It's an interesting and emerging field and one that seems here to stay so could be very useful for any budding small business starters out there.

What is an 'infopreneur'? And what use is it in sustaining an income online?

Anybody can be an infopreneur. We are all unique and we all have access to our own unique information databases, it's all encased in that grey matter locked deep inside our skulls.

An infopreneur would simply build a website based around original content; content he or she knows a lot about, it could be a hobby or a field of interest related to a current career for example.

Once the infopreneur has built up a website containing several pages of gorgeous content, he or she is now in the position to be able to monetise that same content and website.

This is where it gets juicy, we've reached the tipping point in the web's continual evolution and there are now lots of way you can monetise a content website.

The one that springs to mind first of course is Google's Adsense (and other similar contextual based advertising being offered by an ever growing army of Google copycats). What a saviour this little baby was in allowing individuals the opportunity of making extra income based around writing subjects they loved writing about!

Another way is to use affiliate partnerships related to your subject area and refer customers to sites to purchase products or services that they think would be beneficial. The amount of companies offering affiliate programs has now reached a very high level and the numbers are growing at a considerable rate. There are plenty of affiliate partners out there able to fill anybody's subject area.

An infopreneur can also earn so-called 'finders fees'. Simply put, find people by say, use of an online form then refer those clients to existing local online or offline businesses for a fee. Consultancy businesses and the travel industry have been using such fees since long before the emergence of the internet. The internet has just allowed a more streamlined and modern way of doing it.

I could think of lots of ways you can monetise a good content site and if you use your imagination there are simply lots of ways you could earn, you just have to be a bit creative.

As search engines love content and as they seem to want to improve the internet and the way it is presented (it's in their best interests to do so as it means more revenue for them too!) I believe that there are plenty of niches out there that a willing infopreneur could easily fill.

Remember, the big boys have all the muscle and the brands, but the infopreneur's own unique 'brand' offers the opportunity to corner a niche and own it.

Anthony Docherty runs the successful i-earnonline.com offering Earning Ideas, Practical Advice and Strategies for the Online Entrepreneur.