- TheThinkTank - lists.bikecollectives.org

PLEASE DISREGARD MY PREVIOUS EMAIL.....
by Ariel raymon 10 Oct '07

10 Oct '07

SORRY!! That was meant solely for kyle, of Bicas... how embarassing! It wont happen again.

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1023 forms:ATTN BIKE KITCHEN AND SOPO
by Ariel raymon 10 Oct '07

10 Oct '07

Hey there, Ariel from portland Bike Farm Inc. We met with our lawyer to file the 1023 forms, and there were a couple things we forgot to ask him. there's a section that says, if you'll be making over $10,000 in Revenue in a year, the fee to file te forms to the IRS is $750, but if you'll be making less, then its only $300. If our organization hasn't projected to be making more than $10,000 the first and second year, but possibly the 3rd, should we be paying the $750 or $300? let us know... as we're in the process of doing it all, and may need to get money quick. thanks, Ariel

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Application Deadline Approaching - COMMUNITY BIKE SHOP MANAGER
by Melanie Lyons 06 Oct '07

06 Oct '07

Position Opening: Community Bike Shop Manager, Apply By October 10th, 2007. Bike Works is a nonprofit organization based in Seattle Washington whose mission is to build sustainable communities by educating youth and promoting bicycling. Bike Works has been working for kids, bikes, and community in south Seattle since 1996. Our programs and services invest in young people and encourage bicycling as a clean and healthy transportation alternative. Our programs include Earn-a-Bike for youth, Summer Bike Camps, Neighborhood Rides and bike club activities, Community Bike Shop, Annual Kids Bike Swap, domestic and international bicycle donations to charitable organizations, and more. Our Community Bike Shop serves Seattle residents from all walks of life with used bike sales and affordable repairs. We are looking for an energetic individual who supports our mission, values and community. Our ideal candidate will bring a unique mix of bike shop expertise and nonprofit organizational know-how. We seek someone who is excited about thinking strategically about innovative ways to streamline our social enterprise business model and strengthen our community impact. Experience or willingness to learn about developing a business plan would be A+! Our Bike Shop Manager must be willing to work hard to create a professional, empowering, and accessible shop environment for our customers and staff. Finally, someone with a healthy sense of humor and the ability to have fun with our funky organization will fit nicely on our team. While this position requires a great deal of responsibility and experience, it also offers exciting opportunities for professional growth and making a difference in our community. Essential Job Functions: The Bike Shop Manager assumes primary responsibility for leading the Bike Works Bike Shop in fulfillment of its mission and vision. Primary duties include: * Managing daily Bike Shop operations * Overseeing and delivering professional customer service to a diverse customer base * Ensuring the financial health of the Shop, successfully meeting revenue & expense targets * Managing and developing shop staff ; recruit, hire, train, manage and evaluate 2 -5 staff * Working in partnership with the Executive Director to guide business strategy, growth & development * Collaborating with Program Staff to support youth programs and volunteer activities * Participating in strategic planning process for the organization, helping to develop a long term mission driven strategic plan, and annual operational plans Desired Qualifications: * Strong commitment to youth leadership, sustainable communities and bicycle transportation * Previous experience in retail management and sales preferred; bike shop experience essential * Experience implementing/overseeing bike shop policies & cash control procedures * Three year’s experience successfully managing staff * Excellent organizational skills: systems oriented with high attention to detail * Excellent mechanical skills required (preferred 3 yrs professional experience working on variety of bikes) * Strong interpersonal skills & a friendly outgoing attitude with a desire to work with the public * Ability to mentor youth ages 9-17 in engaging and empowering apprenticeship relationship * Ability to multi-task in a fast paced, ever-changing environment * Respect for and a commitment to diversity, teamwork, and progressive social values * Basic PC skills, working knowledge of QuickBooks and Microsoft Office applications How to Apply: Send your resume, cover letter, and contact information for three references to HYPERLINK "mailto:development@bikeworks.org"development(a)bikeworks.org. Apply by October 10th, 2007. Pay Rate & Benefits: Regular, full-time, non-exempt, salaried position with full benefits. Monetary compensation commensurate with qualifications and experience. Melanie Lyons Assistant Director Bike Works 3709 S. Ferdinand St. Seattle, WA 98118 206-725-9408 HYPERLINK "http://www.bikeworks.org"http://www.bikeworks.org Now hiring! Bike Works Seattle is currently seeking a Community Bike Shop Manager to join our team. Do you know someone who has a passion for non-profits, community, youth, mechanics and cycling? If so, please send them to HYPERLINK "blocked::http://www.bikeworks.org/"http://www.bikeworks.org for details, or suggest that they contact us HYPERLINK "mailto:development@bikeworks.org"development(a)bikeworks.org. "Building sustainable communities by educating youth and promoting bicycling." No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.488 / Virus Database: 269.14.2/1053 - Release Date: 10/6/2007 10:18 AM

