Just happened to comment that there was no business model for small groups or colonies on Mars; that's unchanged and cannot change.
Well, he wants the company doing the business of moving cargo and passengers to and from Mars. Perhaps an expanded version of what he is doing now to the ISS, and probably the moon and other places will add up as well (Lagrange point stations?). The basis of: Provide the means, and the customers will come. Similar to the west conquest by the train in America.
And it might happen that some governments could fund the colonies, just like they do today to Antarctica and the ISS.