[TheThinkTank] Money making idea

[R. Dugas/Vélogik/Carrefour jeunesse emploi Saint-Laurent]

Hello all,

I don't post as often as I should, but enjoy reading many of the great ideas
coming out on this list. I do have an idea I'd like to share.

We were approached by a big downtown marketing firm to do tune-ups for their
employees. This company offers free car parking to some employees and
therefore felt they needed to compensate those who ride the transit, so they
started drawing a certain number of monthly transit passes. But this left
out the cyclists - who are fairly numerous as the company is downtown and
hires only extremely hip and good looking people. 

So they approached us to do tune-ups. We set up in their conference room and
everyday had to refuse people due to the high demand. We charged by tune up.
It was, by our standards, very profitable and, by their standards, a very
good deal. Win-win.

This company has some clients who we might have moral issues with, but this
is a great initiative on their part to encourage cycling on a real
one-on-one basis. By dealing with us (an employability program) the company
feels that it's giving something back to the community.

On another note about taxes in Canada: Non-for-profits (OBNL) can reclaim
half of the GST and PST (in Québec at least) that they have spent. And in
Montreal you can get back a portion of your municipal taxes.

Keep those wrenches clinking and those wheels turning.

Richard