I think this is a really good opportunity to support local business.
It would be great to look st this whole thing.
Ild like like to. But maybe not right now.
1- Make list of supplies.
2- find out Where we can buy supplies.
3- look into standing orders for monthly orders
I think we need to investigate this first
Yeah I bet there are lots of places
But if you use a whole bunch of electronics components? Would only seem fair to stick a bit of money in.
Members do pay for consumables.
Through membership fees and donations and contributions.
And because there is still no money in the donations box. So I had to buy sponges again.
Feel free to investigate of course but having run Makerspace for several years I can tell you our main outgoings are:
Brixton Pound is a great idea but it doesn’t work for service based businesses like ours, it has to be a business where the company both buys and sells locally, which we don’t.
Even if we could get Costcutter to use it or most of the local stores, we almost always use debit card to pay, and will increasingly do so now we have prepaid cards being setup. Also most of our business with local stores has been spare of the minute construction work which is almost over now.
In future there will be a lot less for Makerspace to buy locally because we just don’t need a lot of stuff from local stores, it’s just toilet paper and cleaning materials, but even that we’ve said in another post we should buy in bulk to save money and hassle.
I am not being negative here, but realistic, this is something I had thought about myself in the past but it doesn’t fit. What we can do is encourage our members to use it, but again given this isn’t Brixton a lot of the stores aren’t taking the currency.
I’ll put some cash in there next time I’m down. We need petty cash until we sort out a long-term solution
The solution is being solved, pre-paid debit cards.
Great thanks
It was suggested a week ago and there’s been no update since then.
It’s been on the cards since January at least between the directors and @tomnewsom and I spent time on it last week and he has completed the form, but he’s on holiday so it’s pending completion I imagine.
You’re telling me a lot of stuff you must know that I know.
However I’m looking for the ways it might work rather than the reasons it won’t. Even if it doesn’t work for us then maybe members will find a way it works for them.
I think it will.
Tom just listed a load of things it won’t work for. Great.
But highlighted it would for consumables. And referenced the post where we said we where going to buy these in bulk.
No reason why these couldn’t be bought in bulk buy a brixtin pound user.
And the hardware.
Plus the laser cutter. I thinks that’s enough for it to be viable.
Actually I was stating it for everyones benefit.
I did wonder!
If you want to be rude about it and keep harassing me then yes that would be one way of interpreting it.
Another would be to actually read what I wrote which included stating that we should be buying consumables in BULK so this wouldn’t be an issue.
I think you’re reading too much into that post.
I think the post speaks for it self.
I’m not getting drawn into conflict any more.
I think it’s a great idea. There’s a lot of milage here. And some real positives we can get out of it.
Look forward to working towards this with anyone who wants to.
Toms has kindly highlighted things it won’t work for and that we have been talking about buying stuff in bulk. If we buy in bulk from brixtin pound trader that might be nice.
To be explicit about something said above: if we ever need one-off member payments, initiated by the member, B£ presents an ecommerce platform for doing that (gocardless doesn’t). That’s worth bearing in mind.
We do need those!