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Sunday Business is targeting upmarket readers interested in business and finance, in the second phase of a direct response campaign.

The first phase targeted managing directors with an offer to sample the newspaper at a cut price.

More than 500,000 direct response leaflets are being inserted in the business and consumer press, offering readers the chance to sample four consecutive issues of Sunday Business for 10p each.

The leaflet says, “One business decision that doesn’t carry a high price” and “After four issues, we’re confident that you will decide that 50p per issue is one worth making”.

It is being inserted in Accountancy Age, Financial Advisor, the Evening Standard, Investors’ Chronicle, Country Life, Yachting World and Director magazine.

Consumers are asked to complete and return a freepost form to receive vouchers which are then redeemable at newsagents.

Sunday Business managing director Andrew Hart says: “These inserts will capture people while they are reading and in the right frame of mind to respond.”

The newspaper achieved a circulation of 56,065 for February 1999, its highest since relaunching in February 1998 under the ownership of the Barclay brothers.

According to the latest set of figures from the Audit Bureau of Circulations, sales have slipped to 55,123 for March.