Why Ads in Our Community Require Payment (Yes, Even Yours)

If you’re reading this, there’s a good chance you’ve shared something in our Slack community; maybe a workshop, an Airbnb link, your yoga classes, or an event at your coworking space. First of all: welcome! And thank you for contributing to the energy that makes Live it up, Las Palmas! the amazing place it is.

But here’s the thing. Since early 2024, we introduced a simple rule: commercial posts require payment. Not because we’re trying to be difficult. But because this community you love? It literally can’t exist without that support.

Let me explain.

🛠️ This Platform Isn’t Free to Run (Even If It Feels That Way)

There’s a lot going on that you don’t see just from scrolling Slack. Conflicts, tech issues, moderation decisions, awkward complaints, community politics: all of it lands in my inbox. I get a lot of DMs and requests every single day, and it’s not just “Where’s the coworking meetup?” It’s everything from “Can you recommend a notary for my visa paperwork?” to “I lost my passport and don’t know what to do,” to “Hey, can you promote my friend’s thing, it’s just one time.”

It’s researching accurate info for guides and posts, writing up-to-date resources for the website, creating Slack threads that don’t get buried, answering Instagram messages, managing expectations from partners; because there’s no magic algorithm doing it for me. I manually moderate conversations, adjust tone when it starts to shift, and quietly step in before drama spills out in public. I update links, check business opening times, fix broken formatting, and answer the same five questions a hundred different ways because, let’s be honest, hardly anyone reads my pinned posts.

And then there are the personal emergencies. Over the years, I’ve had people reach out in tears: after getting robbed, scammed, sexually assaulted, locked out of their apartment, or suddenly feeling lost, overwhelmed, or alone in a new place. And in those moments, they come to me. Not because I have all the answers, but because this community feels safe, and someone has to be that first point of contact. I take that seriously. And I’ve shown up, again and again, because I care. But that kind of support (the kind that goes way beyond Slack threads) also takes time, presence, and emotional energy.

I connect people I think should meet. I remember what you said you were working on three months ago so I can refer someone to you later. I run the community strategy, maintain the tone, and hold the culture together so this space doesn’t become just another transactional digital noticeboard. It’s not just about Slack; it’s about making sure everything still feels like a real community.

And yes, I still have a real job outside of this. So this “side project” that everyone loves and benefits from? It quietly became a second full-time job. And while I’m proud of what I’ve built, I can’t keep carrying the weight of it alone. Not without compensation, not without support, and not while pretending it’s all effortless.

I don’t do this for the money, but without some income from ads to sustain it, I’d have no choice but to shut it down.

💡 So What Counts as a “Commercial Post”?

If your goal is to get paying customers, clients, or bookings: yes, it’s commercial. That includes:

• Promoting paid events, classes or retreats
• Advertising accommodation or rentals
• Marketing your business, café, coworking, product, or app
• Sharing “free” intro offers or trials designed to lead to paid services

💶 How Much Is It?

Two simple options:

• One-off post: €6.90 → Pay here
  One post only.
• Vendor membership: €19.99/month or €199/year
  Post freely, every week if you like. You’ll also be listed in the welcome message to new members and get added exposure. Sign up → liveitup-laspalmas/vendors

🚫 What Happens If You Post Without Paying?

It’s not fair to the paying vendors, and we want to keep things equal. So if you post commercial content without paying, your message will be deleted, and your Slack account may be deactivated. Repeat it, and you’ll be permanently removed.

Trying to avoid payment (for example, by using a second email address) also goes against our terms. No one likes playing detective, but we do keep track.

🤷 Still Not Sure If It Counts?

Here’s a quick cheat sheet:

Situation	Is It Commercial?
Free event to promote your brand	✅ Yes
Promoting yoga/fitness/online classes	✅ Yes
Renting your place in Gran Canaria	✅ Yes
Sharing your friend’s favourite café	❌ No
Recommending a service without benefit to you	❌ No

When in doubt, DM me first. I’m happy to help figure it out.

⚠️ The Gray Area: “I’m Just Helping a Friend…”

We know this one comes up a lot. So let’s clear it up:

If someone promotes a business, event, or service on behalf of a friend, partner, boss, or client, that’s still commercial.
Even if the post sounds casual (“just sharing this cool event my friend is doing”), if it’s intended to bring people to a business or make sales, it needs to be paid.

What’s not allowed:

• A bar owner asking friends to post about their gigs to avoid paying
• A freelancer promoting their services using a personal account under a different name
• Posting about a “free” event that clearly promotes a business

What’s fine:

• A genuine personal recommendation, with no ties or benefit to the poster
• Sharing something you loved, just because you loved it

If the line feels blurry, we’ll always err on the side of transparency and fairness. Message me if you’re unsure. But honestly? Most of the time, I think you already know what the right thing to do is.

💛 Why It Matters

Since 2020, this community ran on passion alone (well, even since 2018, before opening Slack and just posting in Facebook groups!). But in 2024, we crossed a line: there were simply too many moving parts to keep it going as a free-for-all. If we want Live it up, Las Palmas! to still exist in 2026, we have to fund it properly.

That doesn’t mean everyone pays. But the people and businesses who benefit from reaching our audience? Their support is what allows the rest of it to stay free.

If you’ve found new clients, filled your retreat, sold out your coworking week, or rented your flat thanks to this community: then this small fee is the reason that can keep happening.

And if you’re not promoting anything but still want to help, you can always donate a coffee here: buymeacoffee.com/nelleke or sign up as a Supporter via https://www.launchpass.com/liveitup-laspalmas

✅ Quick Recap

• Paid posts = €6.90 one-time or €19.99/month as a Vendor
• Commercial posts without payment will be removed
• No community funding = no community
• Vendor support keeps everything running (and spam-free)

Thanks for helping us stay independent, helpful, and genuinely useful for everyone on the island.

Nelleke
Founder – Live it up, Las Palmas!