Photo courtesy of iStockphoto, George Peters


Jason Coulls has an ambitious goal. He hopes to make a million dollars from his Becoming a Millionaire with AdSense blog.

To do so, Jason plans to bootstrap all the way, investing nothing but his time in the project.

Creating a blog is certainly one of the easiest businesses to start. This one is partly paying for my son's school tuition and with very little investment on my part-except again for time.

So how does a blogging entrepreneur get started? Simple.

• Choose a blogging platform. Jason is using Blogger, but Wordpress or Soulcast will also do. Then there are pay options like TypePad and Squarespace to consider.
• Choose a niche topic. You can blog about anything, but the really successful blogs are about specific subjects. Pick a subject you're passionate about and if others agree you've found yourself a niche.
• Choose a title that fits. TypePad's instruction section recommends:

Weblog writers often find their audience serendipitously; therefore, your weblog name should be memorable and unique. Avoid names like "weblog", "ramblings", or "writings", for they will not stand out in directories or listings.

• Monetize your traffic. Jason (of course) plans to use Google Adsense, but other options include AdBrite, CrispAds, Bidvertiser and many more
• Post, comment and socialize. Post often. Daily is best or at least five days a week. Comment on other peoples blogs leaving a link back to your URL. Commenting on blogs that share your niche topic or something close is best. Join communities like MyBlogLog so others can find your blog.

Can we guarantee you'll earn a million bucks? Definitely not. But blogs run as a business remain one of the cheapest bootstrap startups there is...(More)