A self hosted WordPress blog gives you control over every aspect of your blog and web business. You need "it all" to run a web business regardless of what platform you choose. From the right theme design to using Google Apps.
It's easy a reasonably cheap to get started. I broke even on my first job.
As a matter of fact I am looking for the right person to run an environmental blog and then expand the environmental blog into a web business. All the "right person" needs is the desire to work at it daily. I'm supplying everything else, including a self hosted WordPress website using this
theme.