In the

click & mortar model, you combine your offline business with an online presence

to increase exposure and expand your market. What you do with your Web site will

depend on the type of offline business you've already established. Your online

venture could be anything from a site that mainly functions as a marketing tool

for your offline business to a fully e-commerce- enabled electronic store. Here

are some of the profit streams you should consider when taking your existing

small business online:

If your

offline business involves selling products, you should consider online sales.

Your two channels (online and offline) can share resources, including marketing

dollars, fulfillment systems, and inventory. Adding the online channel allows

you to expand your geographic and product market, while keeping your business

small.

If you

sell an offline service, think about ways you could promote your service

online. This can be effective no matter what service you offer. Whether you're a

real estate agent, a doctor, a dentist, a lawyer, a landscaper or a hairdresser,

you can use your Web site to sell your service. For example, you could take

appointments through your site or create a promotional campaign online that

directs visitors to your physical location.

You could

sell ad space to other local businesses. For example, let's say you're a

real estate agent. You could sell ad space to a cleaning company since people

might be interested in having their homes professionally cleaned before moving

in.

You could

create a joint venture with other local businesses. For your real estate

business, you could create a "Welcome to the Neighborhood" package filled with

helpful information and coupons for local businesses, including a pizza place, a

video rental store, a plumber, a electrician and a beauty shop. Then make joint

venture arrangements with all these businesses so that you profit every time one

of your coupons is used. Offer this package both online and offline to increase

your profits.

And, as

usual, I suggest you start an affiliate program. Think about it--your

affiliates could send visitors to your site, where you promote your offline

service. Or you could provide your affiliates with a printable coupon campaign

that they could use to send people to your physical location.

Remember

that both of these business models are most effective when you combine profit

streams to maximize revenue. For example, if you wanted to work with your sales

model site to diversify your profit streams, you could sell your own product,

while also recommending affiliate or joint venture products that would appeal to

your audience and complement your offer. You could investigate drop-shipping

options to even further diversify your product line. Then you could create a

service that your product users would need, and send them an offer in a

follow-up e-mail promotion. Plus, you can make more sales on all of these fronts

by enlisting an army of affiliates to sell for you.