Unique Property Bulletin
From Weekly Edition To Fortnightly?
Or Sell? Or Other Option?
Readers’ Advice Sought Please
Birthplace of the Unique Property Bulletin 1987 (c) M & A Hogg
Here at the Unique Property Bulletin we have been wrestling with a chronic problem. Our volunteers moved from a monthly frequency with the old fashioned paper version of the Bulletin, to a frequency of an edition every week when we transferred from newsprint paper to the internet and went online two and a half years ago.
Birthplace of the Unique Property Bulletin 1987
This is the view that inspired the birth of the Unique Property Bulletin. Sublime, even on an overcast day.
There can be no complaint about the vast increase in readership numbers; visitors; buyers; sellers; and especially new friends that have come about. Tens of thousands. Way beyond our wildest dreams. A huge amount of delight at the orbital increase in reader levels since going online.
However, we have to confess: It is becoming difficult at this time to keep up the weekly frequency for an edition of the Unique Property Bulletin every Sunday night. Partly other work commitments by volunteers; helpers and those who visit. Partly the editor has a season ticket for hospital holidays following a lifetime of spine crushing bodily abuse in previous careers – firstly with a blue light job around the time of Dixon of Dock Green. Then pulling ship ropes and heavy maritime objects etc., along a later career path.
All the time with the Unique Property Bulletin as a wonderful friend along the path of life.
So what to do about the Unique Property Bulletin?
An Original Paper Format Unique Property Bulletin
We very briefly thought about closing. But after 25 years on the go, and especially with such memorable adventures and friends along the way, plus a marvellous readership now numbering tens of thousands, the closure thought was quickly dismissed.
How about selling the Unique Property Bulletin? Well we run on the principle as a not-for-profit enterprise. It helps give depth of content for readers because of the richness that creative-commons photography amongst other reasons brings via the not-for-profit model. Goodness knows we worked out that were this an estate agency the last year would have produced at least £36,500 in sales commission and that could be doubled were there a positive push in such a commercial direction. But we run on donations – and our readers are a thoroughly decent bunch. They do the Bulletin proud. For example we were all taken aback in April this year at the sheer volume of donations when such a request was made for the first time.
So what is the answer to the current predicament of volunteers needing to be rested? Should we go to a fortnightly frequency with one edition every two weeks? Should we consider selling the Unique Property Bulletin? Since going online there have even been two decent offers from respected estate agencies to buy the Bulletin. It is difficult for us to imagine this happening. Would you buy the Unique Property Bulletin? It has potential and folk do seem to be curious about buying the Bulletin.
Ailsa Craig Island Lighthouse Compound (c) Savills
One Of Many Unique Buildings Bought As Unique Property Bulletin/Syndicate Projects
After some debate at this end of the keyboards, the most viable direction we have, appears to ease off for a few months, and temporarily go to a fortnightly edition frequency. At least until volunteers; helpers and supporters are all a bit rested. One contributor in particular needs to be away from Winston Churchill’s favourite appendicitis and spine repair factory for more than a few weeks!
However, BEFORE doing anything precipitous, it would be the height of bad manners just to announce the weekly frequency will soon go to a fortnightly Bulletin – even if only for 3 or 4 months to the year’s end.
So we have decided to ask friends; visitors; readers and unique home buyers/sellers what they reckon?
1] Sale: The least preferred, but still on the table is the option to sell the Unique Property Bulletin.
2] Fortnightly: We can temporarily go to a fortnightly frequency so as to rest our volunteers a little, and let Victor & Jack’s old relative become a little healthier! At least until the end of the year and resume weekly editions in January 2015.
Russ McLean – Founder of Unique Property Bulletin
A very grainy photos of 25 years vintage! Little was it realised that the very day this photograph was taken, a drive in the old Land Rover led to a chance discovery of a set of MoD WWII octaganol defences that sparked the embers which would help result in the birth of the Bulletin!
Going fortnightly would still have a decent level of content. Many readers have a habit of dipping in fortnightly or some even just monthly – reading a few back issues with the “Previously on Unique Property Bulletin” link at the bottom of each page (roughly 50% of readers use this button).
Or perhaps we have missed a third or fourth option? Recently one of our readers took a huge weight off of our collective shoulders and has established – indeed is taking care of our new Facebook presence. That has been very much appreciated. It gives the grace of a possible answer to the strain that is currently upon us with the mainline Bulletin editions.
3] Guest Presenters – Allowing volunteers some respite, and keeping the Bulletin at the full weekly frequency.
This option is to invite suitably adept reader/s who have the ability and especially the skillset in managing the internet “WordPress” operating system to Guest Present one or two editions each month? A modest “honorarium” can be paid to freelance out this work if you would like to take on such a task? Just Contact Us.
Do you have the “WordPress” internet operating experience needed and could put together an edition of the Unique Property Bulletin? Please don’t hesitate in letting us know. The Bulletin is a lot of fun to assemble – otherwise we wouldn’t have been keeping the thing going for 25 years. We even have the embryonic click-link hosting domain/pages ready for our guest presenters:-
Unique Property Bulletin: Guest Presenter Site Ready & Waiting
This third option would sure be appreciated by the current Bulletin volunteers at this time. It would also ensure we can keep the regular weekly Sunday night 9pm slot EVERY week, rather than look at going fortnightly. There would be relief also in this route staving off the slightly premature retiral of some contributors and/or selling the Unique Property Bulletin.
Early Version – Online Format Unique Property Bulletin
Any reader with a view on what way we should go, please email us? We don’t want to take a decision in any direction without consulting the most important constituent of the Unique Property Bulletin. That is you, our friends; readers; visitors; unique buyers and unique property sellers.
We would really appreciate your input….
Please Cick Here: To Give Your Views
Thank you.
All the very best,
The Unique Property Bulletin Team
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FREELANCE CONTRIBUTIONS
If you would like to help the Unique Property Bulletin, and have the ability to write a FULL edition [with a little technical guidance if needed] please get in touch quoting “Guest Presenter” via our:-
Contact Page: Please Click Here
It would be VERY helpful if any potential contributors had a working knowledge of the internet WORDPRESS operating system.
Also, there is a modest “honorarium” that will be paid for new contributions. It isn’t a huge amount. Yet! Though our intention will be to grow this “honorarium” as the readership of Unique Property Bulletin grows.
[Please note if you have been in touch with us about this before, we haven’t forgotten you. We have a precious list of emails to write in the next few days to folk who have already corresponded on this subject. Though if you don’t hear from us one way or another in the next few days, by all means drop a reminder message in our direction. Thank you].
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Unique Property Bulletin
Future Direction
Summary
Fortnightly, Or Sell? Or Another Option?
We Are Seeking Advice From Our Bulletin Reading Friends; Visitors; Colleagues; Unique Property Buyers & Sellers.
If you have enjoyed the Unique Property Bulletin over the past few weeks, or been with us for the full 25 years, we are looking to either:-
1] Sell the Unique Property Bulletin as premature retiral of the founder looms, or:-
2] Go to a fortnightly Bulletin edition, or – our preferred option to:-
3] Keep the weekly 9pm Sunday night version with the help of new Guest Contributor/s to be paid a modest regular honorarium to assist producing one or two editions each month in parallel to our own voluntary endeavours.
Please Click Here To Contact Us With Your Views
