This month marks the fifth year since I’ve become publisher of The Laker/Lutz News, having assumed this role in 2009 when the recession was at its peak.
(Suzanne Beauchaine/Staff Photo)
Like most small business owners back then, I was faced with cutting staff and expenses as we adjusted to the dramatic downturn in the economy. Business analysts called this “right sizing,” but I mostly remember it as a very difficult, even painful, time to be managing a business.
Over the past five years my employees and I worked hard to rebuild our business, steadily making improvements to our content and distribution. Our perseverance has paid off, and today The Laker/Lutz News has more readers than anytime in our history.
Our papers are read by more than 64,000 residents in Lutz, Land O’ Lakes, Wesley Chapel, Zephyrhills and Dade City. This readership represents an incredible 79 percent household penetration — three times more than any other newspaper or magazine in our community.
We could not have rebounded from the economic collapse of the recession to the promising outlook of today without the support and commitment of our readers and advertisers. There was never a doubt that you wanted a strong community newspaper, and for that we will be forever thankful.
And it’s because of your continued belief and support that we’re able to announce today a milestone that is one of the most significant improvements ever to our papers.
Beginning Aug. 6, we are increasing our size to that of a daily newspaper. We will be six inches longer, or 25 percent bigger, than the paper you are holding in your hands today. Here’s why this change should matter to you.
1. Credible newspaper; serious local news
In the past few years, we’ve begun writing more stories about growth and development, new and expanding businesses, public and private education, and city and county government. This complements what we’ve always done, writing stories about our communities and the great people who live and work here.
Changing our format to the same size as daily newspapers communicates even more that The Laker/Lutz News are credible newspapers committed to reporting serious local news.
2. More and bigger photos
A larger size allows for more and bigger photos. And photos help us tell you stories about special events and things to do, people and organizations that do good and interesting things. It also enables expanded coverage for youth sports and adult recreation.
3. Two sections
Changing size allows us to print two separate sections. The new B Section becomes a second front page to give more prominence to feature stories. The back page of the A Section becomes a high-profile sports page.
With two sections, it is easy to share the paper. You can read the A Section, while someone else in your family reads the B section.
4. Easy-to-find classifieds
Our new B Section will house all classified pages, as well as our Best In Small Business Directory.
5. More advertising circulars
The larger format means we can accept more advertising circulars from major accounts like Publix, Michaels, JCPenney and Ulta. Beginning in August, inserts from Beall’s Outlet will be in the paper, and we expect other national retailers to follow.
6. Bigger ads
Ad sizes in the larger format are 25 percent bigger than current sizes. A bigger ad allows advertisers to include more offers and create more effective ads. This summer we are resizing ads of all current customers to their equivalent larger size in the new format.
My staff and I are proud to have accomplished so much in the past five years. We greatly look forward to the new opportunities we’ll have with a larger format newspaper.
As always, I welcome your ideas and comments. If you want to talk, please call me at a time best for you — after hours is perfectly fine — at (813) 909-2800 in the office, (813) 503-5213 on my cell, or send me an email at .
Published July 2, 2014
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