Proposal to the group...
Jessi Miano
Dear Group:
After many meetings and discussions, we have realized that a not-for-profit is not viable in our current economy. That being said, we asked ourselves, "What does Cortelyou Road need that it doesn't have?" Our answer- an Art-Mart (art gallery, art and music supply store, and performance space) with a sound-proof room in the basement, available for band practice and studio recordings. Here is our proposal:
Ground Floor: Art-mart
• Edibles
◦ Sell Coffee, Tea, Espresso, Beer, Wine and pre-wrapped foods (chips, nuts, cookies, etc.) Tables and seating minimal, but TBD
• Space & Goods
◦ Sell art and music supplies
◦ Sell local handcrafted goods (art, clothing, jewelry, etc.)
◦ Rent gallery space out for $x/week (they have the option to sell)
▪ We can have multiple sections of gallery space, and rent them simultaneously and at different rates, depending on location and size
▪ In this case, we are simply renting wall space for artists who want to display their work. If they were to sell it, it would be sold directly by the artist. This is meant to appeal to people who are willing to haggle the price of their work, or who don't want to sell their work at all. By renting this wall space, we will be guaranteed a small rental fee for each section of the wall we rent out. With each rental of wall space, the artist gets an art opening that will include snacks (cheese, crackers, vegetables and dipping sauces, exc.) and wine, and a live band. Tickets will be sold for the show as normal, but the artist will receive guest passes based on how long they rent the space for (2 if its a weekly rental, 10 if its monthly), and maybe 10% of the door (to encourage their friends to come support them), or something along those lines... Obviously, a one-week show opening would be on a much smaller scale than a one-month, and could even happen on a weeknight.
◦ Sell merch on consignment (50 or 60%-them/50 or 40%-us)
▪ Here, we are responsible for the taxes on each item we sell, but the net will be split either 50/50 or 60%-us/40%-them. With this approach, we are not guaranteed a monthly income, but we also don't limit ourselves to how much we can make in that aspect per month.
◦ Maintain a small book and magazine selection.
◦ Small selection of comic books and graphic novels; locally produced and/or selected bigger titles
• Classes Workshops and Performances
◦ Hold open classes on the stage during the day
▪ Charge $5-$10 depending on the class
▪ 50/50 or 60/40 split with the teacher per student (incentive to bring more students in)
▪ Class ideas:
▪ Kids sing-a-longs
▪ Writer's workshops
▪ Craft lessons (knitting, sewing, book making, etc.)
▪ Job readiness programs
◦ Have music performances at night
▪ Charge $5-$10 suggested donation at the door depending on the entertainment (bands, spoken word, dance, plays, comedy, karaoke, etc.)
▪ With your "donation" ticket, you get a free drink of choice
▪ Open mic Sundays are free (since most people perform anyways)
Loft: Computer lab
Space allows for 3-5 terminals given refurnishing
• Set up public-access computers with internet access and Microsoft Office
◦ Rent them at $5/hour
• Some with Adobe Creative Suites and other powerful creative software **This can come later**
◦ Rent them at $10/hour
• Have public access printer/scanner/copier ($.05/pg b&w, $.10/pg color) and fax machine ($1.00/pg)
• Perhaps we can also sell small computer accessories such as mice, keyboards, USB hubs, card readers, cables, etc…
Kids-nook remains the same.
Basement: Rental Space
• This layout includes the possibility of reconstructing an old staircase where it used to be. The top of the stairs was originally under where the giant white display fridge was to the right of the counter. It would lead into a hallway in the basement. The hallway will divide the sound-proofed room and the other room, and will lead to the cellar door as an emergency exit; i.e. east/west
• Construct sound-proofed space in 1/3 of the basement
◦ Rent it out by the day or hour as studio space for rehearsal and/or recording (price schedule TBD)
▪ 2 possible sound engineers known
• Turn the remaining space into a large room with a divider that can be split it into 2 rooms.
◦ Rent the rooms by hour, day, week, or month depending on the intended purpose (price schedule TBD)
▪ Ideas for reasons to rent:
▪ Private music lessons
▪ Private art lessons/personalized art classes
▪ Studio space
▪ College classes (local classes would sometimes meet in Vox.)
