative products

- Almost half of small businesses will be involved in global commerce in 10 years

- Large corporations will recognizes small businesses not only as customers but as suppliers and partners

Sounds like exactly what we've been preaching on SmartBiz.com.