At this time last year, when BizSense was just a bunch of ideas scrawled on yellow legal pads, we were unsure if local businesses would let us interview their CEOs, presidents or owners. It was a big worry. Without access to business professionals we wouldn’t be able to produce much content. Obviously no content means no business.
To our delight, people at the top of their professions – who likely charge a lot of money per hour and don’t have lots of time to fritter away online — always find time to talk, and usually on short notice.
Today we posted a story about Umesh Dalal, the auditor for the City of Richmond. When I contacted Mr. Dalal last week to see if he wanted to do an interview on how small businesses might better audit themselves, I wasn’t sure he’d see much value in letting me come interview him. Our viewership is rising quickly, but we don’t have the 200,000 people who read the Times-Dispatch every day. He’d never heard of our website.
But on Friday, a day when most people are tearing out of town, Dalal and I chatted about business.
Not once has a possible source said he or she is too busy for an interview. Sometimes I’m not sure why we’ve been received so well. (Yes, I’m even skeptical about our business.) Sure, a business gets some exposure, but our viewership isn’t high enough to turn a local business into the next Facebook.
Perhaps instead, local businesses are just plain excited about a new business magazine where they can read about what Richmond businesses are doing.
At least we hope so.
At this time last year, when BizSense was just a bunch of ideas scrawled on yellow legal pads, we were unsure if local businesses would let us interview their CEOs, presidents or owners. It was a big worry. Without access to business professionals we wouldn’t be able to produce much content. Obviously no content means no business.
To our delight, people at the top of their professions – who likely charge a lot of money per hour and don’t have lots of time to fritter away online — always find time to talk, and usually on short notice.
Today we posted a story about Umesh Dalal, the auditor for the City of Richmond. When I contacted Mr. Dalal last week to see if he wanted to do an interview on how small businesses might better audit themselves, I wasn’t sure he’d see much value in letting me come interview him. Our viewership is rising quickly, but we don’t have the 200,000 people who read the Times-Dispatch every day. He’d never heard of our website.
But on Friday, a day when most people are tearing out of town, Dalal and I chatted about business.
Not once has a possible source said he or she is too busy for an interview. Sometimes I’m not sure why we’ve been received so well. (Yes, I’m even skeptical about our business.) Sure, a business gets some exposure, but our viewership isn’t high enough to turn a local business into the next Facebook.
Perhaps instead, local businesses are just plain excited about a new business magazine where they can read about what Richmond businesses are doing.
At least we hope so.