Let’s get started
By Kirk Kern
So, for the last month, most of us have spent time sequestered at home looking for something to do. Some were able to work their regular jobs remotely, many others lost their job completely.
That was my case.
I had been running a company that published six newspapers in rural Nevada communities. It was a business that was already having a bit of trouble but when the coronavirus crisis hit, the decision had to be made to close many of the papers.
That meant my job was no longer necessary.
Still, one opportunity ends and another begins. I’ve been a publisher of community publications for almost 20 years. I’ve had this idea for hyperlocal news websites in Las Vegas communities for some time, so with time on my hands, I decided to move forward on it.
The news part is fairly easy for me. I came up through the business as a writer and editor, so there was no learning curve here. I’ve also been an entrepreneur, having owned and operated my own community/lifestyle magazine, so I have ad sales and business operation experience.
The web, however, is a fairly new world for me. I don’t have a great deal of expertise in internet advertising, marketing or design.
That’s where YouTube came in. In this day and age, you can gain a lot more practical knowledge by watching YouTube videos than by going to college. A couple months ago, I fixed my garage door opener by watching a video online. I’ve repaired two refrigerators as well, saving a few hundred dollars in the process.
I now have designed two websites on my own. Not this one, but others called www.NVHealthNews.com and www.LVSeniorHealth.com. They are still a work in process, but they function and provide interesting health-related content to those living in Southern Nevada.
So, now I go to YouTube to figure out Facebook marketing, WordPress widgets and even upgrading my MacBook with a new SSD and additional memory. There’s even a video explaining how to apply for a Limited Liability Company in Nevada.
Webinars and podcasts are now part of my daily life. There are still quite a few things that should be handled by professionals, but it’s a lot easier to spend that money when you’ve already saved it on a bunch of other things.
In the next month or so, I will write this column giving insights into the business and challenges of launching a hyperlocal news website. It may be only interesting to me, but I think it will be fun to write and, as they say, any content is good content.
So YouTube has been a big help, but that doesn’t mean my Netflix, HBO and Amazon Prime accounts hasn’t gotten a workout lately. I’m going to offer up a suggestion for each: New season of Bosch on Amazon, The Outsider on HBO and Billy on the Street on Netflix.
Enjoy.