Directory Assistance

Joe Buckheit is one of the few people who figured out how to make money in online publishing.

Buckheit's company, MediaBrains, helps publishers of business-to-business print publications create online directories that bring together buyers and sellers. For example, MediaBrains created a directory for Plastics News, an industry publication that focuses on the plastic-manufacturing industry. In exchange for a link on Plastics News website, MediaBrains shares a portion of the directory advertising revenue his company sells.

Another of Buckheit's initiatives, AgingCare.com, works in a similar way but connects people who care for elderly people. Businesses that cater to these caregivers are eager to pay for access to those prospective customers.