- TheThinkTank - lists.bikecollectives.org

Distributors and interacting with the profit model
by Rigel Christian 22 Aug '09

22 Aug '09

Hi, I had an interesting discussion with someone who worked at a smaller distributor today. I had called in order to try and cultivate a business relationship for our local co-op, which is in desperate need of tools and consumable parts like bearings and cables. He mentioned that a lot more co-ops were inquiring about accounts. He also told me the reasons why co-op/DIY shops were problematic from his end, and it's a reasonable criticism from that perspective. Individually, we simply dont do the volume of business necessary to be attractive to a business interest. The time necessary to administer and verify an account that does maybe a couple hundred dollars worth of business a month for the higher traffic shops kind of burns your profit margins, which are not large at that level. distributors count on reliable, volume business to stay afloat, and take a smaller cut of profit on the assumption that that's the type of business theyll be doing. I've know that some of the longer running co-ops and collectives have relationships with distributors, but clearly many of the newer ones do not. I'm curious about a couple of things. 1) Does your collective have a relationship with a parts distributor? 2) Regardless of the answer to #1, roughly how much does your shop spend on tools/consumables/things-that-one-would-get-from-a-distributor? It seems to me that in the first few years of a co-op/nonprofit/collective situation, lots or most of these organizations leverage either existing ties to, or the goodwill of LBSes. My suspicion is that in some edge cases, where the bike or DIY culture isnt all that strong, this can be a fairly significant issue for a fledgling operation, in terms of both finances and social capital. The idea that i'm trying to push here is that of a sort of buyers club. Disregarding for the moment the perfectly valid criticisms of the legal structure of 501(c)3s, if there was a nonprofit that could act as a go-between for a parts distributor and a number of regional shops, that would serve the needs of both the for-profit distributors AND the co-op shops. distributors wouldnt have to deal with as much volatility from taking on co-ops as charity cases, and co-ops banding together could drive the price of a lot of the most necessary consumables and parts down even further than their current distributor relationships can offer. in the ideal case, of course. I would appreciate any input people have. I dont know if this has been suggested before (I suspect it has), but i didnt see anything in my archive of the last year or so. If I'm totally off base in my assumptions I'd like to know that too, where i went wrong, and what the real deal is. cheers.

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Winnipeg to minneapolis for bikebike-Ride needed!
by shanny1＠telus.net 21 Aug '09

21 Aug '09

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Re: [TheThinkTank] ride wanted- chicago to minneapolis for bike bike!
by Kristen L. Abdullah 18 Aug '09

18 Aug '09

Awesome, keep me updated. If you would like, give me a call at (904)613-4948 ane we can chat about the ride. thanks, krissy On Mon Aug 17 11:03:52 EDT 2009, Geoffrey B <vous.je(a)gmail.com> wrote: > we might be through Chicago by Wed August 26th > > On Sun, Aug 16, 2009 at 2:48 PM, Kristen L. Abdullah > <kabdullah(a)ufl.edu>wrote: > >> Hey, >> I'm couchsurfing in Chicago at the moment, and am looking for a >> ride to >> bike bike in a couple of weeks. Just me and a couple of bags. no >> bike. >> Willing to split gas money. Please email me if you have an extra >> spot. >> thanks in advance! >> >> krissy >> kabdullah(a)ufl.edu >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Thethinktank mailing list >> Thethinktank(a)bikecollectives.org >> To unsubscribe, send a blank email to >> TheThinkTank-leave(a)bikecollectives.org >> To manage your subscription, plase visit: >> >> http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.… >> > > > > -- Geoffrey B > > _______________________________________________ > Thethinktank mailing list > Thethinktank(a)bikecollectives.org > To unsubscribe, send a blank email to > TheThinkTank-leave(a)bikecollectives.org > To manage your subscription, plase visit: > http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.… > Kristen Abdullah kabdullah(a)ufl.edu

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ride wanted- chicago to minneapolis for bike bike!
by Kristen L. Abdullah 18 Aug '09

18 Aug '09

Hey, I'm couchsurfing in Chicago at the moment, and am looking for a ride to bike bike in a couple of weeks. Just me and a couple of bags. no bike. Willing to split gas money. Please email me if you have an extra spot. thanks in advance! krissy kabdullah(a)ufl.edu

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rejecting trash bikes
by Urban Bike Project Wilmington, DE 15 Aug '09

