Stewart, congratulations on getting started!
My top three lessons learned:
1) Don’t worry about a shortage of used bikes. Once the word gets out, you’ll be flooded. In fact, you should plan on processing them quickly so you don’t get buried.
2) When somebody donates a bike or gets their bike worked on, point to your donation jar and ask them to put in what they can or what they feel the service is worth. In the case of a donation, I tell people we put on average $20 of material into each rebuild, and could use some help covering those costs.
3) Use the Bike Collectives wiki. There are tons of good ideas there. http://www.bikecollectives.org/wiki/index.php?title=Main_Page
Good luck!
Doug Franz, President
like us on facebook! http://www.facebook.com/CoatesvilleBikeWorks
doug@coatesvillebikeworks.org
610-383-4349
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From: thethinktank-bounces@lists.bikecollectives.org [mailto:thethinktank-bounces@lists.bikecollectives.org] On Behalf Of Stewart Vanns
Sent: Wednesday, October 17, 2012 7:25 AM
To: thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org
Subject: [TheThinkTank] New community cycleworks need top tips!
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.