My Magazine Ch. 15

"No David, we take a fresh approach with it. We retain its basic structure but rename it Business Women and publish its fortnightly, increasing it page numbers and making it available only by subscription based on say £5.50 a copy."

Ron was thinking as an accountant.

"That would slash circulation by cutting out impulse sales made at news agents and then we would have the cost of postage to load on to it."

"That subscription amount would include postage Ron. The newspaper currently publishes once a week, with a cover price of $1.30. The format is exactly the same as Zephyr's Centre-court publication for netball and basketball players and fans and matches the format of our weekly buy, sell or exchange newspaper Consumer Marketplace and the fortnightly Two Wheelers.

David said "Our? I wasn't aware you are back on our payroll just yet."

"Pardon me for thinking ahead David if such forward vision is foreign to you."

He grinned.

"You've overlooked one thing Jenni. Your Business Women would run out of hot-shot women to profile after about ten issues as they are a rather rare breed."

"No David because the focus would not be exclusively on the darlings of the British Chambers of Commerce. The focus of the newspaper would be on working girls in offices - from youngsters who buy cigarettes for the bosses to especially those women who make the purchasing decisions about office supplies ... the unsung heroines of big business and even corner takeaways."

At that, both David and Ron straightened their backs.

"Well, that makes it somewhat different," said David thoughtfully. "I can get Ron on running out some figures and you can write me a project business plan then we can get together and analyse the whole thing. Of course, this idea has been tried before and the life of those trade publications usually has not been particularly long."

"True but as far as I can recall none of those publications were editorially driven - in most cases editorial drivel was placed between the ads except for a credible lead story on the front page and another on page three and I'm only aware of one strong women in business magazine currently publishing in Britain.

It was time for a cheap shot from David.

"Of course, Ron, Jenni doesn't want us to take a month or so researching this project and planning a solid base from which to launch it, providing the figures work out in our favour, eventually. She of course is not prepared to contribute financially and give time to research."

Jenni was waiting for this.

"I quite understand your increasing desire to have your whole business operations keyed in tidily and completely to a carefully tailored and thoroughly rationale business mode David. But occasionally seat-of-the-pants management should take preferences."

"In the old days the entrepreneurs who worked like this often made fabulous amounts of money without having planners or accountants at their backs to rob their projects of ingenuity, good timing and the sense of déjà vu in which those bright people and their inspired projects jelled to appeal to consumers."

"So you want me to take a gamble?"

"Yes, you get Ron to produce an operational budget for this proposal based on the copy of Business People I've handed him. This issue is sixteen pages; the rejigged successor should have twenty-four pages with the editor on a managing editor's salary plus car, a junior writer and two receptionists/accounts persons."

"I'd want to use the money saved by not distributing to news agents to spend on frequently running promotions of the newspaper plus targeted campaigns to win new subscribers through sample mail-out promos."

"In the meantime, I'll start working on a business plan purely because I work on business plans - not because the strategic planning department which thinks the business plan is their invention and will say we must produce one."

David nodded and said, "How much would you consider we'll have to pay to own intellectual rights of Business People? I guess your reason to secure lover boy editor is to try to win some of their current readers and advertisers across to its successor."

"Correct David and I knew I could rely on your keen business brain. I wouldn't have a clue how much - but not much. My recommendation would be for you to talk to the owner and his son and make him an offer but in particular have a little side deal offering a two person tour package to say America with no strings attached."

"Do you see that as bait?"

"Real bait David. Daddy likes talking a little plaything on holiday."

"He sounds like my kind of guy."

"Yes David, but wait till I set up my own exploratory talks with the editor."

"When will that be?"

"When he asks me to lunch, but I don't know when that will be."

"For goodness sake Jenni, where're trying to run a business here. Ask the guy to damn lunch and nobble him about a deal."

"No David. Let's take this one slowly. Daddy doesn't have to sell. He'll just keep on pushing out papers until his creditors finally move against him and get him closed down. I scarcely know the editor but will get the opportunity to talk about his future over lunch in the near future.

"Christ do it your way Jenni. We've got nothing to lose except the time Ron spends on working up a Mickey Mouse budget about none of us, including you, at this moment know stuff all."

"But Jenni I acknowledge you've excelled yourself with My Magazine and so why wouldn't you be able to make this two-bit paper fly a goer and drag in money for us? As a proposal it sounds a winner, I'll concede that. It will depend a great deal on lover boy though."

"David if you wish to give him a title refer to him by his name - Rhys Cain."

"All right Jenni, Rhys Cain. Ah Rhys Cain and Jenni Cain, hmmm. I have to dash, Jenni phone me as soon as you can trigger my talks with Father Cain - no, just joking. What's his name?"

"I haven't a clue, but he'll be listed there in your paper as publisher."

"You want me to buy a paper from some guy and you don't even know his name? If this thing gets off the ground and turns out to be a winner I'll write it up and enter it in the Chamber of Commerce's Most Amazing Business Project of the Year award."

"There's nothing amazing about having a hunch and then making a deal work David."

"Goodbye Jenni."

Ron and Jenni watched him walk out.

"You know Jenni you really leave me breathless at times," said Ron, shaking his head. "If anyone else came up with a half-baked idea like that he'd toss them on to the street. He'll run with this one Jenni; I know he will. He's now convinced himself he can smell money. But he won't see any of it in his time, will he?"

"No it will take at year, perhaps two before it flies. By then our charming gentleman Monsieur Brooks, living in a rented chateau, busily testing every label of every vintage made in France over the past twenty plus years with a well-educated and well-endowed maid for all thirty one bedrooms of the chateau but not the master bedroom."

Ron made an interesting observation.

"That's equivalent to one for every night of the month."

"You're a good bean counter Ron."

"Jenni who do you will loan you all the money you'll need to buy David out?"

"I know I am only a woman, Ron, but surely there is a nice banker somewhere who will be willing to loan me three or four hundred grand to add to the little liquidity nest egg that my father who never loved me left to me."

"Good God, Jenni. I didn't realise..."

"I blabber on about many things Ron but not about personal finances. I almost keeled over when the will was read to me. Daddy never discussed his personal finances either. You learn some things from your parents you know."

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