When local news site Patch laid off a number of its of employees, the team at Broadstreet--a company that offers an advertising platform and customer management tools for independent local publishers--responded by putting together a guide to going independent.

This list of basic tips includes links to resources and examples of successful news sites, and covers the basics of the startup process from selecting a webhost and Wordpress theme through building a mailing list to grow your readership.

One recommended link is Blargo, a Worpdress theme developed by NJ News Commons that comes with pre-configured ad slots.