One year today! A note from the founder Suzie Neuwirth
It was one year ago today that the Peer2Peer Finance News website went live, marking the official launch of the magazine after months of preparation and research. This has been my first business venture and I’d gone with my gut feeling, that there was a gap in the market for good-quality, focused peer-to-peer lending coverage.
Coming from a journalism background, rather than a business background, launching my own magazine was exciting and terrifying in equal measure. While I had strong views on how I wanted the magazine to take shape editorially, other elements of running a business were completely new to me. Hiring staff; implementing a commercial strategy; contracts and payroll…these were things I had to learn on the job.
I can’t say it’s all gone without a hitch and there were certainly some hiccups at the beginning. I’ve learnt that there are things I have to outsource, particularly to compensate for my lacklustre IT skills!
But I’m pleased to say that I was right to trust my gut – there was certainly a dearth of media coverage of P2P, especially of the in-depth calibre that such an interesting industry requires.
The magazine has been going from strength to strength, with audience numbers growing rapidly each month as our brand grows. It’s so rewarding to see our hard work being noticed, so I’m incredibly thankful to all our readers.
Before launching the magazine, I knew I was keen to make Peer2Peer Finance News a portal into the industry for everyone, whether they be P2P professionals, investors, borrowers, regulators or anyone else interested! It’s been great to see that all of these groups of people – and more – have been reading the publication.
My decision to launch a monthly print magazine alongside the daily news on the website has not gone un-questioned in this digital age, especially for a magazine focused on a digital industry! However, seeing the magazine on numerous coffee tables, well received at industry events and read eagerly by our investor community, in growing numbers, reinforces my confidence in my decision.
Of course, real-time online news is essential to grow a media brand and a lot of hard work has gone in to making the website accurate and timely, but I think online and print are two halves of the same walnut.
Reporting on P2P is never boring. This is such an innovative industry with many companies doing new and disruptive things, so there is plenty of news if you go out and find it. The pace of development is far quicker than that of companies in more established sectors, which from a journalist’s perspective is fantastic.
Understandably, some industry players are wary about the media in the wake of some less-than-positive mainstream media coverage. This is why it’s so important for the industry to have – and to support – its very own P2P-focused magazine. As I’ve made clear, high-quality journalism is at the core of Peer2Peer Finance News so I’m keen to continue to produce insightful content with input from the industry. Don’t like the mainstream narrative? Then let’s change it.
Now that the magazine has been in existence for a year, I hope that you are all more comfortable and familiar with the brand and what we’re trying to do. A massive THANK YOU for everyone who’s read the magazine, advertised with us, been interviewed by us or given us feedback so far – we couldn’t do it without you! Here’s to an even better year two…