New features in Business with information you can use

June 12--Among the observations that The Gazette gleaned from a readership survey late last year were some revelations about our approach to Business coverage.

Some definite changes were called for, and with today's Sunday Business section, I believe we have taken a big step forward.

For some time, the latter half of our Sunday section has consisted of a pre-printed supplement published by USA Today. Before that, The Gazette published a popular Sunday supplement produced by The Wall Street Journal -- until the Journal phased it out.

According to the survey, however, the USA Today pages have never really caught on with our readers, who signaled that they want business coverage with more depth and variety of subject matter.

Beginning with today's Business edition, we have taken a new approach. Instead of purchasing a supplement, our business and presentation desks are seeking the best content from across our news services, including our recently added Bloomberg-Washington Post service. The Financials, as the new pages are called, offer a selection of the best from Bloomberg, The Washington Post, Tribune News Service and The Associated Press, giving new depth and variety to The Gazette's Business report.

At the same time, surveyed readers signaled that they wanted more business information that they could use; in other words, not simply what the Federal Reserve and European Union are up to. To that end, we are concentrating our new pages on personal finance, consumer business (aka shopping) and small businesses and entrepreneurs.

The stories offer news and advice. For example, this week's pages include a story on how all the new crash-prevention technologies have been promoted to car buyers as a way to get discounts on insurance. Unfortunately, as an AP study found, only two of the 11 largest U.S. auto insurers offer discounts for the new electronic devices. The story explains why and offers tips on alternative ways to reduce your car insurance premiums.

We're also happy to be able to offer Michelle Singletary's "Color of Money," a popular nationally syndicated column on personal finance.

And an advice piece that should be of particular interest to money- conscious young adults is the article detailing ideas for affordable wedding gifts that don't make you look cheap.

In the coming weeks, we will feature articles on saving for retirement; entrepreneurs' personal stories of success; navigating debt; and much more.

This coverage will be in addition to the stellar local business reporting that The Gazette is known for, as well as our daily national and international business news, and our Monday Business & Technology section, which has been gaining readers steadily since it launched in February.

As always, send me your feedback. We'd like to make this section your go-to reading material on your Sunday and through the week.

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Send Gazette Business Editor Ted Rayburn your ideas on business and the southern Colorado economy at 636-0194 or [email protected].

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