Even though the creation of a zine requires the collaboration of several specialists, this business is intended as a small one. In this situation, a sole proprietorship is the most appropriate form of organization. The main advantage of this form is the ease of starting a business and its management (Pride et al., 2019). Another important factor that speaks in favor of choosing the form of a sole proprietorship is the possibility of decentralizing business processes. When creating a zine as an Internet platform, it is necessary to collaborate with various professionals who may be located in different parts of the world. The sole proprietorship makes it easier to hire project workers to perform specific tasks, as well as to purchase services necessary for business development. An additional advantage of this form is the motivation for development since the profit of the business directly depends on the efforts of the owner.
The industry in which zines are distributed is part of the broader market for media resources. However, since the business is focused on the Internet platform and the possible release of the printed version, the boundaries of the industry are quite wide. The development of the Internet has greatly increased competition among copper platforms and resources, making it difficult to start a business (Ji, 2018). Among the uncontrollable variables, the economic and legal situation can be underlined in the first place. These factors can have both positive and negative effects that cannot be predicted. First of all, changes in these areas can affect the interests of society and its individual groups, as well as the conditions for the dissemination of information. Another important uncontrollable factor is the actions of competitors, who may also look to zines as a promising business model. This aspect will significantly increase competition in the market, which will require the transformation of the chosen strategy.
Competitive analysis includes an overview of the important players in the market and their potential impact on the current business. Primary competitors in the market are existing zines that have been published for a long time and have their own niche audience. Such publications have their own audience and occupy a certain place in the industry. Secondary competitors in this industry are large media resources, which are currently actively moving to the Internet. Sources such as the New Yorker publish a variety of materials and have a wide audience, which makes them strong competitors.
The current zine business has several competitive advantages that combine the benefits of both primary and secondary competitors. The main strategy for the successful functioning of the business in this situation is the diversification of materials. In contrast to niche zines, the current business is focused on creating more diverse content that can appeal to a wider audience. Moreover, zines are distributed as printed publications; using the Internet platform allows one to save on printing and delivery, as well as release materials much more often. The main competitive advantage of this business is the ability to publish for little-known authors. Such writers are often not taken into large resources, and a zine can jump-start their career. Additionally, artists or other artists can be featured on the zine, making the content more diverse. The main goal is to combine the mass nature of large media resources with the unique style of the zine, which makes them niche products.
References
Ji, S. W. (2018). The Internet and changes in the media industry: A 5-year cross-national examination of media industries for 51 countries. Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, 96(3), 894-918. Web.
Pride, W. M., Hughes, R. J., & Kapoor, J. R. (2019). Foundations of business (6th ed.). Cengage