How BizTimes Milwaukee got its start

Arthur Thomas of BizTimes Milwaukee interviewed publisher and co-owner Dan Meyer about the publication’s start as it celebrates 30 years in business.

Here is an excerpt:

Arthur Thomas: How critical was the role of losing your previous job in starting what became BizTimes Media?

Dan Meyer: “Losing my previous job was the catalyst to starting BizTimes Media, formerly Small Business Times. When confronted with my job loss in June 1994, I’d been in the publishing industry for 10 years, thoroughly enjoyed it and I was not ready to leave it.”

Could you have started the business while working a steady job?

“I certainly could have written the business plan while working in my previous job. However, there would have been many distractions, and the actual startup would have been delayed. While I had been in publishing for 10 years, I had no idea of what it would take to start a regional business publication from scratch with a competitor in the market. From the time I obtained financing – in December 1994 – to the opening of the office – in January 1995 – to the publishing of our first print magazine – in April 1995 – and for the next 24 or more months, it was 16- or 18-hour days, six or seven days a week.”

Read more here.