- TheThinkTank - lists.bikecollectives.org

POS systems
by Molly Miksa 18 Oct '23

18 Oct '23

Hi everyone, I'm looking for advice on point-of sale-systems. Anyone have something you really like? We're a DIY bike repair shop, with 1-2 employees plus sometimes volunteers on cash. We sell used bikes, new and used parts, merch, stand time, memberships, and sometimes event tickets. We've been using Square, and find it clunky and insufficient. Some specific issues we'd love to rectify: - No option for layaways - Cost-price inputting is not versatile - No multiple login options (so we can recall who rang through a particular sale) - No easy way to remove tax for Indigenous customers (we're Canadian) - Gift cards are a pain Any advice much appreciated! Molly Molly Miksa Executive Director [image: londoncyclelink.ca] <https://www.londoncyclelink.ca/>

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Fwd: There's a Fediverse group now, hay un grupo de Fediverse ahora!
by Bike!Bike! Everywhere! 18 Oct '23

18 Oct '23

Forwarding this because it looks like there was a delivery issue and it didn't actually come through to the Think Tank: ---------- Forwarded message --------- From: angel york <bike(a)angelyork.com> Date: Mon, Jul 10, 2023 at 8:39 PM Subject: There's a Fediverse group now, hay un grupo de Fediverse ahora! To: The Think Tank <thethinktank(a)lists.bikecollectives.org> Cc: Bike!Bike! Everywhere! <bikebikeeverywhere(a)gmail.com> Hi all, 1. You can now follow *https://climatejustice.global/@bbe* <https://climatejustice.global/@bbe> from anywhere on the Fediverse (Mastodon, PixelFed, etc.) for news about B!B!E!. We will cross-post any big announcements to the Fediverse using this account. 2. Anyone can post to and/or follow the Guppe group *BikeCollectives_TalleresCommunitarios(a)a.gup.pe <BikeCollectives_TalleresCommunitarios(a)a.gup.pe>* from anywhere on the Fediverse (Mastodon, PixelFed, etc.) for general bike collectives stuff. (Moderation is done by reporting things to your local instance.) 3. We will need a volunteer or volunteers to post announcements for the planning and tech teams and relay questions from the fediverse to the people not keeping up with the fediverse who can answer those questions. Bilingual en/es preferred. Thanks, Angel Traducido por deepl y yo: Hola a todos, 1. Ahora puedes seguir *https://climatejustice.global/@bbe* <https://climatejustice.global/@bbe> desde cualquier lugar de Fediverse (Mastodon, PixelFed, etc.) para obtener noticias sobre B!B!E!. Publicaremos cualquier anuncio importante en esta cuenta. 2. Cualquiera puede publicar y/o seguir al grupo Guppe *BikeCollectives_TalleresCommunitarios(a)a.gup.pe* <BikeCollectives_TalleresCommunitarios(a)a.gup.pe> desde cualquier lugar del Fediverso (Mastodon, PixelFed, etc.) para asuntos generales de colectivos de ciclistas. (La moderación se hace reportando cosas a tu instancia local). 3. Necesitaremos uno o varios voluntarixs que publiquen anuncios para los equipos de planificación y tecnología y que transmitan las preguntas del fediverso a las personas que no están en el fediverso y que pueden responder a esas preguntas. Preferiblemente bilingües es/en. Gracias, Angel

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What to do about signs of drugs, alcohol, and mental illness?
by wade＠bikeconnector.org 12 Oct '23

12 Oct '23

The Bike Connector is a non-profit, volunteer-run, community-based program that collaborates with community partners to distribute and maintain free bikes. We've been serving the community for five years and have traditionally worked with schools and social service agencies. Most of our customers are referred to us through partner organizations. Recently, we've been seeing an uptick in unaffiliated adults walking into our shop looking for bikes. Many of these folks have heard of us through word of mouth. News of "free" bikes spreads fast. We do not know the stories of the people we serve, nor do we care. We treat everyone that walks in the door with dignity. Occasionally we get people that walk in the door that appear drunk or high. There is a prevalent opioid use problem in our community. People often smell like they've consumed alcohol and/or weed. I recently noticed an adult visitor discreetly drinking a nip. He did not behave drunk and I did not intervene. I'd like to have an understanding of how best to deal with these individuals in a respectful manner. When someone comes into the shop smoking a cigarette, I don't hesitate to let them know that smoking is prohibited and to take the cigarette outside. When they smell of alcohol or weed, what do we do? When they exhibit signs of drug abuse or mental illness (stumbling, slurred speech, anger, confusion), what do we do? We have policies in place for minors. With regards to adults, things get a bit more complicated. Suggestions and resources are welcome.

