[dorkbotpdx-blabber] Portland Techshop in trouble?

[Avi]

Hey,

Any fellow Portland Techshop members know if this is true? http://bbs.homeshopmachinist.net/showthread.php?t=39555

-Avi

[Nick]

Avi, you should check Wm's post on the open-tech-space mailing list,
but the gist is that it is true. There was a slight chance they might
have been to move into Watershed, but from what I heard, it now isn't
going to happen.
Wm's Post: http://groups.google.com/group/open-tech-space/browse_thread/thread/a91bb60cd8d6484c

It sounds like Open Tech Space will be looking a new home, and it
should like TechShop is considering trying again sometime in the
future, under a new name, and not starting as ambitiously.

Toolshed, in the Watershed (SE Portland) has some space available, and
has metal and woodworking shops for anyone who is interested in
finding a new home for that sort of thing: http://www.toolshedpdx.org

For those interested in electronics, software, and that stuff, check
out Portland's hackerspace, BrainSilo: http://www.brainsilo.org

Loki // lokkju.com // BrainSilo.org
ni...@lokkju.com

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[Avi]

WOW, that really sucks!  Were they planing on telling their pre-paid members anytime soon.  Well, I guess it was fun while it lasted. 

[Monty Goodson]

The good news, though, is that there is still a strong passion amongst those most involved with TechShop to make something like TechShop happen.  Maybe a non-profit; maybe a co-op -- there is still a lot of interest, people with machinery, and people with money that want to figure out a sustainable model and take another run at it.

Monty

On Feb 5, 2010, at 9:48 PM, Avi wrote:

http://bbs.homeshopmachinist.net/showthread.php?t=39555

[Scott Dixon]

On Feb 5, 2010, at 10:54 PM, Avi wrote:

> WOW, that really sucks! Were they planing on telling their pre-paid members anytime soon. Well, I guess it was fun while it lasted.

Yes, it does suck. It seems to have come to a head very rapidly with a notice on the door Tuesday morning from the property owners. Most of the people with tools, wood, etc just couldn't take the risk that the doors would be locked on Monday and they would get tangled up in legal wrangling to get their stuff back. So there was a very fast evacuation.
The news was not very well communicated to members and that is part of the problem, I'm afraid.

[dave madden]

On Fri, 2010-02-05 at 23:27 -0800, Scott Dixon wrote:
> The news was not very well communicated to members and that is part of
> the problem, I'm afraid.

That's not too uncommon in private ventures. You regularly hear about
tanning salons and similar "membership" places going under and stiffing
prepaid clients. But what's an operator to do? Some guy wants to sign
up...you tell him "I can't sell you the 6-month ticket because we're
getting evicted in next week. How about a day pass?"

I think a co-op model might work better unless you have a plan that has
good & growing cashflow right away. Let the members look at the books
so they can see for themselves when things start to look grim. Fewer
surprises, and more people thinking about ways to turn it around.

Regards,
--
David H. Madden - Mersenne Law LLC - www.mersenne.com
1500 SW First Ave. / Suite 1170 / Portland, Oregon 97201

[Mark Allyn]

Avi:

Thank you for the heads-up!

Truly,

Mark Allyn
Portland, Oregon
www.allyn.com
971-563-7588

[Avi]

Denney just posted somthing on the website: http://www.portlandtechshop.com/