Small business magazine needed ?

[lmorrissey]

:?: Does anyone else out there find that they are unable to find any small business dedicated (paper) magazines?

I've been looking around and though I've found one or two subscription based mags and plenty of on-line mage, there doesn't seem to be adequate provision out there. primarily, I was searching with a view to advertising in them. Now, I'm considering whether this may be an opportunity.

please take part in the attached poll and let me have your thoughts, or alternatively, details of any publications you are currently aware of.

Many thanks

Liz

[gary]

I think there could be an opportunity, as there are few publications targeted at small businesses. A good one is Better Business, but at around £6-£7 per issue, it's not cheap! Everything else is, as you say, email or web-based, apart from the middle-of-the-road mags like Mind Your Own Business and Growing Business.

Gary

[Rob]

Liz,

I definintely agree that there is a market out there but its how you reach it. As one of the providers of an online e-zine for small business owners, I have seriously considered 'upgrading' to paper.

Two major issues though:

- distribution. WH Smith have cornered the market for magazine distribution on a mass scale. Due to the problems they have had lately they have been having a cull of what they deem to be 'niche' or targeted mags i.e. low sellers. I have heard that they have removed about 70% of the titles they handled

- costs. To set up you are looking about 100k plus. Adverts are obviously the key source of income but you are looking to build up a decent subscriber base before you can attract decent revenue. Therefore you need approx 12 months working capital to see you through

Readers of Start Your Own Business (which morphed in to startups.co.uk) will remember it was a great magazine aimed at small business owners but the publishers closed it after 2 years or so. A strong message there!

Another key point to bear in mind is that many start ups tend to watch the cash and so magazine subscriptions tend to be low on the list.

So for me I have decided to continue online for the time being but who knows!!

[pbresser]

I used to work in magazine publishing as Editor of a computer magazine that targetted data processing managers. The book was never on the news stands of W H Smith, but was supplied FoC to registered users. In the late 80s it was the most successful title in its field, but five years later it was closed (folded).

Controlled Circulation is the name of this type of publishing and it was big, big, BIG, in the late 70s and all through the 80s.

The key is to find a list of possible subscribers - like working with a society or similar - where you kickstart your circulation. You attract advertising off the back of reaching this circulation with your magazine. The costs are not simply the print and paper, but the creation of a credible editorial platform, so your subscribers keep opening up the magazine and seeing the adverts and the upkeep of the IT system to ensure your circulation list is kept fresh.

The costs for publishing used to be low and although the publishing business eroded costs for the production and maintenance of magazines, such as introducing desktop publishing systems in the mid 80s, eventually the cost base was too high to maintain business. Higher print and workforce costs were exacerbated by globalisaton (that was definately a factor in closing the two magazines I worked as Editor of during the 1990s). Even before the popularisation of the Internet with its special interest groups (like this one) and the growth in direct mail, publishing houses were amalgamated, sold off titles or simply went to the wall.

I left publishing in 1994 to go into marketing comms. At that time, there were more than 10,000 paper-based special interest and controlled circultation magazines and only a handful of electronic ones on either the Internet or bulletin boards. If you want the exact figures on paper magazines that survive, contact PR Planner and ask them. I don't know what percentage of controlled circulation magazines have folded over the last five years, but I would bet that it is close to 70 percent.

If you do decide to take the risk and launch a paper based magazine, be prepared to have very deep pockets and treat the enterprise as a labour of love, rather than a money making one.

Pete B

[kerryn]

I have to be honest I wouldnt go out and buy it when there is so much free information on the net. I doesnt take much to find the information you are looking for and if in doubt ask on some of the forums.

I think there is however a deffinate need for a small business/services directory - often when I want to find the services of someone its to do one off work or something that requires one to one consultations. Finding someone who works from home to do PR or sorting out my advertising is really difficult.

Finding good quality but affordable services is hard when you are only a small business.

[Anonymous]

I believe there is no need. There is enough material in the web and other sources..... Try to narrow your target audience.... Small business is to wide and it would be dificult to try to include everyone...

Cheers

[consult]

http://www.bigadvice.co.uk.
On there you'll find a business tips section plus access to a freemonthly management newsletter, and all free.
We've found that it appeals to a wide variety of business people and entrepreneurs.
Try it anyway.

Regards


Andrew

[Thais]

That link appears to be broken. :(

[consult]

it should be:

http://www.bigadvice.co.uk

regards

Andrew

[kyber]

I agree that the internet has probably overtaken this market given high risk / high entry costs of the paper model.

I think the generic topics are well covered by the internet (not least by the DTI and related Government websites). Small business cover such a wide range of industries and services that I suspect are best served by very very targeted publications (niche publishing).

Stuart

[Fraser]

This idea has been discussed at length on a couple of other forums. I took the idea pretty far, but due to most of the reasons mentioned above it wasn't economical and was going to be a collosal amount of work to get off the ground.

I would still like to see such a publication in existence. I am currently making plans to start a magazine for young people, afterwhich I will have the necessary experience, contacts etc to start such a magazine.

Regards,

Fraser

[Kay]

http://www.firstvoice.co.uk/

It's the print magazine of the Federation of Small Businesses. (FSB)

I agree with those who say they get their info from the Internet these days. Even so, I still subscribe to an Internet magazine. I just happen to enjoy receiving it every month.

[Ozzy]

There is also the large aspect of those who like to hold a magzine in their hand and read it whilst on the sofa, the train, in the cafe and so on.
I personally read more indepth from a magazine where as I will skim an INternet article.