Why Starting a Blog is the Best Way to Start a New Business

With CNN relying on Twitter to get instant news coverage and Facebook on it's way to beating McDonald's for the amount of "customers served", it should be evident to even the most technologically un-savvy that the internet and social media are more powerful than ever before. Though that power is so obvious, it is amazing to see how many new startups fail to truly harness the internet in order to get their businesses off the ground. This is good news for young entrepreneurs, however, as young people are already used to incorporating the internet and its many tools into their daily lives. In other words, young entrepreneurs have an inherent advantage when it comes to launching a business over the internet. One such internet tool is blogging. If used consistently, blogging just might be the best way for a young entrepreneur to start their new business.


The number one reason to start a blog is that a blog helps you hone in on what you're trying to accomplish. You will never gain the readership you desire if you don't center your blog around a specific niche and purpose. The same can be said for your business—you will never gain the profits you desire if you don't have a specific business purpose. What problem are you solving with you service or product? If you provide a product or service that people legitimately want, then writing about it should attract a significant following. If you find that you're struggling to think of things to write about on your blog or people are not attracted to the things you are writing about, then perhaps that is evidence that your blog and your business model need some tweaking.

Another blatant reason to start a blog is that blogs are a free/cheap way to get your business online. I don't know about you, but I never have a ton of cash to blow on web designers and hosting just to put up a website. Blogs are a perfect solution because in nearly all cases, they are free to start and come with free hosting. If you want your blog to reflect your own domain (i.e. www.yourbusiness.com), many blogs can do that for just the cost of the domain name (generally $10 for a whole year). When bootstrapping a new venture, there's really no reason to have a "standard website" when your first starting out, as many blogging platforms have free, professional templates you can use instead (my company website for Babe&Suckling is an example of this...I used blogger and a free template). Furthermore, a blog can provide all the information a standard website would have if you simply set it up right. Make sure all the info a potential customer would need about your company is easily found on your blog, and voila! You are good to go!

Speaking of customers, a blog is a great way to build your potential customer base. Once you gain a significant readership to your blog, you can begin marketing your business directly to your visitors, as they are likely to already have an interest in your company since they keep coming back to read your blog.

A blog is also a great testing place for potential products or services. Thinking of launching that new t-shirt line? Write a few post about if first and get your readers involved. Read their comments and listen to what they have to say before you spend money on that new project. What you think is a great idea might not be so if you're truly targeting your readers as customers. Take you reader feedback seriously; it can save you from spending thousands on a new but poorly planned idea.

Lastly, a blog can help you generate startup money. I say this with caution, as starting a blog is definitely not a get rich quick scheme, but a successful blog can realistically generate a few thousand dollars in it's first year if you research different monetization strategies and really put in the effort. I recently stumbled on a great list ways to make money with your blog over at InsideCRM called "101 Ways to Monetize Your Blog Without Irritating Your Readers. "

The point is if you have enough moxie to start up a blog a get it to a mildly successful point, then you can probably do the same with your business. Have you had success with blogging and starting a business? Share your comments below!