Sue,
At our shop, which functions semi-autonomously but which is a program of a larger nonprofit, our policy is that we are always asking for donations in general, but that the only thing that *requires* a donation is used parts. New parts also require payment, and are sold near cost, but most of what anyone needs are available used. Help is donation-at-will - we never require donations for help.
Donations for used parts are pay-what-you-want, and we do police that fairly strictly. "Make sure you don't forget to donate for that chain (or whatever)!" is something you'll regularly hear when someone is on their way out of the shop. We found that often people were forgetting to do that, even when they were enthusiastically willing.
Another important distinction from the way you may do things is that we never repair bikes for people. Our shop is a DIY environment, so the most work we physically do is when we are demonstrating "how to". We spend a lot of time working with each participant, but we are in large part an educational program. It's important to make this as clear as possible to the public: even after thirty years of operation, we still get people walking in the door asking "how to get a free bike", or if we are "the place that fixes bikes for free".
A cursory checklist for things you might need:
- a mobile device and an account with either Square or Stripe (Square
and Stripe are easy gateway technologies)
- a physical electronic cash drawer to attach to said mobile device
- a temporary lockable cash box that is bolted to your cart for use
until you get a cash drawer and mobile device
- a decision about whether you want to function as a nonprofit or
for-profit (both have valid incentives)
- a bank account belonging to the entity
Depending on the format you hope to arrive at, you should consider surveying for grants as well as other income sources. It is a job unto itself, but if equity and access are one of the things that is important to your project, grants will help when your income from work is irregular, as donation-based income often is. Sometimes community listservs are a good source of grant information (warning: listservs can be incestuous and cliquey places).
-cyclista Nicholas
On 2018-04-23 20:37, Sterling Stone wrote:
Hey there all,
We run a non-profit brick and mortar shop in Washington, DC. Our standard labor charge is $15 and hour, while most shops charge in the $25 to $35 range. We also offer a sliding fee for those that may not be able to afford the regular cost of repairs. If your keep your overhead down and don't have to pay rent, Bank and much as you can with your labor charges, but create buzz for the service you do by having an approachable pricing structure.
Sterling
On Mon, Apr 23, 2018 at 12:48 PM, Stephen Andruski swandruski@gmail.com wrote:
$30 seems like an awful lot. I know it is half of what a commercial shop would charge, but it is going to depend on your clients and on your other sources of funding. The going hourly rate for community shops in the DC/N. Virginia/MD area seems to be $15/hour My shop, the Rockville Bike Hub, is doing exactly what you're doing. This will be our 4th year at a local Farmers Market twice a month (June through November). We had been asking for $10/hour and I think this year we'll ask for $15, but it can be hard to enforce. And quite honestly it is necessary to be flexible until you have your own space - and even then you want to be able to serve everyone regardless of need. I like the idea of posting the cost for the targeted commercial space. This helps people put in perspective what you're eventual costs will be and why you're asking for a contribution. It might also be helpful to give people an idea of what your current expenses are for insurance, parts and consumables, etc.
Also, if your volunteers have time and space outside the pop-up shop, reconditioning bikes and selling them might still be an option in the short term. Storage will be an issue though, so watch that as people find out you take donated bikes!
Steve Andruski The Rockville Bike Hub
On Mon, Apr 23, 2018 at 11:24 AM, 3rdwardbikes 3rdwardbikes@gmail.com wrote:
First-determine the amount needed to set up a brick and mortar location. Post that as a goal via signage. Note that bike shops in your Metropolitan Statistical Area charge X$/hr. Ask for a comparable donation for services rendered. Some will pay more and some will pay less, according to their means or inclination. I use the Barnett Ultimate Flat Rate Guide @ $30 a flat rate hour. That is about 1/2 of what a for profit shop charges, in my estimation. In bigger cities, rents are higher, ergo labor costs more.
Sent from my Galaxy Tab® E
-------- Original message -------- From: Sue Plummer scplummer65@gmail.com Date: 4/23/18 8:19 AM (GMT-06:00) To: thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org Subject: [TheThinkTank] "payment" for pop-up repair sessions
HI Folks,
I'm part of a start-up effort in an urban neighborhood in Cincinnati. We hope to have our own shop, one day, where we will rebuild and sell bikes, affordably. In the meantime, we have pop-up repair sessions (2 Saturdays/month) planned for the spring/summer, this year.
We did a few of these part of last summer, but didn't charge anything. I am not completely comfortable with that, and would like to ask clients to offer something in exchange. i'd love any ideas about this.
Thanks!
Sue Plummer WheelHouse Cincy
The ThinkTank mailing List
Unsubscribe from this list here: http://lists.bikecollectives.o rg/options.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.org
--
"Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power." ~ Abraham Lincoln
The ThinkTank mailing List
Unsubscribe from this list here: http://lists.bikecollectives. org/options.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.org
-- Sterling-A. Stone Executive Director Gearin' Up Bicycles 314 Randolph Pl., NE Washington, DC, 20002 202-780-5174 - Shop 202-487-0179 - Cell SterlingStone@gearinupbicycles.org
Find us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/GearinUpBicycles?ref=hl, Join us on Meetup http://www.meetup.com/Gearin-Up-Bicycles-Learn-to-fix-bikes-meet-cool-people/, and follow us on Twitter https://twitter.com/GearinUpDC
*Support our good work through the Combined Federal Campaign!*
The ThinkTank mailing List
Unsubscribe from this list here: http://lists.bikecollectives.org/options.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.or...