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5th Annual Bike Part Art Show TONIGHT!
by Neighborhood Bike Works 05 Oct '07

05 Oct '07

*The 5th Annual Bike Part Art Show*, brought to you this year by SpokesPeople, and benefiting Neighborhood Bike Works, *opens TONIGHT*! *The Power Plant Building in Old City, Philadelphia * On 2nd Street, between Race & Vine, under the Ben Franklin Bridge Opening Friday, October 5, 5pm to 10pm Open gallery through Sunday, October 7 *The Bike Part Art Show* is an annual community art event in which local artists donate fantastically unique works created from recycled bicycle parts. Help us celebrate the Fifth Annual Bike Part Art Show and public launch of SpokesPeople! During this bike part art extravaganza weekend, we will be hosting the annual Art Show and Auction, live local musicians, open gallery hours, specialty bicycle workshops, social action forums, and more! All sales from the show benefit Neighborhood Bike Works, a youth development organization in West Philadelphia, which creates opportunities for area youth through bicycling. *This weekend's events:* *Art Show & Auction on Friday, October 5 at 5pm. * Live music by local musicians Cowmuddy, the Spinning Leaves, and MKMS featuring members of Philly Slick, delicious food and drink, raffle prizes, and more...all for a good cause! *Open Gallery & Bicycle Repair Workshops * Saturday, October 6 from 11am-6pm. Open gallery starts at 11am, Workshops start at 2pm. Bike repair workshops with graduates from the Neighborhood Bike Works Earn-A-Bike Program and technicians from Bicycle Therapy! *Open Gallery & Social Action Forums* Sunday, October 7 from 11am-6pm. Last chance to buy art, hear more about SpokesPeople and participate in a Speak Out! at 2pm. We'll be building our first ever Chain for Change and observing National Letter Writing Week. * A shout out to our sponsors!* Please join us in supporting these local business and organizations: 1812 Productions, Bacchus Market and Catering, Bella Vista Beverage, Inc., Bicycle Therapy, Chantarelles Catering, Chef's Market, Cowmuddy, Fuji Bikes, Peter Defeo, Design for Social Impact, Philadelphia Java Company, Mambo Movers, MKMS and Philly Slick, Power Plant Productions, The Curiosity Shoppe, The Key to Philadelphia, The Reiki School and Clinic, The Spinning Leaves, The White Dog Cafe, TimeCycle Couriers, Trophy Bikes, & Via Bicycle.

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DON'T REPLY do not tell Kim., SURPRISE B DAY PArty
by Kim Jensen 04 Oct '07

04 Oct '07

SURPRISE!!! Please come and celebrate Kim's 30Th at a surprise party Saturday, October 6Th. Please be there at 700pm sharp, Kim will be there after 730. Location:742 N. Highland by Melrose, At The Dive, formally known as Highland Grounds. We will eat pizza, Salad, drink some beer and celebrate Kim-Chee's life together, which is what Kim would like. SEE YOU THERE!!! -Marcus-323-620-0030 PS: I know this was sent from Kim's e-mail, please do not reply -- Kim Jensen Studio la (213) 482 76 62 www.fleurstudio.com

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Job Opening for Bikes Not Bombs in Boston
by matt coe 04 Oct '07

