Thank you all so much for your insight and advice, it is very encouraging. Keep it coming!

Matt V.

On Oct 17, 2012, at 3:33 PM, <garethpritchard@shaw.ca> wrote:

Regarding the comment regarding the seasonality of bike sales, we find that the winter is the time when we have the time to train our group, and build up our inventory of prepared bikes for the spring. We are not a true bike collective in as much as our main thrust is tend mountain bikes to Africa, but the refurbishing and sales (inexpensively!)  of donated 10 speeds and roadsters (not suitable for use in rural Africa) are an important source of funding for us. We also donate some of the refurbished bikes to needy locals on occasion.
 
 
Gareth Pritchard,
Chair, Bicycles for Humanity Thunder Bay.
 
 
 
----- Original Message -----
From: Jonathan Morrison
To: The Think Tank
Sent: Wednesday, October 17, 2012 3:21 PM
Subject: Re: [TheThinkTank] New community cycleworks need top tips!

1) Start with the right founders that BELIEVE in your mission statement.  Make sure you have people interested in the harder / boring stuff like accounting and legal work.  Other nice to haves would be people with graphic design, technology and business skills.  Mechanical skills seem like a logical one too, but realistically mechanics trained by for-profits either don't know how or have trouble working on less expensive bikes and not turning the people away that right them as they would in a for-profit.  In Utah our best mechanics have started out as volunteers (believers) before they worked in a for-profit, some of our worst experiences were with "frustrated" for-profit trained mechanics.

2) Don't reinvent the wheel.  You are a business.  You are a bike shop.  You are a non-profit/social enterprise.  Accept those facts earlier and you will be able to help more people sooner (per your mission statement).  If anything you just add a special twist to those models, which means there are plenty of tried and true systems and methods you should just adopt/steal from the start.  Get an accounting system (quickbooks online), get a point of sale system (quickbooks pos), get a volunteer hour system, PAY for a shop space, hire staff to make sure the harder / boring stuff gets done and done on-time, get insurance, file all the necessary legal paperwork, keep money in a safe when it doesn't need to be out.  THEN focus on fixing bikes.  AKA eat your dinner before your dessert.

3) The mission statement is your guiding light.  Make sure it is a good one.  It should give you an easy way to say "NO" to energy detracting ideas, that while they may be bike related, are not central to your mission.  As you grow, so will your capacity to entertain those ideas, but for starters, pick a few programs/projects close to your mission and do them really well.  

Sincerely,

Jonathan Morrison
Executive Director
Bicycle Collective
2312 S. West Temple
Salt Lake City, UT 84115
w: 801-328-2453
c: 801-688-0183
f: 801-466-3856
www.bicyclecollective.org

The mission of the Bicycle Collective is to promote cycling as an effective and sustainable form of transportation and as a cornerstone of a cleaner, healthier, and safer society. The Collective provides refurbished bicycles and educational programs to the community, focusing on children and lower income households.



On Wed, Oct 17, 2012 at 12:41 PM, Anibal Davila <info@bikesauce.org> wrote:
Josh's number 3 point is essential. Especially if your open hours are going to divide your core members. If you can afford to, start with fewer hours and then ramp up. Just so all your early members are working together and its easy to work things out as they happen, rather than at a weekly, or monthly meeting.

and... (this is an odd one) eat together.
have a weekly dinner, or lunch, for everyone at the shop. spending time together without an immediate bicycle-purpose is huge. You will retain volunteers better, they will work better together, and little grievances will get worked out without even trying.

Anibal.
BikeSauce, Toronto.



On Wed, Oct 17, 2012 at 2:27 PM, Matt VanSlyke <vanslyke.matthew@gmail.com> wrote:
These are great tips, particularly since I'm in the "exploratory phase" of starting a community shop here in New York state. We have a few good models, obviously one of them being Troy/Albany. 

Bicycling and bicycle retail in NY is somewhat seasonal, but I wonder if the work of community bike shops is too. I assume the answer I'll hear is "I wish I could take a break in the winter..." But maybe not. Is this a seasonal operation for those of you in the snow belt?

Matt V.


On Oct 17, 2012, at 12:57 PM, Nancy Stimson <freewheelinbikes@gmail.com> wrote:

I would make funding a director a really, really high priority.

Nancy Stimson, Executive Director

Freewheelin' Community Bikes
3355 Central Avenue
Indianapolis, IN 46205


Retail shop:
Phone:  926-5440
Hours:  10-6, Tuesday-Friday, 10-4 on Saturday
CLOSED Sunday and Monday


On Oct 17, 2012, at 7:24 AM, Stewart Vanns <stewartvanns@gmail.com> wrote:

Hi,
We are in the process of setting up a community cycle project in south east London, Uk.

I just wondered if you guys & gals could pop down 3 top tips you learnt in your set up phase to help us avoid the common pitfalls.

We are planning to build a not for profit enterprise, with a 5 year business plan, focusing on recycling donated bikes, repairing bikes and doing this with young people and young adults.

The bikes will be given to trainees or sold very cheaply to local residents of low income.

We also plan to do outreach work at local schools to educate children in basic cycle maintenance.

We have funding, a venue and a steady flow of interested people.

Thanks in advance,

Stewart
Burgess community cycleworks.

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