Entrepreneurial journalism @CAJ workshop

By Ann Hui

Patrick Lor, president of Fotolia, has some good news for journalists.

Journalists have to learn to be businesspeople. The good news? Most journalists already have the skills to be good at it.

Being an entrepreneur is all about asking people for money, Lor said -- pitching, in other words. And most journalists, Lor points out, already know how to pitch.

Lor's guide to pitching:

- Most pitches suck. Investors don't want to see slides, flowcharts, etc. Pitches should have story structure: a beginning, middle and end. Try to grab your audience/investor in the first sentence or first 60 seconds.

- Investors have minds, hearts and wallets. You have to appeal to all three, not just the wallet.

- Connect with the investor emotionally. Tell them a story. Make it personal.

Ann Hui is a radio room reporter at the Star. She's also completing her final year of the master of journalism program at Ryerson University. ahui@thestar.ca