Have you ever wondered what new, fun activities are happening in your neighborhood that your kids would enjoy? Or do you know what is going on but wish to share it with others in a new way? Then Macaroni Kid is your new friend.
While they’re not quite available in all 50 states yet, I counted 26 as of right now, their service offers a way for moms to stay in the know on the events happening around their communities as well as a way to make some extra money. Known as Publisher Moms, Macaroni Kid publishers pay a small fee to have their newsletter hosted and they have the opportunity to make money off of local advertising. A savvy mom could easily turn something as informational as her newsletter into a money making business.
Tell us a little about Macaroni Kid and what inspired it.
Through its amazing family of Publisher Moms, Macaroni Kid publishes weekly e-newsletters of local events and activities for kids and families in communities across the country. In addition, Macaroni Kid publishes several national newsletters including general interest, family travel and, beginning later this month, travel.
How many locations are your newsletters currently available for?
Macaroni Kid is currently published in more than 80 communities across the country, a figure which grows each week. Just last week, Macaroni Kid featured more than a thousand events and activities happening in towns across the country.
How does someone become a Publisher Mom for their location?
Macaroni Kid Publisher Moms are women who are actively engaged in their communities. They have a desire to share their wisdom and to work to enrich their communities. We are constantly reminded of the tremendous the talent, dedication and brilliance of the Macaroni Kid Publisher Moms.
What are the requirements for this opportunity and how much does it cost?
Macaroni Kid Publisher Moms publish weekly newsletters for their communities: they are the moms who are in the know. Macaroni Kid Publisher Moms pay a modest monthly hosting fee and keep all of the local advertising revenue which they generate. We provide tons of training, information and support.
What does the average Macaroni Kid newsletter include?
While each Publisher Mom controls the specific content for her community, each newsletter includes a comprehensive list of events and activities including the Publisher Mom’s picks of don’t miss events, the weekly calendar, teen scene and upcoming events. In addition, articles on crafts, activities, kids’ movies and more. But the heart and soul of Macaroni Kid is the list of all the great things, many of them free or inexpensive, that are available for kids and families. These are the events and activities that encourage family togetherness, cultural development, reading skills, fine and gross motor skills and just plain fun.
How did the two of you meet? When did Eric Cohen join the team?
The two founding Macaroni Kid Publisher Moms, Nicki and Joyce, met a decade ago while working in a completely different business. When Nicki returned to her hometown in NY after a few years in Florida, the two old friends were catching up over dinner one night when Joyce shared this “crazy” idea she had to publish a weekly newsletter of events and activities for kids and families in the Hamptons. “I’d had the general idea for a while, and knew that Nicki would be the perfect partner. In fact, she was really the only person I could imagine starting a business like this with,” Joyce explains. Fortunately for them both, Nicki loved the idea, and Macaroni Kid was born.
When the two saw the tremendous response to Macaroni Kid in the Hamptons, and heard from other friends in other communities how much they would like to be able to do something like that for their town, Eric joined the team.
What goals do you still hope to accomplish with your service?
So many communities offer great programming for kids . . . libraries, museums, community centers, parks, theaters and more. But these organizations often fall short when it comes to really getting the word out about their activities. We have heard, over and over, how effective Macaroni Kid is at getting info about these events into the very busy hands that need them: moms. And we have seen and heard from dozens of Publisher Moms how great it is for them to be able to enrich their communities while earning some extra money for their families. We have, frankly, been surprised at how much Macaroni love comes back every day from the communities we serve and the Publisher Moms who live there. We hope to continue to grow our family of Publisher Moms to bring Macaroni Kid to every community in the country.
What are some of the lessons you’ve learned from your business?
The hardest lesson has been to trust in the wisdom and care of the Publisher Moms and to let them do their thing and to offer as much support, guidance, help and community as we can.
Any tips that you would like to offer future Publisher Moms?
We provide new Macaroni Kid Publisher Moms with a 100 page handbook loaded with tips, advice, forms and more. We wouldn’t know where to start to offer tips here . . . except to say that we believe that it is possible to work on your own terms and to do something that is fun, satisfying and lucrative.
