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Written by: Carolyn Young
Carolyn Young is a business writer who focuses on entrepreneurial concepts and the business formation. She has over 25 years of experience in business roles, and has authored several entrepreneurship textbooks.
Edited by: David Lepeska
David has been writing and learning about business, finance and globalization for a quarter-century, starting with a small New York consulting firm in the 1990s.
Published on June 4, 2022
Investment range
$2,850 - $6,300
Revenue potential
$54,000 - $180,000 p.a.
Time to build
0 – 3 months
Profit potential
$49,000 - $108,000 p.a.
Industry trend
Growing
Commitment
Flexible
Here are the important elements to think about when starting your magazine:
Starting a magazine has pros and cons to consider before deciding if it’s right for you.
Trends in the magazine industry include:
Challenges in the magazine industry include:
Startup costs for a magazine range from $2,800 to $6,300. Costs include a computer and design software for your magazine graphics.
| Start-up Costs | Ballpark Range | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Setting up a business name and corporation | $150 - $200 | $175 |
| Business licenses and permits | $100 - $300 | $200 |
| Insurance | $100-$300 | $200 |
| Business cards and brochures | $200 - $300 | $250 |
| Website setup | $1,000 - $3,000 | $2,000 |
| Computer | $800 - $1,200 | $1,000 |
| Design software | $500 - $1,000 | $750 |
| Total | $2,850 - $6,300 | $4,575 |
You can make money from your magazine by using Google AdSense, which will pay you 68% of what Google makes on each ad. Google offers tips to maximize your ad revenue. The average per ad click you’ll make is $3. Your profit margin will be high if you’re writing all the articles and doing the graphics yourself and should be around 90%.
In your first year or two, you might have 1,500 ad clicks per month, bringing in $54,000 in annual revenue. This would mean $49,000 in profit, assuming that 90% margin. As your magazine gains traction, you might get 5,000 ad clicks per month. At this stage, you might outsource some of the writing, reducing your profit margin to around 60%. With annual revenue of $180,000, you’d make a handsome profit of $108,000.
There are a few barriers to entry for a magazine. Your biggest challenges will be:
Now that you know what’s involved in starting a magazine, it’s a good idea to hone your concept in preparation to enter a competitive market.
Market research will give you the upper hand, even if you’re already positive that you have a perfect product or service. Conducting market research is important, because it can help you understand your customers better, who your competitors are, and your business landscape.
Research magazines online to examine their content and customer reviews. You’re looking for a market gap to fill. For instance, maybe the market is missing a digital publishing company that features personal essays or an educational digital publication on entrepreneurship that has interactive features.
You might consider targeting a niche market by specializing in a certain aspect of your industry, such as DIY articles or video content.
This could jumpstart your word-of-mouth marketing and attract clients right away.
Your products will be the digital content that you create. You’ll just need to decide on a theme for your magazine, and what features you want to add, like interactive features or video content.
You could also offer your magazine as a subscription so that you’re not completely reliant on ad revenue.
Your ad revenue will be based on Google AdSense rules and how much traffic your magazine gets. If you decided to offer your magazine as a subscription, you might be able to charge $2 to $4 monthly. Your profit margin when you’re working by yourself should be about 90%.
Once you know your costs, you can use this Step By Step profit margin calculator to determine your mark-up and final price points. Remember, the prices you use at launch should be subject to change if warranted by the market.
Your potential subscribers and readers will depend on the type of content you provide. If your content targets younger people, you should focus your marketing on TikTok and Instagram.
In the early stages, you may want to run your business from home to keep costs low. But as your business grows, you’ll likely need to hire workers for various roles and may need to rent out an office. You can find commercial space to rent in your area on sites such as Craigslist, Crexi, and Instant Offices.
When choosing a commercial space, you may want to follow these rules of thumb:
Here are some ideas for brainstorming your business name:
Once you’ve got a list of potential names, visit the website of the US Patent and Trademark Office to make sure they are available for registration and check the availability of related domain names using our Domain Name Search tool below. Using “.com” or “.org” sharply increases credibility, so it’s best to focus on these.
