Click here to download the full results of the newsagent wellness survey.
The results are interesting, not what I expected in that more newsagents are taking holidays and more are exercising.
Newsagents work long hours – well over half work more than 60 hours a week. 18.3% work more than 80 hours a week.
With the average newsagent pay taken from the business at somewhere between $35,000 and $50,000 a year newsagents are on a low per hour rate. Note: the income number is anecdotal than a figure based on hard evidence. That said, I think it’s accurate.
I’d like our suppliers to read this survey as they can impact the amount of time we spend working in our businesses. Suppliers can make choices that improve our efficiency for value. I want to stress that: efficiency for value. There are some efficiencies pushed on newsagents that are not valuable to our businesses.
Newsagents, too, should read the survey and check in how they view themselves compared to others. Are there steps they can take to be healthier, things they can do in their businesses to be less handcuffed to them?
Here are three things suppliers could do that would considerably improve the quality of life of newsagents:
- Give those who want it control over the magazine title range and volume we receive.
- Eliminate the need for us to return unsold magazines. Bill us on sales data.
- Give us electronic invoices. Many suppliers do but not all, not enough.
- Work with us more and less against us: newspaper publishers, some magazine publishers and others who are cozying up to supermarkets and their siblings.
- Drive our efficiency: the more accountable we are the better we will run our businesses. While it’s nice to have hand-holding, it can drive inefficiencies for us. We need to eliminate old labour intensive practices.
I hope that the survey is useful.