Getting Started with iGrOOps

Are you concerned that your iGrOOp will be a financial drain?  Fear not!  There are several ways your costs can be subsidized or eliminated using iGrOOps.  Of course, if your iGrOOp is a for-profit group, you can use these techniques to make money -- a lot of money.

The benefits of an iGrOOp are well worth the very reasonable monthly fees.  Making money with your group can take your group to a new level by adding compensation to the administrator(s) thus increasing the quality to the members. 

SEVEN Great Ways to Start Making Money With Your iGrOOp

Some iGrOOps do not exist to make money.  Some of the groups exist purely for the communication and networking benefits. Having said that, in order for a non-funded group to survive and prosper, it must bring in enough money to at least pay for itself.  Here are some suggestions:

• Start charging a nominal membership fee ("business"+).  Your iGrOOp can have many members.  Charging even a buck a year per member can result in a huge profit with 10,000 members. The "master" package has no limit on the number of members you can have.
• Use PayPal donate.  iGrOOps has PayPal donate buttons built in, where they can appear in up to four different locations.  If your group is generous enough, perhaps the donations can cover the iGrOOps fee. 

Once your members see what they are getting with iGrOOps versus other "free" group sites, they should be more than happy to make a small donation to keep the group alive and thriving.

• Find a sponsor for your group.  With the standard option and above, you can run banner advertisements throughout your iGrOOp.  If you find an organization that will be willing to "sponsor" your site, you can offer the sponsor continual advertising within your group.  A very attractive deal!  Even without the sponsorship feature, you can still use the custom HTML areas to place sponsorship ads.
• Find traditional advertisers.  You can use your ecommerce module ("standard"+) (shopping cart) to sell custom ad solutions throughout your site.  For example, a link could be $10 per month, a skyscraper ad in the left column could be $500 per month, and so on.  You have control over the space on your group and can use it to your financial advantage!
• Use Google AdSense.  Google has a great program for anyone with a website to generate some income without selling a thing!  You simply sign up for an AdSense account, copy and paste some code that Google provides you into a section in the home page editor, and bam!  Your Google ads will start appearing in several places within your iGrOOp.
• Sell Products from your iGrOOp.   With our e-commerce module ("standard"+), you can sell products from your iGrOOp and run your own online store!  This module integrates with our affiliate module, allowing you to compensate your members for their referrals.