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How I Started a Newspaper Without Money
I was able to start a paper without
capital because, like a lot of people, I already had most of the
equipment I needed. I had a very small computer that was barely
able to run the software I needed to run. I had an
inexpensive scanner, a laser printer, and some useful software.
I also had a small space in my little
house to use as a press room. The missing equipment was a light
table (which you may not even need today, since everything can now
be put on a disk, or even sent by email to the print shop. I had
no money, so I built my own light table (find
out
how).
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Other expenses for me included:
a. cost of printing the paper on a big web press.
b. mailing copies of the newspaper to the people in several
communities.
c. fuel for my vehicle, since I had to drive many miles to visit
advertisers, plus another 80 miles (round trip) to take the paper to the printer.
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When I went out my first week, I had no money for any of the above
expenses. I had just quit my job in order to start the newspaper.
So as I visited businesses in my area, I sold ideas and space for
ads and collected my fee in advance. I collected money for every
ad I sold. And then I used that cash to pay all my expenses, and
to pay for other needs I had, such as rent and food.
I repeated that process every issue.
I would spend a couple of days going around to sell ads, and then
I would use the money to produce the newspaper. The other
days I spent building ads, interviewing people, taking pictures
and writing up the stories for the paper.
As each issue of the paper was published, people were so pleased
with it that selling ads became easier and easier. Soon, businesses from other towns and nearby
cities also wanted to place ads in our paper, to reach the readers
in our area. (Intelligent business owners always want to
increase their sales, which often means reaching out to more and
more people.)
Bartering works,
too.
For some ads I would simply trade the
advertising for something I needed, such as a camera or a few
nights in a motel room, or for film processing (a big expense for
me in those days). You may find it easy to barter for all
kinds of things. But be careful to always collect enough money to
take care of all expenses.
ANGRY MASTODON GOES BERSERK |
