Magazine Franchises

Magazine Franchises

Magazines are still a popular means of entertainment. Even though in the current digital landscape, one may think who would want to buy magazines? But research shows that people still want to walk to a newsstand and pick up something to read on the tube or to skim through in the park. Women still want to pick up hardcopies of their favourite gossip magazines, with their quizzes and tips. This industry is still going strong regardless of the world wide web era. The avid readers of magazines and paperbacks still prefer to read on paper instead of gadgets. So, magazines franchise opportunities and novels business are going good in the UK.

Magazines franchise opportunities within this industry are plentiful. If an investor has an affinity with writing and editing, or even if they just want to manage and put together others writings, he or she can always go for a well-known brand’s franchise. Franchises are easier to handle as they don’t require any previous experience or too much advertising to set up a clientele. An already established business selling their franchise will help the franchisee with everything from training to policies to constant on ground support, whenever needed. So, investing in magazine franchise opportunities would be a better idea than to start a business of magazines from scratch. It would take a lot of effort to take that off the ground, as even though there are paperback loyalists, but they are a few. The market is saturated with big names, so it is better to run one the established franchises.

For an initial investment of £2,000, you can buy a franchise of the parenting magazine, ScallyMag. This magazine is for the parents by the parents. The best thing about this magazine is that parents write it to give benefit to other parents and help inform them about the on-going happenings of the community. Each of these magazine franchises for sale can choose how often they want to publish this magazine, from once a month to three times a year. The magazine makes money by allowing advertisements to be published in its pages along with useful information for parents.

JustRegional, which is a well-known name in the news and advertising world, has its franchises up for sale as well. For an initial investment of £15,000, you can become a part of getting the daily news to the people. JustRegional is all about what is happening in your area. As it is a focused newspaper magazine, the company has to expand to other areas in order to make it effective. They are expanding their business model and selling their magazine franchises so more and more regions can be covered. No prior experience is required to own a franchise of JustRegional.

Specialized magazines franchise opportunities are also very lucrative, as it caters to the big corporations, helping them advertise and print about their products. They take out magazines including information about their products etc. that create awareness within their target market.

The magazine franchise business is doing very well across the UK. Turnover in this industry is great especially if your magazine is able to get advertisements.

How to choose the right magazine franchise for you

Despite the rapid advancement of online publishing technologies, the print magazine industry continues to generate significant returns for investors, as well as offering a great number of employment opportunities.

If you've already decided to invest in a franchise business, and are considering magazine franchise opportunities, here are a few factors you will need to take into account before you take the plunge.

What do you want from magazine franchise businesses?

First, identify what you want to achieve from a magazine franchise opportunity. People invest in franchises for many reasons, and pinpointing your own motivations will ensure you take the right path from the outset.

Some reasons for choosing a magazine franchise could include:

- Wanting to create something that positively impacts your local community.

- Being able to work flexibly, from home, and around family commitments.

- Achieving a better work-life balance.

- Developing a creative outlet for your existing talents.

You should also decide whether this is something that you want to do as a side-hustle, alongside a full-time job, or whether it will be your principal source of income. This will determine how much time and money you can realistically invest.

Types of magazine franchises

There are several types of magazine franchises to buy, and it’s important to invest in a format that is the right fit for you. This means considering your existing skills, experience, and interests, and the amount of capital you have available to invest.

The main magazine franchise formats include:

Magazine Marketing Franchises

A magazine marketing franchisee’s key role is to sell subscriptions for one or more magazine titles published by the franchisor. The role may also involve distribution of the publication locally. To achieve success with this type of magazine franchise, you will need good marketing and selling skills.

Magazine Printing Franchises

If you have experience in the printing industry, a magazine printing franchise may be the way to go. As the name suggests, this type of franchise business involves the physical magazine printing process.

Do you have experience or an interest in a particular niche, and do you have the necessary skills?

If you have previously worked in the magazine publishing industry, you will certainly have an advantage, but prior experience is not a compulsory requirement for most magazine franchises, as training is usually provided.

However, you will need to be motivated to grow your business, with excellent communication and organisational skills, good attention to detail, and an ability to develop key relationships. Sales experience, or an affinity for sales, certainly helps too.

Depending on the size of your franchise business, you may need to hire a small team to deliver customer service and to cover other important roles. This means you’ll also need to be a good leader to ensure your business runs smoothly.

The most popular topics for the print magazine sector are: parenting, local community information (such as searchable “what’s on” directories), news and current affairs, entertainment, health, politics, sports, and lifestyle. If you have an interest or experience in any of these niches, then taking on a magazine franchise could be a great fit for you.

How profitable is a magazine franchise business?

A print magazine franchisee’s primary income usually comes from businesses advertising in the publication and pre-agreed commissions from reader subscriptions paid out by the franchisor.

Like any business, revenue is proportional to the amount of effort spent. Profitable magazine franchises might expect a profit margin of around 55%, although this is not guaranteed and will depend on several variables.

How much do magazine franchise opportunities cost?

Many magazine marketing franchises do not require an enormous capital investment. You can find low-cost magazine franchises for as little as £3,000, although most require an initial outlay of between £5,000 and £15,000.

Franchise packages typically include branding rights and training, as well as some business support. It’s unnecessary to invest in designers or printing technology, as the franchisor usually covers these costs.

Regardless of your initial investment, you will need to budget for ongoing operational expenses, such as staff salaries, utility bills, franchisor fees, marketing expenses, and business insurance.

What does running a magazine franchise involve on a day-to-day basis?

Some of the tasks involved in running a magazine franchise include:

- Creating an engaging publication for a local geographical area or a specific community.

- Selling advertising to local businesses.

- Distributing copies of the magazine via a network of distributors to places such as schools, businesses, and homes.

- Marketing your business and magazine.

How much support will you need?

The level of support you’ll need will depend on the skills and experience you already have. Many franchisors provide access to the franchises existing systems and processes, with training covering publishing, sales, marketing, and simple website construction. Some also offer ongoing technical and business support.

Wrapping Up

Investing in a magazine franchise offers you an opportunity to run your own home-based business, with flexible hours that can be worked around other commitments.

A relatively moderate investment requirement also means that you can get started more easily than is the case with many other types of franchises.

If all this has to whet your appetite, why not check out our list of magazine franchises for sale?

You may just find something that’s a perfect fit for you and your lifestyle.