Can I just say ... this isn't, actually, a business plan - but it's the start of a document we can use to find an in-principle Patron, then an in-principle Sponsor. Without both of those, we're dead anyway.
What I COULD do with, if anyone wants to help, is lists of any/all www sites (preferably UK, but anywhere will do) that give theatres (am or pro) online access to plays - and if anyone felt like ferreting around the sites before they sent me the domain, I could do with knowing for each site;
- Country of origin - Whether new plays, published/performed or both - Terms of use (whether free or charged, how much, when) - Whether writers have to pay anything at all to be on the site - Any other features on the site along the lines we're thinking - General feedback (lots of plays, not many, easy to use etc etc)
Just read through the document and enjoyed most of it. I did have reservations about the use of the words "Vetted" and "Judged" in Para 7. I felt that perhaps we might scare new comers away. However we'll see how it progresses.
I though I saw a light at the end of the tunnel .. but it was only Jay with a torch, looking for the way out!
Adman thanks for the work you have done to consolidate all the info....am currently re reading it and hope to make useful comments. It helps to have the idea clearly written in this way.
We wouldn't use 'vetted' or 'judged' in public - we'd say something like "to ensure your material conforms to the industry content, layout and format standards that experienced producers and directors expect, please submit here; our submissions team and Patron Sir Hugh Massingbergh-Massingbergh will reply. It would also help us to pl;ace your work if you read the Guidelines For Writers section first."
It's a point well made - I think I said about 3 weeks ago that this was an amazingly public way to create a business plan! Also (in fairness) any one of us could be associated with an existing writers' site and feeding this back!
Short of an application/vetting process we can't do much about the latter - and all our ideas for the former are in the open now anyway!
If everyone wishes, you can send me specific queries by e-mail, I'll write them up into a 'response' document and wap them back to everyone in, say, one week?
We are getting close to needing a physical meeting soon of those interested anyway.
Don't know - I'd guess before, so we're all 100% on the document and ready on 1/10 to submit it officially to C4/ScreenStage/Ambassador. I know Zabriel's dubious about their likely interest - I'm not so!
I'd like to add my thanks to Adman for his work excellent start to the business plan.
However I agree that now is the time to stop posting about this on an open forum as we are advertising to the competition what we are doing (and we are likely to tread on a few toes with this - hopefully!). Also remember that other sites who my not be as imaginative as us could steal a march on us.
I see no reason to wait until 30/9 as nothing we will be doing would (from memory) breach the terms of the entry.
Question for the keyboard jockeys amongst us - Is there any way we can set up our own password protected forum? Otherwis we should use round robin e-mails.
I have a few comments to make but will send these round by e-mail. However I need to do a bit of research first. This will take me a few days as I am a bit preocupied with minor matters like finding somewhere to live.
I see no reason to wait until 30/9 as nothing we will be doing would (from memory) breach the terms of the entry.
The reason I suggest a post 30/9 'start' is that the sponsor must be a priority - and I'd like to talk to C4/Screnstage/Ambassador, but I'd be uncomfortable about doing that until 1/10, as an approach could influence (or be seen as an attempt to influence) a TPTT entry.
A second thought - one or more of us MIGHT be too busy for much involvement post 30/9!
We probably won't be ready with a full biz plan much before then anyway!
This is a bit off-topic, but since wwe've been discussing how to discuss (?) here I thought I'd mention it...If you want a totally anonymous message board you'd probably have to pay monthly for it or I'd have to build one.
-Every rose has its thorns. Mine are all sticking in my side.
Just had a thought - using the chatroom means what we say won't be recorded like it is here, unless someone makes a note of everything everyone says...plus, to disucss something properly, everyone would have to be there at once, which isn't likely to happen.
-Every rose has its thorns. Mine are all sticking in my side.
This has been a totally pleasant email! 
