Becoming the Business Fairy

Posted by Gina Stewart on 7 November 2010 | 2 Comments

Tags: getting started

I was in the Dollar Store buying birthday cards in early September when my mobile phone rang. I looked at the number: my older son’s best friend’s mother. Thinking she was probably calling about a sleepover, I answered. Instead, she was asking for business advice — she said she needed to find “The Business Fairy.”

I admit that I knew nothing about the publishing world, but I do know a lot about launching a new venture. I know how to write a pro forma, how to find the right lawyers and insurance, how to pitch to investors, how to avoid trouble with the SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission). I asked a few questions: Is the entire creative team on board? Check. Do you have relationships with potential advertisers? Check. Is there a clear revenue model and projection of expenses? Check. Why launch a high-end magazine in a recession? Because people still love magazines and need inspiration to travel and to spend.

We decided to start a new publication, and quickly. We settled on the topics of local food, wine, travel, and décor … all issues of great interest to me. I called a lawyer I know in Raleigh and pitched the project to her. She graciously agreed to come on board. We incorporated as a publishing company, The Cybele Group, Inc. (Pronounced: SIB-uh-LEE), and when we ordered our business cards, we decided to have a little fun: I chose the title “The Business Fairy.”

We’ve been having fun ever since, and I love working with such creative, enthusiastic people. I can’t wait to see our new magazine in less than a month.