Paisa: will look at generic issues
Asian business entrepreneurs will be targeted with a new magazine called Paisa next week.
The 52-page monthly is produced by ME Media, the company behind Asian Business Directory, the website clickwalla.com and various cultural festival guides.
Named after the Hindi word for money, the title will be distributed free to 25,000 entrepreneurs from the company’s database, including young entrepreneurs, small-to-medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), key public sector managers and leading business people from the FTSE top 500.
Publication manager Nadeem Butt said there was a gap in the market for a title that dealt with wider issues facing Asian SMEs. "We felt there was a need for a magazine that actually looks at the generic issues facing Asian businesses. They are not all stereotypical cornershops," he told Press Gazette.
"We want people to recognise the extent of Asian SMEs. Ninety-five per cent of all retailers in the M25 are Asian so the figures are quite high," he said.
"There is nothing else in the market covering this field. We have got Asian Trader and Tandoori News but they tend to cover product stories and give general advice for that specific sector whereas we will cover more generic stories."
Butt said the magazine would provide advice to readers on how to grow their businesses, how to procure funding and what organisations people can turn to for help. It will also feature news on marketing, accountancy, tax advice, product and technology as well as sports leisure and business travel features.
Although the first few issues will be distributed free, Butt said he was hoping to expand the title eventually by attracting paid-for subscriptions from readers.
He is supported by a small editorial team. Fritha Sutherland, former editor of Transworld International and FT freelance, is editor and Sarita Bhatia, who previously worked for the Eastern Eye, is staff writer.
"We want to break away from the typical stories surrounding Asian entrepreneurs and present the real people behind the majority of Asian businesses," Butt added.
By Ruth Addicott
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