BoB November 2010
From Zanecorpwiki
Contents |
Overview
- could we do an offset quarterly; every three months in Feb, May, August, and November
- should we stay away from topical/current news type stuff? I don't think so, but we also want to define the thing as something else, looking at the big picture, the long term; topical analysis should always have that long term component for sure
- standard sections can take cues from, but should not be slavish to the issue's theme
- openness and transparency; the meta section at the end talks about the business of the paper and those connected with it; here's how we do it, what our goals are; the financials, why we're involved
- interviews really do as the tough questions, serious challenges; I would like to require a great deal of transparency about context--how much do you make now, ideally actually share financials with writers, maybe more practically fill out a revealing questionnaire with a stiff contractual penalty "offered in consideration of the exposure and promotion the article will provide"
Section / Layout
The proposal below has spots for 11 articles; that's too long for first issues; max 7. The meta article can be very short and is all internal so relatively easy to produce.
- cover
- toc
- letters
- 1st issue feature
- lead paid speech
- 2nd issue feature
- 3rd issue feature (opt)
- 2nd paid speech
- finance how-to article
- financial feature; climate, opportunity, bio
- 3rd paid speech
- lifestyle feature; Ballin on Budget?
- society, culture feature
- hidden gems: Songs, moovies (Netflix and Hulu)
- 4th paid speech
- nuts and bolts; operations administration feature
- sales and marketing
- domain/vertical in depth
- meta article
- back page / products and services
Issues
Kit / Outfitting
- cover : ???
- lead feature: iPhone or Android?
- 2nd feature: Clothes on a Shoestring
- 3rd feature: Top Mobile Apps
- financial how-to: Top Financial Apps
- financial feature: The Challenges of Being Small
- lifestyle: Pool Party
- meta: Advertising and Self-Promotion
Turbulent Times
Very topical, so I want to do this second so the first issue doesn't set a "current news" expectation right out the gate. Also, as much as there is to say, it won't hurt to let things settle and really take our time with this more difficult and serious subject.
Articles Ideas
Is there a theme for this issue? Can we manage the articles to get one? Should we?
- iPhone or Android?: Give nod to alternatives: Blackberry, regular phone... but really, for total value there's really no question. iPhone is a bit more polished and integrated, but Android is a more open platform in every way: carrier, device, and applications. Four sections: carrier, device, applications and summary.
- Top Mobile Apps: For iPhone and Android; give good alternatives and top pick where merited for apps in a few domains. Budget, to-do, scheduling/calendar, email (prolly droid only), miles log, games, voice memo, and misc (if necessary)
- Clothes on a Shoestring Alterations!
- Ballin' on Budget - Pool Party
- Finance on Budget - Accounting 101
- Challenges of Being Small - "Customer's expect deals, and to some extent, they're right. They have a perception of taking a bigger risk with a small outfit. But overall, you'll get screwed. The customer knows you have fewer financial costs and is generally unwilling to pay for the time which your substituting to lower that overhead. Larger companies not only won't but generally can't work with small companies."
- SMB Outlook - Seeking Credit and Investment in the Recession: did "qualified investor" get redefined?, credit: the good - "Banks still need to put their money somewhere, so if you've already established a relationship and good credit, you've just become a VIP customer. In other words, banks are being driven to focus on their best customers. Which means if you're on the other side of the coin and haven't yet established a good report, it'll be a little difficult. But even if you're on the outs, don't worry too much. It'll be harder to get credit than it was a few years ago, but it's not clear that it's going to be particularly hard compared to "normal" times. There's clearly a lot of money out there that needs to find good investments and having to work a little harder to show that you're investment and credit worthy isn't necessarily a bad thing." Topical, but makes more sense after talking about finance in general... Make this a finance issue? (And Drop mobile to the 2nd issue?)
- Profiles in Courage Interview someone. What I want in the interview: specifics. The problem with most interviews (and business stories in general) is there's so little context. It makes a huge difference whether the story you're hearing is from a guy that worked his way up from janitor or who's daddy gave him 1M to start out with. Should set up standards so that we get "order of magnitude data" as too-specific data can be abused. Also, need to respect that data about current ventures can be dangerous as well, so we stay away from that. Develop questionaire.
- Let's interview some bank folk for both facts for credit and extra content. If we can find some angel investors, even better. - Interview a couple co-working outfits; I'm bullish on the idea, but bearish on initial implementation. I should get their side and maybe change my mind, or failing that, give them an opportunity to make their case.
Future Articles
Articles focusing on phases?
- Lone Warrior Focuses on the one-person office. Prosaic intro. Time Management. Delegate: "Just because you don't have employers or co-workers doesn't mean you can't delegate. For the true bootstrapper, there'll be times when you just can't afford any help. But if you've got some cash flow, don't hesitate to hire help. Whether it's a part time assistant to strtaighten the office and run errands once a week or getting an accountant to do your taxes, find someone to handle the stuff that just has to get done but you hate doing yourself. There's nothing so satisfying as pushing the stuff that annoys you off your plate." The Big Leap: Growing from on to two is hardest and biggest jump. 100%, all by yourself.
- The Small Office Email accounts for todos
- Funding and Finance
- Office Solutions In-House, Back Yard, Coffee House, Co-Working, Rent a Space
- Ballin' on Budget - Hi-Fi
- Finance on Budget - Modeling 101
- Budget Eating - focus on specific tools and tools
- Personal Budget - focus on stories; possible tagline: "Where there's a will." Focus of the article is that it comes down to you. Tricks can help you implement, but if you can implement without, don't worry. The tricks themselves have no value beyond motivation." (That may be too much my own slant...- Z)
- Vacation on Budget - Attend a conference if you can.
- Company structure. Basics, kinds. 1/2+ article focuses on best general vehicle: the LLC.
- Funding : Credit
- Funding : Investment - find a good match. Knowledgable investors. "You want to work to convince an investor you're a good investment. Otherwise, the investor doesn't know what they're doing." Rules: investor hunting, Schedule D.
- Lawyers Bottom line: there's lots of things you need lawyers for and lots of things you don't. This is not something you'll hear very often because SMB lawyers will always tell you you need a lawyer and non-lawyers are afraid to tell you otherwise. For their part, the lawyers do "know the law", but they're also perfectly biased. You never hear the other side because everyone knows that "the unauthorized practice of law" including "[p]reparing or expressing legal opinions"[1]. But (in Texas) as long as I "clearly and conspicuously state that [this article is] not a substitute for the advice of an attorney"[2] and don't charge money, I'm probably okay writing this article. pp At least I think I'm okay. Not being an attorney, I can't actually tell you if I'm okay or not. pp An therein like the seeming contradiction that trips people up. But look, the law is not magical or anything, it's a regular thing like anything else. You can either fix your own car or have someone else do it, and the law is no different. Just like your car, depending on what you need you're either a fool to pay a mechanic (to fill up your gas) or a fool to do it yourself (rebuild your engine)."
Clearly want IT Issue
- Workstations
- Laptops
- Operating System
- Storage and Backup
- Cloud 101
