Starting an Online Business All-in-One For Dummies®, 3rd Edition

Chapter 1: Determining Your Revenue Model

In This Chapter

• Acquiring and reselling tangible products
• Finding revenue sharing opportunities with affiliate sites
• Selling your professional services
• Distributing information for profit
• Creating a revenue stream by placing online advertisements
• Incorporating multiple sources of revenue for a healthy bottom line

Face it: Whenever you start an online business, you must answer one question before you answer any others — how will you make money?

You can have the most brilliant, original, or quirky idea ever conceived, but if you don't have a viable plan to bring in dollars, the concept doesn't hold water. The good news is that, with the Web entering its second decade, a number of viable ways to make money have emerged. In this chapter, we break down the various revenue models on which you can base your online business.