The End Records - Fortune Small Business article

[MetalAges]

Thought some of you may be interested in reading an article on The End Records that I just came across in Fortune Small Business, it's on the web as well:

http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fsb/fsb_archive/2007/03/01/8402016/index.htm?postversion=2007032109

Interesting read!

 

[Nightmare1z]

Yeah, I thought it was a cool article. I'm not sure why they moved to New York though with all those expenses

 

[Stingray11214]

WOW! I knew that The End was running into some difficulties. But, to basically go public with a professional makeover? That is like saying "We really do not know what we are doing." You usually do these things privately, not in the press. Oh, man, what Lordi must be thinking right now? This could really backfire on them. I hope, for their artists sake, that I am wrong.

Peace,
Ray C.

 

[nailz]

That Butterworth guy sounds like he wants to turn The End into a pop-like record label for heavy metal. How insulting. The other 2 guys seem to have pretty good ideas. But I think they're missing a big point: The target audience aren't males 14-23. It's a larger span of age AND gender (as large a span as gender can be). They mention Teenagers like people over 25 just aren't a factor.

 

[Pellaz]

Yep, and if they truly think that customers 25+ aren't a factor, they are clueless and can safely be ignored.

Interesting article, though. The impact of Tower Records' closing is something I hadn't considered before.

I'd forgotten that Stolen Babies were a TER signee.


The article does say that TER is profitable, so they should be around for a while.

 

[speedy1383]

I do like their site very much. I try to buy my CDs from them every chance I get since they offer reasonable prices and free shipping.

 

[VenomGA]

WOW! I knew that The End was running into some difficulties. But, to basically go public with a professional makeover? That is like saying "We really do not know what we are doing." You usually do these things privately, not in the press. Oh, man, what Lordi must be thinking right now? This could really backfire on them. I hope, for their artists sake, that I am wrong.

Peace,
Ray C.

I take it as they are trying to make THe End Records even better. So by having outside people evaluating their business with a different set of eyes, it could help to make TER be around for years to come.

 

[nailz]

Read the article. Some of the stuff they recomend is interesting. But RINGTONES? I understand that these things are incredibly profitable, but unless TER can market out DRAGONFORCE ringtones, it's safe to assume that avenue would be a complete bust. (At least, one can hope.) ... the guys that came in seemed to follow a scripted guideline that helped propel the other big record companies into the black, while The End's target demographic is a lot more specialized... or maybe just different. Either way, the buisness plans recomended show a lack of understanding that this particular market is definitely divided into different sectors, and those sectors are lightyears apart in what they are willing to shell out money for.

I'm no buisness man, but the way I see it, the only way for The End to truely bring in the cash flow, they need to market to the fact that there is no centerally located hub or big enough groups of people into what they sell in any one area (hence record shops closing, as mentioned in the article). The internet and mail order is their best bet for now, unless they get in bed with Best Buy, Target, or some other multi-billion dollar conglomerate who will distribute their product. Due to the recent touring activity going on in the USA, (and a large part of a thank you Dragonforce), this could be a good time to get a bug in these corps Suits' ear.

However, if I owned TER, I'd try to work out a deal with Nuclear Blast, Century Media, or any other label that catered to my fans for X-distro, because lets face it, in this market, everyone should be helping everyone else. Profit would increase quite a bit for both parties, due to increased exposure. TER would sell more records through mail order/distro, and NB/CM could have a guarenteed buyer for product.

Like I said, i'm no buisness man, but it's clear the 'consultants' that came in didn't do much homework.

 

[Metaldrumz]

All I know is it appears the store is being effected by all this other shit. In my last 2 experiences anyways.

I ordered 2 seperate orders over a week and a half ago and they still arent here. Im only 5 hours from NY where they are based out of so there is absolutely no excuses.

Emailed them on a Thursday asking about my order, and on Monday I still had no reply from them.

Wasnt until I filed a paypal claim to get my funds back did they say it was because of weather. Weather? We had 1 bad day out of a week, and like I said Im FIVE HOURS from where the items being dispatched from.

Sadly they just lost a huge customer for the time being. Might not seem like a big deal but Ive placed many orders with them. Any businesses goal is to get customers not lose them.

 

[Stingray11214]

I take it as they are trying to make THe End Records even better. So by having outside people evaluating their business with a different set of eyes, it could help to make TER be around for years to come.

Cannot fault them for that. However, you do NOT do it publicly.

 

[MetalAges]

Sure you do, if you are not ashamed of what is going to be printed.

It specifically said as of right now they are profitable, just looking to the not-so-distant future on what a few of outside eyes think they could do to best stay on top of the business side of things. Things have changed enough for the music biz that it never hurts to listen to what someone has to say.

Besides that, how many people may pick up that magazine and be exposed to The End for the first time. They don't have to be a fan of the music, could be a potential business partner, or something of that sort. Heck, their article is up as part of the CNN Money site, that's not a low trafficked site.