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Critical mass & music
by Claude Ferron 09 Oct '23

09 Oct '23

I'd like to ear from the community about your technical solutions when it comes to play music in a critical mass. We in Trois-Rivières are starting to built the habit of having a critical mass each month. Music is kind of great during those events. Having a DJ on a trailer is our ultimate goal, but in the meantime we can simply play music with our bluetooth speaker. Having only one person playing music cannot make it heard from the mass. Any software of ideas to have the entire mass play the music in sync? Are you using a special app? It be great if we could have one "master" and many "slaves" to make the music travel throught the mass. Any cues? Thanks Claude Long life to critical mass Trois-Rivières, QC, Canada

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Question re community bike shops
by Emory Shaw 20 Sep '23

20 Sep '23

HI all, I'm just doing a bit of research and I figured this would be a good place to ask a question: does anyone know of a case where community bike shops have united together to form some kind of federation or coalition ? Many cities are dotted with such shops that tend to share a similar social mission: are there any examples of cities or regions where they have come together to better address shared challenges (re volunteers, suppliers, financing etc.)? It would be great to get some insight on this, as there are talks of doing this kind of thing in the city I'm in (Montreal). I'm curious to know if and how other places might have succeeded or not at achieving this. Any thoughts or leads would be greatly appreciated. Thanks! Emory

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Re: Question re community bike shops
by Claude Ferron 20 Sep '23

20 Sep '23

Emory, We are based in Trois-Rivières, QC and would like to start such a mouvement. Can you get in touch with me at claude<at>lacyclerie.ca Hope you get this message. As for progress in our endeavour, I will post an update here when something new happens. Thanks Claude -- <http://www.lacyclerie.ca> Claude Ferron Co-coordonnateur La Cyclerie [image: FB_LaCyclerie] <https://www.facebook.com/LaCyclerie3R/> [image: Insta_LaCyclerie] <https://www.instagram.com/lacyclerie3r/>

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We're Hiring our Next Program Manager!
by Emily Gage 13 Sep '23

13 Sep '23

Hi Everyone, Phoenix Bikes is an Arlington nonprofit that uniquely combines youth educational programs with a full-service bike shop. Every year, 300-400 local middle and high school students benefit from the 100% free youth programming at Phoenix Bikes—learning hands-on mechanics skills, enjoying riding and racing, and building meaningful relationships with peers and mentors. We’re currently searching for our next Education Program Manager, and I'm hoping you may have some leads you can pass our way and/or share the job posting with. This is a leadership position that runs our youth education work. The person in this position will teach bicycle mechanics to 6th-12th graders, manage our mechanics instructors, plan and coordinate youth programming, and coordinate our external partnerships with schools, afterschool programs and others. We're looking for someone who is passionate about working with youth, an excellent mechanic, and someone with program management and people management experience. This is a full-time position with an annual salary of $53-60K and benefits. The full job posting is here <https://www.indeed.com/job/education-program-manager-a7fdf339f2148071?_gl=1…> . Please consider applying or sharing with someone you think might be a good fit. Thanks, Emily _________________ [image: Phoenix Bikes] <https://www.phoenixbikes.org/> *Emily Gage* Executive Director, Phoenix Bikes www.phoenixbikes.org | emily(a)phoenixbikes.org [image: icon] 909 S. Dinwiddie St. Arlington, VA 22204 <https://maps.google.com/?q=909%20S.%20Dinwiddie%20St.%20Arlington,%20VA%202…> [image: icon] (703) 346-0035

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Insurance
by Elmira Bikes 28 Aug '23

28 Aug '23

Hi y’all, Please send contacts for who insures your community shops. We had coverage from a local business that isn’t working out. Thanks a lot! Elmira Community Cycle

