>I am thinking of starting a website that posts local take out
>menus that are not already online so that it is easier for
>people to find a take out or delivery place, now the area in
>which I need help is how to make this a lucrative website....
>can I go to the local area take out and delivery places and
>ask them if they would be interested in having their menus on
>my website ( I know I would probably need their permission
>anyway) and is this something I could charge them for a small
>one time or annual fee to do. Any help? it would be much
>appreciated.
>dmr

Maybe it would help you to feel better about your idea if you knew that someone was already doing something like this. That "someone" is called the Yellow Pages!;-)

I say that because your idea isn't as far fetched as you think because someone else is already doing it.

Number 2 you're going to have to define lucrative. How much money would you have to make on a monthly, yearly basis in order for it to be "lucrative" to you?

The person that replied to you has made a very good point. You see what it is that you want to do is definitely doable. How you make it lucrative is that people are willing to pay a premium price to advertise and that equates to having your website be a lucrative place for them to advertise. I have seen websites from others who are doing the same thing that you want to do and their websites are all encompassing which means that they don't just have the menus but they have other things on their websites as well namely inter-activity like when people talk about the different places (As a matter of fact I have such a thing on my Internet radio station where someone talks about the eateries in my local area). So in order to make your website more lucrative you are going to have to place more than just menus on it. Think of your website as though it were a magazine. Magazines make their money with advertising and subscriptions. The advertising comes as a result of the magazine convincing the advertisers that it would be in their best interests to advertise in their magazines and the subscribers come as a result of the magazine having what it is that they want to read - namely content.

In a nutshell THAT is what your focus should be on.