Aside from very specialized projects like communication satellites the expense and problems of hoisting stuff up into orbit and getting it safely down again makes space not terribly commercially viable.

Construct the Space Elevator as proposed. http://www.spaceelevator.org Then use the nanotubes to construct large nets for cleaning up the space trash. The space trash collection might be lucritive by providing materials for space factories that doesn't need to lofted, providing research materials for scientists that have received micro-meteorite impacts and solar flare materials, governments paying to clear out orbital paths for putting new satellites into service, collecting old satellites and charging satellite manufactures to research failure causes, ... The space elevator could make lots of businesses profitable for space based systems. The next profitable business would be a space based Weather Control System (WCS). This can be done with thousands of 1000 foot diameter mirrors. Only a small amount of material is necessary in space because of the vacuum environment. The WCS would allow for controlling weather to significantly reduce environment related insurance claims, provide greater tourism, reduce losses, capitalize on gains. The next major business would be using the mirrors to illuminate power collection stations in remote areas, increasing the available solar energy many times over natural solar intensity; providing power for the world. Another space based business involves building low speed transports for moving materials in space from spaceport to spaceport. Solar sails can move materials with very little power. So moving materials to Venus becomes practical and relatively inexpensive. The return flights can bring revenue materials from Venus. I'm sure there are a multitude of special businesses that need high vacuum and/or low gravity to be practical.

IF the space ladder is successfully built and is functional, a whole new world of innumerable possibilities will open. There is no diubt about it. How and when this will happen is still a mystery.

But the applications of utilising space you have mentioned are very much possible only IF we have a frequent, cost effective and safer transportation system.

A few years ago aerospace people were talking about beaming energy down to earth from space, I believe by means of microwaves. Haven't heard anything lately.