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Community Cycles in Boulder, CO is hiring a Production Manager
by Ann Haebig 08 Aug '23

08 Aug '23

Community Cycles in Boulder, CO is hiring a Production Manager! To apply send a resume and cover letter to sales(a)communitycycles.org. Job description and requirements below. I'm just the messenger here; to get a response please email sales(a)communitycycles.org. Thanks! -Ann Haebig ann(a)communitycycles.org The Production Manager is responsible for: - Fostering an engaging and effective team environment - Working with the Shop Director, setting pricing that is fair for both customers and the organization - Maintaining appropriate inventory levels of incoming donations, bikes to work on, bikes for sale, and tools for programs. - Leading the team of mechanics that produce safe, reliable refurbished bikes and parts in an efficient time frame for resale out of the retail shop of Community Cycles, Experience: The Production Manager must have extensive experience with bicycles and their resale value to determine their destination. A wide knowledge range of the intricacies of components and their compatibility is essential. Must be able to quickly recognize unsafe, cracked, and bent frames that should not be built up. Responsibilities: Refurbishing donated bikes that are for sale in our shop. Managing the most cost-effective route for refurbishment by using new or used parts. Overseeing the flow/systems of refurbished bikes and used parts, including: - Storage of all bikes; onsite and offsite (including sharing this space with the sales department when bulk purchases are necessary). - Maintaining clear and orderly separation of adult bikes and children’s bikes, both finished and not finished - Maintaining appropriate inventory levels of bikes for mechanics to work on. - Maintaining production tool inventory with appropriate levels to accomplish jobs for production - Oversee the incoming donations and develop plans for overflow - Evaluating the final destination for all bikes/parts (including recycling, refurbishing, parting out, or selling as-is) - Safety check/quality control of bikes built by other mechanics & volunteers to ensure they meet CC’s high standards for safety and performance. - Delegating specific projects to shop mechanics on a daily/weekly basis. - Overseeing and maintaining the areas used for production or general area during times it is used as production space - cleanliness & keeping tools in order, as well as maintaining an inventory of backstock parts - Frequently providing actionable positive and corrective feedback to direct reports, both informally and formally. - Timely and effectively dealing with low performers and being willing to make tough personnel decisions when needed. - Competent with emails, spreadsheets, and documentation, etc. - Coordinating with the other managers and Shop Director for needs regarding parts, tools, supplies, etc. - Responsible for the staffing of the production mechanic team by identifying and hiring strong talent for the team. The Production Manager should set a strong example for the other mechanics in terms of the quality of their builds and their professional demeanor. Other mechanics should be able to look to the Production Manager's work to learn the mechanical and aesthetic standards for the bikes that we sell at Community Cycles. In addition, fostering an engaging team environment through collaboration, sharing wins and successes, using an open-door approach, being eminently interruptible, and inspiring everyone to perform at their best by leading by example and with actions that best reflect the organization's best interests The Production Manager may be occasionally asked to oversee special events such as the Kids’ Holiday Bike Giveaway. The Production Manager will also be asked to occasionally attend meetings where policies and changes may be discussed. The Production Manager will be expected to maintain a valid driver's license with a clean record. Pay: $42k-48k based on hours/experience/performance ($21-25 hourly) Reports to: Shop Director on a regular basis. Works extensively with other managers.

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Bike collection day, what do you check
by Claude Ferron 07 Aug '23

07 Aug '23

Hello all, We are going to collect used bikes from the community and while receiving them we will inventory the one we will keep. While making the inventory (using a Google Form) we will check several things on the bike to assign it a "score". This will help us prioritize the repairs. Things we will look for would be loose crankset, rusty chains, brakes (pads and cables). My questions, what are those things you check when receiving bikes on your side? I want to make sure we don't forget anything. Thanks, Claude -- <http://www.lacyclerie.ca> Claude Ferron Co-coordonnateur La Cyclerie claude(a)lacyclerie.ca [image: FB_LaCyclerie] <https://www.facebook.com/LaCyclerie3R/> [image: Insta_LaCyclerie] <https://www.instagram.com/lacyclerie3r/>

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