Survive and Thrive as a Standalone Hyperlocal

The key to starting a small hyperlocal site from scratch is thinking about it as a business as well as a journalistic enterprise. While many standalone small-radius news sites have struggled, there are also quite a few that have developed solid, sustainable ad-supported models to cover their communities. Here are a few different perspectives from the front lines, including details about how to get a community site off the ground, how to develop relationships with local merchants, and how to bring them value.