"Lake Winnebago B2B is all local information in every issue. No content comes from a wire service. Every article, special feature, photo and cover is created by our staff or by professionals in the community we've invited to contribute their own expertise. . ."

Four Questions For Sean Fitzgerald Note: College Philosophy Major turned Business Guru Sean Fitzgerald is Publisher of Lake Winnebago B2B, a "monthly source for in-depth information on the issues affecting the Fond du Lac and Oshkosh business community." A former Business Page Editor at the Oshkosh Northwestern, Sean in that capacity wrote some outstanding columns, such as "Planning Is Difficult When There's No Plan." Recently, Sean and I debated the issue of Tax Incremental Financing in the pages of B2B. I asked Sean to answer some questions for Commentary. The questions and Sean's responses can be found below. Sean Fitzgerald can be reached via email at: sean@winnebagob2b.com - Tony Palmeri.

Commentary Question #1. What is your background in journalism/business and why did you start Lake Winnebago B2B?

Fitzgerald Response: Though I have a degree in philosophy, I took a job at a small daily newspaper in Rhinelander a few months after graduation and developed my skills in journalism quickly. Through the next six years of working in newspapers, I've spent more than half my time covering business news and have been recognized for my efforts with a handful of industry awards.

As a business writer at newspapers in both Fond du Lac and Oshkosh, I helped to launch and regularly maintain new business publications distributed with the newspaper.

Lake Winnebago B2B is a culmination of my experiences in business journalism and a curiosity I had early in my career to create a regional publication. The name comes from our coverage area, which includes Oshkosh and Fond du Lac - and allows for future expansion into the Fox Cities if we deem it appropriate. B2B is a popular e-commerce and e-business term for "business to business."

We're a business news magazine written for business, agency and organizational leaders, but have found a more broad interest on some of the issues we've covered.

Commentary Question #2. How does your coverage of Lake Winnebago area business differ from what we would read on the typical business page of a newspaper?

Fitzgerald Response: As a monthly publication, Lake Winnebago B2B doesn't provide up-to-the-minute breaking news from the business community, though it's in our list of short-term goals to provide such information electronically.

Rather, Lake Winnebago B2B provides a more in-depth analysis and commentary of the issues facing the local business community as a result of these breaking news events.

Lake Winnebago B2B is all local information in every issue. No content comes from a wire service. Every article, special feature, photo and cover is created by our staff or by professionals in the community we've invited to contribute their own expertise to help make Lake Winnebago B2B a valuable source of information.

Since launching the magazine in July 2002, we've included a business-oriented health care article in every edition - and plan to continue such coverage as a staple of the publication. Rising expenses, increased capital improvements at hospitals, and ever-changing issues with patient utilization makes health care one of the most discussed issues of the day, and we want to keep our readers as informed as possible.

I'd argue Lake Winnebago B2B has some of the best technology coverage of any general publication in the region. My partner, Ryan Buck, has a knack for writing, is well versed about current technological applications in a business setting, and has an uncanny ability to write about such issues in language understandable to all our readers.

Our tech articles have been as diverse as teaching small business how to keep a secure computer network without hiring a fulltime I.T. staffer to offering advising supervisors and business owners how they should expect their I.T. staff to treat and communicate with the rest of the company's employees.

We also offer a number of unique special features in the magazine - all providing valuable, easy-to-use information unlike anything you'll get from any other media outlet.

Commentary Question #3. What kinds of special features are in the magazine?

Fitzgerald Response: Our monthly "Build Up" pages have been the most popular by far. Each month we include a two-page spread that has a map of Oshkosh on one page and a listing of commercial and industrial building projects on the facing page. The listing of each project corresponds to a number on the map, making it easy to identify a project should a reader drive past. The listing includes the name of the project, size in square feet, anticipated completion date, a monthly update on the progress of construction and the general contractor.

"Since We Last Met" includes a capsulated, day-by-day listing of business news that occurred since the last issue. Readers say it's nice having a composite list to refresh their memory or to catch up if they missed a day watching the television news or reading the paper.

Our newest department, "Key Statistics," provides a monthly composite of key economic indicators such as Gross Domestic Product, U.S. manufacturing inventories and the Purchasing Managers Index. It also includes local statistics such as community unemployment rates, week-by-week gas prices and the cost of natural gas through local utilities.

Lastly, our "Who's News?" section gives readers an update of new businesses, new products or services offered by an existing business, new employees, promotions and a calendar of business events in the community.

Commentary Question #4. Where can people get hard copies of the magazine?

Fitzgerald Response: The magazine is available to read in the periodical section of the public libraries in both Oshkosh and Fond du Lac.

A one-year subscription costs $15 for 12 issues. The easiest way to subscribe is to visit our Web site at www.winnebagob2b.com and click on the subscribe tab. Subscription cards appear in all of our magazines, but we can also mail out a subscription card to interested readers if they call our office at (920) 237-0254 or e-mail info@winnebagob2b.com.

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