Niche Biz: University Parents
When Sarah Schupp’s parents flew in from Dallas to visit her while she was a student at the University of Colorado at Boulder, she wanted a way to determine the best places for them to shop, eat, and stay but was unimpressed with the information available.
That shortcoming led her to approach administrators at her school and propose creating a guide for parents. Even though she had no business background, they agreed, happy to have a way to connect with parents.
Today, Schupp’s business produces institution-specific guides in partnership with universities across the U.S. for parents of college students and expects around $800,000 in revenues in 2007.
Schupp attributes her success in part to a “backwards” publishing model in which her university partners are responsible for content and distribution, while she handles advertising.
So far, University Parent has produced 30 guides and plans 100 for 2008. The company is also making its downloadable guides interactive.
Photo by University Parent Media.
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