Oh no, not that discussion again (I hear you sigh!) :-0)
I have maintained (and I've been sincere about this) that LJN shall remain a free platform to help small businesses get better, sharing knowledge, learn fast, networking and finding business (plus a host of other intangibles).
I think we are achieving these aims admirably but what with the building of Creating Landscapes and the increased administration of running the site - coupled with the need to add more industry content and information - there is becoming a need to start charging a fee to use certain tools.
To a large extent, other landscape associations' members are benefiting (for free) because their own organisations do not have the same reach and resources at their disposal. The bottom line is, mine and your hard work is being enjoyed by some who are not prepared to give anything back.
Ning will be providing tools shortly that will enable me to set charges but I'm not sure at this stage how flexible the facility will be and how it may be applied to certain features.
My ambition would be that free membership will continue to allow access to the forum and other tools but will remove a member's contact details unless a fee is paid. I can also envisage that blogs, photos and video be restricted to so many uploads a month/year with a subscription payment unlocking all of these tools.
Private paid-for groups
I'd hope that private locked down groups can only be accessed by those who have paid membership. One of the proposed features is a live accountancy group with access to a team of industry professionals to help guide you through the tough times.
It would be hoped that savings you make through efficient bookkeeping and accountancy would pay for any subscription many times over any.
Utilising this method will not decrease the through traffic of the site nor diminish the reach of our site advertisers.
Increasing industry content
One of the advantages that Landscape juice has over any of its nearest rivals and wanabees is that I am a fellow industry professional having worked in the trade since the age of sixteen: all of my working life. I've been paid £25.00 a week on a training scheme, I've had arkward clients, I've shared in great successes and I've suffered extreme stress of financial pressure and jobs going wrong.
Information on Landscape Juice is fast and because much is written by our peers it's honest and priceless. Believe me, despite some people commenting that it appears only to be the same people who comment, content is being scanned by many people and I received an email only this week from an unlikely source who complimented me on the value of the site and what they'd learnt (over a long period it seems) from what's being written.
For those of you who aren't aware, Craig McGinty (who introduced me to Ning in the first place) and Carol Miers are being paid from the sponsorship money being received from Marshalls to cover members' events, interviews, research and write articles for www.landscapejuice.com.
I have made payments to some LJN members to write articles for the site.
The adverts in the sidebar and in the enhanced listings are paying for the basic site costs of $599.00 a year) plus the extra premium features such as classified listings, hosting, blogging software and little aids that help me to do my job.
Apart from the headline sponsorship being provided by Marshalls (thank you Marshalls, I am extremely grateful) have personally underwritten the cost of the Creating Landscapes Trade Show.
Creating Landscapes Trade Show
Just a quick note on the show - through the hard work done by Stephen Ingram, Craig, Carol, Simon Tozer and myself, we are on target for over 100% occupancy at the show, without discounting one single metre of stand space.
The future
My aim is to increase the budgets and payments to existing contributors, pay myself something by the way of a regular sum (I currently make less than £2,500 wages a year from Landscape Juice and I have run LJN full-time for over three years) all other income is invested in the site to benefit our members.
I've identified one new person who I'd like to join the team and I'd like to expand our industry document database and compile them into a searchable index, for your benefit.
I have no hard and fast business plan and I'm in no rush (nothing will happen until the end of the year at the earliest).
We might end up with a smaller membership out of all of this but those who remain may have the strongest set of tools and information available to them in the whole of the industry (if they haven't already).
I can write loads more and I'll contribute to the ongoing debate as questions roll in (and I'll be as honest and open as I can with my answers).
Landscape Juice has twice the traffic (averaging over 3,000 visitors a day this week) of Hort Week and the Landscaper Magazine combined (that's going on their published figures) and has more members than all of the three main landscape and design associations combined.
Views: 55
Replies
I don't think anyone would be rude enough to oppose or complain about your plans Phil, thanks for keeping us informed anyway!
i'm a small one man operation learning all the time, this site is a really usful resource and i'd part with cash to be part of it.
i belong to one other forum (hobby not work) where i pay a fee for premium membership and its well worth it.
can't wait to meet some people in the flesh at creating landscapes...
I'm sure the benefits will far out weight the fees Phil and it is only fair you receive a living from your creation.
Will LJN be moving into accreditation schemes?
ditto. I will certainly pay a members sub to be part of this site. Will the sub be tax deductable? I hope so !!
Paul @ PPCH Services said:
I don't think I said they should. All I propose its that anyone who has access to the full stable of tools and therefore benefits their business, should pay something back.
They are more than welcome.
It's a bit of both. BALI have 6-8 members on here and use our tools for free but that's as far as it goes (although I put a proposal to Diane McCulloch to present to BALI at the end of last week but I've heard nothing back.
Many of the APL initiatives have been copied from here (although that's my fault for making the site public).
I would have hoped the show would be important to you (and others too) Gary; I've never understood to your stance on this. The industry needs and is crying out for a new format and I'm told this by exhibitors and potential exhibitors on a weekly basis.
Sorry about the 'clutter':-))
Martin
Thanks for your PM.
I would be careful not to disenfranchise those businesses that need our help the most.
Rowly
That's certainly for consideration but I have to weigh up the risks of losing too many members and potentially damaging some of our Google juice.
This is why I have thrown it out for duscussion:)
Garden Care said:
I find LJN really useful and visit every day. I love to see what other people are creating and it's reassuring to know we are all subject to the same problems. To that end I'd be happy to pay for membership as long as the cost wasn't prohibitive.
BALI could certainly learn a lot from this site and a tie in would be beneficial to all.
"BALI could certainly learn a lot from this site and a tie in would be beneficial to all."
..and that coming from a BALI member too.
I've always demanded others in the industry be honest and you'll not find me fall short when it comes to the post-show reviews.
I will invite exhibitors and attendees to add their own reviews on here (they can do it elsewhere if they wish and I'll link to them or encourage others to do the same).
As to viability...I think we've already put these worries to bed. We are about 80% booked and looking likely to be over the 100% capacity (in other words expand into the Capel Manor College campus).
I said in this morning's newsletter that not one square metre of stand space has been discounted unlike other shows who even, as I have been told, gave away stand space for free.
Glee is not and never will be a landscape show so. You might be interested to know that I've spoken with both EMAP and Clarion about our event (cannot go into details save to say that both these organisations have a desire to get into this sector).
Hi Phil,
Ive been a member for only a year but in this time ive gained masses of information from the people on the site with every area possible - this is an outstanding site and i thank you for every effort you have put in - I think this whole discussion comes back to the reasons you created the Juice in the first place and what your objective was (and probably still is having read many of your posts). Perhaps you could recommend a basic free membership to all with a premium member status which would be chargeable and come with benefits including such things as free advertising or LJN trade discounts etc, which is what you have alluded to . Every member clearly has their own vested interests for being on the site in the first place myself included and so 'what i want' statements will appear in this thread; i feel from your comment that you have a clear direction with what is needed to take forward the network and only you really know the costs currently involved. As the need to tighten up infilitration from other sites and avoid people helping themselves to free advertising is clear, and the overwhelming opinion is in agreement with your view, your proposal would seem to be the right way forward.
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