Welcome to Bis-Man INC!, a free, resourceful, positive and informative business magazine that we are thrilled to bring to the community. For those unfamiliar with our company, Spotlight, we are a magazine publishing and full-stack marketing and creative agency based out of Fargo, North Dakota. Some other publications we produce inlude: Fargo Monthly, Design & Living, Future Farmer, Bison Illustrated, Face of Bismarck and Fargo INC!, a local business magazine that will serve as the blueprint for what we hope is an equally impactful publication.
SO, WHY THE BISMARCK AREA? WHY US?
First of all, we have seen tremendous success with our Fargo INC! magazine. Since its launch in 2016, we have learned that there’s a strong desire for local business content in the FM area. And after launching our “Faces of Bismarck-Mandan” magazine last year, we learned that Bismarck has common needs. Secondly, we believe that we are the right company for the job. Over the last 11 years, we have produced over 480 magazines. We take pride in quality design, photography and content. In a time where there seems to be a dearth of negativity, we want to be a beacon of light, showing all of the positive things going on in the Bismarck-Mandan community.
WHAT’S THE GOAL?
Our goal with every issue we put out is to provide quality, politic-free, information and entertainment to our readers. In our business-specific publications, we also strive to provide motivation for the community at large. We want to motivate and help guide those in the region who are contemplating making the entrepreneurial leap while also helping those with existing businesses find greater success. In doing this, our goal is to avoid politics at all cots. We want to focus on small main street businesses, entrepreneurs and professionals. The real goal is to not only entertain the community with great business content but also to motivate them
WHAT’S NEXT?
There is a ton of development that we will want to take on throughout the year. We want this first issue to serve as an introduction to the community. After launching, we are going to host a party and we’d love for many of you in the business community to be there so we can learn from your feedback.
We will also be following this first publication with a number of questionnaires and surveys to help us create a roadmap for improvement. After all, we want to create content that is worthy of your time. We want to read it and learn something from it!
FINALLY,
When it’s all said and done, we want this publication to drive the Bis-Man area businesses to a new level of success and motivate everyone to strive for higher standards. Hopefully, like in Fargo, we receive emails after every issue on how an article motivated change or made a difference in that person’s life. Now that would be the best!
Mike Dragosavich
Founder and CEO
Spotlight Media
Meet The Editor: Grant Ayers
My name is Grant Ayers and I’m the editor of Bis-Man INC! I grew up in Forest Lake, MN, a lesser-known suburb just outside of the Twin Cities. It’s a wonderful, small town that I’ve always felt deserved to have its story told more than it does. When Spotlight launched the production of Bis-Man INC!, I felt a similar calling to aid in the sharing of another town’s story.
Each business has a unique story that deserves to be shared. These stories of businesses, owners and the history behind them are what connect us to one another. With my journalistic and business background, I aim to share stories that not only spread awareness of the community’s latest happenings, but also motivate readers to act and pursue their own business ventures and passion projects
I believe that Bis-Man INC! is the solution to making the Bismarck-Mandan metro an even further connected, more tightly-knit community.
We are not only for the well-established businesses looking to connect with one another; we’re also for the young hopeful entrepreneurs that seek inspiration for their diverse, groundbreaking startups.
We’re determined to provide the best content for business people of all levels and fields in the Bismarck-Mandan area. If this magazine can connect and develop one business relationship, or inspire just one beginning entrepreneur to take their next steps in their journey, then I would say the journey to the debut issue of Bis-Man INC! has been an immense success.