NSW membership based workshop

[conley]

Hi all,



I am looking to start a membership based workshop in the Newcastle area of NSW.



The idea I am looking at is similar to the TechShop is the SF Bay Area's Only Open-Access Public Workshop -- What Do You Want To Make at TechShop? movement that is gaining momentum in the USA.



I am sure plenty of people on this forum would like access to machine tools and equipment that most of us either don’t have room for or are unable to cover the purchase price.



Without going into pages of details. The idea goes something like this...



· Members pay a once off joining fee. (About $1200)

· Members who wish to continue using the service pay an ongoing yearly subscription. (between $500 and $750)

· Membership will be capped at about 100 people for the first year.

· The money collected as part of the joining fee will be used to purchase tools and equipment as voted by members.

· The money collected from the annual subscription fee will be used to cover rental costs and other running costs (power etc)

· Any changes to membership numbers will be voted on by all members at regular meetings.

· Positions on any committee that forms to oversee finance and administration will be by majority vote.

If you would like to be part of this upcoming project, please contact me so I can get a feel for what the demand is like.

Feel free to email me conley043@hotmail.com

[Arctra]

This is a great idea. I think there are similar workshops in the UK, as well as one where anyone can book and go - paying by the hour for use. I reckon there would be a decent market for that here, though no doubt legally there will be some OHS concerns.

Good luck with this mate!

[conley]

Thanks mate. You wouldnt happen to no, the name of the Uk version would you?

[Tim]

sounds like a logistical nightmare!
Would be great so long as you had access to it when you wanted it though

[Mrk_Mickey]

I hate to sound negative here, but I've been a part of something along the same concept as this and it sucked towards the end. It always starts great but people try to either take advantage or they slack off and things change.

Good luck though, it's a fantastic idea (although, $1200 is a lot of money hahha...logical though).

[bfeboi]

Wouldn't OHS and insurance be a major concern?

[swingn]

This is a great idea. I think there are similar workshops in the UK, as well as one where anyone can book and go - paying by the hour for use. I reckon there would be a decent market for that here, though no doubt legally there will be some OHS concerns.

Good luck with this mate!

I think an hourly rate would be much more appealing... Maybe do a membership fee (As with cars clubs for example - Even if it's say $400) & then pay as you use.

Wouldn't OHS and insurance be a major concern?

I'm guessing so, as all people using the workshop won't have OH&S / Safety training... Maybe this could be incorporated into the membership fee (Safety Class for new members) which may in turn reduce your insurance costs.

[jamesatfish]

I'm not sure if you read Wired magazine - if not then they did an article recently in an issue headlined 'The New Industrial Revolution' which talked specifically about this type of workshop.

Over the years I've tossed up a similar idea in my industry (IT) - usually when we've got spare commercial space when a tenant moves out and we haven't found another lessee yet - where I'd setup an environment with capital equipment and facilities that don't make sense for individuals to purchase, but which work well in an environment with shared usage across a larger range of businesses.

If you go down this path, I'd encourage you to look at it as a business venture, where you take ultimate responsibility for the financials, safety, insurance, resource allocation etc. Running something like this as a community venture (with committees, multiple opinions etc) is a recipe for disaster.

On the other hand, if you run a time-share workshop as a business, you can take care of most of the risks and it may even be a profitable venture. You can develop OH&S policies in relation to the equipment being used, require trade qualification where the equipment warrants special training, and take out suitable insurance policies to cover you if anything goes wrong (think about what you'd need if you were to hire any of the equipment from Kennards).

In the end I never followed through on this idea - partly due to the time involved and partly because someone would lease the space - but I do believe it has merit if you do your research and sums correctly. Best of luck if you end up taking this further.

[conley]

Thanks everyone, im getting some good feedback. Ill have to check out this wired.