[iRail] The Hub - an idea
Sander Van der Maelen
sander.vandermaelen at gmail.com
Mon Aug 13 10:55:47 UTC 2012
Hi Pieter,
Following your replies to my remakrs:I will call it "the Hub" then ;-) I
suggest somewhere along tram 1 then, because the GSP neighbourhood isn't
really sparky to walk about after office hours. Maybe in 10 years, but
we're still not there yet...
The most classic ways to generate revenue for a place where people come
together: membership fees, sponsors, partners, selling booze/food,
obligatory drinks, renting out, asking €€ for extras, ... Mostly a
combination of the previous.
A more interesting way that might work: crowdfunding, maybe through
Kickstarter? We make the financial structure of the Hub open, transparant
and even hackable: how to get the best out of the €€ we have?
Also interesting is working with some financial U-shaped curved: you pay
less (for drinks, paper, ..) when there's just a few or when there are a
lot of people working in the Hub.
I think it depends of how much your fixed costs for the venue will be. Then
you can start working out a financial plan.
Cheers,
Sander.
(PS: I'm not a financial expert, please correct me if I'm wrong)
---
Sander Van der Maelen
GSM: +32 (0)474 05 79 12
Twitter: @sandervdm <http://twitter.com/sandervdm>
On Mon, Aug 13, 2012 at 12:30 PM, Pieter Colpaert <pieter at irail.be> wrote:
> Hi Greet,
>
> That's indeed a good remark. We need to find an honest and for
> everyone affordable solution. I don't want anyone to be left out
> because he or she cannot or doesn't want to pay a certain fee.
>
> Do you see any good (existing) options? Should we try a new model?
> Anyone any idea?
>
> Maybe we can make The Hub something that generates a revenue somehow
> so we can host our members for free?
>
> Pieter
>
> On 8/13/12, Greet Derudder <greet at pimpajoentje.be> wrote:
> > I like the idea, too!
> >
> > This way I could come do some schoolwork but still stay in touch with
> iRail
> > people and keep up to date with what's going on, which I'd like.
> >
> > I don't know if you could make a "membership fee" work, for example would
> > everyone pay the same if some people used the facilities daily and others
> > only once a month, ... But I understand there needs to be money to
> maintain
> > the place of course.
> >
> > Also great idea to have it somewhere easily accessible by public
> transport!
> >
> > Groetjes,
> > Greet
> > On Aug 12, 2012 11:12 PM, "Pieter Colpaert" <pieter at irail.be> wrote:
> >
> >> Hi Sander,
> >>
> >> On 08/12/2012 10:54 PM, Sander Van der Maelen wrote:
> >> > Hi guys,
> >> >
> >> > Pieter: great idea. Gent needs more affordable and low-brow co-working
> >> > spaces, and it sounds as if you could make it happen :)
> >>
> >> Aw. I don't want to call it a co-working space. It's a hub. A hub is
> >> where people come together for a while to work and cross pollinate.
> >>
> >> As we're working together you could indeed call it a co-workingspace,
> >> but you could call it a coffee bar as well as you will be able to have
> >> coffee there. Or you will be able to call it a hackerspace as people
> >> will change the use of already existing things, or you can call it a lab
> >> as we're doing professional experiments. Just stick with "hub" - a place
> >> where it all comes together for a moment ;)
> >>
> >>
> >> I'm not entirely
> >> > sure if it needs to be in the city centre (plenty of cool spots in
> >> > Dampoort, Ledeberg, Brugse Poort, etc), but a good connection is
> >> > definitely a must.
> >>
> >> I am. The place I have in mind is either close to Gent Sint Pieters or
> >> close to Tram 1. I want public transport to be as good as possible so
> >> iRail members from all over Belgium can get there by train.
> >>
> >> >
> >> > Will you be managing the location yourself, or will it be part of
> >> > something 'bigger'? Maybe it's worthwile to discuss possible joint
> >> > ventures with the Hackerspace Gent?
> >>
> >> It will be part of something bigger. We might work together with
> >> Hackerspace Ghent but if you paid attention during iSoc12 you know we
> >> have cooler partners ;)
> >>
> >> Kind regards,
> >>
> >> Pieter
> >>
> >> >
> >> > Cheers,
> >> > Sander.
> >> >
> >> > --
> >> > Bericht verzonden vanaf mijn gsm. Sorry voor de spel- en typfouten.
> >> >
> >> > Op 12 aug. 2012 20:13 schreef "Pieter Colpaert" <pieter at irail.be
> >> > <mailto:pieter at irail.be>> het volgende:
> >> >
> >> > Hi Thomas,
> >> >
> >> > You're welcome to work on both projects of your own (freelance
> >> > work)
> >> as
> >> > projects related to iRail (eg iRail 3.0, PlugID, The DataTank,
> >> BeLaws,
> >> > etc). The payment would be a subscription I have in mind. See it
> as
> >> > a
> >> > membership fee.
