[devin_mm]

I have no idea if this is the correct forum for this but as DIY people are my target market this is where I am going to post. I was thinking about a new project (a b24) lamenting on my lack of an oscilloscope when an idea struck me how about a place you could go and rent time with a fully stocked electronics workbench.

The idea is I would get a warehouse and partition it out into workbenches (soldering irons, oscilloscopes, the whole nine yards) and people could come and rent time to use the facilities, for example possibly a conference room or CNC machine (a little out there I know). It could be a place people come to collaborate hone skills and learn new ones such as woodworking or circuit design. The building could be open 24 hours.

I heard about something like this taking place I believe somewhere in California but I cannot find any information about it so if anyone knows of the place I speak let me know. Does anyone think this is a feasible idea? I was thinking of starting one in either Vancouver or Toronto since they are the population centers.

 

[Uncle Erik]

It would be tough, since electronics hobbyists are a rare breed these days. You'd probably do better setting up as a custom builder of amps and offering popular models. Most serious DIY enthusiasts already have the necessary tools and test gear, so you'd be better off building for people who want DIY amps but lack the skills to put one together.

 

[pdupiano]

Uncle Erik's right. with the exception of a cnc machine... pretty much got everything else, or atleast have found some way to get the job done. But it might work, if you find the right location, or find a more specific service eg, cnc work, or in house fabrication of someone's design.

 

[The Monkey]

I would love to have such a place near me.

 

[FallenAngel]

Sounds like an awesome idea, just can't imagine the amount of money required to make this happen as described.

 

[qusp]

nice idea; good luck!! I do however see it as being a hard thing to accomplish in LA, letr alone in torronto. tell ya what though, if you get the CNC i'll drop you a line

 

[The Monkey]

I would imagine that the insurance policy would be a little pricey.

 

[n_maher]

I can easily imagine the startup costs for something like this being enormous ($50k in a heartbeat) so while it's a cool idea I have no idea how it could work.

 

[Nebby]

TechShop is the SF Bay Area's Only Open-Access Public Workshop -- What Do You Want To Make at TechShop?
HackerspaceWiki

IMHO, it's not a good idea if you're going to be aiming for profit, but community-wise it's a great idea

IIRC, techshop has a figure of about $500,000 worth of equipment/software etc etc somewhere on their site, so initial outlay of cash would not be cheap.

If you will be aiming specifically at an electronics workbench, I think the market for that sort of service will depend heavily on the amount of hobbyists you have in your are that will be looking for that.

 

[Omega]

Quote:

Originally Posted by devin_mm /img/forum/go_quote.gif I have no idea if this is the correct forum for this but as DIY people are my target market this is where I am going to post. I was thinking about a new project (a b24) lamenting on my lack of an oscilloscope when an idea struck me how about a place you could go and rent time with a fully stocked electronics workbench. The idea is I would get a warehouse and partition it out into workbenches (soldering irons, oscilloscopes, the whole nine yards) and people could come and rent time to use the facilities, for example possibly a conference room or CNC machine (a little out there I know). It could be a place people come to collaborate hone skills and learn new ones such as woodworking or circuit design. The building could be open 24 hours. I heard about something like this taking place I believe somewhere in California but I cannot find any information about it so if anyone knows of the place I speak let me know. Does anyone think this is a feasible idea? I was thinking of starting one in either Vancouver or Toronto since they are the population centers.

You are thinking from the point of "wouldn't it be cool if..." consumer, not the proprietor who wants to break even or make some profit. A bench of electronics is not cheap. As a business owner, you would have to ensure users are safety trained, and provide ample safety gear. And renting space can be more expensive than you might suspect. Safety and insurance will become far more expensive if it is a 24-hour business....in fact...you will almost surely have to have either coded lock access or a security personnel on site around the clock. ESPECIALLY if you plan to allow learners or otherwise untrained personnel to work there unsupervised.

And the real kicker--such a business will have to compete with universities. You don't want to compete with universities. They are well-established, accredited, and subsidized. Always shop the competition, being brutally honest with yourself. After all, a client/customer today will likely have no allegiance to your startup if the same goods/service can be had elsewhere for better cost/convenience/etc.

Keep thinking though! You have taken the first steps to entrepreneurship! Identify a need, discover a good way to satisfy that need for people, then put your ideas out there for feedback! If you continue to do this, you will soon find an idea where the feedback is overwhelmingly not-negative--have a go at that one...

 

[devin_mm]

Thanks for the information Nebby TechShop is exactly what I was talking about. That shop is not cheap at all to join but such is the nature of that business that you need to charge that to make money. Thanks for the encouragement Omega and the feedback everyone, it appears as of right now this particular idea is DOA. Oh well I guess it's back to planning out my Buffalo32s and beta24.

 

[robm321]

I just don't think it would work. There aren't all that many DIYers and the ones there are (spread out and not in one area), probably don't work for many hours every day.

And most of the stuff they need to DIY, they could get without spending too much and use at home (convenience).

If you were going to have a DIY set up like you mentioned (which would require heavy investment upfront), then it would have to be something for a variety of hobbies and uses to get the volume you need to make a profit.

Great to see you are coming up with ideas - with some tweaking maybe you can make it work. Keep it up before the government eliminates small business altogether, but I just don't think the market for such an investment will pay off. It would be a great idea, however, to have people around to help out or have ideas while you are building something up. I'd be all over that.

 

[The Monkey]

Devin, I don't think it's DOA at all. Keep at it. The points made so far are good, but they are challanges not deal killers.

 

[ROBSCIX]

You would also needs insurance incase some noob thinks he is actually more skilled then he is and fries himself using your gear on your property. Lawsuit!!

I guess you could always go with the use at your own risk and have them sign a waiver.

I think it might work. Would also be a good idea to have a electronics tech on site to help and offer ideas in case they need it.

Your goign to get the budding DIY'ers as midmost who are right into electnroics as ahobby tend to have their own gear. More expensive gear such as O-scopes and logic analyzers
woudl be nice to have acess to.

Could be a great idea.

BTW, I would use it if there was such a place around here. Even if just to have a place where I can get away and work on what I want and possibly have access to some insturments I don't have at home.
Even just a couple fully stocked benches just rent out time slots...

 

[dbfreak]

This reminds me of the hobby shop that was on base at Naval Station, Norfolk, VA. Although it was dedicated to auto repair, you would rent out a bay (with lift) and have at it. Check out some of Uncle Sam's grant offerings, etc., and spin it as educational and for the community...