In my Independent Media class, we each had to come up with a startup website with a business plan and pitch it to the class. Out of all the pitches, my winning pick had to be Patrick's Police Beat.
Police Beat would be a site where police brutality is kept in check. It would be a combination of user-submitted content (stories and pictures of their experiences with police brutality) as well as more investigative and court report pieces by the staff of the website.
What I loved about this idea was how focused it was, how popular it could be and how it would expand. Anyone who has experienced police brutality or knows someone who has experienced it would probably want to visit the website. People love to be able to their own stories.
The site would start in New York City and grow to other cities. This continual growth pattern is great for a steady stream of new readers.
Police Beat would also be able to receive a lot of money from organizations involved with investigative journalism and police misconduct (including racism). That money alone could possibly keep the site on its feet, not to mention the ad money that could come from lawyers and other related services.
Out of all the ideas, I think Police Beat has the best chance at becoming the most successful enterprise.
