Sponsorship opportunities for members who have a small business?

[Jeff]

If you are a member of the Forestry Forum that owns a small business, I have created a space on the entrance page of the Forestry Forum for advertising. We have a huge amount of traffic now and I think many of you might possibly benefit from such an ad.  The link created can go to your website, or if you dont have a website, we can create a simple single page for you, OR we can link it to a listing in the find-a-sawyer database if you have one there.  The cost of this sponsorship should be affordable and should also be deductable as an advertising cost/business expense on your taxes.  I am going to ask for $15 dollars a month to be listed on the front page. The space is limited and I would like to do this in 12 month chunks.

Take a look at www.forestryforum.com .On the far right side of the page, the blank area underneath the forum toolbox. If we do this, It will have a header something like "Member companies" or something.

SIGN UP LINK

[crtreedude]

Sign me up Jeff - and make it for a year.

First of all, I am all for supporting the group here. I get a lot of value (and laughs) from this site, giving back makes sense.

But, from a totally business point of view - traffic for a website is everything. Since Forestry Forum is a heavyweight in traffic - just look at all the people here - it creates higher rankings in google. Cheaper than paying adwords or other pay-for-click stuff. Also, Google will count this a a very good link since for most of us, it is in the same industry. Link farms can drive down your rankings if they are unrelated.

Also, I already pay 100 dollars a month to EcoWorld at it is some of the best money I have ever spent. I monitor our traffic and I can tell how much I get from our advertizers. I am always looking for value like this.

For those of you who have websites and need traffic - this is a great deal.

Fred

[stumpy]

Count me in!!!

[ronwood]

Jeff,

What would you charge to host a website along with advertising?  My only concern is how do you distingush between your current sponsor and members that have small business?

Ron

[Jeff]

I generally charge 20 a month to host a basic website that has its own domain name. That includes a few bells and whistles, so about 35 a month to include the ad. The bigger the website of course, the more it may be. A site wit ha tom of graphics, say for a phtography site would be more. There is still the free space offered to members but that is very limited space and function.

This is only being offered to individuals that are forum members that have a small business. Not to a corporation or large company that can afford a regular sponsorship. The link on the front page will be a text link using the name of the company, or DBA.

[Texas Ranger]

Hmmmm, $15 a month.  About fifty cents a day, sign me up for, oh, 3.5 days, I think I can get that much out of the chair cushion.

[dutchman]

As a part time sawyer, I would love to give you money, and get a tax break.
I do most of my sawing fall thruogh spring.
I would like to do 6 mo. at a time, say from Sept 1 thru Feb .
If you start soon I would sign up for 3 mo. for sure.
DBA: CARL'S CUSTOM SAWING

Thanks for your efforts.
Carl

[Jeff]

I am still hoping to get a little more serious response to this, were going to need at least a few that would want to do this for appearances sake. Now this does not have to be a wood related business. I know there are several out there that have unrelated businesses. This is fine because its a premium to a member for the sponsorship.

[Steve]

I'd be happy to sign up Jeff. I'm about a week away from launching a new/revised site and would like to wait until that was live before putting my link up though.

Hawaiian Hardwoods Direct

[dewwood]

Jeff,

Count me in for a years sponsorship.  Let me know what you need and I will send you a check.

[Patty]

Since it does not have to be a wood related business, we would be interested in trying a 6 month subscription.

[johncinquo]

Count me in Jeff.  We have a site already that maybe we can link to.  In my line of work we have to go through a "compliance" department, but I think keeping our own site and linking to it should be OK.  I'll PM you some more details! 

I have already done business with a few members on here and its real nice talking with folks that already kinda kow and trust you than just some stranger on the phone. 

[WeeksvilleWoodWorx]

Count me in Jeff. I'll commit for a year.

Brian

[Jeff]

Sounds like this may be very do-able at this point.  Give me a little time to arrange some sort of payment device through pay-pal to make it easy for even those outside of the U.S.  I will also certainly have other methods for those that do not use paypal.

Now, since you are the folks involved, I would like some input from you all on what the heading above your sponsor links should say.

"Member sponsors" ?

"Please support these
contibuting Companies"


Ideas?

[Texas Ranger]

OK,  your sense of humor disappeared with your shoulder mess up, so, 6 months, tell me when and how.

No on Pay Pal, you take a check?  You may not have to hold it very long.

[Jeff]

OK,  your sense of humor disappeared with your shoulder mess up, so, 6 months, tell me when and how.

