Running a Magazine

What is the business? This is not a home publishing business. The Snippet is a free weekly 5 minute up-beat read. A new publishing concept based on a unique distribution strategy that targets local readers and supports local small to medium sized advertisers.

It can be picked up in cafes, beauty salons, gyms, pubs, business centre's as well as in other 'waiting' environments, such as dentists, hairdressers and doctors surgeries. We provide all the editorial, design and printing.

All you have to do is sell 28 adverts 4 times a year and organize the distribution. Running one area is very much a part-time proposition, if well organized it can be done in one day a week.

Investment required: £9,995 plus VAT.

Earning Potential: £30,000+ (£600+ per week profit)

Is there training/support for franchisees? Yes, each franchisee receives an operations manual which gives you everything you need to run a successful business. They also get full bespoke training to suit each person and play on their own strengths and weaknesses. The Franchisors will be there to supply continual ongoing support. We can help you to network in situations that you are most comfortable in and also help with personal development.

Best suited to: People wanting to work from home, part-time or full-time and who would enjoy meeting and developing a professional, but fun relationship with local business people. Must possess good all round business sense but no previous experience is necessary.

For more information: Contact Alyson on 07989 320893 or email alyson@thesnippet.net and we can call you. Alternatively, please click here to fill out a simple form and we will send you the initial information by email.

Name: Helen

Location: Leicester

Family: Yes - 1 child

How often do you work?
I work every Friday morning plus the odd appointment with any new businesses. Once every 3 months 2 days renewing and selling new adverts.

How does the job fit around your family life?
I work from the study at home and then out distributing on a Friday, my daughter likes to help when she is off school. It gives me a great amount of free time and money to do some of the nice things I never used to get the time to do when working for someone else.

How much roughly did the franchise cost you?
Under £10,000

What did that investment buy?
The Snippet is a strong brand and all the editorial content, layout and print management are all provided for you. The adverts are designed at head office and are emailed directly to the advertisers for approval. I simply get my 2000 copies delivered to the door every week. I receive full training, stationery and stands to put The Snippets in and excellent ongoing support from the Franchisor. I put in a new phone line and have a basic computer which is sufficient.

Do you get support/training?
The Franchisor came to my area to help with getting all the distributors which was great fun and so easy. I thought it would be the most difficult thing but there is no reason why distributors should not take it - it is a light, breezy time-filler which can only leave the reader feeling a degree or two warmer about the day and life in general.

They showed me a way to network and get referrals by "word of mouth marketing" which is a system to get warm leads not cold calls. They also helped with my presentation and sales skills. It is in their interest to make sure that the franchisees have full support and get their area up and running profitably and as quickly as possible.

Are there on-going costs?
The weekly print costs and management service fee for which I have the assurance of knowing that Alyson is there to help, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. They even helped find a cheap phone provider which they did not have to do!

How much do you earn?
£600+ per week for 1 day a week's work. I am looking at taking on a second area soon.

What is the best thing about The Snippet for you?
I really enjoy doing the distribution and watching people read it. I have one distributor who waits for it every week, cooks the recipe every Saturday and then reports back on the result the following week.

One distributor called as 15 people in his shop were reading it while waiting in the queue and wanted to advertise. One of the banks has requested it as the other bank has it. It is just nice to put a smile on people's faces. No bad news...mmmm which star sign are you?

Are there any downsides to the job?
When I first started the self motivation for selling was hard, but after a while it just became so easy as there are so many unique selling points as to why people should advertise with us.

Would you recommend this franchise opportunity to other Mums?
Definitely, but you need to be outgoing and not scared to approach people. You are not selling them advertising to punish them; you are selling to them to enhance their business. Just make it fun and enjoy it, the rest will come.