- Joined
- Mar 25, 2017
- Messages
- 3
At 65 years of age I have some money in the bank, a 2700 square foot building suitable for a shop in inner St. Paul, MN, experience starting and operating a business (not related to machining) and an enduring interest in machining (albeit, no experience). My recent mid-winter get-away to Austin, TX was spent using the TechShop Tormach machine. My question to this group is;
Is it possible to combine these assets into with a financially viable work space oriented towards serious hobbyists and budding entrepreneurs?
Thoughts and Ideas, Everyone??
Is it possible to combine these assets into with a financially viable work space oriented towards serious hobbyists and budding entrepreneurs?
Current thoughts:
· Building costs $3000/month to run
· $75000 worth of machines, benches, etc. ≈$1200/month x 7 years
For Instance
o Tormach 1100 @ $15000
o Tormach Slant Pro Lathe @ $20000
· Cost/month ≈$5000
Questions that seem important:
· If the facilities are available 24/7, what is going to be the workable number of users vs monthly costs to users?
· Is it workable for the users to pay for a base membership and then so much per reserved machining time?
· Can a handful of users operate a facility on a co-operative basis, i.e., not need a full time manager/care taker?
· How/where would one go to find these users?
· In TX I talked to several TechShop members that were in the process of taking delivery of their own Tormachs. They’d developed products and were selling them to the point that having a machine in their garages now made sense. Would this type of user be common or would hobbyists with more casual desires be the main user?
· Is there a market for offering training, like TechShop and my local makerspace does, where the house and instructors split fees to run classes for newbies?
· Building costs $3000/month to run
· $75000 worth of machines, benches, etc. ≈$1200/month x 7 years
For Instance
o Tormach 1100 @ $15000
o Tormach Slant Pro Lathe @ $20000
· Cost/month ≈$5000
Questions that seem important:
· If the facilities are available 24/7, what is going to be the workable number of users vs monthly costs to users?
· Is it workable for the users to pay for a base membership and then so much per reserved machining time?
· Can a handful of users operate a facility on a co-operative basis, i.e., not need a full time manager/care taker?
· How/where would one go to find these users?
· In TX I talked to several TechShop members that were in the process of taking delivery of their own Tormachs. They’d developed products and were selling them to the point that having a machine in their garages now made sense. Would this type of user be common or would hobbyists with more casual desires be the main user?
· Is there a market for offering training, like TechShop and my local makerspace does, where the house and instructors split fees to run classes for newbies?
Thoughts and Ideas, Everyone??