Donations

[mrs maggot]

yep completely agree with that - hence why we only put the donation form up once a year if you want to contribute you do - if you dont then you dont, any shortfall is actually then made up from the admin team - there are 4 of us so we just split whatever is left between us if there is any to be made up.

[Ian M]

I thought we would have been very near the donation total by now. I just had a quick look & realised that if all the active members donated the large amount of 60p we'd just pass the £150 target Justin has set.

Now this is the point where I get my soap box out. I really don't care who I upset now as some of you do need to be told in no uncertain terms what this forum has done to help you. Some of you come on here wanting help & advice which is freely given at all times by some very nice knowledgable people & then off you go & you don't even bother to give a penny in return or thanks. Now don't get me wrong as that isn't everyone but, there is a lot that do. [COLOR="red]SO, COME ON YOU LOT GET YOUR HAND IN YOUR POCKET & GIVE SOMETHING BACK FOR ONCE.[/COLOR]

Justin has worked his wotsits off getting this new look wonderful forum up & running so, lets all repay him something back for once.

If you had to pay an expert in your business for advice or help it would cost you a small fortune. Just ask yourselves how many new businesses have paid all of 60p for advice on start up?

Ian

[accdave]

I thought we would have been very near the donation total by now. I just had a quick look & realised that if all the active members donated the large amount of 60p we'd just pass the £150 target Justin has set.

Now this is the point where I get my soap box out. I really don't care who I upset now as some of you do need to be told in no uncertain terms what this forum has done to help you. Some of you come on here wanting help & advice which is freely given at all times by some very nice knowledgable people & then off you go & you don't even bother to give a penny in return or thanks. Now don't get me wrong as that isn't everyone but, there is a lot that do. [COLOR="red]SO, COME ON YOU LOT GET YOUR HAND IN YOUR POCKET & GIVE SOMETHING BACK FOR ONCE.[/COLOR]

Justin has worked his wotsits off getting this new look wonderful forum up & running so, lets all repay him something back for once.

If you had to pay an expert in your business for advice or help it would cost you a small fortune. Just ask yourselves how many new businesses have paid all of 60p for advice on start up?

Ian

Now we know who trained Bob Geldof

[Paul]

I thought we would have been very near the donation total by now. I just had a quick look & realised that if all the active members donated the large amount of 60p we'd just pass the £150 target Justin has set.

Now this is the point where I get my soap box out. I really don't care who I upset now as some of you do need to be told in no uncertain terms what this forum has done to help you. Some of you come on here wanting help & advice which is freely given at all times by some very nice knowledgable people & then off you go & you don't even bother to give a penny in return or thanks. Now don't get me wrong as that isn't everyone but, there is a lot that do. [COLOR="red]SO, COME ON YOU LOT GET YOUR HAND IN YOUR POCKET & GIVE SOMETHING BACK FOR ONCE.[/COLOR]


btw. six people donated so far. I am sure quite few more people we helped in the past...
Justin has worked his wotsits off getting this new look wonderful forum up & running so, lets all repay him something back for once.

If you had to pay an expert in your business for advice or help it would cost you a small fortune. Just ask yourselves how many new businesses have paid all of 60p for advice on start up?

Ian

You got some bolls sir

but this is so true what you just said I think exactly like you!

[Justin]

Thank you Ian, some good points made there. It re-opens the tin of worms regarding how the forum is paid for, subscriptions, advertising, donations etc. The new VBulletin platform has the ability to handle/manage subscriptions as well as advertising. Results from the poll I took a while ago, indicated that members would be happiest with advertising paying for the forum along with the possibility of a small subscription charge. For every supporter of advertising and membership they'll always be someone who disagrees.

I greatly appreciate the donations given to the forum. I do spend pretty much every waking hour I can on here, outside my day job! so this support means a lot.

I'm still toying with all possible ideas of funding. If I could rely on a small amount of donations coming through regularly I'd be more than happy with this but the truth is it's pretty much the same members over and over again that donate. To echo what you've said, how many times have members told us what a great asset we were, saved them so much time and money. Yet they don't offer anything in return. I've actually has emails from a couple of members asking to be taken off the member list, basically they've got what the wanted form us and now they're off. One member even told me they didn't like the new look forum and wouldn't be returning! This was within minutes of it going live. I took a plunge/risk, call it what you will, changing over to VBulletin as I knew it wouldn't be a smooth transition, resetting passwords etc. Sure, we'll have lost a handful of members but we have to move forward and this was the clear way to do so.

I want to find a fair way for us all to enjoy the forum and will continue to look at this. I don't want the forum to be completely aimed towards newbies, I want the experienced members to get something out of being here...this is where your suggestions are needed.

In the meantime I would like to once again thank the handfull of members who have taken the time to give money recently.

[Ian M]

You got some bolls sir

I even have balls too Paul...........lol.

[Ian M]

I know what Justin means about working all the hours God sends as I did the same for a charitable trust a little time ago. This was an archive centre for a few classic car clubs that belonged to an association & I got the job of marketing director. I found myself working full time at the bank & then when I got home I was doing even more work than my full time job. I soon realised I was doing well over 100 hours of work per week & had no free time for myself anymore. I was even doing this whilst I was under treatment for cancer too & on top of this every month I had to drive a round trip of 400 miles to meet with the trustees who did as little work as possible apart from 2 or 3 of them. We had to charge all the clubs members an extra 2p per week on their annual club subscriptions & a lot of them didn't like it. At one meeting we had all the clubs officials there & I went round each one of them & gave them a 2p coin & they were all sat there looking at it. I then said I want you all to go out of here & buy something with that 2p coin I have given you but, whatever you buy has to have some historical value & it has to last for at least 7 days. All of a sudden it hit home what they were paying towards & the best bit is that some of them even decided they should be paying a bit more. I just wish I could do the same with the people on here who refuse to give just 60p to hit our target.

[Paul]

I want to find a fair way for us all to enjoy the forum and will continue to look at this. I don't want the forum to be completely aimed towards newbies, I want the experienced members to get something out of being here...this is where your suggestions are needed.

In the meantime I would like to once again thank the handfull of members who have taken the time to give money recently.

ther is no much we can do for experts because they already experts but I am sure if suppliers will give some % discount on blanks etc this will be one of the good reasons to stay

I just wish I could do the same with the people on here who refuse to give just 60p to hit our target.

lets send it to every body with thank you letter

[Justin]

Any chance you could upload a £50 note for me to print off Paul? LOL. Just kidding, I know you, you;'ll bloody do it as well!

We have to be able to offer experienced members more, the discounts is a good idea and something I've been talking to a number of suppliers about recently but there has to be more we can offer?

[Paul]

here it is mate! but dont tell me I never donated alright??!!