The latest edition of EN for business – an ‘entrepreneurial’ magazine (?) dropped onto my doormat this morning. It is (I read) full of all the stuff you need to know to succeed in business.
The problem I have with that is – the magazine is sent for free.
They write it – print it (not cheap – it’s a glossy) and distribute it for free – well, to me at any rate.
Now this is clever stuff and I wish I knew the secret of letting folk have a product for free. I have searched the magazine for a clue but nothing. It is full of youngish folk that have businesses that (apparently) turnover vast amounts of cash – usually in the tens of millions of pounds – annually. Strangely, the main problem that these folk have ( if you read the articles in ENfor business) is…wait for it…getting funding! Yes, the old chestnut of getting funding or, for us mere mortals:Borrowing cash by the container-load!
Yes, most of the ‘entrepreneurial’ articles are about people borrowing money to set-up a ‘pet’ business. Whether this succeeds or fails, it seems, is by the way – just something for folk to read in between the adverts! Oh, wait…the adverts…oh my gosh! Is that how they make the money to make the magazine?
Well well, I’m glad I sussed that out. Let’s see…write a load of garbage about some subject and lace it with nice glossy adverts for biggish companies…simples eh? Send the magazines out for free and bingo….blanket corporate advertising. I wish I had thought of that.
Mind you – just thinking about something won’t bring a pound or two in – you have to actually do something…perhaps that’s where the ‘entrepreneurial’ bit comes in.
On the front cover of the mag is a nice picture of the model Caprice as she’s now running her own ‘multi-million pound underwear business’. She gives a few hints and tips about doing it. But wait…that can’t be just another advert….can it? Has she paid to be in and on the magazine…my oh my I bet that wasn’t cheap!
Mmmm…..isn’t it surprising what you can learn – for free? And here’s me trying to earn a crust mending bikes…..silly me!
