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Setting up shop in the Silicon Valley

To: mgs@autox.team.net, british-cars@autox.team.net
Subject: Setting up shop in the Silicon Valley
From: Larry Colen <lrcar@red4est.com>
Date: Sat, 3 May 2003 12:56:17 -0700
I've been talking to a few friends about getting together and setting
up a shop. We'll probably want to do so near the hwys 85 and 17
interchange. The idea being that by pooling our resources, we'd have
access to a much nicer shop than we could each put together
individually. 


I've written down some of my ideas about how to run it at:

http://www.red4est.com/shopcoop

Has anyone else done something like this? Is anyone else interested in
being a charter member of this venture?

Here's what I've got so far:

Here are some ideas for getting a group of guys together to rent a
shop for working on projects like racecars, airplanes, rockets
etc. The idea is not for the shop to be a huge money making business,
but rather a money saving way of pooling resources and getting access
to a much better shop then each individual could afford on their own.

Run the shop as a business. The goal will be for the business to make
a nominal profit, which once there is enough buffer, will be turned
around and invested in tools and the like.

For the purpose of paying folks back if/when the shop gets disbanded,
shares in the shop will be sold for one dollar. If you donate a $500
compressor, you get 500 shares in the shop. When the shop is
disbanded, the equipment will be "sold off" and the proceeds returned
to the shareholders based on number of shares.

Mondy spent on rent, utilities etc. will not count as shares. Money
spent on deposit will.

The monthly cost of memberships will be based upon the number of
members, and the monthly cost of keeping the shop open (rent, power
etc.).

There will be two kinds of space, public and personal. Public space
will be available to all members, on a first come first served
basis. However there will be some reasonable time limit for tying up
public space with your project.

The rental of public space will be divided equally among the
memberships.

The rental of private space will be to individuals, and will be at
about 110% of cost. If the lease is for $.50/square foot, private
space will be rented out at $.55/square foot.

Anybody renting private space will need to have a full membership.

Anybody late for rent will be charged a fee of 5% per day, unless
special arrangements are made.

We may want to offer a free membership for whoever is the business
manager that makes sure that bills get paid etc. This won't include
rental for private space.

Members may invite friends over to use the facilities, but other
members have priority on resources. Anyone of these friends becoming a
"regular" may be invited to become a member. There will be a donation
jar, where guests are encouraged to chip in for the facilities. A
daily donation would probably be about 1/10 the cost of a monthly
membership.

We may decide to offer "associate memberships" at about half the cost
of a full membership. Associate members would not get keys, voting
privileges etc.

If oxygen and acetylene usuage for any shop torches is minimal, then
it will be paid out of the general fund. If someone uses a lot of gas,
they will be encouraged to chip in extra.

Likewise, munchies soda etc. will be bought out of the shop general
fund, but if you consume "more than your share" you will be encouraged
to chip in extra. Alternatively, we can sell the items to shop members
and guests for a nominal profit. 


-- 
I've found something worse than oldies station that play the music I used to
listen to. Oldies stations that play the "new" music I used to complain about.
lrc@red4est.com                                    http://www.red4est.com/lrc

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