Press is press.

 

[VenomGA]

Cannot fault them for that. However, you do NOT do it publicly.

sure you do. You are letting your fans and loyal customers tha you are doing things outside of the box to IMPROVE TER. I have a real good friend who works for the company and I told him it was a great idea.

 

[BenMech]

Btw Stingray, since you didn't read the article, Andreas was VERY VERY skeptical about the the suggestions (He's a very very polite and sharp man).

The consultants failed to realize that TER is already on Myspace, PureVolume and a number of other social networking sites (LiveJournal and the blogging journal sites too too, for example).

Oh, and they've been in the iTunes music store for ages.

 

[Stingray11214]

Ummmm, BTW, I DID read the article when it was first posted last night. No WAY in hell would I have even commented on it unless I did. It was a short read. I loved the part where he stands there and says he sits down with his accountant and the accountant asks "How do we make this work?"

Getting back to what I posted: You are trying to get people to believe that you can deliever what you promised. I will say it again: I do not fault The End for seeking aid. Any smart businessman would. HOWEVER, when you are seeking people for whom you wish to deliver product for, it is NOT a good idea to place every fart you lay in it for the general public. The three comedians they brought in to help The End had no clue what The End was. Sure, one of them bought a CD. Big Whoop unless you are Estradasphere. That does not mean they had any clue what The End was. As far as they were concerned, it was a label that catered to the average mallkid like everyone else. So, you call this help?!? This was like calling the SPCA to fight a gasoline fire! Andreas did write down some of the suggestions that were given to him.

What the End needed to do was bring in people who had an idea of how to market better to THEIR market. I actually liked some of the ideas on this thread. There is NOTHING WRONG with an Alliance of Indie labels sharing distribution. It would also help to have, and I do not know if they have one, a College Radio co-ordinator. College Radio has long been a bastion for Indie labels and bands. The End should be camping out at Kingsborough CC (WKCR), St. John's (WSJU), NYU (WNYU) and Seton Hall (WSOU). Will it cost some dough? Of course! But, ANY airplay is better than none. And, unless the folks at CBS wakes up to the reality that 102.7FM was, and will always be regarded, as a rock station, College Radio will be the only outlet for them on a MASS basis.

Anyway, thanks for letting rant.

Peace,
Ray C.

 

[Burnout]

All I know is it appears the store is being effected by all this other shit. In my last 2 experiences anyways.

I ordered 2 seperate orders over a week and a half ago and they still arent here. Im only 5 hours from NY where they are based out of so there is absolutely no excuses.

Emailed them on a Thursday asking about my order, and on Monday I still had no reply from them.

Wasnt until I filed a paypal claim to get my funds back did they say it was because of weather. Weather? We had 1 bad day out of a week, and like I said Im FIVE HOURS from where the items being dispatched from.

Sadly they just lost a huge customer for the time being. Might not seem like a big deal but Ive placed many orders with them. Any businesses goal is to get customers not lose them.

Really? I've never once had a problem with them and they've always answered my e-mails via the customer service form on their site quickly (typically in about 1-2 days if not the day I e-mail them). The last order I placed with them took three days to get here and I'm on the opposite coast.

I agree with nailz's ideas as well, the ringtone thing does seem futile in this instance. Don't NB and CM already have distribution deals through eachother? I'm curious as to how hard it would be for The End to get in on that.

 

[Ramaries]

I like TER. Never had any problems with them.

How is getting proffesional consultants like saying "We really do not know what we are doing." And why would Lordi worry when they signed with a profitable company that had a 25% increase in sales last year?

 

[speedy1383]

I will say that my last order with them did take a little longer than usual. Nothing extreme, but I did get used to them shipping it very quickly.

 

[skyrefuge]

But, to basically go public with a professional makeover? That is like saying "We really do not know what we are doing." You usually do these things privately, not in the press.

Huh? It seems like you got a totally different impression of the article than I did.

To me, it wasn't "Oh shit, we need to totally rewrite our whole business plan, what can we do? Oh, we'll get some consultants to give us advice, and then follow everything they say, and that will save us!"

It was more like "hey, here's this little publicity opportunity where we can get on this "Small Business Makeover" thing, like a web/print version of a Reality TV show. Who knows, maybe one of the three dorks will even come up with a piece of advice that's useful, but if not, it's no skin off our backs, and 50,000 people who have never heard the name 'Estradasphere' before will have now heard it".

Neil

 

[mëtålspëd]

With their move to NY, they shipping times have doubled for me, and I am only a state away.

 

[Ruthven]

Besides that, how many people may pick up that magazine and be exposed to The End for the first time.

That's my line of thinking. And I didn't think the tone of the article was as insulting to the metal scene as many in the mainstream are ("huh huh huh, these guys are livin' in the 1980's, huh huh huh"). Overall I thought seeing The End (and Stolen Babies) in something like that was pretty cool.