> >> >
> >> > Kind regards,
> >> >
> >> > Pieter
> >> >
> >> > On 08/12/2012 07:11 PM, Thomas Tuts wrote:
> >> > > Sounds like a cool idea! However, could you clarify these two
> >> > things please:
> >> > >
> >> > > ** How many times per week/month would you come join us to work
> >> > on
> >> > > your own project in the center of Ghent? *
> >> > > By own project, do you mean projects appointed to you by iRail
> or
> >> > actual
> >> > > own projects that don't really have anything to do with iRail
> >> > (for
> >> > > example, I do a lot of freelance webdesign and front-end
> >> development,
> >> > > would it be okay for me to work on stuff like this?)
> >> > >
> >> > > * * Would you be willing to pay something in order to make this
> >> > > happen? If yes, how much at max? *
> >> > > Are we talking about a one-time payment here, or something like
> a
> >> > > monthly "subscription"?
> >> > >
> >> > > In any case, this definitely sounds really interesting!
> >> > >
> >> > > Thomas
> >> > >
> >> > > 2012/8/12 Jan Vansteenlandt <vansteenlandt.jan at gmail.com
> >> > <mailto:vansteenlandt.jan at gmail.com>
> >> > > <mailto:vansteenlandt.jan at gmail.com
> >> > <mailto:vansteenlandt.jan at gmail.com>>>
> >> > >
> >> > > Hm this is a really cool idea, certainly for the datatank as
> >> well.
> >> > > Problem is that I wont be in Ghent from september till
> >> > January, and
> >> > > I'm guessing it wont be in Bruges or near Bruges ;). But
> >> depending
> >> > > on the expiration date of this location's offer, I'd feel
> >> > like
> >> > that
> >> > > would be a great idea. The different synergies of
> >> teams/community
> >> > > would certainly florish like it did in iSoc.
> >> > >
> >> > > So for me personally great idea, but more I don't see myself
> >> going
> >> > > to Ghent more than a few times a month to code on TDT and do
> >> some
> >> > > work-shops.
> >> > >
> >> > > Best regards,
> >> > >
> >> > > Jan
> >> > >
> >> > > On Sun, Aug 12, 2012 at 5:52 PM, Pieter Colpaert
> >> > <pieter at irail.be <mailto:pieter at irail.be>
> >> > > <mailto:pieter at irail.be <mailto:pieter at irail.be>>> wrote:
> >> > >
> >> > > Dear all,
> >> > >
> >> > > I believe that, at iRail, we have a very particular mix
> >> > of
> >> > hackers,
> >> > > professionals, free-lancers, students, entrepreneurs...
> >> which
> >> > > are all
> >> > > enthusiastic about creating a better comfort for
> >> > day-to-day
> >> > > tasks (such
> >> > > as of course, daily mobility). Correct me if I'm wrong,
> >> but I
> >> > > think we
> >> > > may call «our community» something unique, and that's
> >> > something we
> >> > > should cherish.
> >> > >
> >> > > Since our organisation is a mix between a living lab and
> >> > an
> >> > > incubator
> >> > > for start-up ideas, I got to think we should move our
> >> office
> >> > > from the
> >> > > cloud to somewhere physical. Maybe we should have a real
> >> > > location where
> >> > > we can meet, do work-shops, help others, work, have
> >> meetings,
> >> > > volunteer,
> >> > > organise iRail Summer of code and so on.
> >> > >
> >> > > This is an idea that can become reality rather quickly.
> I
> >> even
> >> > > have a
> >> > > pretty cool opportunity for a location that I will keep
> >> > to
> >> > > myself until
> >> > > I know there is enough interest from you guys and girls.
> >> Would
> >> > > you be so
> >> > > kind to answer these three questions in private/public
> >> (your
> >> > > choice)?
> >> > >
> >> > > * How many times per week/month would you come join us
> >> > to
> >> > work
> >> > > on your
> >> > > own project in the center of Ghent?
> >> > > * Would you attend or organise workshops concerning
> >> > > mobility/apps/...?
> >> > > * Would you be willing to pay something in order to
> make
> >> this
> >> > > happen?
> >> > > If yes, how much at max?
> >> > >
> >> > > Kind regards,
> >> > >
> >> > > Pieter
> >> > > --
> >> > > iRail vzw/asbl
> >> > > +32 (0) 486/747122 <tel:%2B32%20%280%29%20486%2F747122>
> >> > <tel:%2B32%20%280%29%20486%2F747122>
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> >> > > iRail at list.irail.be <mailto:iRail at list.irail.be>
> >> > <mailto:iRail at list.irail.be <mailto:iRail at list.irail.be>>
> >> > > http://lists.rootspirit.com/mailman/listinfo/irail
> >> > >
> >> > >
> >> > >
> >> > > _______________________________________________
> >> > > iRail mailing list
> >> > > iRail at list.irail.be <mailto:iRail at list.irail.be>
> >> > <mailto:iRail at list.irail.be <mailto:iRail at list.irail.be>>
> >> > > http://lists.rootspirit.com/mailman/listinfo/irail
> >> > >
> >> > >
> >> > >
> >> > >
> >> > > _______________________________________________
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> >> > >
> >> >
> >> >
> >> > --
> >> > iRail vzw/asbl
> >> > +32 (0) 486/747122 <tel:%2B32%20%280%29%20486%2F747122>
> >> > _______________________________________________
> >> > iRail mailing list
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> >> >
> >> >
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> >> >
> >>
> >>
> >> --
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> >> +32 (0) 486/747122
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> >
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