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Owners’ Health Crisis = Local Business Opportunity

“On the basis that ‘60 is the new 70,’” said Comment editor Brendan Murphy, “I had reckoned to stay in harness at this part time job for several more years.  But cancer has scuppered that plot!”

Accordingly, the 27 year old monthly publication, and its online edition, is going on the market.  “We would dearly like ownership and management of it to remain in Highland Perthshire so, before we spread the word wider, we are trying to raise awareness of this, and interest, locally,” Murphy added.

Established as an open-access newsmagazine covering the 1,000 square miles of Highland Perthshire, its express aims have been

•  to support local businesses and

• to serve the interests of all of its communites, emphasising their commonly shared threats and opportunities whilst celebrating their individual characteristics.

It is sold in 26 outlets around the whole district and copies are also circulated to subscribers outwith. 

The title provides steady part time work for three people and can demonstrate its growth potential to any imaginative entrepreneur or energetic enterprise.

Although it is currently run from a single, small rented office it could be run from home or absorbed into  an ongoing concern.

Support/training for a prospective buyer can be offered in production editing (web and print) although much of the process has already been templated and manualised.

The four postcode circulated freesheets that claim to cover part of Comment’s footprint have made no impact on the circulation figures which have remained constant since the outset (approx 1,450, with seasonal variation which delivers a monthly readership of 4,500 within the population of 12,000).

“We’d be delighted to be contacted by anyone with a serious interest in inspecting the figures and discussing possible interest,” Murphy added.,“background information can be found at the foot of the front page of www.commentonline.co.uk under ‘Advertisements’.”