In the tiny village where I live, we have just one small shop. When severe weather kicks in and we can’t get into the nearest town, that place is our only option.
Every day, I buy something from them; even if it’s just a pint of milk or some bread. It costs about 10% more than buying the same thing in town, but I know that if everyone does what I do, that little shop will be able to stay in business, serving the local community. Then, the next time our village gets snowed in, it will be there for us.
The harsh reality is this: If you find something genuinely useful or valuable, you need to either support it or risk losing it.
Free, valuable information
As a blogger and blog reader, I often see people commenting on blogs regarding how useful they find all the free information, which the blogger shares with his or her readers. I see business owners thanking the blogger for saving them time, money or both.
It’s important to understand that the free information on these blogs is only free for the readers. The blogger picks up the bill. It can be a pretty hefty bill too. A blog like this one, which gets many thousands of daily readers, requires thousands of pounds/dollars every year in managed hosting costs alone. Then there are the billable hours, which the blogger invests writing all that free content for their readers.
Give a blogger a hug
If there is a blog you find useful (any blog other than this one, see below), I ask you to do one small thing for me. Go there today and either buy something they are selling or, if you can’t afford to buy something, recommend the blogger’s work to your network.
Otherwise, you may go there for some valuable, free information one day and find their shutters are down!
BTW: WebFusion pick up the hefty bill for my hosting, on my reader’s behalf. I’d like to publicly thank them for their support and for keeping this site super-reliable for over a year. They ensure my work is here for you and accessible, whenever you need it.