They provide a highly profitable and competitive offering in most vertical portals. Manage your finance efficiently. Forget about free lunches or parties. Start with solid budget plans and spend your money wisely and carefully. Market your portal site by forming strategic alliances with other websites rather than spending hard-earned cash.
Many startups fail because of their poor management.
If you want to start with low risk and low budget, consult with freelance consultant rather than hiring a consulting firm. Freelance consultants offer services and expertise at very reasonable rates. However, it is very difficult for a dotcom startup to get VC funding now. Partner with other startups or businesses to strengthen market presence. Many smaller portals are willing to team up with other portal sites to create a network presence on the World Wide Web.