Starting a website network

[RPicard]

I'm working towards starting a network of websites and I'm looking to see if anyone has input on how I should go about it.

The idea is basically that I create profitable websites which are all part of the "x" network. (I'm not mentioning the name just yet). My hope is that by bringing them all together as one network I will be able to get sponsors of the "x" network so that I can use that capital for any of the sites in the network. The main problem with this is that funding is LOW. I'm 15 and don't have much money to get all of this started. I do have a few ideas and I have 2 websites launched and 1 in development (Kind of need $$ to get it started).

What do you think the best way to go about this is? What should I offer to the prospective capital providers in return for their money?

[deanelazab]

Well I think that it will be hard to get people to fund you at 15 but you need to go for it. Im 18 and have been looking into the new generation of entrepreneurs and how to help them develop their ideas.

What I suggest is to use free hosting services like tumblr and wordpress.com to host your sites and start cranking out content. Domain names can be really cheap at sites like godaddy and help you look more professional. I would say you need to have a steady content stream and readership before contacting any companies that you hope will invest in you.

When you do call a company to talk about sponsorship (yes call them do not just email), you need to have the attitude of " here is why you need to invest in me" instead of "I really need your money". This mentality will strike them as a sign of passion and they will most likely invest in you. Do not expect a whole lot at first, but starting this network will be a marathon, not a sprint. A investor can get ads from anyone, you need to show them something better than just banners. Include their products in post, offer to review a product from them for free. you just need to garner trust and be as clear as possible. If the investor feels like you are not being fully honest they will move on to look for someone else to invest in, and believe me their are plenty of people out their who would want their money.

I am free to help you with your business development stages and if you have any more questions fell free to pm me or email me.

[cillosis]

I am assuming you are building these sites on your own and not paying a developer to do them for you? If so, at the early stages the only "capital" you need is the ability to purchase domain names and pay for hosting. That being said, family is a great way for a young entrepreneur to receive funding. Build a presentation and pitch it to your family members as an investment opportunity. These people know you so they are more likely to respond positively.

As far as getting large companies to invest, you need to prove to them you know what you are doing and are capable of creating sites with positive traffic flow and a proven track record of earnings. Until you have that kind of "in your face" confidence backing, I would recommend acquiring capital locally from family and friends and then work diligently on building your sites, perfecting the SEO for maximum search engine coverage, and creating quality content that keeps your user-base growing consistently.

After that happens, then pitch the big companies