Corrections or additions?
These articles by Kathleen McGinn Spring were prepared for the
April 25, 2001 edition of U.S. 1 Newspaper. All rights reserved.
For New Businesses: `StartUpJournal’
Thinking of buying an ice cream stand at the shore?
Just getting a software company off the ground? StartupJournal, new
from the Wall Street Journal, offers hundreds of listings of
businesses
for sale, and an abundance of advice for getting one of them up and
running smoothly.
The online magazine, at www.startupjournal.com, is the latest in
a family of websites that have sprung from National Business
Employment
Weekly, a once-a-week print publication for job hunting executives
that morphed into online magazine CareerJournal. StartupJournal’s
siblings, in addition to CareerJournal, are CareerJournal Europe,
CareerJournal Asia, and CollegeJournal. All link back to WSJ.com,
the website of the Wall Street Journal. And while the other five
publications
in the online family address concerns of those working at climbing
corporate ladders, StartupJournal is for individuals who want to erect
their own scaffolding.
An unobtrusive little button on the upper left hand side of
StartupJournal’s
home page reads “businesses for sale.” It leads to a rich
directory of businesses, accessible by region, state, or type of
enterprise.
In New Jersey alone there are many hundreds of possibilities,
including
liquor stores in a wide range of prices, bagel stores, child care
centers, fitness chains, marinas, web hosting businesses, software
companies, and yes, quite a few ice cream stores. Each entry contains
a smidgen of financial information on the business, terms of sale,
and a description. Searching the listings is great fun, and it’s free,
too. Posting an ad costs $59.
Other home page real estate is occupied by buttons leading to sections
where entrepreneurs can look for franchise opportunities, create
business
plans with step-by-step help, and search for trademarks. Basic-level
business plans and trademark searches are free. For more comprehensive
offerings, users are directed to StartupJournal partners, which charge
for their services.
Free to all are home page articles. Among them is “The
Challengers.”
Following the reality genre formula that is oh-so-popular right now,
this feature follows “the triumphs and tribulations” of four
early-stage U.S. companies, looking “behind the scenes to explore
what life is really like at young, entrepreneurial companies.”
Other features explore marketing strategies, financing options, and
management challenges.
Beyond its home page editorial content, StartupJournal offers scores
of articles under headings that include “How-To,”
“Technology,”
and “Running a Business,” and “Ideas.” On a recent
day, the website’s articles ran the gamut from new strategies for
motivational speakers (tell audiences how you recovered from
near-disaster)
to help for franchisees who are hard up for workers (poach from your
neighbors and consider hiring ex-cons). Much of the writing is done
by Wall Street Journal reporters. It follows the Internet rule that
states that folks reading on a computer terminal want their
information
in little pieces. Paragraphs are short, and information is sometimes
presented in bullet points. The articles, one and all, are
entertaining,
finding fresh angles everywhere. It is not hard to lose track of time,
moving from one enticing headline — “Entrepreneur Uses His
Hobby to Build an Empire” — to another.
A valuable resource for anyone dreaming of selling soft ice cream
by the sea by summer’s start, StartupJournal is also a great read
for anyone interested in small business trends and strategies.
— Kathleen McGinn Spring
Corrections or additions?
This page is published by PrincetonInfo.com
— the web site for U.S. 1 Newspaper in Princeton, New Jersey.
