Magazine feedback

From time to time, I speak with someone about the magazine and they say something that makes me feel good, makes me feel like I am doing something valuable and makes me feel as if I am doing something worthwile. The accountant/realtor I referred to in the prior blog entry told me that he was impressed with the magazine and the layout, color and content. And numerous other people expressed similar sentiments about how the magazine could evolve in a valuable tool.

But the most warming compliment that I have received thus far is from one of the owners of Netspeak Florida that was featured in the latest issue. David McDowell was very impressed with the piece that was done on Netspeak and felt that it accurately represented the services that Netspeak provided. He thought that the piece was one of the best write ups about Netspeak thus far. Now, that felt good. The underlying tenor of the magazine is to allow the business owners to tell their stories. So while he was happy with the end product, we really only printed what he told us. In any event, the writer, Teshie Jones did do a wonderful.

David mentioned that in the future if he had any need for some writing talent he will keep me in mind. And I was happy to hear that. After all, the magazine is trying to position itself to be a resource for all businesses. He also mentioned that he sent a copy to the Cable & Wireless managers (Netspeak is a C&W product I beleive). I hope that will give me some needed exposure. I will sit tight and see if anything can develop from there. In the meantime I promised David I would send him the article so that he can pass it on to people who want him to explain his product. His response: Be sure to put the magazine credits so readers will know where the article came from.

Now that is reciprocity at its best and one hand washing the other.

Speaking of Netspeak, I read that Verizon is suing Vonage over the VOIP patents. Netspeak and Vonage do offer the same type of service to some extent. If Vonage is hampered, that could open up some more opportunities for Netspeak, maybe in areas they hadn't thought of before. Hmm I will keep my eye on this to see what develops.

Advertising projections

Lately, I have heard the R word being tossed around - Recession. With the housing market the way it is and the prices of houses being driven down by the excess supply of houses in the market that puts a lot of pressure on numerous sections of the economy. Now, I am bringing this up because a few weeks ago an accountant and realtor who runs his own business told me that times are tight right now - across the board. From the various networking events that I have attended, I noticed that there is a disproportionate amount of attorneys and real estate professionals within our community. So, with the real estate market the way it is, I am concerned that the purse strings may be tightened up. But, the up side may be that they are looking for new way to advertise their services. But with the magazine being new, it is understandable that their will be some hesitation. From my point of view that just means that I may have to work twice as hard to get them in my corner.

That same realtor/accountant told me that he loved the magazine and that I should now be looking to expand. He promised support where possible but as he pointed out times are tight.

One year old Caribbean Business Digest.

It has been a year since the Caribbean Business Digest was born. Actually, if my memory serves me right, the idea was borne in February but the first time I went public with it was in April 2006. That was at the banquest that honored Jamaican entreprenuers at the Sheraton in Ft Lauderdale. That day, I brought media kits that I had printed up at Kinko's due to the fact I had heard about the banquet late. And while there, I realized that there was a market for a magazine like the Caribbean Business Digest. With a year and three issues under my belt, there is still much to be done. This is the make or break year I believe but again there is good feedback on the magazine.