Finally, make your choice among the names that pass this screening and go ahead with domain registration and social media account creation. Your business name is one of the key differentiators that sets your business apart. Once you pick your company name, and start with the branding, it is hard to change the business name. Therefore, it’s important to carefully consider your choice before you start a business entity.
Here are the key components of a business plan:
If you’ve never created a business plan, it can be an intimidating task. You might consider hiring a business plan specialist to create a top-notch business plan for you.
Registering your business is an absolutely crucial step — it’s the prerequisite to paying taxes, raising capital, opening a bank account, and other guideposts on the road to getting a business up and running.
Plus, registration is exciting because it makes the entire process official. Once it’s complete, you’ll have your own business!
Your business location is important because it can affect taxes, legal requirements, and revenue. Most people will register their business in the state where they live, but if you’re planning to expand, you might consider looking elsewhere, as some states could offer real advantages when it comes to magazines.
If you’re willing to move, you could really maximize your business! Keep in mind, it’s relatively easy to transfer your business to another state.
Business entities come in several varieties, each with its pros and cons. The legal structure you choose for your magazine will shape your taxes, personal liability, and business registration requirements, so choose wisely.
Here are the main options:
We recommend that new business owners choose LLC as it offers liability protection and pass-through taxation while being simpler to form than a corporation. You can form an LLC in as little as five minutes using an online LLC formation service. They will check that your business name is available before filing, submit your articles of organization, and answer any questions you might have.
Choose Your State
The final step before you’re able to pay taxes is getting an Employer Identification Number, or EIN. You can file for your EIN online or by mail or fax: visit the IRS website to learn more. Keep in mind, if you’ve chosen to be a sole proprietorship you can simply use your social security number as your EIN.
Once you have your EIN, you’ll need to choose your tax year. Financially speaking, your business will operate in a calendar year (January–December) or a fiscal year, a 12-month period that can start in any month. This will determine your tax cycle, while your business structure will determine which taxes you’ll pay.
The IRS website also offers a tax-payers checklist, and taxes can be filed online.
It is important to consult an accountant or other professional to help you with your taxes to ensure you’re completing them correctly.
Securing financing is your next step and there are plenty of ways to raise capital:
Bank and SBA loans are probably the best option, other than friends and family, for funding a magazine business. You might also try crowdfunding if you have an innovative concept.
Starting a magazine business requires obtaining a number of licenses and permits from local, state, and federal governments.
Federal regulations, licenses, and permits associated with starting your business include doing business as (DBA), health licenses and permits from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), trademarks, copyrights, patents, and other intellectual properties, as well as industry-specific licenses and permits.
You may also need state-level and local county or city-based licenses and permits. The license requirements and how to obtain them vary, so check the websites of your state, city, and county governments or contact the appropriate person to learn more.
You could also check this SBA guide for your state’s requirements, but we recommend using MyCorporation’s Business License Compliance Package. They will research the exact forms you need for your business and state and provide them to ensure you’re fully compliant.
This is not a step to be taken lightly, as failing to comply with legal requirements can result in hefty penalties.
If you feel overwhelmed by this step or don’t know how to begin, it might be a good idea to hire a professional to help you check all the legal boxes.
Before you start making money, you’ll need a place to keep it, and that requires opening a bank account.
Keeping your business finances separate from your personal account makes it easy to file taxes and track your company’s income, so it’s worth doing even if you’re running your magazine business as a sole proprietorship. Opening a business bank account is quite simple, and similar to opening a personal one. Most major banks offer accounts tailored for businesses — just inquire at your preferred bank to learn about their rates and features.
Banks vary in terms of offerings, so it’s a good idea to examine your options and select the best plan for you. Once you choose your bank, bring in your EIN (or Social Security Number if you decide on a sole proprietorship), articles of incorporation, and other legal documents and open your new account.
Business insurance is an area that often gets overlooked yet it can be vital to your success as an entrepreneur. Insurance protects you from unexpected events that can have a devastating impact on your business.
