The blog is growing fast, and some times things dictate to you where you’ve got to go next.
The move of our workshop last year was somewhat forced and timed itself together with an offer of writing a book. We find ourselves in a workshop with a size and set up that is dictating that Maguire Workbenches gets held back to what it perhaps always should have been – small and bespoke.
I do believe that we make our own decisions in life, I have a very hard working life but we’ve made choices that see us with much more freedom than what a nine to five could offer. The decisions are ours but sometimes you do feel like you’re being shunted along in a particular direction.
Everybody hopes that their blog will grow but it has got to a point where running it equals a colossal expense on our shoulders, and every fortnight we seem to need to upgrade something else. You soon realise that something has to give and I certainly don’t want it to be that we have to stop. The start of our Premium Content has timed itself well and we’re hoping that it will have the potential to support the site so that the free posts and videos can become even better.
Our Premium content won’t be a subscription.
I’ve never subscribed to much in my life and I think with our lives all being so very hectic this is understandable. Subscribing is a commitment on both sides which doesn’t account for unpredictable things which could happen.
We will be pricing projects individually as a one time payment instead. We’re all different and rather than seeking to please everybody with every project we’d like you to pick and choose instead. We have a video in mind all about hand prepping boards for example and whilst I’m sure they’ll be some who shout out ‘yippee’ at that thought, others are very likely rolling their eyes in boredom. Another project along might see the tables turn.
This paid for content will always be long and thorough and so will be divided down in to manageable chapters. Each chapter will be released a week at a time so there will be a feel of a subscription to it. You’ll be able to watch it as many times as you like, and if a purchase is made after the project has completed then the whole thing will be available to you right away.
Our Premium content is aiming to be much better than the free videos we already do. If we do things right it will provide funding to dedicate to the blog that doesn’t just have to go in to our mounting server costs, mail hosting and all that nonsense.
To put that in simple terms, if we can get this off the ground as a business then this blog will flourish as we start dedicating a whole lot more to it.
Our first project series is now live! Watch a short teaser or see full details now.
Hi Richard,
to me it sounds like a good concept. Pay per view should be manageable for most of us.
I’m really looking forward to see your new content. Especially that wooden hand plane stuff. And that nice rack shown on the teaser pictures.
Cheers,
Stefan
Hi Stefan, many thanks. The hand planes are being worked on as we speak 🙂
Hi Richard and Helen,
This sounds like a great idea and a unique model. I have no doubt the community will support you in any way possible.
Cheers
Justin
Many thanks Justin, we really appreciate it.
Do at some point get your ugly mug off the screen and let your lovely lady fill us in on how she’s doing learning the craft. Expertise is all well and good, but learning happens at all levels. She’s likely got a lot of important lessons for the beginners among us, and maybe a few for more experienced as well.
Ha, ha, cheers Polly. We really do think a like. It’s something Helen has been talking about for a long time now, and I have to completely agree, often the beginner has more to teach than the expert as the struggles are fresher. Once she frees herself up from current work you will be seeing a lot more of Helen.
Seems like a well thought out plan Richard. Looking forward to it coming to fruition 🙂
Hi Eric, the art to success is to not have a plan… that way it can’t go wrong. Many thanks.
Grate plan and very honest Richard. The blogs are parasitic. The hosting companies look for ways to keep getting some kind of upgrade to squeeze and nickle and dime you to death. This should help you, hang in there Richard you are a very good passionate teacher and easy to listen too. I look forward to your projects. Purchasing ones we are interested in or are planing to build or a variation makes the most sense.
Bob
Cheers Bob, it’s been a big surprise to us at how expensive things can become, but also just as surprising how many people come to read this little blog. Many thanks for your support.
my only concern is the cost of this i do understand your position but for us on a tight budget i would rather see a little go towards a subscription every week rather than having to fork out for a five week project up front which might not be feasible for me .anyway i love the blog and your videos content so i guess i’am in .
Hey Davidos, All is not lost. You could always put your pence away for the number of weeks needed to purchase the premium.
BTW Richard – on your expressed favor with the tool I purchased a Thor. Quite happy with it.
Cheers,
RoBanJo
I’m pleased you’re getting on with it, the Thor really is a lovely mallet.
Hi Davidos, many thanks for your thoughts. We have realised that having a one time fee may be more of a hard sell because of the reasons you’ve said. We do plan to give plenty of notice to future projects so you have chance to plan for it and also we hope to price the content reasonably. It is a very difficult area to decide on and we’ll always take in to account any feedback. In the future we may even end up right back round at a subscription… who knows?
Looking forward to it, Richard. I think you and Helen hit a sweet spot with an ala carte model. Here’s wishing you success.
Thank you very much Derek, finger crossed ey!
Good luck to you Richard, I’m excited to hear it and wish you best of luck
Very kind Shannon, I appreciate it.
Open a school, video the projects/lessons post them on line you’ll do great with “subscription” and fees. You are a natural, best of luck.
looking forward to seeing this come about good luck to you both
I will gladly, GLADLY buy your classes, Richard. Your instruction is clear and top-notch. Plus, you’re the best damn personality I’ve seen giving woodworking advice. You’re like a Roy Underhill but, instead of wearing a vest, you just got done a fourth take because you swore too much in the first three. Cheers to that.
Seriously, your videos are a breath of fresh air. Thanks for convincing me to explore wooden planes.
Take that, Stanley!
Brillaent idea! (That is because it is Helen’s)
All the best and look forward to it all!!
PS. Are we going to learn a Ponocchio Build?
Really looking forward to this, your no nonsense approach is infectious and one I hope to adopt.
It is right that you should charge for premium content and I prefer the “buy what you want” instead of “you get what you’re given”.
Can’t with until you do the workbench. Might you offer hardware to premium buyers ???
questions:
– will the public blog become a promotion apendix to the “payblog”,
like it happened to other (unplugged) blogs?
– if we should pay you for teaching us furniture making,
how about showing some of your furniture?
This should be great – looking forward to working in my bench with your smooth tones guiding me through my next project! Amazed by your generosity with you time, replying to almost every comment on your blog. You’ll have to stop that sometime though as it continues to grow or you’ll never sleep!
Looking forward to all your content and blog entries, helps me to keep my spirits up learning all this stuff when the presentation is more of a story than an outright lesson. Thanks for all your doing.
Looking forward to classes. I have developed a level of comfort with your blog format and easy-laid back approach. I don’t “blog” anywhere else. I would particularly like to learn better technique and application of an axe for woodworking projects.
I like the idea of buying only these projects that I like.