Let me tell you a bit of a sad story, that has a happy ending!
This story is probably not unique to just myself, I expect many others could tell the same tale!
Five years ago I launched my website. This wasn’t on its own domain, as it is now, but was hosted by a well known ISP.

Shortly after I set up a forum with one of these FREE forum hosts, (spit!) and after a while it just went bust. I offered to buy the backup/dump from them but all my pleas and e-mails were ignored. I lost hundreds of posts and a few members. Like a Phonix from the ashes, it rose again, with the help of a wonderful bunch of members! But again I set up with a FREE forum hosts, (spit!)...Doh!!
At the time I didn’t have the finance to set up my own domain, but looking back I should have done it…it is something I regret not doing sooner. Then THEY went down without warning 9 months after. Again, losing great posts and a few members, and I was again unable to get the back up! I then set up with my third FREE forum hosts, (spit!)

Yes!....you don’t have to tell me I’m an idiot! I know I am!!! But this third free forum appeared to be better than the others, a thriving support forum with thousands of forum owners. It couldn’t happen a third time could it? Well, it did!

That was a month ago! (All these forums by the way were powered by phpBB) I have set up on my fourth FREE forum, but next week I am moving to my very own vBulletin forum. Here is my new forum - Scale Model Horse Drawn Vehicle Forums - Powered by vBulletin
There is nothing on it yet, I’m just playing about with it, to get used to its many functions! Please look back here in a week.
I shall probably be asking a whole load of questions, and look forward to getting to know many of you!

Best wishes,

Lampwick

Nice intro

Thanks for joining our forums, we have some great SEO tips mixed through-out the forums.

We encourage you to submit your site to all link directories including the one we have for vBulleitn forums only

nJoy

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Welcome Lampwick.

So are you importing your phpBB users and posts into vBulletin? Impex is pretty easy to use if you are, as long as you read along and follow the directions.

If you can get a Database backup of this forum
Scale Model Horse Drawn Vehicle Forum :: Index
it can be imported to the vBulletin script with a little tweaking.

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Rocket and Brandon,
Yes, I will be importing my phpBB users and posts into vBulletin. The FREE forum host I am with at the moment, (I have only been with them a few weeks) allows purchase of the backup and will assist in the transfer if I need it. I have also got someone my end who has the knowledge to do all this. The FREE forum host will keep my forum intact until the move is completed in its entirety successfully. I have no complaints with the FFH, but neither did I with the other 3 when I started with them! I want the security of being able to make my own backups, my new vBulletin is on a much more secure server than any of these FFH has; and they also do regular and constant backups.

I am of course having to pay for all this and will be setting up a donation button on the new forum. it will not and cannot survive without donations so I hope this happens! The vast majority of members will happily donate.

With the FFH there is often ‘in your face’ flashing and scrolling adverts on every page, I am glad these wont be on my own forum! But a question I would like to ask is: - I have noticed small discreet adverts on a number of vBulletin owner’s forums.
Is this an option I could consider in the future to help finance my forum? And what are the pros and cons with this?

Lampwick.:coolgleamA:

P.S. Can I export my forum?
This is what my FFH offers.
http://www.myfreeforum.org/index.......d=12&Itemid=25

That is completely up to you, Personally I haven't found anything like Google Adsense or anything like that worth the hassle so far in my dealings but it doesn't hurt to try it. I do however make it so only guests see advertisments. Unless you have tons of traffic, it will take a LONG time to get to 100 bucks.
I do have forum sponsors available though, and that is for like a parts company that wants to "sponsor" a certain forum. It's not intrusive but gets their name and product out there easily for them and users don't mind since its related and I can choose if I accept it or not.

I've never been for big advertisements on my sites, but I'm really picky with them.

From where and how do you get forum sponsors to "sponsor" a certain forum? This is what I actualy ment! I would like more info on this please!

Hey there, welcome Good luck getting this all sorted out

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Bryce R [[ BLOG ]]
The Blogging Café - Blogging Forum
Do you run a forum? Check out my forum owners blog.

There is no real "right" way to do it. But if you just contact a company or person you think could benefit from exposure on your site and ask them if they'd like to become a sponsor. Or post up that you are looking for sponsors for forums and someone might approach you about it.


Heres my forum sponsor writeup:

• Forum Sponsorship: Only $xx.xx for x Full Months
  Sponsor our forums. With this you recieve:
  • Forum Username for your Business
  • Your Own Board on the forum, where you can post Information, Sales, or other information.
  • A 200x50 Pixel image to go along with your board (stands out on forum index)