Here are some types of insurance to consider:
As opening day nears, prepare for launch by reviewing and improving some key elements of your business.
Being an entrepreneur often means wearing many hats, from marketing to sales to accounting, which can be overwhelming. Fortunately, many websites and digital tools are available to help simplify many business tasks.
You may want to use industry-specific software, such as The Magazine Manager, Chargebee, or Ad Sales Genius, to manage your projects, sales, and billing.
Website development is crucial because your site is your online presence and needs to convince prospective clients of your expertise and professionalism.
You can create your own website using website builders. This route is very affordable, but figuring out how to build a website can be time-consuming. If you lack tech-savvy, you can hire a web designer or developer to create a custom website for your business.
They are unlikely to find your website, however, unless you follow Search Engine Optimization (SEO) practices. These are steps that help pages rank higher in the results of top search engines like Google.
Here are some powerful marketing strategies for your future business:
Unique selling propositions, or USPs, are the characteristics of a product or service that sets it apart from the competition. Customers today are inundated with buying options, so you’ll have a real advantage if they are able to quickly grasp how your magazine meets their needs or wishes. It’s wise to do all you can to ensure your USPs stand out on your website and in your marketing and promotional materials, stimulating buyer desire.
Global pizza chain Domino’s is renowned for its USP: “Hot pizza in 30 minutes or less, guaranteed.” Signature USPs for your magazine business could be:
You may not like to network or use personal connections for business gain. But your personal and professional networks likely offer considerable untapped business potential. Maybe that Facebook friend you met in college is now running a magazine business, or a LinkedIn contact of yours is connected to dozens of potential clients. Maybe your cousin or neighbor has been working in magazines for years and can offer invaluable insight and industry connections.
The possibilities are endless, so it’s a good idea to review your personal and professional networks and reach out to those with possible links to or interest in magazines. You’ll probably generate new customers or find companies with which you could establish a partnership. Online businesses might also consider affiliate marketing as a way to build relationships with potential partners and boost business.
If you’re starting out small from a home office, you may not need any employees. But as your business grows, you will likely need workers to fill various roles. Potential positions for a magazine business include:
At some point, you may need to hire all of these positions or simply a few, depending on the size and needs of your business. You might also hire multiple workers for a single role or a single worker for multiple roles, again depending on need.
Free-of-charge methods to recruit employees include posting ads on popular platforms such as LinkedIn, Facebook, or Jobs.com. You might also consider a premium recruitment option, such as advertising on Indeed, Glassdoor, or ZipRecruiter. Further, if you have the resources, you could consider hiring a recruitment agency to help you find talent.
Digital magazines are seeing rapid growth, providing readers with valuable information and entertainment that can be accessed even on a mobile device. If you’re a writer and have always dreamed of starting a magazine, there’s no need for the expense of paper – you can create your own digital magazine for very little money and maybe build a national brand!
You’ve gained valuable insights by reading this guide, so now it’s time to start writing your way to magazine success.
Magazines generally rely on ad revenue, which digital magazines can earn by using Google AdSense. They can also charge for subscriptions.
Starting a magazine can be profitable, but it depends on various factors such as the target audience, advertising revenue, circulation, production costs, and competition in the market. Conducting market research and developing a solid business plan can help evaluate the potential profitability of a magazine.
To ensure the quality and relevance of content offered in a magazine, consider the following strategies: conduct extensive research and interviews to provide accurate and informative content, utilize experienced and knowledgeable writers and editors, develop a consistent and recognizable editorial voice and style, solicit feedback from readers and industry professionals, and regularly assess and adapt to changes in industry trends and audience interests.
To differentiate a magazine from competitors in the market, consider the following strategies: specialize in a specific niche or focus on a unique aspect of a broader topic, offer a visually appealing and well-designed layout, provide original and exclusive content, utilize interactive or multimedia elements, and engage with readers through social media or events.
The writing style used in magazines can vary depending on the target audience and the nature of the content. Generally, magazines utilize a more conversational and accessible writing style compared to academic or technical writing.
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