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Mumsnet Premium membership - please support us if you can

999 replies

JustineMumsnet · 08/04/2020 13:17

Hi folks,

First and most importantly, I hope you and yours are safe and well, and that you all stay that way.

After 20 years of unreasonableness, rofls, wtfs, advice and support, and the odd lawsuit, it's fair to say that we are as close as we’ve ever been to existential difficulty.

Like many ad-funded businesses, the COVID-19 crisis has seen us take a big hit to our revenues. The businesses who would normally pay to advertise with us are slashing their marketing budgets, but lots of our outgoings are fixed and we so need to find new ways to keep paying the bills.

We’re doing our darndest to find every single saving we can - lots of our staff have volunteered to reduce their hours, we’ve cancelled all non-essential services, I've taken a pay holiday and we will use every scheme and loan available to us from the government and the bank to help tide us over. But we still need to find alternative revenue streams to ensure we don’t run out of funds in a few months...

To put it frankly, it’s squeaky bum time.

I know this is a very tough time for many of you and some of you are only just keeping the lights on yourselves. We’re sending you our solidarity and we most certainly don’t want anyone to stump up anything they can’t afford, but if you can help, please do subscribe now to our Premium service.

We’ve banged this out as fast as possible in response to the current crisis and it’s definitely not the finished article, but it’s free of banner advertising, so if you’ve ever been vexed by those (or use an ad-blocker) this might be right up your alley. Banner ads also tend to make pages render more slowly and take up bandwidth, so if you’re surrounded by bored kids streaming with their mates, step this way.

We’ve opted for a price point that we hope is doable for most and which covers the potential lost ad revenue for the majority of users. We hope £4.99 per month or £49.99 for a year (less than a pound a week!) feels a reasonable exchange for the value Mumsnet brings you, but in any case you can unsubscribe any time.

Over the next little while we’ll look to add some extra features: things that people have requested regularly like editing, sorting posts by the OP, and reading offline.

Rest assured we remain committed to always providing a free version of the site, as we fundamentally believe that access to the advice and support Mumsnet offers should not depend on your ability to pay.

And if you can’t spare any cash right now… then of course we get it. It would still be very helpful if you removed any ad blockers or clicked on affiliate links around the site when you shop, joined our insight panel or even shared the best Mumsnet threads on your social channels whenever you can - it all helps.

If you have any questions at all feel free to post them here and I'll get back to you. We also have a page of FAQs that might answer your question.

Hold tight everyone.

Love

Justine and the team at MNHQ

OP posts:
Thread gallery
7
MarieQueenofScots · 08/04/2020 19:47

It’s no different to Spotify - that’s exactly how that works- as a free service or not as free service and advert dependent

Except Spotify isn’t a collection of songs recorded by random users.....

Ninkanink · 08/04/2020 19:53

I won’t be paying, sadly.

I’ve been burnt on FWR, and threatened with ‘3 strikes and you’re out.’ One of those strikes was arguably fair enough (and actually not about anything other than being slightly too condescending towards those of an exceptionally hard of thinking nature), but the second one absolutely wasn’t.

My rights and protections don’t matter all that much, apparently, and my refusal to adhere to anything other than biological fact is a liability.

So I’ll stay for the ways in which this website benefits me. But on principle I won’t pay for the privilege of providing content here. I’d potentially make money if MN went down as I might be forced to actually start a blog or vlog that likely would provide me with an income. As it stands I can’t be arsed, when I can just hang out here with the vipers. I would have considered a one-time donation, because I do care about the good that MN does for women in some respects. But I absolutely won’t be giving any further personal details/info, and sadly I don’t believe that the commitment to discussion of and protection of women’s and girls’ rights is robust enough.

vanillandhoney · 08/04/2020 19:57

It’s no different to Spotify - that’s exactly how that works- as a free service or not as free service and advert dependent

It's VERY different to Spotify! Spotify content is from music artists, MN content is from the users they now expect to pay for it!

