The Small Print
“One email every Tuesday at 6am, for four years. Being on time is the whole product.”
CDCarla Diaz · The Small Print · Since 2022
12-mo revenue$176,690+30% vs last yearStripe
Based on 72 real newsletters worldwide, including 32 that closed.
✓Your budget should cover this.
Bills run about $70 a month (fuel, insurance, rent, phone). Most owners make a profit after about 6 months. Keep this much aside to pay bills until then.
CASL: you need people’s consent before you email them.
Competition Bureau rules: mark sponsored sections clearly.
Register with your province (about $60 to $360). Get a free business number from the CRA.
Free to about $15 a month. Keeps business money apart from yours.
Sets up your books and files your first tax return.
$2.3k
Before costs. Sign-ups peak in January.
| Slow | Typical | Strong | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | $565 | $1.5k | $3.7k |
| Year 3 | $1.5k | $3.5k | $8k |
| Year 5 | $1.9k | $4.5k | $10.8k |
Slow: 1 in 4 make less than this. Typical: half make more, half make less. Strong: 1 in 4 make more than this.
“One email every Tuesday at 6am, for four years. Being on time is the whole product.”
about $57k
Starting costs about $54.8k less. Buying costs more, but you earn from the first month and skip the risky early years.