Revenue Streams & Finance

Iașul Nostru has developed two revenue streams tied to the newsletter, generating a total of around 9,000 Euros per year:

1. Newsletter Subscriptions: Approximately 3% of the newsletter subscribers voluntarily support Iașul Nostru with a paid subscription, contributing around 5 Euros per month. Surveys with subscribers indicate that paying subscribers often include local businesses, artists, and NGOs in the town who directly benefit from the additional coverage provided by Iașul Nostru and wish to give back.

2. Sponsorships: Iașul Nostru allows sponsored messages in the weekly newsletter, which are sold for 100-400 Euros depending on the length and format.

Additionally, Enășescu has secured grants crucial for developing the product and expanding the subscription base. The initial 40,000 Euros grant from Substack provided the seed funding to launch the newsletter, covering expenses such as editor payment and fees for 10 freelance reporters contributing stories over the years. Another grant of 15,000 Euros from IPI facilitated the development of a new format and doubled the subscriber base.

As the Substack grant funds are depleted, Enășescu is taking on most of the editing and reporting responsibilities himself, with assistance from a copy editor and a local journalism student who aggregates local news and events. Complementing his income with freelance journalism work is also essential to sustain the project.

To ensure the sustainability of Iașul Nostru, Enășescu estimates a core annual revenue of 25,000 Euros is needed, which he considers challenging to achieve with the current output and revenue streams. However, he sees potential in offering an editor a two-year runway to maintain the product while he focuses on developing the business model, particularly by cultivating relationships with local businesses and growing paid subscriptions.