WE'VE MOVED!

We are proud to announce our NEW community destination. Engage with resident experts and fellow entrepreneurs, and learn everything you need to start your business. Check out the new home of StartupNation Community at startupnation.mn.co
Options

workshop rental space

ayjayayjay subscriber Posts: 7
edited October 2015 in Selecting a Business
Whattaya think?
 
How about a workshop space where you provide the tools and floorspace for people to work on projects - woodworking, welding, etc.? I cruised the internet and found a few existing. I see lots of niches and directions you could go with it.
 
-Take home tool rental
-Teach classes (free ala Home Depot, or fee based for more in-depth topics)
-Build-a-bear style projects for kids --> teach kids how to be useful and independent (my own 11 year old can change his own bike tube, fix his chain. Most can`t.)
-Membership for open access, higher fee for one-time shop use
-Rent to businesses - i.e. independent service people who do not have their own shop & only need to occasionally fabricate stuff.
-focus on woodworking or metal, probably keep it narrowly-focused at first.
 
Drawbacks:
-Expensive to stock with tools and rent a large enough space.
-May have to pay others b/c I don`t have much hands-on skill myself. My husband and dad do. . .
-liability
-high cost to maintain tools when novices break stuff
· Share on FacebookShare on Twitter Share on Google+

Comments

  • Options
    ayjayayjay subscriber Posts: 7
    Side note. . .
    My sister borrowed a drill to take to her friend 20 miles away yesterday, and my dad came over to borrow a vice and taps the day before since his workshop is currently disassembled and in storage.
     
    A target demographic could be the young people who don`t have houses/garages yet or the older people who are retiring and downsizing, perhaps getting rid of their tools and extra space.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter Share on Google+
  • Options
    mindfloatsmindfloats subscriber Posts: 0
    I happened upon this post as I was searching for the exact same thing. (In fact I found startup nation via this search). Let me know if you want to bounce some ideas back and forth.

    This workplace rental place is like a training place, a hobby club kind of place where you learn to take care of your home, fix minor repairs, there are so many options to take this idea into.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter Share on Google+
  • Options
    BenFraserBenFraser subscriber Posts: 0
    I think it's a good idea too, definitely lots of potential. You could involve people from lots of different areas, particularly electrical, mechanical, chemical and computer engineering. Finding ideal suited space to carry out ambitious projects can be unbelievably difficult, even for students at university where you'd think the services would be provided.

    As an engineer with lots of side projects, I would have found such a thing quite valuable. Not only would having space to work and experiment be great, but it would be ideal for meeting and sharing projects and ideas with others, particularly for students, hobbyists and other technical minded individuals. The idea of teaching others is always great too.

    Worth looking further into anyway!
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter Share on Google+
  • Options
    JeffryvJeffryv subscriber Posts: 0
    I've been researching the same thing and also have some ideas to kick around.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter Share on Google+
  • Options
    DaniellDaniell subscriber Posts: 0
    It's 2015 and I'm curious if any of you went trough with the tool rental concept? I'm working out how to do it locally in Suriname and would love to hear of your experiences.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter Share on Google+
Sign In or Register to comment.