15 Aug '09

hey folks, a moral or social dilemma: when your shop accepts donations of used bikes, but you're already filled to the gills with hundreds of bikes that may or may not ever get fixed up, how do you begin to turn away donations that are really not worth the space? or do you? just looking for some suggestions of how other shops have dealt with this issue. it gets to the point where we don't have the time, space, or man-power to strip down all those pieces-of-crap even to send to the scrap yard, but now that people know that we accept used bikes, it's hard to know how to say no. thanks! sarah Urban Bike Project of Wilmington -a 501(c)3 non-profit bike shop- 1908 N. Market Street (entrance is in the parking lot behind the building) Wilmington, DE 19802 Hours: Thursday 6:30-9:00 Saturday 1:00-4:00 Visit us online at http://urbanbikeproject.org

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rejecting trash bikes
by Bob Giordano 15 Aug '09

15 Aug '09

yes, yes. and we have a nifty new design (although i'm sure it's been done), that puts a pipe through two bottom bracket shells, for a parking rack, and for bike/garden cart/trailer. we use 2 rear triangles cut off 'reject' bikes. more on that to come... -Bob g., free cycles missoula, freecycles.org Angel York wrote: > Rejectable bikes are also pretty great material for making bike trailers. > > On Thu, Aug 13, 2009 at 7:51 PM, MoBo Bicycle Co-op < > mobobicyclecoop(a)gmail.com> wrote:

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Hiring Business Consultant for bike program in Guatemala
by arik grier 14 Aug '09

14 Aug '09

JOB OPENING: International Business Consultant position for an exciting nonprofit appropriate technology center and bicycle retail store in Guatemala. Maya Pedal is the organization that makes and markets “bici- maquinas,” labor-saving, cost-effective pedal powered inventions, to individuals and cooperatives who are off the electrical grid and can’t afford diesel generators. Maya Pedal has amazing technology but lacks sound financial and organizational stewardship. Job Description: Bikes Not Bombs (BNB),Working Bikes Cooperative and Maya Pedal(MP) seek a Spanish-English bilingual person who has small business management and sales background, and experience with nonprofits. This job will require developing a marketing plan and a business plan for the organization, Maya Pedal, a nonprofit appropriate technology center in San Andres de Itzapa, Guatemala. To be an effective consultant in this job you’ll need to be able to work well with people and yet be straightforward in your assessment for restructuring the financial oversight and management of the organization. First order of the day will be to assess the current state of operations and develop a business plan and an annual budget. The second task of work will be to develop and implement a marketing strategy. Thirdly, you will make recommendations as to how the MP Board should be comprised and help to start new board development process. Finally, you will oversee a hiring process to find appropriate administrative personnel for Maya Pedal. Job duration is six months and is expected to begin in early to mid October. Lodging is supplied in beautiful San Andres de Itzapa, Chimaltenango, Guatemala. Job pay will include a round-trip air fare, a return transition stipend, international emergency medical insurance and a $550 stipend per month. Experience working internationally with small businesses in Latin America Is an important plus. This is a tremendous opportunity for someone who wants to gain hands-on working experience with Latin American indigenous nonprofits and marketing of Appropriate Technology. Job tasks will include: • Review and report on current fiscal solvency of Maya Pedal • Review and establish an appropriate accounting system • Assessment of current sales department and marketing strategy • Some direct involvement in customer relations/sales • Development of a business plan for Maya Pedal • Assessment of functionality of Board of Directors and recommendations • Creation of an annual budget and financial reporting system • Help to develop a marketing plan • Research possibilities of web based, on-line giving procedures • Participation in management and shop staff meetings • Work with internal committee to hire administrative personnel for Maya Pedal as recommended and agreed upon by Maya Pedal and international stake holders. This will include review of potential candidates and training personnel once hired. Please send your resume and cover letter by September 8, 2009 to: hiring(a)bikesnotbombs.org or check out the link on the Bikes Not Bombs web site at: http://bikesnotbombs.org/node/584

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Bike shops in Puerto Rico?
by Josh Brown 12 Aug '09

