[Rhodes22-list] Consulting

[Bill Effros]

Lou,

Stan is in the business of building and rebuilding boats.  That's how he earns his living.  Every time he helps people on this list for free he hurts his business.  There is no money in it for him to try to compete with West Marine in the portlight and caulk selling business.

As you have discovered, the cumulative wisdom of people on this list is not always correct.  If he were business smart, Stan would let competing boat rebuilders spend a lot of time and money messing up their boats to the point where they would come on the list and say "Don't make all the mistakes I have made--buy your boat from Stan!"  But that's not who he is, and we all know it.

We also know that most of the people who ask for free advice or "borrow" his intellectual property don't see the harm in what they are doing.  My question to you and others is how can we pay Stan for the services he provides?  I'm sure everyone sees the value in this, but no one has proposed a fair method short of buying boats from him.

I know people who earn a living consulting on how to apply the methods I describe in my book, How to Sell Your Home in 5-Days.  I have no problem with that, as long as they always make it clear that what I had to say is in the book, and that I don't endorse either them, or what they have to say.

People pay $100 an hour to get advice over the telephone, and $5,000 for someone to come to their homes while they are in the process.  Would you pay Stan for the advice he now gives for free?  Would you pay someone else on the list?  Would others?  Would you pay Stan to do all the things you now must ask him how to do?  Would you pay others?

When Stan goes, all this knowledge goes.  If there is no money in Stan's business, no one will continue it when Stan tires of it.  We are 200+ people with a vested interest in maintaining this knowledge base.  Every time one of our more active members moves on to another boat or another hobby we lose information and the ability to correct misinformation.

Our FAQ information is great but conflicting.  Newcomers want to get it from the horse's mouth.  They don't want to sort out a lot of conflicting opinions.  They simply want to know the right way to do things.

Somebody must pay the price for this.  Who will it be?  What is a fair method?

Bill Effros
 
----- Original Message ----- 
From: Lou Rosenberg 
To: The Rhodes 22 mail list 
Sent: Saturday, August 28, 2004 9:42 AM
Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] port light replacements


  Thanks Ed,
  I am replacing the portlights ( side windows) .
  Still hoping to hear from Stan/gbi when he's available.
  Lou


On Friday, August 27, 2004, at 09:36 PM, ed kroposki wrote:

> Lou,
> Who were you referring to?
>
> On replacing lights, there are some experienced Rhodies out there whose
> advice will be better than mine.  So while you are waiting for their 
> replies
> consider the following:
>
>
> http://www.orcagreen.com/
>
> http://www.superbrightleds.com/1157.htm
>
> http://www.davisnet.com/marine/products/marine_product.asp?pnum=3310
>
> Ed K
>
>
>   Stan was right AGAIN folks!
>
>   My boat is doing fine, I have removed a leaky portlight and need to
> find replacement frames for the old style ('81 boat) any suggestions???
> thanks everyone.
>   Lou
> you have got to learn to listen to god.
>
>
> __________________________________________________
> Use Rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org, Help? www.rhodes22.org/list
>

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