ReallyLoveChickens · 08/04/2020 19:58

Thank you Justine.

MissConductUS · 08/04/2020 20:02

plus we'd like to get some really compelling offers and discounts together so subscription feels like good value. We're open to suggestions on any and all of that - would love to know your ideas.

I don't know if it's possible, given the demographics, but it would be great if some of those offers we usable by the American audience, perhaps for services like Netflix if not for specific products or retailers.

What's a bit ironic is that I like the moderation here, but many are put out by the fact that they themselves have had comments removed or otherwise been moderated. It's a balance that has to be struck and I for one think that MNHQ generally does a good job of it.

GabsAlot · 08/04/2020 20:02

So we have to now pay to edit posts

AutumnNymph · 08/04/2020 20:02

Done! For the amount of lurking I do and the support and knowledge I got here over the past 8 plus years it’s well worth the £50 if it helps keep the lights on,

Good luck with everything @JustineMumsnet and team, you will make it to the other side,

Cismyfatarse1 · 08/04/2020 20:05

Joined too. Feel like I owe a bit for all the belly laughs, excellent advice and product tests.

Love the product tests.

BridgetJonesDaiquiri · 08/04/2020 20:05

Done. Small price to pay for the invaluable advice, WTAF moments and giggles along the way.

Purpleclownsuit · 08/04/2020 20:09

I’m just gobsmacked by 100 employees. Even with the list of the stuff that they apparently are doing... and then you look at the site?! Bonkers.

Puzzledandpissedoff · 08/04/2020 20:09

Somebody posted that the cost for American users is $10, though TBF they didn't say if this is per month or per year

Is this correct, does anyone know? Are there really different charges for different nations?

Batshittery · 08/04/2020 20:10

Yep. I'll also be signing up. It's worth it for the years I've had. Morrisons supermarket also had a staff member who breached security and I still sometimes shop there. Wink

MissConductUS · 08/04/2020 20:13

Somebody posted that the cost for American users is $10, though TBF they didn't say if this is per month or per year

That wasn't the case for me. I went to the same signup page as everyone else where the prices were in GBP. The annual charge of 49.99 GBP hit my credit card account for 61.92 USD.

BIWI · 08/04/2020 20:14

@OpenWheelRace

Yes, if you'd bothered to RTFT it has been explained.

Justine said:

We have around 100 employees earning approx 35k a year. Many of them are highly skilled in sought after roles.

Gobbolinothewitchscat · 08/04/2020 20:14

This is all a bit confusing

Firstly, have you furloughed all the staff you can?

Secondly, it looks like very little to no cash has been kept in the business as reserves. That, to me, is not the sign of a well run business so I would hesitate to pay a year's fees in advance to a company having a liquidity crisis two week's into a global pandemic. What if you go bust 6 month's later down the line? Whilst no business could have predicted that, I would expect a business of this age and size to have some cash reserves for any number of forseeable reasons. I would not pay 12 months of subs for that money to be paid out to shareholders/directors in dividends 3 months later (I assume that is where nearly all of your profits have gone)

Thirdly, why haven't you considered a loan or for drawings not to be paid to shareholders/directors? Has that been seriously considered? That's what the rest of us running businesses will have to do if/when reserves run out.

Fourthly, you can not take a year's subs from a poster and refuse to refund that if you ban them. They are paying in advance for a service that that you will be withdrawing. Therefore, they should arguably be entitled to a refund.

Finally, I do think the FAQ document should have been ready before you asked for money. Arguably, it's not really clear what people have signed up for and I don't think that is fair

BIWI · 08/04/2020 20:15

@Purpleclownsuit

I’m just gobsmacked by 100 employees. Even with the list of the stuff that they apparently are doing... and then you look at the site?! Bonkers.

How do you think you would run the site then?

