Hey great to hear about another cyclecentric  venture !!
What's it called???
food is the key
when The Bicycle Kitchen started here in Los Angeles
wrenching took place only one night a week and homemade pizza was offered to all.
We use  Merchant OS  to track our sales.   One mistake we made was to put our selves under the umbrella of a nonprofit that was too hands off  and could not understand how we could generate so much cash by offering real service and still be nonprofit.  As a result we have hamstrung our operation and cant out right sell bicycles.  We need to fold bicycle distribution into our educational programs.  This is only because of the way our by-laws are written and what we told the IRS when we became our own nonprofit.
So the pitfall i am alerting about is record keeping and documenting  where the cash comes from from the beginning.  

good rollin

jim


From: Chris Kelly <cpeterkelly@gmail.com>
To: Thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org
Sent: Mon, May 23, 2011 6:40:40 AM
Subject: [TheThinkTank] Launching new Co-Op in St Pete, FL

Greetings from sunny St Petersburg, Florida, where we're hard at work hatching a Co-Op under the umbrella of the St Petersburg Shuffleboard Club.  The Club sits in a historic landmark recreation complex downtown, owned by the City. One of the buildings located on that property, the Cue House, is being fitted out this month for a (hopefully) June opening.

We're on Facebook here:  http://www.facebook.com/home.php#%21/pages/St-Pete-Bike-Co-Op/203048216389591
but figure website can wait.  The goal is to get wrenches turning as soon as possible.

If list members are inclined, the following info would be very helpful and much appreciated:

  • What is your organization's solution for Membership/Utilization recordkeeping, database, etc...?

  • What surplus tools might you have?  We're willing to pay for shipping on donations, and will purchase used tools offered at decent prices.

  • and finally:  What do you wish someone had told you when you were at the 'launch' stage we currently find ourselves?
St Pete is a largely flat town, bathed in sunlight for more days of the year than most of the US, and has recently implemented millions of dollars worth of designated trail, lane, path and other infrastructure.  As the community responds to that investment/invitation, we hope to help keep them safely moving...


Excited at the possibilities, delighted with the community response thus far and thanking you for your kind response,
I remain, yours,

Chris Kelly
CPeterKelly@Gmail.com