Forums: Discussions for entrepreneurs and small business.

The cost of newspaper advertising is outrageous, especially for a new business who is just getting started.  I know from experience because one single ad in the newspaper cost me over a couple hundred dollars, and I didn`t get a single phone call from it about virtual assistant services that I would like to provide.   I understand that for newspaper advertising to be effective, you need to place many ads- not just one.     

So, anyhow I have made up my mind that I am going to create another option for the small business owners in this town to get their name out there, especially, for new businesses.  It makes me want to do something about it because I know what it is like to not have a large advertising budget to work with!  I will create an option for them if it takes years to start it up!

So here is what I`m bouncing around in this small head of mine....maybe starting a magazine in my community, sort of like a "Small Business Connection" type of magazine is what I`m bouncing around now that would be published either quarterly or semi-annually.  In order for it to become a valuable tool for these businesses, I would like to include interviews and spotlights on new businesses in the area, an "ask the expert section" where people can write in with questions and local businesses can answer if they are skilled in a certain area, for example if someone has a computer hardware question, maybe a computer repair business can provide the answer to the question in the next issue.   And, also a business advice section where I spotlight small -businesses who are thriving and interview those owners who give their tips or suggestions on launching a small business and tell their stories.   I was thinking that local small businesses  would be able to advertise in it for  "free" but there would be several stipulations.  #1- they must include a "freebie type coupon" no less than a pre-determined value that would be included beside each ad that would make it more valuable to the readers.   I would need to come up with funding and distribution so I would almost need to include a stipulation that #2 each business that either advertises, is featured in, or writes an article for the magazine must purchase a subscription to the magazine. 

 Anyone know a ballpark figure on how much it would cost to publish a magazine like this?  Or, where to find good publishers?  Or, would it be better to find a self-publisher for the first few to see how much interest there is?  Or, even to publish the first one myself?

Also, to save $ on delivering the magazine by postal service, I would take care of hand delivering it to all the local businesses who subscibe to it.  At least, in the beginning , anyhow!

Am I way out there on this or is it something that could work?

 

even a small business community newsletter would be a start!  could feature one or two new businesses and maybe say five or six ads or so would be more managable and I could do that myself and distribute them myself 

Differentiation question ... what is the difference between your magazine and the tons of free small business blog sites out there?

(Just trying to make you think! )

Having experienced exactly the same problem, I think it`s an issue of the overall print-media falling out of favor. Only 10 years ago, looking for work meant simply putting an ad in the local newspapers. Today, not only do few local papers continue, but I see almost no ads at all in the classifieds....per se.

What I do see is all those papers going online. For now, they seem to run a paper version in some quantity, then scan whatever their classifieds are and list them online. So it`s very hard to get attention through the printed version.

Additionally, many people still believe that online directories are more efficient and helpful when looking for services, employees, or employers. It`s not true, and those channels lead to massive floods of job applications, résumés, and so on.

We`re just about to the transition back into the past, I think. I can`t say for sure, but more people seem to be coming to the same conclusion. So I`d go with a newsletter that can be printed as inexpensively as possible, and perhaps only a couple of pages. The existence of the paper newsletter would be only to serve the Web URL.

Make it a freebie, and see if you can get it into racks at all the convenience stores, Walgreens-type places, and gas stations. Waiting rooms are good too. Then spend the "real" time building your local services board online. Use the newsletter as an advertising flyer.

hhhmmm let`s see....

it`s a solution for the small business or home based to advertise who has no money

I can see them being able to afford a one-time yearly subscription, but not a hundred dollar ad

well the main difference would be it would be a way for the small business owner to get their names out there and it would not cost them hundreds of dollars like the local paper

the main subscibers  would be the business owners themselves.  So actually, the businesses who advertise for free in it would be advertising to other business owners, but that would be a good thing because they all use each others services and would be good networking tool for them

It would be a way to pull the business community together in one central outlet.  There really isn`t anything besides the chamber of commerce

another difference would be it would be centralized to one location and all the businesses who advertise in it would be part of the same town

and the coupons would make it more valuable to hold onto the magazine rather than toss it

 

 

So how do you differentiate yourself from networking groups?

I serve a small business market. So I`m really just trying to figure out if you can communicate a value to me. So ... sell me on it!

BTW, have you seen this? Online Community Magazines
Maybe you can use their platform to get this group together?

I like the newsletter idea.  I know a few small businesses who may be interested in a    "freebie" ad in the first issue.  I`m going to toss that around for awhile... 

As for building the local services board online, how could that actually benefit the small businesses because then I would need charge a fee to advertise, and I don`t want to charge them to advertise.  Although, I could charge them a more affordable fee than the two hundred dollars ad I placed!!!!!   With a local services board,  I could reach all consumers this way, not just a business owner audience.

I agree there are fewer and fewer classifieds in our print newspaper; and fewer ads.  I even noticed that there are not as many help wanted classifieds either. 

 

Yeah, that seems backwards ... you pay to advertise, not subscribe.

I`m thinking about a local Craig`s List type of thing, because that`s become so huge it`s not so easy to use anymore. Just do it again, but either smaller, or in a niche.

Remember, the point is for you to get work as a VA. If you have to create an entire marketing and distribution channel just so you can get work, well....fine. But at least you`d get your name out there. :-)