04 Oct '07

Service Manager Bikes Not Bombs is looking to hire a full time service manager. The ideal candidate would have several years of bicycle shop experience, mechanical expertise, and managerial experience. Experience working with youth a plus, and a fondness for older bicycles and their parts is required. Responsibilities include Managing youth and adult mechanics Inventory and Ordering Checking in repairs/estimates Quality Control Competitive Benefits (health care, vacation, etc) $13-16/per hour, pay commensurate with experience The BNB Retail shop and training center is an exciting and rewarding place to work. Women applicants are especially encouraged. http://www.bikesnotbombs.org shop(a)bikesnotbombs.org -- Bikes Not Bombs Retail Shop and Training Center 18 Bartlett Sq./Jamaica Plain, Ma/02130 Near the Green St T-Stop on the Orange Line www.bikesnotbombs.org Call us at (617)522-0226 We are Open Tuesday 10:30-7pm Wednesday 2-9pm Thursday 10:30-7pm Friday 10:30-7pm Saturday 10:30-6pm Sunday 12-5pm

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selling bikes, making bikes for yourself?
by Paul Park 04 Oct '07

04 Oct '07

Hi all, At the Mount Rainier Bike Coop in Mount Rainier, Maryland, a suburb of Washington, DC, we are working how to sell our bikes that we refurbish. We really don't have any fixed or regular costs; the city gives us the space (a garage), so we just use our money on spare parts and tools. We have an earn-a-bike program so youth can build up bikes for us, learning mechanic skills, and then after fifteen hours of voluteering, the youths can build a bike for themselves. Volunteers who have already put in 15 hours of work can basically just keep refurbishing bikes. No one gets paid anything at this point. Generally, at this point, we just sell our refurbished bikes in one way or another. Do other shops do this? Also, presumably, volunteers could, after working fifteen hours, refurbish bikes for themselves, and then sell them on craigslist or something. Do other coops have a policy with regards to refurbishing bikes for yourself, one after the other, and then selling them for your own profit? Or perhaps a system where you refurbish a bike and then you have to give a certain percentage of the sale to the coop? -- PJ Park http://www.biketobrazil.blogspot.com http://www.imagestation.com/members/pjpark http://picasaweb.google.com/PaulJosephPark

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Re: [TheThinkTank] Minors in the shop and general shop rules
by omar 03 Oct '07

03 Oct '07

we have minors at all of our projects. usually there's no special consideration, but for formal programs (earn a bike, after school, etc.) we get them and the 'rents to fill out a medical info/consent/waiver thing. never had to use one, but the lawyer in me and the bod feels better if we cover our butts the way everyone else does, our insurance guy appreciates it and a couple of funders have asked about it. i could post a copy of what we use to the wiki but its pretty standard fair. as to your second point, there's a list of "10 commandments" at the shop that can be pointed to with an "oy!" when a custy gets out of line (again, standard stuff like "let us know beforehand if you're broke", "respect the staff, other customers and tools", and "if you have a question about how we work, ask us"). at the workshop where i work, we get participants to come up with a list of rules and guidelines at the begining of each earn a bike class that they all agree to abide by, and stick it up on the wall for the duration of the class. they rarely miss anything important, and if someone gets rowdy it seems less authoritative when you can remind them that they agreed to the rule they're breaking. -- omar bhimji project manager pedal bike depot p. 604.708.4992

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Minors in the shop and general shop rules
by Urban Bike Project of Wilmington, Inc. 02 Oct '07

02 Oct '07

Hey from Delaware! Just a couple questions for those with established shops....we will soon be moving out of my living room and are trying to learn from all your hard earned experience (the wiki has been great too). 1. How do you deal with minors in the shop? Do you have permission slips they need to get signed or require a parent/guardian to come with them before a bike can be worked on? These are currently our main "customers" and there is no way i'd turn away a kid with broken brakes because he didn't have a slip signed. I just want to make sure we keep everything kosher here. 2. Could you share your general shop rules so we have a starting point? Stuff like no profane language, be respectful, no tools outside....that sort of thing. Thanks err'body! Brian Urban Bike Project of Wilmington -- Visit us online at http://urbanbikeproject.org

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how do you track shop activity?
by rachael spiewak 01 Oct '07

01 Oct '07

Hello, friends. We've created a shop sign in sheet, which is great for capturing some numbers, like how many people come through the shop during a particular session, how many were volunteers, how many were kids, etc. What I'm having trouble tracking is the number of unique people accessing the shop over a period of time. In other words, I don't know how to factor out repeat participants when I start adding up numbers from session to session. Has anyone developed a good system for tracking shop activity? What kind of information do you ask for on your sign in sheet? Do you have another system, like tagging the bikes and having tags collected when people complete their projects? Thanks! rachael

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