10 points for most helpful answer?

[chesney c]

Since this is a spanking new website, you need to prepare to run the website without any revenue for a certain period. Now it's not the time for you to think of getting revenue from this website. You should focus on providing useful and interesting inputs to your website and promote it. No one will place their ads on a website with few visitors. If you were unable to sustain the website financially, then you should try to earn money from other means eg. working part time elsewhere.

Approaching your potential customers is not unprofessional and pathetic. This is part of a marketing strategies in any business. Eg. I am sure you have received SMS from people you have never contacted before, offering their services / products. This is their way of approaching their potential customers like you and me. So what you are planning to do is not unethical at all.

I suggest that you approach your targets and offer them to have their ads placed in your website for free for a certain period ( say 3 months ). Make an agreement with them that if after the end of the 3 months period, they would have to pay a fee to continue having their ads on your website and if they are not happy with the response they can remove their ads without any obligations. However before approaching, you have to get yourself prepared. Show them your website, your plans and strategies to attract advertisers and visitors in the weeks to come. If you have a good plan, getting your advertisers is not that difficult because they don't incur any cost, get free advertisement and able to support a young entrepreneur like you. Another thing, don't give them a trial period which is too short ( eg 1 month ) because while they have their ads on your site, you need time to attract visitors and other advertisors. Nothing much will happen in 1 month.

I know this might not sound favorable to you but this is the only way to have people placing their ads When there are more ads on your site and with some promotions, you'll get more visitors to your site and when you get more hits, more companies will place their ads with you. If this continues well, soon you'll find both visitors and potential customers will come to you even without you going to them.

Take this venture as long term business. With your dedications and hard work I am sure you will succeed.