BIWI · 08/04/2020 20:16

@Gobbolinothewitchscat

From the OP:

We’re doing our darndest to find every single saving we can - lots of our staff have volunteered to reduce their hours, we’ve cancelled all non-essential services, I've taken a pay holiday and we will use every scheme and loan available to us from the government and the bank to help tide us over

SciFiScream · 08/04/2020 20:18

Is this why I got kicked off beta testing the new app today? I LOVED the filtering feature by the way. Used it all the time. Put that into the new app and preferably the free version. It will be great for user engagement.

NerrSnerr · 08/04/2020 20:18

@Gobbolinothewitchscat I bet that Justine hasn't considered any of your points....

Needmoresleep · 08/04/2020 20:20

I understand that The Jewish Chronicle went under today. I have mo doubt that the problem is real. I really want MN to survive.

NobdieTheNob · 08/04/2020 20:25

Having thought about this over supper, I feel quite upset.

Justine, I can see why you have come to this conclusion, and to do/not to do question is irrelevant for me as I can't afford a fiver a month at the moment - but it really does feel like the end of an era. I suppose it coincides with my firstborn's impending 18th birthday, so it feels like the end of two eras.

I remember arguing the toss (wrongly) with those who said it was a mistake to give up a very good job to become a SAHM. I also remember discussing Mini Boden, when it was also relatively new.

MN now isn't the same as it was then. There was certainly swearing and very annoying quiche-ness, but it was funnier and much less politically correct. It's a bigger enterprise now, and I can understand that it is bigger at the HQ end, too.

I still feel sad, though.

MNHQ
JustineMumsnet · 08/04/2020 20:25

@Gobbolinothewitchscat

This is all a bit confusing

Firstly, have you furloughed all the staff you can?

Secondly, it looks like very little to no cash has been kept in the business as reserves. That, to me, is not the sign of a well run business so I would hesitate to pay a year's fees in advance to a company having a liquidity crisis two week's into a global pandemic. What if you go bust 6 month's later down the line? Whilst no business could have predicted that, I would expect a business of this age and size to have some cash reserves for any number of forseeable reasons. I would not pay 12 months of subs for that money to be paid out to shareholders/directors in dividends 3 months later (I assume that is where nearly all of your profits have gone)

Thirdly, why haven't you considered a loan or for drawings not to be paid to shareholders/directors? Has that been seriously considered? That's what the rest of us running businesses will have to do if/when reserves run out.

Fourthly, you can not take a year's subs from a poster and refuse to refund that if you ban them. They are paying in advance for a service that that you will be withdrawing. Therefore, they should arguably be entitled to a refund.

Finally, I do think the FAQ document should have been ready before you asked for money. Arguably, it's not really clear what people have signed up for and I don't think that is fair

We've furloughed everyone who is non-critical for the running of the site or alternatively for bringing in revenue.

Re annual subscription - it's a fair point - we don't have big cash reserves to call on but that's why we're taking all the measures we can to prolong cash in this uncertain time. I'm confident we'll make it through but we do need to try everything we can to open up as much revenue as we can.

We already have a loan in place and have agreed a payment extension. No directors or shareholders are being paid anything. I've taken a pay holiday and many of the team have agreed to reduced hours.

We're working the FAQs now - it's a fair point that we could have had some ready but while we had an idea we wanted to see what the main queries were so we could respond to them.

OP posts:
Puzzledandpissedoff · 08/04/2020 20:27

I do think the FAQ document should have been ready before you asked for money

I have to agree with this. As said, it's understandable if a few details get left out when something's done in haste, but I wouldn't expect this to be one of them
It's obvious that posters would have a lot of questions, and this just makes it look as if things haven't been thought out at all

Purpleclownsuit · 08/04/2020 20:27

@BIWI

Oh, I didn’t realise I had to have a business plan to comment on my surprise at how basic the site seems for such a large amount of employees. 😂

OVienna · 08/04/2020 20:27

Jewish Chronicle went under!!!!! Shite.