No on Pay Pal, you take a check?  You may not have to hold it very long.

No it didn't. I find you are just as "funny" as I ever did.   I've just gotta be more clever in trying to find ways to pay da bills now days.

[Texas Ranger]

Ouch.

[Jeff]

 

Yer a trip Tex.

[johncinquo]

How about  "Send your money to John" area.


Or   "Folks we do bidnez wit" area.   



Or  "Got cash to blow?" area. 


Or    "Dang I wish I had bought that disability insurance" area.      Insert pokey stick dude here.

I can imagine some of the "ads" were gonna get up there.  Chets Lube, fill, bear grease and Taco stand.      Grits, Grits, and Sweet Tea delivery and counseling service.  Sit a spell and we'll work out all your troubles.      Furby's chicken farm and Goat ropin.  If were not in, please leave a message as were on walkabout.      Hey you can start a 2nd business.  Jeffs mobile hog slicer and portable buffet table. 

I gotta quit, I'm crackin up too much.


I'll be looking for your info when it gets around.

[Texas Ranger]

Jeff, save a place for "Grits-R-Us".

[crtreedude]

Member Sponsors sound good.


Or perhaps....

"The Usual Suspects"

[Texas Ranger]

Jeff, save a place for "G-r-i-t-s-R-Us".

[Texas Ranger]

 

[Patty]

You could call it "Forestry Forum Marketplace" ; or "Forestry Forum Small Business" or "Forestry Forum Member Services"....just a few thoughts...to perhaps give you some ideas.   

[Jeff]

Patty, thats kinda the direction I am thinking as well. I want people to realize that there is something there for them, not that we are simply listing supporters, although that is certainly part of it

[Captain]

Thanks Jeff. I'm in.

Captain

[Jeff]

Contributing Members'
Shameless Commerce Links

 

a little humor and it may just draw attention?

[crtreedude]

I like it! 

[Jeff]

Two I hear a second?  Or better yet a reason I had not thought of to NOT use this?

[Fla._Deadheader]

  Gopher it 

[Jeff]

Please take a look at the header I created for the members' links on the first page. If anyone has a problem with it, lets do something else. If not, let me know and I'll proceed with contacting those of you that mentioned you wanted to get started.

www.forestryforum.com to look....

Also!  I am going to create some sort of revolving sytem for the top link. Possibly lables with a Link of the day tag or something. All other links below that will be in alphabetical order by company name.

[oakiemac]

Jeff- just saw this post. Sign me up for a year. You can link my website.

[Jeff]

Camptown racetrack five miles long...  Do da.... Do da............

up two posts ↑

[Brad_S.]

Or better yet a reason I had not thought of to NOT use this?

Only thought that crossed my mind was maybe getting too many ads crowding the screen and diluting the message especially of the major sponsors but also the shameless individuals as well. Not saying it's a bad idea, just thinking out loud for your consideration. 

[Jeff]

When I say "Not to use this" I mean the heading, not the idea.

It will only be on the firstpage and they are not "Ads"  They are a list of text links to member businesses that are trying to support the forum and getting a "premium" for that support. The type of links allowed will not be anything that would over shadow the major sponsors of the forestry forum.  I think a glance at the first page will show that I am not overcrowding, or trying to crunch to much into a small space, but simply utilyzing available white space. A good time to look is now when you can see all the blank area.  I ty not to take anything I do here lightly and have considered most of those valid points that you make.

[crtreedude]

Just let me know when to send the check - I have a USA bank account so you don't have to deal with any funny money...

[Jeff]

I will be adding the links tonight for those that have provided me with their link details. I'll add the others as I get the information.


I will send an email to the linkees with payment options. You can either send a check, or I have created some paypal buttons if you wish to use a credit card.

[Jeff]

I have this link worked out so you can either:

• Pay with PayPal so you can use a credit card
• Or fill out a form to send me your link info and it will give you the information for making out and mailing a check

SIGN UP LINK

[sprucebunny]

I think the type size of the shameless guys needs to be a point bigger or maybe a different font. They are a little hard to read and I don't usually have a problem with that sort of thing.

A bigger space between them might help, too.

[sprucebunny]

Looks good, now, Jeff

[Jeff]

Google as well as MSN have already spydered the new links on the forum. THe Forum is so dynamic that instead of every few months, like most sites, we get indexed at LEAST once a week and sometimes everyday. If you are linked to our front page you get noticed right away instead of waiting weeks.

