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| And that's the first thought: a famework. I wonder if something like a mind map of what we want AssentWorks to be would be a good first step to then have some thoughts about how to make it that. I like using wikis for htat sort of thing because they seem to lend themselves to internetworking of ideas and concepts, and to keeping individual topics bits-sized. They only work with a champion or five, though, and they are only one way to accomplish that. Do any of our memebers have facilitation experience?
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| One way to find out would be to do a bit of surveying and profiling. Do we know why our members come to AssentWorks , what would make the place better for them, and even how they would be able or willing to help. I don't know if we have access to something like that through wherever we host the pbwiki, but the place where I host some stuff gives me all sorts of options and I would be happy to host a surevey tool for a few weeks or months. Can't guarantee anyone the security of the setup, but with the right kind of questions that might not be so important.
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| You mention sponsorship and needing more members. Has anyone approached Lee Valley yet? I think they might be an interesting fit for us (and we for them) because at least some of their customers should be interested in our tools, and in learning. They regularly run courses out of their facility (usually 1 evening - several weekends), either teaching a skill in theory or basically walking people through a project. Courses are usually between 30-140$, incl. materials and snacks. They are usually low-tech, but might just be because no one has given them a high-tech option.
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| I could see several things they could do for us: discounts for things like router bits or veneers or hardware for projects, letting us run a course partially out of their place (details might be tricky), and/or samples of the things they sell for testing with our machinery and display. They might even just increase awareness of us, maybe a poster or a pamphlet handed out if people are buying some of the stuff they sell that would make someone likely to be interested (e.g. someone who buys the larger router bits might be interested in the shopbot, or someone who carves, veneers for inlays, etc.
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| I am just blowing hot air here, I have not talked to them, but if we wanted to tap the hobby market a bit more I'd be willing to try talking to them.
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| Talking about the hobbyist market... there might be more potential there yet. Have we thought about doing courses for non-members (or people who are signed up for the day to deal with insurance etc...)? Something almost like an open house, but we could even charge for it. If we contrived a project that uses several of the more benign but fancy tools it might whet people's appetite. For example, a tabbed box of baltic fir, cut on the shopbot, laser-cut an inlay for it (either into a spot pre-made by the shopbot, or with the spot laser-cut as well), 3d-print some custom handles and get people to bring the item they want to put into it and vacuum form a fitted insert for the box for it, heck, get them to make an assentworks sticker for the back. One member per tool could put a lot of visitors through. If we limit options (e.g. only the materials set out, choose from a set of 3 small models to 3d-print as handles (but be flex if someone actually brings a model), then this should be quite doable. And, because they would have played with multiple tools, even if they liked one enough to come back that would net us a member. And, if they don't this might still be a fundraiser. And, if we get our "feature project" figured out it could be scaled for any other open house or event. I'd be willing to prototype and document something.
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| Another possible source of members might be the condo crowd. A lot of them simply have no tool space. They would not be interested in 80$/month for the full meal deal, but maybe in 200$/yr for just access to a heated shopspace, maybe the hand tools and/or the woodworking tools. Pop them the same damage deposit to keep out the riff raff. There are a lot of condos springing up in the exchange...
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| Christmas is coming up - people might be willing to give someone a course as a gift, or something made at a course.
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| Storage; not so much a prime issue right now, but basic maintenance still needs to continue. Do we have prices for the spots? If so, it really should not take that much to get this started, right? The planning should be straightforward, and the executing would work well for a volunteer night sometime soon, before Skullspace even leaves.
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| If we had prices, an email could go out to members telling them to pay up or remove their stuff by a given date. Whatever is left in unclaimed spaces could go into the free-for-all pile, giving those members yet another chance to get stuff back. Maintaining the list of lockers used would probably best rest with Marnie and membership administration.
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| I'd be willing to coordinate the initial email and clear-out, and to work with Marnie on evicting any lockers once all is rented out.
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| I think it would be good to have some "alternative" storage for people who just don't need a locker, or for odd shaped items (e.g. I am storing some 8' x 2" plastic in the sheetgoods section with my name on it right now, but I don't want to rent a big locker just to accomodate that). So there could be some open space where items would be left alone if they have a sticker with a name and a date not more than a month back. No problem if people want to re-lable after a month, it should still prevent it from becoming a dump. Again, anything past due goes into the free-for-all.
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| If people are getting together to brainstorm this some more I would be glad to be involved. I think we have a great thing going here, and I would really like to see AssentWorks thrive.
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