Back to TEXANDDIXIE.COM and EDITORIAL
by Gary W. Cox
With membership dropping and not so many vendors we need to focus our efforts on keeping the TI community going! Many things can be done by user groups to help promote their group and pay their bills. In this article I hope to point out some of the things that my group (Mid-South 99 Users Group) is doing to keep the TI alive and the group going... Hopefully some of this information will help other groups who are having problems.
1. Newsletter production is one of the major costs for the group. The cost of printing and mailing is often more than what is taken in in dues. Often printing costs can be avoided when someone in the group or a friend has a copier that can be used. At one time our group paid for the paper and someone printed the newsletter for us where they worked. If this method is not available then try checking around for printing costs as many office supply stores provide copying services at reduced prices. Then of course, the newsletter can be scaled down but by all means to not stop printing a newsletter as it is one of the most important items in keeping a group going.
2. Try fund raisers. We had a BBQ dinner where the group made a profit by charging $5 per person and asking for donations above that amount.
3. Try computer auctions. We have had people donate their equipment to the group where we have in turn held an auction at a meeting to sell the equipment and the group receives the profit. Members of the group receive equipment at good prices and the group makes a little money. We have had even PC equipment sold, as often much of the PC equipment is compatible with the TI...
4. Advertise.
A. Become listed with the local library.
B. Many PC Users Groups have a listing in their newsletter of other user groups in the area. Our group is listed with the Memphis PC Users Group in a listing that is printed each month. We have received quite a few calls and quite a few people donated equipment to the group from someone who saw that listing.
C. Try the local paper, put a small add in the classified section about the group. Write to local papers and tell them about the users group and that you are non-profit and that you are seeking others to participate in your "classic" computer users group. Often papers will put a little mention about your group in the paper as well as they will often list your meetings in their calendar section.
D. Become listed with The User Group Connection who maintains a list computer user groups and they will put you on their list for free. Write to them at The User Group Connection, 231 Technology Circle, Scotts Valley, CA 95066, Phone (408) 461-5700 or EMAIL to internet address: UGC@EWORLD.COM
E. Nuts & Volts magazine. This is a computer/electronics/ham radio magazine. Cost is $19 a year (3rd class mail) and includes 1 free 40 word classified ad. I've advertised before in section "50 COMPUTER HARDWARE" and have seen a good response from the ad from people who did not know anyone else with a TI existed! For anyone having a computer fair they should try at least 1 classified ad but at least write to be included in their FREE events listing published each month! When contacting them about an event be sure to include information about LOCATION, HOURS, ADMISSION COST, SPONSOR (user group name), PERSON TO CONTACT FOR MORE INFORMATION INCLUDING PHONE #, NUMBER OF PEOPLE EXPECTED TO ATTEND and a copy of a flyer advertising the event if you are writing to them with this information. You might contact them for a sample issue as well if you have never seen this publication before. For more information write to them at Nuts & Volts, T & L Publications, 430 Princeland Court, Corona, CA 91719 or call (909) 371-3052 (subscription only order line 1-800-783- 4624), Compuserve ID: 74262,3664
5. Do whatever you can to get members to a meeting, we have meetings where all we do is repair equipment which brings people to a meeting. Try as much as possible to get members involved as the more people who become involved the more interested others in the group will become...
Remember we are a community of TI'ers who have to stick together in order to keep the TI alive. Why keep the TI alive? You won't find a more friendlier bunch of people than right here in the TI community. The TI for me is different from the "expensive fast paced" PC world. At TI faires everyone is relaxed, have you attended a PC faire where everyone is in business suits wanting to sell you a $600 software package? The TI is a hobby computer (although many people use it for business!) just like a classic car we all have a classic computer.
Not only must we keep our user groups alive but we must support people like John Koloen of Micropendium who continue to put out their publication! Without Micropendium there would be no TI community! Support the vendors of TI products. The cost of software and hardware is nothing compared to what software and hardware costs in the PC world. When I go to a TI faire I see programs for $4.95, shareware for $1.50 a disk (or FREE & you copy it yourself onto your on disk!), some programs are $10 or $15, sometimes more and sometimes less. When I go to a PC faire shareware is often $2.50 and up, programs can cost in the thousands of dollars etc...
Almost none of the TI vendors sell their TI products as their main source of income. Most of the program code is written by people who do it on the side. Few do it for the money as no one gets enough money to really pay for their time. So be patient when waiting for something new... Support the vendors by buying something, send the shareware authors some money or at least a thank you note! Attend a TI faire if possible, maintain your membership in a TI users group and keep your subscription to Micropendium going!
Maybe, just maybe, if we do some of this we can keep the TI alive for a long time to come!