NYCPHP Meetup

[Chris Hubbard]

The other angle on this.  If it would make money, and it's highly 
unlikely, and it's got a sufficiently low barrier to entry that your 
"average" NPO could implement it, then there would be hundreds / 
thousands of organizations doing this.

Free email hosting is a bad idea.  You will loose money doing free 
email hosting.

If I was you, I'd ask the boss to state how much s/he is currently 
spending for a similar service.  If the answer is 0 then there's your 
hard data.  If the answer is  more than 0, then you can do the work to 
realize that this would be a big hole in the ground that sucks in money 
and returns headaches.

I have started and run and ISP (not currently doing this)
I have started and run a web hosting (not currently doing this)

You're not going to make money offering either of the two services.

If the content you create is valuable, then you *might* be able to sell 
it.  *might*.

Chris

On Apr 5, 2004, at 2:39 PM, Allen Shaw wrote:

> Yeah, I believe he actually knows he doesn't have these answers, he's
> probably hoping I have some ideas.  I think that some of us in the
> non-profit world hold on to the concept that like-minded people will be
> willing to part with money for some particular product or service just
> because we're a "good cause."  I personally believe that's a weak 
> position.
>
> I think for this I just need to get some clear black-and-white sample
> numbers together, do the math for him, write down the hard questions, 
> and
> then give it back to him and let him take it where he wants.  
> Unfortunately
> I claim zero business accumen, and I have never even looked into a 
> project
> like this.  If anybody wants to suggest some keywords for googling or 
> maybe
> a link to somebody's experiences with this kind of thing, that would 
> be a
> good starting place, and anyway he may be satisfied with whatever I 
> come up
> with out of my own common sense and a little imagination.
>
> Thanks,
> Allen
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Joel De Gan" <joel at tagword.com>
>> I would say your boss, "ask yourself these questions.":
>>
>> 1) Is it reinventing the wheel?
>> 2) Will it really make money?
>> 3) How many other sites are doing 'exactly' this same thing?
>> 4) Is it worth the investment of time and resources, will your return
> recoup this investment quickly?
>> 5) Are you prepared to invest a lot in advertising to bring the 
>> people.
>> 6) Overall, what can you give people that they cannot get elsewhere.
>>
>> Just some ideas that I would bring up in a meeting for a "portal" 
>> site.
>>
>> -Joel De Gan
>
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Chris Hubbard
chubbard at next-online.net
425 563 4153