For folks thinking about taking the next step in business, going out on a limb can seem scary.
Whether it’s starting from scratch or expanding an existing operation, having your ducks in a row can give you peace-of-mind, and help you and the people you need help from make informed decisions.
According to the experts, the best way to do that is with a business plan.
RELATED: SA Biz Plan Competition Enters Home Stretch
If you haven’t done one before, (or maybe even if you have), investing the time to help make your proposal go the distance is well worth it, and for the people at Angelo State University’s Small Business Development Center, it’s what they do all-day, every day.
While they offer a full complement of business services, you will find that even a meeting or two can make a real difference in starting out on the right foot.
Throwing Our Hat in the Ring
Although The Concho Observer didn’t make it to the second phase of this year’s San Angelo Business Plan Competition, publisher Jon Mark Hogg decided to formulate an entry for Phase One, which he said aided him greatly in spelling out the young publication’s aims.
After brainstorming on a possible business plan earlier in the year, and taking a few preliminary steps, Hogg said he found the project had difficulty getting off of the back burner.
The announcement of the competition this year spurred some action.
“I feel like The Concho Observer really got a lot from our limited participation in the competition,” he said, “And I would say we’ve already benefited from their help in articulating a more fully developed vision for this business.”
ASU’s Small Business Development Center regularly holds informative training sessions at the Business Resource Center, 69 N. Chadbourne St.
The Concho Observer would like to offer our thanks to Dezaray Johnson and her team at the ASU-SBDC for their assistance, and we wish all of this year’s finalists the very best luck!
“May the Best Plan Win!“
The Concho Observer Business Plan Entry
Editor’s note: The electronic entry form for the San Angelo Business Plan has several sections.
We offer here our submission, omitting a few bits of proprietary information, and the section detailing what we might have done with any award.
Section 1
Brief Description of the Business
The Concho Observer is an internet-only NEWS website (NAICS #513110) in San Angelo, Texas, dedicated to fair and accurate coverage of under reported subjects and local government affairs, giving a voice to the workers and stakeholders of the Concho Valley.
Founded by Jon Mark Hogg in late 2024, initially with coverage of local governmental happenings, with an eye toward growing into a more fully formed news outlet.
Hogg serves as Editor & Publisher. With a small news staff headed by local newspaper veteran Matthew McDaniel, this website has been able to make an impact by presenting facts on important issues.
To date, the website has been funded by Hogg, who receives some advertising revenue and several donations each month.
While news is the Concho Observer’s primary focus, the operation also aims to develop into the most desirable advertising platform in the area, with prices designed to be attractive to every business.
The platform will also offer opportunities for other revenue streams that can be explored in the future, including classified advertising sales, podcasts and digital image sales, to name just a few.
Section 2
Expansion Plans
The Concho Observer has worked to grow organically up to this point, using available funds to produce news rather than advertising.
Advertising would be a major aid to spur the operation’s growth.
The Concho Observer’s news staff have confidence that, given the opportunity, they can attract and retain readers from every walk of life by providing news that is solid and factual.
The Concho Observer recently entered into advertising sales, and the owner feels the business would benefit greatly from professional advice.
The Concho Observer’s stated goal is to provide employees with a living wage and health coverage.
Through the expansion of the Concho Observer’s news gathering capacity, the owner hopes to expand the amount of information made readily available to the public through professional journalism, with no paywall.
Section 3
Market Overview
Explain the need/problem in the market that your proposed expansion will solve. Briefly describe your sales strategy and identify your competition.
Local government proceedings and other important matters haven’t been covered in the news as regularly as in years past, and in-depth reporting on any subject has become difficult to find.
But people need information. Whether it’s for school-bond elections, or a guide to help voters make more-informed decisions, The Concho Observer aims to be that information source.
The Concho Observer was envisioned as an accurate and reliable news source for San Angelo and the Concho Valley, and aspires to be a fully self-sufficient operation, sustained by local advertising.
Small businesses need advertising that works for them without breaking the bank, and the Concho Observer looks to provide advertising opportunities initially falling within the $200-to-$500 range, which are interesting to small businesses with limited ad budgets.
The Concho Observer will offer affordable advertising for every size of business.
The customer base for this news operation is theoretically comprised of everyone who wants high-quality news about San Angelo, and businesses who would benefit from advertising to serious readers of local news.
Section 4
Management Profile
The Concho Observer is a publication of Hogg Media, LLC, owned and operated by Jon Mark Hogg.
Jon Mark is a practicing lawyer with degrees from Baylor University and St. Mary’s School of Law, who entered into the enterprise because of the dearth of available reporting on local news.
Hogg has a long history of civic engagement, serving on the City Council, including a brief stint as the interim mayor, in addition to several other civic and community boards. He serves as Editor & Publisher.
Matthew McDaniel was born in San Angelo and is a veteran of the Midland Reporter-Telegram and the Standard-Times. He has worked variously as a copy editor, news graphics artist, section editor, weekend night editor, and general-assignments reporter. He serves as the news editor of the Concho Observer.
The staff currently includes three FTE employees, and a handful of freelance contributors.
Section 5
San Angelo Economic Impact
Describe the positive economic impact that will result from this expansion.
The Concho Observer has the potential to make enormous economic impact in San Angelo:
Accurate Information: through accurate reporting of local affairs and projects, citizens and stakeholders can make well informed decisions.
Saving You Time: it takes hours to comb through the drudgery of municipal records and data. Instead of forcing this burden on everybody, we can take on the burden and make this information accessible and informative, through plain language and visual aids.
Retail Revival: we can provide an affordable way for every business in town to connect with the viewing public from an area about the size of Ohio.
Analytics: business owners can better understand their audience by seeing who is looking at their advertisements and use this to shape their future efforts. In short, understanding your audience.
An investment in The Concho Observer is an investment for the well-being and community as a whole.
The owner believes there is definitely the potential for a quality news operation to generate sufficient advertising sales to sustain this operation.
Advertise With Us!
To learn about advertising with The Concho Observer, contact Lori Summerlin at lsummerlin@conchoobserver.com.
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