Feature
Issue No. 30 - August/September 2006
The journey so far
Our 48-page first edition was launched on 26 June 2001 at an Australia-Israel Chamber of Commerce luncheon compered by Steve Whitham. A few of our present readers would have been in the crowd. Some would have heard the mutterings: 'That's too good to last', 'We'll see if it lasts three issues'.
Five years and 30 issues later we have hit 112 pages. This is our first issue bound with a spine!
The launch followed several years of building experience in magazines, testing and canvassing opinion. People - even those close to me - may think I am a typical reckless entrepreneur. Nothing could be farther from the truth! I am just working on a 30-year plan, not a five-year plan. Robert Gerard made much the same point in an interview for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of The Year Awards in recent years.
'in-business' succeeded its prototype, 'insight' magazine. 'insight' was a series of three free magazines I published between 1999 and 2000. I built a production team, got feedback on editorial style and layout and generally enhanced our production experience.
Five years earlier I had cut my teeth on a free, eight-page, two-colour newsletter printed on 65gsm bond - the Adelaide Business Pack, founded by Australia Post.
These ventures were on a small-ish scale. Looking back brings to mind how print production techniques have changed radically in the last three decades. As a boy, I recall my father clearing the table every night to rub off Letraset lettering for the staff newsletter of the large industrial company for which he was the publicity manager. It seems print was in the blood!
I walked in to Larry Ellenwood's office on 11 November 2000, announced the plan to launch
'in-business' and appointed him the editor on the spot. We had a seven-month lead-in to set up the business and produce the first issue.
Between us we had a great deal of sales and production experience, but d...
