Welcome to the 35th Anniversary issue of NorthBay biz magazine. Back in 1975, three local journalists shared the belief that the North Bay, and especially Sonoma County, was poised for growth. They decided to join that growth through the creation of a business publication they appropriately named Sonoma Business. Over the ensuing 35 years, the magazine has indeed grown and prospered, mirroring the region, while publishing literally millions of words chronicling the business of doing business in the North Bay.
My wife Joni, her brother John Dennis and I purchased the magazine almost 10 years ago with the intention of not just continuing the excellent 25-year history of the magazine, but improving upon it. We learned of the magazine’s fine reputation, name recognition and credibility in the marketplace firsthand while doing our due diligence before the purchase in the spring of 2000. In magazine publishing, five years sometimes earns longevity awards, so we recognized the achievement that 25 years of continuous publishing represented, and we knew from the outset that Sonoma Business was a special publication serving a special market. We also knew we weren’t going to be content resting on the magazine’s past laurels, but rather, we wanted to focus on how it could be improved to better serve the business community as we went forward. We were and are committed to fresh ideas, renewed vitality and an ongoing dedication to the pursuit of excellence. All of which is intended to broaden, enrich and build upon the magazine’s established tradition.
The purchase of the magazine represented a significant investment, but John, Joni and I knew it was just the beginning of an ongoing financial commitment to the magazine. Our original business plan called for us to expand into Marin and Napa counties in the first year after acquisition. As they say, sometimes the best-laid plans…need to be amended. Before we could consider expanding the magazine’s footprint, we needed to address content. And if I were to turn our original editorial goals into bullet points, they’d be: responsible business reporting, in-depth business analysis, fiercely local coverage dedicated to the best business interests of the community, all delivered with editorial integrity and excellence.
To begin, we agreed we needed better writers and embarked on a campaign to find and hire the best writers available in the North Bay. From the start, our goal was to continually add new information and unique monthly features designed to satisfy the varied tastes of our highly educated and discriminating readers. We hired expert columnists who covered topics of specific interest to the North Bay business industries. The new columns informed and entertained our readers with insightful commentary and a unique view of North Bay business. These enhancements helped to further distinguish the publication.
We also recognized the market was changing, becoming even more sophisticated, and the business reader wanted more stories addressing hotter topics and issues that were impacting the region’s quality of life—topics like workforce housing, transportation, jobs, open space and the conflicts between growth and the environment. The magazine covers these topics and more, often delivering information and views unavailable anywhere else.
Another step was still necessary. We needed to switch to a printer that could deliver the consistent quality and color we desired to better complement the vastly upgraded content. Content, color and design came together when Hudson Printing began producing the magazine. It gave us color on every page, a whiter, brighter, heavier sheet to print on and perfect binding with a 100-pound UV coated cover. The results were outstanding; the editorial content and advertising messages were now being delivered in the highest quality environment. We had brought the magazine to a level that meant it was ready to be introduced to a new and waiting market. With the November 2002 issue, we expanded into Marin and Napa counties and began to serve the business communities of the entire North Bay.
We knew from the many meetings we had with the business leaders in Napa and Marin that the magazine would be warmly received in those counties. Our only fear was that our long-established readership in Sonoma County might resent the magazine broadening its focus to include the entire North Bay. After all, up to this point, Sonoma County had been its only focus. This fear proved unfounded because businesses were interested in what was happening in the entire North Bay, knowing that they were competing for increased market share, not just locally but regionally. And as a result of the expansion, our paid circulation more than doubled, making NorthBay biz the largest distributed business publication in the North Bay. Our commitment to the business community is stronger than ever, and we promise to continue to pursue excellence in everything we do.
In that vein, I’m happy to announce a new feature that’s debuting in this issue. It’s called, “How Business Smart Are You?” This monthly column that is being penned by Shawn Jackson of the California Business Development Center will pose various business conundrums and challenge readers to suggest solutions. In the process, we hope to inform and entertain…and then reward our most ingenious readers with a free lunch at a local restaurant for the best solutions to common business problems. To facilitate this exchange, this new column will also be posted online, where we hope to provide a platform for shared knowledge and healthy debate. Let us know what you think about the new column.
That’s it for now. I certainly hope you enjoy this special anniversary issue.
