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Blogging isn’t a business? Tell that to Weblogsinc, Gawker, b5media and the like.

By Barry Bell on February 13 2006

“A business is something that becomes an entity upon its own. Small or large, the businesses we grow, if successful, will continue whether we’re present or not. The best businesses are the ones that develop to the point where the people that operate them are interchangable. If a business depends on any one person, it will fail as soon as that one person is no longer available. Blogs are the complete opposite of a business.”

In addition to Weblogsinc, Gawker, b5Media, et al, I know a lot of people who would disagree with the first line of that statement. And none of them are bloggers.

They’re people who run small businesses. One man bands. Sole traders. Whatever. The business simply consists of just them, their tools, and their customers. And yes, if that person is no longer available, the business might fail. But it doesn’t mean that it’s not a business.

Same with blogging. So why can’t a blog be a commercial venture? Riddle me that, Batman. Blogging has moved on a long, long way since 1995, when blogging really was personal. A massive proportion of new blogs that are created today are created with one reason in mind – to make money.

Blogging is fast becoming a new way to offer a service that people want. That service is providing information and entertainment. And the customers who are buying that service are your readers.

Yep. Sorry to break it to you, but blogging is now a service business. And the emphasis is well and truly on the word ‘business’.

Contributor: Barry Bell

I'm a freelance writer and designer with over 10 years’ experience of creating award-winning recruitment and consumer marketing communications, together with a wide range of other creative marketing colateral. ... more »

WURK profile: http://WURK/profile/admin
Contributor website: http://barrybell.com

COMMENTS

By TDH
February 14, 2006 5:46 am

“If a business depends on any one person, it will fail as soon as that one person is no longer available.”

Right, ok, that could be true. It could also mean that someone else would have to do the work. Granted, a blog might be a bit harder to jump into than to cover a few shifts guarding the door, doing the dishes or whatever, but is it harder than replacing a hig level programmer on sickleave in a multimillion dollar project? Depends, but still.

That’s a really stupid quote you found there Barry… Nice work! Ping him!
By Peter T Davis
February 15, 2006 2:17 am

Your examples are all blog networks, not blogs. There’s a difference there. Instead of quoting me out of context, you might have read the entire post, particularly where I wrote “On a side note, I do think that the success of a blog network has inspired some others to begin the transition from blogging to running a business. Good luck guys!”

Blogging for your own blog is not the same thing as hiring writers to write on blogs that you own. That’s the whole point I was making, the difference between a profession and a business. Read the E-Myth by Michael Gerber, you’ll understand it better then.

But, thanks for referencing my post. :)
By Barry Bell
February 15, 2006 10:20 am

Ok, yep. Fair point. So let me change the title of this post to:

Blogging isn’t a business? Tell that to Rowse, Kottke, Gruber, and the like…

Each of those bloggers is a ‘one man business’, and each is making a resonable income from their own blogs.

And when I say ‘and the like…’, I’m talking about the thousands of other bloggers who are making money from their blogs – just like running any other business. And in fact, many of whom are making the bulk of their income from their blogs.

Those were just the first three that came to mind.

So yes. I still disagree with you.

While blog ‘networks’ are inherently a business, there are more individual bloggers whose blog is their business than you think. Your business doesn’t need to be making 7 figures before you can call it a business.

B
By Peter T Davis
February 15, 2006 2:33 pm

Ah, good. Now, it’s a more interesting discussion. Then, I’ll draw your attention to the differences between a business and a profession. Still, reading Michael Gerber’s E-Myth, I think you’d get a greater understanding of the point I’m making.

It’s not a concept new to blogging either, it applies to many other industries. Take accounting as an example. For an accountant, accounting is his profession. That’s how he makes money. He can be an accountant for a large firm, or he can have his own independent practice. It’s a business when he’s employing other accountants to do the work for him.

Another book that explains this concept very well is Robert Kiyosaki’s Cashflow Quadrant.
By Barry Bell
February 15, 2006 3:14 pm

So you’re telling me that if you’re self-employed and you’re running your own business (which is incidentally what I’m doing myself), then that’s not actually a business? And you’re saying that a business is only a business when you employ someone else to run the business?

So why’s it called ‘running your own business’?

Hmmm.

If Micheal, Robert, and yourself don’t want to call it a business, then that’s your opinion. It’s an especially subjective issue anyway, as I’m sure you’ll agree.

But to me, and to lots of people that I know who do it, and to thousands more who are self-employed and run their own business, it’s definitely ‘a business’.

And nothing but.
By Christina Jones
February 17, 2006 5:40 am

So, what do we call it if we are a one man show if not a business? I guess that means my nail salon wasn’t a business either. I wish someone would tell the IRS this… ;)

What if we run/write many blogs? Are they like employees and then we can be a business? Is it just the one man/one blog thing that makes us not a business? What if we are making a living at it?

I am going to re-read e-Myth, cause this is a concept that didn’t register with me the first time, and obviously I have questions. :)
By Barry Bell
February 17, 2006 1:12 pm

So the blogs themselves are the employees? Hmmm. Or does this blog employ me? Or, maybe all of my blogs employ me, and I have, like 40 employers. Shit, that’s going to be a complicated tax return.

Anyway, I’m not going to read it as I already know I’ll disagree with it. Probably completely the wrong attitude, though, but hey ho.

;o)

You’ll just have to tell me what it says.
By Christina Jones
February 17, 2006 3:28 pm

You really need to work on that attitude Barry. ;) Like I said, I didn’t get that concept from the book at all – it is a good book, promise, not too many nutty concepts.
By Barry Bell
February 17, 2006 3:33 pm

I don’t mind the nutty ones. It’s the ones that are just plain wrong that I don’t like.

;o)
By Christina Jones
February 17, 2006 3:44 pm

Barry, would you please go find Hsien and help her get back online? I am missing her tremendously!!! Do you have to beg, borrow and steal to get internet service in the UK, or what??
By Barry Bell
February 17, 2006 3:56 pm

Y’know, I was just wondering that the other day. You want me to pop down to London later and have a walk around to see if I can find her?

It’s only ummm… 250 miles away, and London only has er… 10 million people living there.

No probs.

;o))
By Christina Jones
February 17, 2006 4:39 pm

Yes, please. You are a helluvalot closer than I am to London. If I were there, I would do it. Your clue is that her flat overlooks a river. You are resourceful, you can do it!
By Barry Bell
February 17, 2006 4:45 pm

Aha! Well there’s only one river in London. (One big one, that is.)

So how hard can it be?

I’m on me way.