I already noticed a search improment on one thing I tried. THe other day I tried searching for Joh's company address and had not luck finding his site. Today I searched google with simply:

RCB & Associates


The Forum comes up number one with the link right there and available.

Hopefully you all see an improvement in your searches and I thank each of you for helping with the support of the Forestry Forum.

 We have room for a handful more links yet...

[crtreedude]

It should help - the more links the merrier as long as they are quality links.

I actually have more than 400 visitors a day to our website - almost 10,000 hits... per day.

Search on Reforestation and you will find us - usually number one. I am pretty proud of that! 

[Texas Ranger]

The new post came up third when I googled Staples Forestry.  Since my web site has been up for about 10 years that came on strong as horse radish.

[Dean Hylton]

Jeff, sounds great and would like to be counted in as well. Is there any way to get a bill through paypal every 3 months? 

[Texas Ranger]

Jeff, ya mind if I pay in C onfederate money?

[Jeff]

Jeff, sounds great and would like to be counted in as well. Is there any way to get a bill through paypal every 3 months? 

Sure, I have a 3 month button set up.

Go here:
LINK

Fill out the form so I know what you want to link, then use the 3 month button to pay.

[Paschale]

Hey...looks great Jeff!     So...I don't know who all of those people are yet.  Which websites are attached to the people we know?

I've figured out a few of them...but a few are still a mystery.   

[Furby]

ERI Quality Imaging Equipment
Norm F and Patty
--------------
Finca Leola-Reforestation
CRtreedude
---------
Hawaiian Koa and
Mango Tonewoods
Steve
----------
Hickory&Oak Custom Sawmilling, LLC
Oakiemac
-----------
Majesty Stables/Timberpro
Captain
-----------------
Powers Hardwoods
Dewwood
----------------
RCB & Associates, LLC
johncinquo
------------
Staples Forestry
TexasRanger
---------------
Stumpy's Wood Works
stumpy
-------------
Windy Hill Log Works
DonP
--------------

[Paschale]

Thanks Jason!   

[Jeff]

I have a way to kick these links up in google even more. Will everyone in the list above please gove me a discriptive line of text for your business? It should include some keywords as exclusive to what you do as possible. I need one sentence. 

Stumpy, I already did yours, and I have made an adjustment again tonight.  I added the link Chet's night before last. just one day of being on the front page as a link, look what we get in google when you search:


pewaukee portable bandmill 

Or something even as generic as this:

stumpy's service


Stumpy, we need to get you a little webpage other then the find a sawyer listing.

[Jeff]

How impressive is this? 

Search google with this:

portable bandmill wisconsin

[Paschale]

How impressive is this? 

Search google with this:

portable bandmill wisconsin

VERY impressive!    

[Coon]

Sorry Jeff,
   I don't think that this little tid bit of advertising would do much in my case.  I have yet to see or hear of any other people on the Forestry Forum from Saskatchewan.  99% of all of my sales are from within this province.  Under a normal year I may get only major sale from out of province.  Even with the tax deductable receipt to recover the cost of the advertising I can not justify this.  I am not saying that this is not a very good thing to do, it is just the frontage that does not work for me.  Maybe at a later date I will be interested (once I can see ssome sort of activity on behalf of people from Saskatchewan, Manitoba and, possibly more involvement from Saskatchewan.

Sorry,  Brad.

[Paschale]

Hey Brad,

The thing is this:  by being here on the Forum, you actually have serious frontage on Google, so that if anyone, who hasn't even ever heard of the Forum, Googles you, you'll pop up towards the top in a search for Saskatchewan custom sawmilling.  The Forestry Forum has so much traffic that Google "spyders" it all the time, thus by appearing on here, you automatically rise to the top in Google's search engine.  The bottom line?   You have high traffic when anyone searches for a sawmiller in your province.

That's what's been going on with Stumpy's site--it's jumped to the top in the Google search, simply because he's on here.   The advertising has less to do with advertising to the people who might frequent the forum, but rather it gets your name in the Google heirarchy so you can quickly become top dog in the search engines for your particular niche market.  Pretty cool stuff!   

[Jeff]

Thats cool brad.   Hopefully this is something that will benefit some of the members.  Actually, this is closer to a PBS pledge where you get a premium.  The folks that do it are supporting the forum in their own way above and beyond anything that is ever expected of a member, and hopefully, in return, the small thing like placing the link on the forum will give them some sort of positive return. 

The only thing EVER expected of a member for support is to be part of the group, contribute to the conversations where you can and help another member if you have the opportunity.

