We are aware that our commercial accounts have not been well used to date but yet we know that some of our members do operate a business that could benefit from being a commercial member. Therefore we are restructuring our membership categories and our commercial membership rules to make being a commercial member both easier and more affordable. These new rules will also help eliminate grey areas in our current structure. We fully expect that these benefits and the rules for them will change over time in response to member demand and problems encountered.
The rate for being a full commercial member is being reduced from $1000 per year to $500 per year or $50 per month. A full commercial business membership is for those members who derive all or most of their annual income from the machining related business that they wish to promote on our forum.
We are also introducing a new Limited Commercial Membership for those members who derive less than 50% of their annual employment income from the machining business that they wish to promote on our forum. The rate for being a limited commercial member will be $100 per year or $10 per month.
Both commercial memberships will provide these members with the following benefits:
1. The right to advertise and promote their products and services on the forum during their discussions with members. We would ask that your business connection be clearly communicated in your posts to avoid misunderstandings.
2. The right to include web links that point to your on-line services and products in your member banner, signatures, member profile, and as appropriate in the content of your posts. Large scale images and pages in posts will not be tolerated, but links to such pages elsewhere on the web are ok, and so is a new product or service announcement as long as the content is reasonably brief and informative. Full descriptions can be linked to content elsewhere.
Notes:
1. You may not operate a store on our forum software. For greater certainty, this means that you cannot include catalogs, product and service lists, Paypal or Buy-Now buttons, or inventory information.
2. Although you may make new product announcements and provide a link to your website in the classifieds subforum, please keep the number and size of these threads and posts reasonable in order to avoid drowning classified posts by regular members. The admin members reserve the right to decide what is appropriate and what is not at our sole discretion.
3. To assist in helping members decide whether or not their activities might be described as commercial, we offer the following information.
THE ACID TEST IS:
Are you advertising on our forum, or driving traffic to your website or store or business, for the purpose of selling goods or services for which you make an overall profit as an owner/employee, and/or subsidizing your business activities in any way through your participation on our forum?
NOTES & EXAMPLES
It is always difficult to draw hard lines around such matters. It can help to ask yourself how you feel about what you are doing. If you feel uncomfortable, chances are that you are too close to the line.
EXAMPLES OF COMMERCIAL USE
Selling things at a loss is still a profit activity if it affects your gross or net income.
Promoting a product or service that you sell vs other products and services is a commercial activity.
You can buy one of my gadgets by visiting my website.
The gadget I sell is better than the others because.....
I am getting rid of my stock of gadgets and selling them below my cost
I am having a going out of business sale.....
A user name that reflects your business instead of you personally as a metal worker or hobbyist.
EXAMPLES OF NON COMMERCIAL USE
Selling something you originally purchased for yourself as an individual for less than you paid for it, is not a commercial activity unless it must be reported to CRA.
Exploring a business opportunity or discussing a product or its improvements through advice from other members in a non-solicitive manner is product or business development and as long as there are no links to a store or offers to sell anything from your machining business, this activity does not constitute a commercial sale or driving business traffic for sales related purposes.
I had to buy a box of 100 bolts from ScrewU because they had a minimum order. I don't need them all. I am selling them to members at my cost plus shipping.
I am arranging a bulk order of widgets to get a volume discount and save on shipping and would like to know if anyone is interested in participating with me.
I saw this terrific 12 jaw pliers at Suzie's Tools. They are WAAAAY better than the ones you can get at Jack's Tools.
Note: This announcement supercedes and replaces all previous rules regarding commercial membership accounts.
The rate for being a full commercial member is being reduced from $1000 per year to $500 per year or $50 per month. A full commercial business membership is for those members who derive all or most of their annual income from the machining related business that they wish to promote on our forum.
We are also introducing a new Limited Commercial Membership for those members who derive less than 50% of their annual employment income from the machining business that they wish to promote on our forum. The rate for being a limited commercial member will be $100 per year or $10 per month.
Both commercial memberships will provide these members with the following benefits:
1. The right to advertise and promote their products and services on the forum during their discussions with members. We would ask that your business connection be clearly communicated in your posts to avoid misunderstandings.
2. The right to include web links that point to your on-line services and products in your member banner, signatures, member profile, and as appropriate in the content of your posts. Large scale images and pages in posts will not be tolerated, but links to such pages elsewhere on the web are ok, and so is a new product or service announcement as long as the content is reasonably brief and informative. Full descriptions can be linked to content elsewhere.
Notes:
1. You may not operate a store on our forum software. For greater certainty, this means that you cannot include catalogs, product and service lists, Paypal or Buy-Now buttons, or inventory information.
2. Although you may make new product announcements and provide a link to your website in the classifieds subforum, please keep the number and size of these threads and posts reasonable in order to avoid drowning classified posts by regular members. The admin members reserve the right to decide what is appropriate and what is not at our sole discretion.
3. To assist in helping members decide whether or not their activities might be described as commercial, we offer the following information.
THE ACID TEST IS:
Are you advertising on our forum, or driving traffic to your website or store or business, for the purpose of selling goods or services for which you make an overall profit as an owner/employee, and/or subsidizing your business activities in any way through your participation on our forum?
NOTES & EXAMPLES
It is always difficult to draw hard lines around such matters. It can help to ask yourself how you feel about what you are doing. If you feel uncomfortable, chances are that you are too close to the line.
EXAMPLES OF COMMERCIAL USE
Selling things at a loss is still a profit activity if it affects your gross or net income.
Promoting a product or service that you sell vs other products and services is a commercial activity.
You can buy one of my gadgets by visiting my website.
The gadget I sell is better than the others because.....
I am getting rid of my stock of gadgets and selling them below my cost
I am having a going out of business sale.....
A user name that reflects your business instead of you personally as a metal worker or hobbyist.
EXAMPLES OF NON COMMERCIAL USE
Selling something you originally purchased for yourself as an individual for less than you paid for it, is not a commercial activity unless it must be reported to CRA.
Exploring a business opportunity or discussing a product or its improvements through advice from other members in a non-solicitive manner is product or business development and as long as there are no links to a store or offers to sell anything from your machining business, this activity does not constitute a commercial sale or driving business traffic for sales related purposes.
I had to buy a box of 100 bolts from ScrewU because they had a minimum order. I don't need them all. I am selling them to members at my cost plus shipping.
I am arranging a bulk order of widgets to get a volume discount and save on shipping and would like to know if anyone is interested in participating with me.
I saw this terrific 12 jaw pliers at Suzie's Tools. They are WAAAAY better than the ones you can get at Jack's Tools.
Note: This announcement supercedes and replaces all previous rules regarding commercial membership accounts.
