Rat Rod
Owner & Founder
I wanted to stop for a minute and address an issue that has come up lately to help clarify any confusion.
I started this website nearly seven years ago not really knowing what to expect. I enjoyed the hobby and as a web designer it was a natural progression for me to try to get something going on the Internet to support the fun. Little did I know that it would evolve into what it has today. I'm truly grateful for all of the folks who participate and make this place great...it's not me that makes it cool...it's all of you!!!
As with most online communities, there are expenses involved in running them and keeping them alive and progressing. My goal all along has been to create a free site that would allow folks to share their creativity and to buy, sell and trade bikes and parts with other folks in the hobby. In order to keep things this way, I decided to run the Ebay banners that you see on the site to try to offset the cost. I chose Ebay because I could have control over the content of the banners and keep it bike focused. Ebay basically pays me a very small amount for each click that I receive on these banners or links and the amount is determined by several factors including sales that result from clicks, value of the sale, category on Ebay, etc. I don't make huge money off of this each month, but it is enough to help enable my wife to stay at home and take care of our children.
Another source of income has been the banner ad that you see up top that displays ads for site supporters. When a company decides they want to advertise on the site I offer them banner ad space as well as product reviews and promotion via our email newsletter as well as Facebook. The majority of advertisers I have had on the forum have traded me product for banner time so I really haven't made a killing doing this either.
Lastly I make some income off of the RRB products that sell on the site. Again, not huge money makers once you figure in all of the expenses and man hours that go into have products created and shipping everything out. I question why I keep doing the shirts each time I finish shipping a batch out, but the graphic designer in me loves knowing that people out there enjoy them and wear them with pride.
I say all of this to be up front with you all and to let you know that I am passionate about the hobby and want to see it grow and become even more popular, but at the same time, I'm not going to be ashamed of making money off of the hobby. I know that lately making money has been characterized as some kind of an evil agenda, but I feel that I've tried to do it in a respectful way that doesn't try to take advantage of anyone.
So, just wanted to make sure everyone knew where I stood on this and that I'm transparent about my intentions with the site.
Thanks again to everyone who participates and supports the community!
I started this website nearly seven years ago not really knowing what to expect. I enjoyed the hobby and as a web designer it was a natural progression for me to try to get something going on the Internet to support the fun. Little did I know that it would evolve into what it has today. I'm truly grateful for all of the folks who participate and make this place great...it's not me that makes it cool...it's all of you!!!
As with most online communities, there are expenses involved in running them and keeping them alive and progressing. My goal all along has been to create a free site that would allow folks to share their creativity and to buy, sell and trade bikes and parts with other folks in the hobby. In order to keep things this way, I decided to run the Ebay banners that you see on the site to try to offset the cost. I chose Ebay because I could have control over the content of the banners and keep it bike focused. Ebay basically pays me a very small amount for each click that I receive on these banners or links and the amount is determined by several factors including sales that result from clicks, value of the sale, category on Ebay, etc. I don't make huge money off of this each month, but it is enough to help enable my wife to stay at home and take care of our children.
Another source of income has been the banner ad that you see up top that displays ads for site supporters. When a company decides they want to advertise on the site I offer them banner ad space as well as product reviews and promotion via our email newsletter as well as Facebook. The majority of advertisers I have had on the forum have traded me product for banner time so I really haven't made a killing doing this either.
Lastly I make some income off of the RRB products that sell on the site. Again, not huge money makers once you figure in all of the expenses and man hours that go into have products created and shipping everything out. I question why I keep doing the shirts each time I finish shipping a batch out, but the graphic designer in me loves knowing that people out there enjoy them and wear them with pride.
I say all of this to be up front with you all and to let you know that I am passionate about the hobby and want to see it grow and become even more popular, but at the same time, I'm not going to be ashamed of making money off of the hobby. I know that lately making money has been characterized as some kind of an evil agenda, but I feel that I've tried to do it in a respectful way that doesn't try to take advantage of anyone.
So, just wanted to make sure everyone knew where I stood on this and that I'm transparent about my intentions with the site.
Thanks again to everyone who participates and supports the community!
