1. Start or “Jump Start” Your
Publishing Business
Advanced Magazine Institute
India 2012
Entire contents © 2012 Sabatier Consulting LLC All Rights Reserved

2. Readers call for ‘more’ and ‘better’ in a world that for them is
changing beyond recognition.

3. Topics we will cover
1 Assess Performance
2 Innovate
3 Protect Profits
4 Revenue Diversification
5 Partner
6 Staff Training and Retraining
7 Accountability with Customers
8 Be Passionate

4. Best Practices to Position for Growth
1. Assess Performance

5. Best Practices to Position for Growth
1. Assess Performance
 Strategy first, cost cutting second
 Clear sense of vision
 Core activities done well [including processes]
 Communicate value proposition
 Be prepared to take calculated risks

6. Best Practices to Position for Growth
1. Assess Performance
 Discipline
 Jim Collins used it to describe the Good to Great
firms (disciplined people engaged in disciplined
thought and disciplined action).

7. Best Practices to Position for Growth
2. Innovate

8. Best Practices to Position for Growth
2. Innovate
 Take risks.
 Allow failure
 Find patterns

9. Best Practices to Position for Growth
2. Innovate
 What needs do people have that a new publication, product
or service can fulfill?
 What trend or trends are present here?
 What opportunities do they present?
 What are the current gaps in the marketplace?
 What is the insight that can lead me to create greater value
in this segment?
 How can I test the efficacy of my idea?"

10. Best Practices to Position for Growth
3. Protect Revenue

11. Best Practices to Position for Growth
3. Protect Revenue
 Align/Realign priorities
 Leverage price to maximize revenue
Subscriptions
Advertising
Books
Other products and services

12. Best Practices to Position for Growth
4. Revenue Diversification

13. Best Practices to Position for Growth
4. Revenue Diversification
 360 view of your readers
Cultivate a relentless outside in focus:
how can you better meet their needs?

14. Best Practices to Position for Growth
5. Partner

15. Best Practices to Position for Growth
5. Partner
Who are your partners for:
 Business development
 Shared learning
 Marketing
Look for:
Complementary competencies
Expanded opportunities
Opportunity to leverage existing resources
How to minimize new costs

16. Best Practices to Position for Growth
6. Staff Training and Compensation

17. Best Practices to Position for Growth
6. Staff Training and Compensation
 Hire your “weakness”
 Train and then evolve and “stay current”
 Cross train staff
 Compensation – does it incentivize?

18. Best Practices to Position for Growth
7. Accountability with Readers

19. Best Practices to Position for Growth
7. Accountability with your readers
Take the pulse – measure your success and
weaknesses or gaps
 expand depth and transparency
 commit to “actionable” research

20. Best Practices to Position for Growth
8. Be Passionate

21. Best Practices to Position for Growth
8. Be Passionate
The passion for your mission should be evident
 Can fuel you through difficult times
 But don’t let passon cloud your objectivity
“Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.”
Romans 12:11

22. Summary:Best Practices to Position for Growth
1 Assess Performance
2 Innovate
3 Protect Profits
4 Revenue Diversification
5 Partner
6 Staff Training and Compensation
7 Accountability with Customers
8 Be Passionate

23. Questions and
Discussion