taking chance on start-up?

[txsportsscribe]

Considering the overall business climate of the newspaper industry, would you take your chances with a small start-up newspaper where there was an opportunity for employee-ownership (i.e., stock, decision-making) at the cost of some financial suffering in the beginning?

 

[Mizzougrad96]

What's the word I'm looking for here?













That would be a big NO.

 

[Mizzougrad96]

Where is the picture of the Black Bear?

 

[Ace]

I think it might be worth a risk if you are currently unemployed.

 

[2muchcoffeeman]

Considering the overall business climate of the newspaper industry, would you take your chances with a small start-up newspaper where there was an opportunity for employee-ownership (i.e., stock, decision-making) at the cost of some financial suffering in the beginning?

 

[SF_Express]

What's the word I'm looking for here?

That would be a big NO.

Mizzou, I look at it completely from the other direction.

For one thing, if you're unemployed or worried about it, what have you got to lose.

Second, if it's small/small-town deal, there's continuing thinking that those places are exactly those that will succeed, with "hyperlocal" a built-in part of the concept.

I don't think you can say "no" without knowing the whole deal at all. Might be a great opportunity.

 

[PeteyPirate]

That sounds like a great idea. I invite you to invest whatever profit you make to get my buggy-whip venture up and running.

 

[Mizzougrad96]

What's the word I'm looking for here?

That would be a big NO.

Mizzou, I look at it completely from the other direction.

For one thing, if you're unemployed or worried about it, what have you got to lose.

Second, if it's small/small-town deal, there's continuing thinking that those places are exactly those that will succeed, with "hyperlocal" a built-in part of the concept.

I don't think you can say "no" without knowing the whole deal at all. Might be a great opportunity.

I think you'd do better selling VCRs door-to-door, but what do I know?

 

[SportsDude]

I got offered a chance at a star up two years ago. It had two very smart, intelligent owners who had backgrounds in sales. They had an experienced and talented, yet small, sales staff and a great plan of action. They also invested in the right equipment, had an in at a family owned paper that would give them a discount to print and it had appeal across an entire region.

It lasted about six months.

If you don't have a job, or are married to someone who has a well paying one, I would go for it if it compels you. Otherwise, be wary. Two or three months before publication, I interviewed and asked them how many potential advertisers they had and the number didn't grow from the first interview to the second. It paid about 10 grand more than I made at the time, but I choose to stick with security and it ended up being the smart move.

 

[SF_Express]

What's the word I'm looking for here?

That would be a big NO.

Mizzou, I look at it completely from the other direction.

For one thing, if you're unemployed or worried about it, what have you got to lose.

Second, if it's small/small-town deal, there's continuing thinking that those places are exactly those that will succeed, with "hyperlocal" a built-in part of the concept.

I don't think you can say "no" without knowing the whole deal at all. Might be a great opportunity.

I think you'd do better selling VCRs door-to-door, but what do I know?

Hey, if somebody was asking about starting a new paper in a big metropolitan area -- the new Los Angeles Herald-Examiner, anyone? -- I think that would be insane.

But if there's a bedroom suburb that's now big enough to have its own government and whatever but still lacks a paper, and it would be started modestly and with a heavy -- or exclusive -- emphasis on local, it might be worth looking into, that's all I'm saying.

 

[Mizzougrad96]

I hope he proves me wrong.

 

[txsportsscribe]

suburban market w/ about 130,000 population in shadows of big d. and there's a weekly in place that is part of a non-local chain that emphasizes ads over good editorial.

 

[SF_Express]

suburban market w/ about 130,000 population in shadows of big d. and there's a weekly in place that is part of a non-local chain that emphasizes ads over good editorial.

Well, then it's a matter of whether you're OK with that, what the initial pay is, and what the potential (with ownership) is.

 

[Editude]

Mrs. Editude's last two full-time gigs were with start-ups, and while she has moved on from both to a freelance/part-time approach, she enjoyed parts of both experiences. Keep your eyes open, get details in writing and be prepared for issues that wouldn't come up otherwise.

 

[forever_town]

Are you trying to become a pathetic looser bootstrapper at The Berkshire Beacon?

 

[Tarheel316]

I took a gig at a start-up weekly about three years ago. All kinds of promises were made, none were kept. After working there for about five months, I started asking hard questions about ad revenue and printing costs. They were losing about $12,000 a week. Yikes. So I interviewed at a PM M-F, fortunately was offered the job and took it. Six weeks after I left, the weekly folded.

I wouldn't do something like that again unless I as unemployed.

 

[wisportswriter]

Within the last year, a copy editor in our shop took a job at a start-up in suburban Chicago.

That paper no longer exists.

 

[dixiehack]

suburban market w/ about 130,000 population in shadows of big d. and there's a weekly in place that is part of a non-local chain that emphasizes ads over good editorial.

Unless they win a contract to print the city/county legal ads, pass.

 

[leo1]

suburban market w/ about 130,000 population in shadows of big d. and there's a weekly in place that is part of a non-local chain that emphasizes ads over good editorial.

Unless they win a contract to print the city/county legal ads, pass.

great point.

make sure they're on top of this whole internets thing.

seriously, if they're counting on subscriptions to the print edition to make or break them, that's a big problem.

 

[Sam Craig]

What's the word I'm looking for here?

That would be a big NO.

Mizzou, I look at it completely from the other direction.

For one thing, if you're unemployed or worried about it, what have you got to lose.

Second, if it's small/small-town deal, there's continuing thinking that those places are exactly those that will succeed, with "hyperlocal" a built-in part of the concept.

I don't think you can say "no" without knowing the whole deal at all. Might be a great opportunity.

I think you'd do better selling VCRs door-to-door, but what do I know?

Even better if it's a Betamax.