Thank You To Scott & The Forum

Micropayments, Macropayments, Subscriptions, etc.

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BuckBeaver
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Location: Toronto, Canada
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Thank You To Scott & The Forum

Post by BuckBeaver »

Hi all,

I just wanted to post a quick thank you to everyone who participates and contributes in the Webcomics: Commerce discussions here and to Scott for Reinventing Comics, both of which were a tremendous help recently.

I don't work in web comics per se (though I'm a big fan and would love to do one eventually) but rather puppetry and specifically I'm interested in web-based applications of puppetry. Although the two art forms (web comics and puppetry) are very different I think they share a lot in common, especially the lack of respect given to them by the mainstream which fortunately seems to be changing for both. (Video) puppetry on the web is about where webcomics were in `98 or `99 at this point and I think there's a lot for the online puppetry community to learn from the trail those in the webcomics field have blazed.

I recently applied to a Youth Entrepreneurship program up here, proposing to do my online project "Bear Town" as a business. Under the program you get four months of business courses and consultation with experts in your field as well as $1000 per month to help subsidize your work for the first year. The application process is sort of a small business version of Survivor with a few hundred people applying out of which 45 got selected for a second round (I was one of them) which in turn get whittled down to a final group of 15 through process of elimination.

In the second round we did a week of seminars and had to do a Feasibility Study for our proposed business (best described as the first stage in writing a formal business plan) and provide a lot of research to back up our business model. Both the forum and RC were invaluable in helping to make the case for micropayments which was big part of my proposal. Half of my research came from RC and the links or discussion found here. It helped me put together a pretty impressive study, though sadly not impressive enough as I just found out I am not one of the final 15 participants in the program.

I'm a much better artist than business person (like many here I suspect) and despite my initial skepticism I learned a lot from the seminars I did get to take and I'd encourage anyone who wants to create online content - and generate revenue from it - to consider looking in to taking a few courses in web marketing, small business, etc. I consider myself a pretty savvy guy when it comes to these things but there's a lot out there I didn't know that I didn't know.

Thanks again! :D
Check out my NEW blog - PuppetVision
Retro-style puppet film and video goodness, delivered fresh to your computer each day!
Tim Mallos
Understands reinventing
Posts: 352
Joined: Mon Apr 23, 2001 7:00 pm
Location: Brighton, Michigan
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Post by Tim Mallos »

Hey there Buck!

I too find this forum a huge resource!

Do you have the time to put together the top 5 things you learned in those seminars and post them here?

Thanks!
Tim
<A Target="new" HREF="http://www.fifthdigit.com/comics"><Img border="0" src="http://www.fifthdigit.com/comics/zwolAvatar.gif"></A>
<A Target="new" HREF="http://www.fifthdigit.com/comics"> Tim Mallos' Comics and Stuff</A>
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Post by Guest »

I'm planning to put together an article with a bunch of the information I got from the seminars either for my blog or the "Behind the Scenes" section of my site but I'll probably wait until after I take the last two in a few weeks. I'll try to remember to post a note here when I have it done.

BTW, I love your avatar Tim!
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