The sight of spectators during a sporting event is a very interesting one to behold. Whether they are watching it live at the stadium or they are seeing it via the television, the excitement, the frenzy and how engrossed they get cannot be quantified. While sport fans watch the events because they want to relax, others have become religious about it. Hence, they insist on seeing their favorite team even if they are down with an illness. This addiction has made others to wonder what sports fanatics are really benefiting from watching others make money.
The introduction and proliferation of different types betting organizations have served as a form of solace for those designated as gamblers. But for others who may not be passionate about gambling, making money from sporting event may not be feasible.
All hope is not lost. While there are other media through which sporting events can be reported, the daily newspaper is becoming acceptable in Nigeria. It is true that there are couples of newspapers reporting sports in the country, the demand for such papers and the market is still on the high side. Interestingly, with just N300,000 or more, your sporting newspaper can become ranked among the best in the country, in a matter of few weeks, you can be turning over millions of Naira.
Getting Started
Unlike the other conventional newspaper, the requirement for starting a sport paper is not much. from the comfort of your room, you can gather materials, design and get set for the press. Sporting events have become global. Thus several media organizations get to report the same thing at the same time. The internet is filled with reportage of sport news updated by the minute. The worldwide web is thus your number one source for getting hot and fresh sport stories. To avoid breaching copyright laws however, it is important that you credit your source, tell the world where you get the report from. It may be important to hone your writing skills as you will need to rewrite some stories on your own. If writing is becoming tedious, endeavor to employ the service of a skilled writer, the salary you will pay will not tear your pocket. What is more, he may double up as your reporter, reporting local news. Mind you, local news constitute about 2% of your total content
Graphics
The quality of graphics in the paper may make or mar your business. As a matter of fact, it is the packaging or branding that attracts prospective readers and buyers to your paper. To ensure that you will be read therefore, it is pertinent that you learn the skills of a graphic artist. If you are curently computer literate, it may take less than two weeks to learn how to work with pictures and design an attractive sports newspaper. Again, if it is becoming difficult for you to grasps the basics of graphics and designing, employ the service of a competent graphics person. It is not expensive to pay such ones, especially now that an average skilled graphics artist is not a university degree holder.
Printing
No! you don’t have to set up a printing press before you print your papers. While that may constitute part of your long term goal, it should not be a barrier preventing you from establishing your sports newspaper business. All you need to do is copy the edited and designed newspaper from your system with your USB or CD drive and take the soft copy to any printing village, they will get your products out in few hours. Beware of those who will like to take advantage of your inexperience get a trusted and experienced printer and learn from him. A one-day-training will suffice.
Sales and marketing
You may have to enlist the services of existing newspaper vendors to give your paper an immediate and desired circulation. This does not rule out the fact that you can recruit marketers to carry out the work of circulations. Such marketers can also serve to canvass for advertisements to be placed through your newspaper. Thus giving you an additional form of income, aside sales of newspaper copies. Interestingly, most marketers are paid on commission basis.
Regulations
Like all other countries of the world, sports writers have association in Nigeria. It is in the interest of the progress of your paper that you become a member of this SWAN, Sports Writers Association of Nigeria. Before then, you must have registered your business name with the CAC, Corporate Affairs Commission of Nigeria. Further, you need to register your newspaper with the national library in Lagos or Abuja so that your paper can get ISSN, International Standard Serial Number.
Profit, Prospects
Like every other printing work, the higher the quantity printed, the less expensive it is for you to print and the higher the profit margin you will record. If the cover price of your sports newspaper is therefore N50, the total cost of production including printing may not be more than N40. At the end of an issue you may produce 100,000 copies. This means that you will make a profit of N1million. While you may not do as much as 100,000 at the initial stage, it is easy to progress towards that if your story and graphics designs are catchy enough. Therefore, put your creativity to use. Do not forget that advertisements placed through your paper is revenue generating too. It is OK to consult with other sport papers before fixing your advert rate, but yours can never near theirs as your paper is still struggling to be acceptable in the market.The next time you are watching a sporting event, you will not be jealous that the athletes for making all the money while you cheer them up, you will be happy that the fact that they are on the field playing is an opportunity for you to make money.
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