FAQ
People always have a lot of questions about this opportunity, so here are a few answers for you.
Do I have to call my group a “Webify Business Club”?
No. You can call your club anything you like but we will be referring to Webify Business Clubs in our public relations campaigns. That means people who are interested will be looking for these clubs. We recommend that you include “Webify Your Business” in the title so these people can find your club easily.
Will you feature my club on the WebifyClub.com website?
Once you sign up to receive the weekly agendas and worksheets, we will verify the existence of your club and include a link on the Find a Club tab of this website. Eventually, we’d like to see hundreds of clubs all across the country and beyond. Once it starts to catch on, we’ll include a search function so interested people can quickly find a club in their area. For now, we’ll list the individual clubs under their respective states.
Why do you have a Twitter hashtag (#webify) for the book?
We want to encourage the conversation around the book and the process of webifying your business. People need to be talking about this stuff. The Twitter hashtag gives them a way of organizing the collective thoughts of our community. Anyone can go to Twitter and search for #webify and immediately find out what people are saying about the book, the clubs they are participating in or the ideas they’re putting into action within their own businesses.
Does my group have to meet every week?
No. The “Webify Your Business” book was originally designed so people could tackle one chapter each week. As a result, we structured this program for weekly meetings. Also, with 60 chapters, we didn’t want the program to last much longer than a year. But again, this is your club, not ours. Structure it however you like. We will deliver the agenda and worksheets on a weekly basis and you can save them until you’re ready to use them.
How can I find members for my club?
Meetup is a tremendous platform for organizing clubs and groups. The website hosts thousands of different clubs and they all cross-polinate (is that a word?) each other. That means your group will attract members all by itself. As soon as you create your group, local professionals who are looking for a group like yours will start to find you.
Do I have to use the Meetup platform to organize my group?
No. You can organize your group any way you like. We endorse Meetup because it works. Patrick Schwerdtfeger is the organizer of the Entrepreneur & Small Business Academy and the group grows every month, all by itself. In fact, we believe Meetup is only starting to reach ‘critical mass’ and that the future growth on Meetup will be even greater than it is today. Having said that, you’re welcome to use whichever platform you might prefer.
Does any of this cost any money?
The material we provide is free. We’re thrilled to have people engaging in the conversation and building a community around the book. But becoming an organizer on Meetup does cost some money. The monthly fee depends on the number of months you pay for at a time. Last time we checked, it ranges from $12 per month to $19 per month.
How can I make money from my club?
One of the best models we’ve seen so far is a breakfast club where members pay $25 to attend and that fee includes breakfast. The organizer tries to keep the breakfasts to about $12 per person, leaving her a $13 profit. She usually gets 25 people in attendance so she makes about $300 per meeting. It works really well because she holds her meetings at a local breakfast restaurant that has free public wifi for patrons.
You’re welcome to organize your group any way you like. You don’t have to hold your meetings in the mornings or at a restaurant. Use your creativity. Meetup has a great feature where other organizers recommend good locations for you to consider. Also, even if you don’t make any money on the actual meetings, we hope the group will deliver prospects and clients to your business.
Can Patrick Schwerdtfeger visit my club?
We are anxious to begin traveling around, visiting clubs and holding local workshops. Once we have a population of interested people in a given area, we will begin working with local organizers to arrange for visits. We will look to you to make these visits possible. By organizing a local Webify Business Club, you are becoming an Ambassador for our cause and we look forward to working together and building a meaningful community.
Do you sell other peripheral products like T-shirts or educational CDs?
Our first priority is to build this community. As demand warrants, we will develop the products and services the community requests. That means we’re listening – listening to you. Please let us know what would add value to this process. Please let us know what tools you’d like to see. We will jump through hoops to deliver the things you request. As for T-shirts, we are considering some basic fun designs and will let you know when they become available.
How can I get more involved in this process?
We don’t know yet. We want to build this. We want it to succeed. We want you to succeed. If you have suggestions of other things we can do to further this cause, please contact us and let us know. We’ll take any help we can get!
I still have more questions!
Tell us, tell us. We will add your questions as soon as we get them. Contact us and let us know what’s on your mind.
Thank you for participating in this process!