The Donate Button

[windtrader]

Gary,
Is the forum self supporting or does BCM provide support here? Just curious because I'm a current member on BCM and assumed that contribution covers both sides.

[Gary Hatt - Publisher BCM]

Gary,
Is the forum self supporting or does BCM provide support here? Just curious because I'm a current member on BCM and assumed that contribution covers both sides.

Unfortunately, the Forum is not self-supporting.  Because Bus Conversion Magazine barely breaks even anymore, and I take no money for myself, we are asking for donations to keep the Forum in the black. I do not buy and sell buses on the side as the previous owner did as that helped back in the day.

Google Ads help, but they do not cover the cost of running the Forum.  Our server costs about $100/month (for the magazine and the Forum) and both Phil and Krash work for peanuts to help keep it going.  Banner Ads at the top of the Forum are included in the price of the ads we run in our magazine, so that does not directly go to supporting the Forum.  But by itself, the Forum is a money-losing proposition but I keep it going because it is so helpful to so many, just like the magazine.

If you are a subscriber to BCM, then there is no need to Donate towards the Forum.  Ads in those magazines help defray the cost of the Forum.

I hope this helps explain the financial side of things.

[DoubleEagle]

It's a shame that you got stuck holding the remnants of BCM, Gary. I think a lot of us appreciate you sticking with it. Maybe you should change the legal status of BCM to a non-profit charitable organization. You might be able to pay yourself a stipend then. To think that in 1996, I heard the then Editor of BCM describe the magazine as a "Cash Cow".  That must have been because of the big ads by bus conversion suppliers, who have now diminished in number.

[chessie4905]

It helped a lot back then that not many forums and their use was in its infancy. The print media is dying, including books from what it was. Everyone gets all they need on their smartphone anymore.

[windtrader]

Thanks Gary for providing insight to the two monitors covering the unique bus conversion community and happy to hear my contribution aids both causes.

[Gary Hatt - Publisher BCM]

It's a shame that you got stuck holding the remnants of BCM, Gary. I think a lot of us appreciate you sticking with it. Maybe you should change the legal status of BCM to a non-profit charitable organization. You might be able to pay yourself a stipend then. To think that in 1996, I heard the then Editor of BCM describe the magazine as a "Cash Cow".  That must have been because of the big ads by bus conversion suppliers, who have now diminished in number.

I bought the magazine because I thought I could resurrect it by taking care of customers better than the previous owner and making improvements in the magazine.  I feel we have done both. After the decline in subscriptions from having to drop the print magazine, it is slowly increasing again, but it may never be what it was in it heyday when a lot more people were converting buses. 

Now it is mostly people converting school buses on lower budgets but the conversion business is still going strong. I just want to be able to break even and be able to buy fuel for my bus to travel. 

You are correct, it is not as easy to get the larger advertisers like Prevost now, but the smaller ones are definitely being helped by the magazine and we are in discussions with more people on a regular basis about advertising. With 1 million page views per month on the website, the banner ads are drawing in some business.

Thanks for your concern.

[Gary Hatt - Publisher BCM]

Thanks Gary for providing insight to the two monitors covering the unique bus conversion community and happy to hear my contribution aids both causes.

And thank you too.  If everyone that read the Forum subscribed to the magazine, we would be doing much better and would not have to rely on Google Ads or Donations. 

Unfortunately, only a small percentage of the Forum users, are subscribers now.  We continually try to improve the magazine, but with a limited budget, there is only so much we can do and depend on our readers to send in articles to share stories and ideas with other buse nuts.  Articles are becoming harder to obtain too.  So if you have any stories to tell, by all means send them in and we will extend your subscription from 1 to 5 years depending on your article(s).

[Gary Hatt - Publisher BCM]

Thank you Joel Clark for your Donation to keep the Forum alive.  We really appreciate it. Most people think there is great value in the Forum and I am glad you support that theory.

Gary

[Gary Hatt - Publisher BCM]

Thank you Chris G. for your Donation to keep the Forum going.  We definitely appreciate it and glad you enjoy reading this great source of information.

[Gary Hatt - Publisher BCM]

Thanks so much Merle for your contribution to keeping the Forum alive.  We appreciate it.

Gary