[Coon]

Jeff,

   I'll have to run this by the wife.  If'n she figure that it may justify our cost with a little advertising then I think it may be a possbility.  She will most likely go for it.   

I didn't realize that this would be linked through google.  I guess it was my bad    for not reading the complete post through and through.  I'll let you know if and when we decide.  Personally, I think it may possibly do our business some good.

[Jeff]

Don't know if anyone that has the links on the front page have tried any new searches related to thier link or not, but I have done a couple. Here is one that I was pretty surpriced with because it was so general.

try in google:

Sawmilling LLC

or simply

hickory and oak

[crtreedude]

Okay, I will go on record that Forestry Forum can REALLY haul you up in the searches.

Search on:

green investing tropical hardwood

This is exactly what I wanted to capture (before I didn't even exist... buried pages deep), now we are number two!

Very well spent money for sponsership - thanks Jeff!

[Jeff]

I am truly glad to hear that. I was hoping that we could help make a difference. 

[SwampDonkey]

In google type:

timber inventory new brunswick (1st in the list)

woodlot management plans new brunswick (also on the first page)

[Jeff]

Sorry, I didnt have anything to do with that.

[SwampDonkey]

 

No, but after reading about Crtreedude's google ranking, I had to pipe in.

[farmerdoug]

Jeff,

I am wondering if you would accept an ad for another website.  My sister-in-law has a RPG website/forum and is trying to get it off the ground and is not having to much luck(it is going slowly).

I was thinking of maybe buying space for an ad for her site as a Christmas present and help this site too.  I think you have started a great site.  Let me know what your feelings are on this.

Here is a link to her site to let you see if you deem it appropriate.

http://secrethavens.com/

Farmerdoug

[Jeff]

Doug, really, the space for this is quite limited and I would like to reserve it for Forestry Forum member businesses. 

[Jeff]

Just did a check on stumpy's sponsorship link thing. Stumpy did not have a webpage.  He did a years member sponsorship so we built him just a simple one page web to link to.

Try this, search google for:

wisconsin portable sawmill



pretty amazing. Of all the sawmills that must be in wisonsin.   That just tickles me to no end.

[getoverit]

WOW !! I did it and got this:

Results 1 - 20 of about 76,100 for wisconsin portable sawmill. (0.37 seconds)

No wonder there are so many from the great north on here 

[Jeff]

Ya'll probably get tired of me bragging over this but I gotta give ya the latest results.


Try just 

swingmills

in google.   TOP OF THE PILE!

[SwampDonkey]

try

'swing mills'  in google

Dohh!! 

[Jeff]

try

'swing mills'  in google

Dohh!! 

Now that I know that, Give me a few days.    Cant be having that..! HUMPH!

[Jeff]

I have made some adjustments. We wont be having none of that crap when it comes to those guys.

[Chris Burchfield]

Good morning Jeff. I've read all of this link. You identified that you wanted this for the members who have small businesses. I've not started my business yet and was considering going LLC. My tax guy persuaded/convenced me to go full INC. as the LLC did not protect me personally or my personal assets. Hope there is a way you can know us little guys when your trying to judge a book by it's cover.

[Jeff]

Good morning Jeff.

I guess I really dont understand what you are trying to say.

[farmerdoug]

Jeff,  I think he is worried that because he is a full corporation that you will not think of him as a small business.

Chris,  I think you are off a little as Jeff sees all businesses as a multinational corps with big bucks to spend.  Just kidding, Chris, I am sure Jeff would love that though.    Jeff knows a small business when he sees one.  Now if you grow as big as Arkansawyer then you will be charged the corporae rate.

Farmerdoug

[Chris Burchfield]

You got it Farmerdoug. Arky is about to be big as he wants. I wanted to hookup with Arky and the guys from Will's place in Lt. Rock tommorrow, but a man called with logs to saw. Arky said that his Pa said " a mans got to make hay while the sun shines." Of course it rained all day here yesterday.

[Minnesota_boy]

Arky said that his Pa said " a mans got to make hay while the sun shines." Of course it rained all day here yesterday.

You weren't supposed to be making hay yesterday, you were supposed to be sawing logs.  You can saw logs in the rain.

[Chris Burchfield]

Yes but I have to be able to get the logs to the saw or the saw to the logs. Started raining here after lunch. And, I don't have a tractor. I'm heading to Lt. Rock leaving at 07:00. The guy I was going to cut for said I could sleep in. Yea, right. With a show and good friends this close.