By Alexis Garrett Stodghill, BlackVoices.com

The Black Business 3.0 series profiles young, black entrepreneurs who are using the power of the Web to create successful online businesses. The lower overhead costs and flexibility of the online world can help the business-minded create their own opportunities, even during tough economic times.

Here is how Claire Sulmers, a Harvard University grad, supplements her income while living her dreams through her passion for fashion. Claire, here with NYC fashion star Andre J, is really making waves through her esteemed blog: The Fashion Bomb.

What made you start The Fashion Bomb? Was it a personal passion, or more of a perceived need in the market place? How old is your site?

It started as a personal passion. After a while I began to do a bit of market research and eventually ended up combining my love of fashion with a greater civic goal, which was bringing black fashion to the forefront of the Web dialogue. The Fashion Bomb is 2 years old.

Were you completely new to the online arena when you started your site? How quickly did you learn to make your site "work"? Describe the magic moment when the traffic started flowing.

I was completely new to the online landscape, and I definitely learned as I went. I remember when I started I bought a book called The Complete Idiot's Guide to Creating a Web Page & Blog. I'm sure the information is outdated by now, but it gave me a start in learning HTML code and the like.

I've also benefited greatly from collaborations with other, bigger blogs. I remember my face lighting up the first time Young, Black and Fabulous linked to me. It was a good day. I knew I still had to work hard, but getting noticed by bigger blogs was what really sent a lot of traffic my way.

What are some of the benefits of blogging versus running a traditional site like BlackVoices.com? What are some of the drawbacks?

The benefits are that you can talk about whatever you want, say what you feel, just kind of have free reign over your editorial content. The drawbacks are there's no name recognition for those blogs that are just starting off. So for example, I could ask Joy Bryant for an interview; she may be reluctant to go with me because she hasn't heard of me. Whereas with AOL BV, it has an established name, so she would most likely go with you.



You focus very sharply on one topic: Fashion. Do you think this kind of focus is empowering or limiting for a Web business?

I think it's necessary. A lot of blogs try to be everything to everyone. I think that people need to understand immediately what they're getting once they log on. I think the essence of being a good blogger is identifying what your niche is, then being the best in your category. The great thing about fashion is that it goes hand in hand with celebrities. So we still have the advantage of blogging about the stars that everyone loves; however, we're not a gossip site, so we don't have to be timely with news or happenings. If Gabrielle Union wears a dress on Monday, most gossip blogs will jump all over it then. I can wait until Friday, but will tell you where she bought her dress.

As a very popular blogger on the scene, your identity is part of your operation. How does this affect your personal life and your ability to blog?

For most blogs I think readers want to get a sense of the person behind the screen. I strive to give readers glimpses of my life as it relates to the blog (fashion events, fashion shows, store openings). In terms of my personal life, it's been a great benefit. I've made several new contacts and friends all over the globe and in my industry. The only drawbacks now are on the train. I'm never sure if someone is staring at me because they recognize me or not. But then again, people in New York are very cool. Even if they see a bona fide celebrity in a club, few people will run up and ask to take a picture or talk to them. And on the street, for example, I saw Zulema of Project Runway walking down the street in Union Square. She looked amazing, and people recognized her, but they left her alone. So I think the occasional recognition is fine -- I haven't had anything but positive interactions with people who may recognize me from the site.

I have read on your blog that you have a "day job." How do you balance your day gig with your popular online destination? Is a blog a good "side hustle"? How do you generate revenue?

It's tough, but I do it somehow. I've figured out a schedule so I can complete my work and work on my blog. I also have interns who help from time to time. A blog is a good side hustle simply because you get paid for doing what you love (even if it's a lot of work). I generate revenue through advertising.

What kind of influence does the public have on how you publish and upgrade your product? What are your plans for expansion?

I look at my page views from day to day and figure out what works and what doesn't on which days. I notice that people enjoy a mixture of product heavy posts with instances of Real Style and Celebrity style. I plan on optimizing the site via video and also hope to take it international at some point. I'm thinking of publishing a guide to style based on my Friday Mail Bombs; and I have a few more book ideas in mind.

What has been the public's response to your product? Would you mind sharing your traffic numbers in terms of page views and unique visitors (even in general terms)?

I'd say I get about 150,000-200,000 page views and 100,000-125,000 unique visitors per month.

What has been the "trade" response to your product? What has been the reaction by celebrities, sites, magazines and/or other media with a similar target audience?

I've been well-embraced by lots of publications. Essence mentioned me on their contributors page. Upscale magazine has published a small item on The Fashion Bomb. And I've been asked to weigh in as a style expert for the New York Post and Wall Street Journal, along with several college newspapers. The Fashion Bomb has also been mentioned in New York Metro and Uptown.

Do you have any wisdom to share with the readers of Black Voices, as a black business leader who is blazing a new trail through your creativity in digital media?

Even though I feel I still have a long way to go, I'd say to anyone looking to get involved with online to never give up. Figure out ways to keep it fresh and to continue to draw traffic to your site. I remember when I first started and only a couple hundred people were coming (and leaving mean comments) -- I hoped all my effort wasn't going to waste. I kept at it, changed and tweaked a few things, and here I am!

What has been the best thing to come out of starting your Web site?

Invaluable relationships and connections with people who love fashion.