In November 2019, we held the launch for the very first edition of QUAY Magazine at Pier Point Restaurant & Bar in Torquay.
Many new business connections were formed that evening, as a wide variety of businesspeople were brought together from a range of different fields.
By March 2020, we had inspired enough support from local businesses that we were able to launch our first Cornwall issue. The launch event took place at Penventon Park Hotel in Redruth, and entrepreneurs from Cornwall and Devon alike came to network, make connections, and discover the brand-new Cornwall edition.
We were all set to begin creating more distribution points, and to develop more local business ‘hubs’ for entrepreneurs to get advice and make connections… but then came COVID-19.
Of course, there were the obvious hurdles; we had to start working from home, which we adapted to well – holding team meetings on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 14:00 and staying in touch via phone and email. We also participated in online networking, getting our name known with the help of Your Partnerships’ business networking events.
But there was one challenge that was more difficult to overcome; under the first national lockdown, nobody was going into their workplace. This meant we could no longer make connections, network, or distribute the magazine.
Therefore, we had to think creatively, and our solution was to take the magazine online.
We uploaded all our articles to the improved and updated QUAY Magazine website, while in May 2020, we released our first online-only edition. It was laid out in our conventional style, except this time it was available in an easy-to-read PDF format.
This online edition took off, reaching a total of 900 reads and downloads. Our busy blog section has proved popular too, attracting up to 270 visitors per week.