12 Aug '09

Anyone know of, or work at, a bike project in Puerto Rico? We recieved an email (below) from someone looking for one. Thanks! josh. ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Community Cycles <igiduran(a)yahoo.com> Date: Sun, Aug 9, 2009 at 12:26 PM Subject: Ignacio Duran has contacted CC about Other To: josh(a)communitycycles.org This message was sent from Ignacio Duran igiduran(a)yahoo.com Ignacio has the following comments I just discovered your website, I'm interested in the social benefits of cycling and would like to be active in Puerto Rico, but I noticed on your list of collectives (showing the different one by States) and noticed that there is none in Puerto Rico, so my question is: is there maybe one that you know of but has not made it to the list or do you know what I could do to start one? Thanks, Ignacio Duran

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Turning prison work into money?
by Bob Giordano 12 Aug '09

12 Aug '09

We've been helping pre-releasers get bikes for several years. They are not allowed to go thru our typical 'bike well' program (2 hours vol time, one class, then build a free bike) because the pre release center does not want them volunteering (we are working on changing that). So they budget $20-$40 to buy a bike from us that they complete. It can be hard on us to facilitate that, so i went to their execs. They suggested, which we are considering: we buy a sweet fleet of bomber bikes (they will help us fund that), and we then rent the bikes to them for $1 a day. They already budget money for food and rent- i think it comes to $14 a day, so $1 more for transport sounds good. i'm thinking 50 cents a day, which is still $180 a year. These would be mountain bikish, fenders, strong rack, light, u-lock, repair kit, helmet, maintenance lesson, safety lesson... Of the 100 in the prerelease program, an average would be: 80 ride bikes, of which 60 come to us, and 19 go to walmart, 1 goes to a retail shop. The prerelease center is on outskirts of town here too, and they are not allowed to ride in n'hoods. They often have been hit by cars, and we are stepping up our advocacy efforts to make the roads safe, there and throughout town. -Bob Giordano, Free Cycles Missoula, MIST veganboyjosh(a)gmail.com wrote: > But perhaps not like it first sounds. > > Does anyone out there work with populations of prisoners or recently > released inmates? Have you had any success finding funding for this work? > > Community Cycles has a program in which we work with our County jail's > work > release program. When inmates here have less than 25% of their sentence > left, and qualify for the program (this is determined by the jail based on > factors such as non-violent, non sexual offenses, behavior during their > stay, etc.) they are given 2 weeks in which to find a job on the outside. > During this 2 week period, they are very strictly monitored, and must > check > in when they arrive at a location, must let the jail know when they are > leaving, etc. > Once they've found and landed a job, they are let out in the morning, and > return to the jail at night, paying rent for the remainder of their > sentence. The job allows them to start saving money for free life once > they're out, and gets them back into a schedule and everything that comes > with the regularity of work. They are not given bus tickets or money for > travel, and must either walk back and forth, or rely on family members and > friends for transportation during this time. The jail is located out of > the > way, several miles from the center of town and any decent work options. > > Community Cycles has partnered with the jail and we are now a place where > inmates in the program can come and get a bike through our regular > Earn-a-Bike > program. They typically do this during the first two or three days of > their > 2 weeks, and then they have wheels which allows them to go farther faster, > and opens up many opportunities for work which walking would't. > > We've heard from the jail that the recidivism rates of those inmates going > through our EAB program are the lowest of any group and that the jail has > had to install more bike parking as a result. > > I've contacted the supervisor of the program on the jail's side, trying to > suss out any possibility of getting some kind of financial support either > through the country, or through other outside groups, but they were of no > help. When I broached the subject, the immediate response was "Well, we > don't have any money, so you're not going to get any from us!" and it > didn't > get better as I probed more. > > Do any of you have any experience with groups that fund work with inmates? > Any suggestions for ways to get or "work release" program to start paying > for itself? Right now, the only thing that makes it a "program" is that > the > Earn-a-Bike participants are a specific demographic--inmates--who all come > from the same place. If they didn't tell us they were in the Work Release > program or staying at the County jail, we would have no idea. > > Thanks! > > josh.

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Bike Collectives in Colombia?
by plan b NOLA Bike Project 12 Aug '09

12 Aug '09

Hey yáll, It's Victor from Plan B in New Orleans. I'm in Panama City right now, which may actually be the least bike friendly city I´ve ever been to. In fact it may be bike impossible because even walking is terrifying here! Anyway, I'll be travelling through Colombia next week. Anyone know of any collectives/clubs/cool shops I should visit? Also, in my deepest fantasies I would love to borrow/rent/ buy a bike to use for Ciclovia in Bogota and for touring. If anyone knows anything it would be great. All the best, } Victor

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