Moonfruit Lounge - Trading online - Comments

Crunchy times - how are you? - Leonardo

Leonardo — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 15:10:11 +0000

Hello Jo

thanks for this article, as you know one of the most dangerous numbers in business is 1, if I base my business around just 1 supplier Moonfruit and it goes belly up I will also lose my web business. are there any insurances in place or back up plans to avoid such a failing.

I do feel safe with you, I cant comprehend nearly 2million websites being wiped out but I would like your comments on this.

Best wishes

Leonardo

Crunchy times - how are you? - hasti

hasti — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 16:22:01 +0000

Hi Joe I am new to moonfruit. I've been advised by professionals to d a test run first. After reading comments and your article I can see why you come highly recommended.
I am warmed by your optimism and past resilience. I am looking forward to working with moonfruit.

Hasti

Crunchy times - how are you? - tantris

tantris — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 16:51:18 +0000

Good article Joe. I agree totally with you about the need to move early and doing the needful now instead of later.
We hear daily on the news how the UK is going to be hit much worse than other countries and how we'll have to grin and bare it. Obviously on the net we are at an advantage as plenty of business comes from overseas. In fact the fall in the pound has actually been pretty good for me on www.tattoodesignreport.com
Rick

Crunchy times - how are you? - Arif

Arif — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 23:03:41 +0000

Tim - excellent and inspiring post - and Joe - nice to see the man at the helm (arguably) being possessed of such insight and savvy.

Before the media started to run with this 'recession' lark - I'd got the ball rolling to start making websites for a living - having done it as a hobby only for a while.

Cue my exiting a 9-year career at the FSA (UK financial regulator) in order to use the gift of Moonfruit to allow small and some medium-sized businesses to have a decent website. Much in parallel with what informed the original Moonfruit vision - 'share your passion' - I felt strongly that current web-design fees should not prevent small businesses from having a website. Hence my 'affordable' offering.

Gathering prospects as I went up and down the M1 during my many years of commuting from Northampton to Canary Wharf (you know - nice van, nice graphics, mobile, landline, generic e-mail - but no website!) - I haven't looked back since!

It's still 'start-up' - but the relationship between input and output seems to be pretty direct and proportional, thankfully.

So thanks again guys - and especially Tim - for your reassuring angle on things (which applies to me and my new business totally), cos as we know, this 'crisis' thing - it's all in the (collective) mind.

Arif

Crunchy times - how are you? - Drew

Drew — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 18:35:02 +0000

I know people turn to the net however I am also worried a little about the next year or so it already seems people are losing there jobs if this is the case people will not have the money to splash around or even bother to build or even buy a website hosting package etc also I remember moonfruit having a lot of problems back in 2001/2 the .dom boom boost and then you charged people for there sites my only worry now is you now offer free websites again with advertising I wonder is this section is a threat and a burdon to moonfruit now and if everyone does not bother with paying for website and only uses the ree ones like you have how will you substain from not going under ? do oyu have enough paying members to help you come to think of it how many paying members do you have ? I get the £15.99 a month package however if i loose my job (there is a risk and already talk of cut backs) then of course I am going to have to downgrade which of course means less revenue to you I hope you can see my concerns !

We of course would be a lot better off as a country if we stopped paying a billion pounds a week to get our soldiers shot and killed in areas of conflict in iraq and afgansitan but then i suppose that is a different story lol

Anyway like my last post said I love moonfruit and have been loyal since around 2002 and will always :--)

Crunchy times - how are you? - Tim Fifield

Tim Fifield — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 14:30:38 +0000

Good article Joe!

They say that more millionaires are created in recessions than at any other time. Why? Because people need to get creative and focus on needs rather than wants. Companies NEED more sales to survive, they NEED to get competitive advantages, they NEED to add value.

The web is an inexpensive way to trade (especially with MF) but businesses still need professional advice to get a decent return on their investment (however small). If, like me, you're a MF Reseller you should see a rise in business as more start up businesses begin out of the ashes of redundancies and existing clients are looking to raise their profile higher.

Counter to current thinking I'm optimistic about the future - but you NEED to get creative!