It seems like the hot topic in many Internet Biz forums these days is “How do I monetize my blog?”  And then they go on to explain how they have signed up with Google and are making $10 a month or so.

I wonder if people sometimes get confused that once they put a business on the Internet (or try to create one on the Internet) that this is the new promised land and money will just magically appear.  Solid business models are still needed.

Before you start any business venture, you need to determine what it is you are going to sell, how you are going to reach your market and what some early Profit & Loss figures might look like.  A blog is a great thing.  Heck, BusinessToInvestment.com is nothing more than a fancy, beautifully engineered blog.  

What’s my money model?  I really don’t have one for B-I.  It’s a way for me to help others showcase their own Million Dollar Journey and a way for me to make myself hugely accountable.  

I said I was going to make a million dollars in 2 years or less and this is how I’m going to track the progress.

The next websites that I’ll be blogging about will be more clearly profit driven.  In some cases, I’m creating a product to sell.  In that case, I’ll buy Google ads to drive people to my site.  I’ll have affiliates off of that site to let others make money through referrals from their own websites.

Other websites will have a profit model of driving affiliate marketing income.  But, I probably wont’ be doing Google ads.  I’ll look for much bigger ticket items and then specifically tailor my website around those profit centers.

The blog is a great way to connect with your audience.  And, it can be a fantastic way to add in fresh content to your website.  But, it’s not a profit center in and of itself.

At least, that’s what I’ve found.