▪ Private workshops
▪ Private parties
• Use caged shelving, locking cabinets, and/or construct small closets as supply rooms (keep beer and drinks separate from art supplies, and keep all that separate from cleaning/bathroom supplies)
We don’t yet know how much money we’ll have to work with and the budget will certainly dictate what we can and cannot do. Once we have the blueprints in hand, we can come up with two basement plans: one for the initial restoration and build-out, and a long-term, non-cost-prohibitive vision for the optimal use of the basement in the future.
As for the form the new company will take, we’re now looking into the B-Corp option.
william bredbeck
gochf...@aol.com
1. There is a music supply store on Foster Avenue at about East 2nd Street. They might draw from the same population and the competition might prevent a proposed new store on Cortelyou from becoming profitable.
2. Your proposed price for copies (B&W $.05) is already at the low end and might be a money loser. Your proposal has no room for the luxury of a loss leader.
3. Have you calculated how many days of rental of each segment will be necessary to break even and then make a profit? What is the competition elsewhere in the borough and how much does the competition charge for similar: exhibit wall space, band practice room, computer rental, classes? What services might this company provide to teachers of classes (eg: on-line course catalog, advertising, class registration, telephone receptionist, provider of equipment and supplies)?
4. How much mark-up must there be and how much product turnover must there be to make money on consumer goods sales?
5. Have you done a serious market analysis of both the local and borough-wide demand for each proposed service and determined whether the community (or borough) can in fact bear the costs necessary to run the business? (look at population and disposable income statistics)
Heather
Um, let's go along with the premise that the a for profit corporation
needs somehow to generate less money than a not for profit ( which
seems to be implied by the statement
".....current economy cannot sustain a not - for - profit...".
WHAAASAT???? I don't get it but what the heck lets go with it.
Okay,
I agree with Bob that each of the each specific way to profitability
should be analyzed for profitablity- quickly established
profitablility that makes the riskier stuff possible BUT I hope that
the analysis process does not go so slowly that we don't build an
entity
THAT
__tries lots of different things. keep some, lose others, if the ones
we drop have some value other than monetary, we consider bringing them
back in in better times.
__has lots of little pieces, easy to try a new idea, replace it if it
does not work- as in
short sublets MAYBE EVEN A SEASONAL SHOP for a month
IF and ONLY IF we can get it going by December 1.
__generates a little bit of cushion money to cover the bad calls we
will make.
__never EVER repeats the VOX POP pattern of throwing good money after
bad or dogged commitment to a model that is sinking fast.
some random reactions to specifics
College classes-- not going to happen unless by accident some
professor wants to set up there. Maybe college prep classes ( small)
for high school juniors/ seniors?
Private parties-- seems like a winning idea, do it right away with the
pleasant space already there.
Special events__ start up cash?
Job readiness -- will make no money, but then maybe we can do it in
conjuction -- at the same time, with the Holiday Shopping hand crafts
for sale, with private parties, etc.
I think there is a lot here that could be very interesting, and I
think we could get a whole lot of community service in the side door
by way of the classes.
I do not really understand how all of us on the list ( the former Vox
Pop shareholders) would fit in. What would our roles be? Investing?
Volunteering? Posting on this list? Teaching classes? Exhibiting art?
Selling handcrafts? ( I've got some to sell, actually.)
All of that? Something else?
I think what we are ending up doing here is trying to build a for-
profit community service organization in a place we like. That's why
the less profit oriented ideas MIGHT get a place in this, and why it
MIGHT be do-able with all of us cranky individualists participating.
Heather
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
On Nov 11, 7:32 pm, gochfeld...@aol.com wrote:
> Interesting proposal; however, I note the following:
>
> 1. There is a music supply store on Foster Avenue at about East 2nd Street. They might draw from the same population and the competition might prevent a proposed new store on Cortelyou from becoming profitable.
>
> 2. Your proposed price for copies (B&W $.05) is already at the low end and might be a money loser. Your proposal has no room for the luxury of a loss leader.
>
> 3. Have you calculated how many days of rental of each segment will be necessary to break even and then make a profit? What is the competition elsewhere in the borough and how much does the competition charge for similar: exhibit wall space, band practice room, computer rental, classes? What services might this company provide to teachers of classes (eg: on-line course catalog, advertising, class registration, telephone receptionist, provider of equipment and supplies)?
>
> 4. How much mark-up must there be and how much product turnover must there be to make money on consumer goods sales?
>
> 5. Have you done a serious market analysis of both the local and borough-wide demand for each proposed service and determined whether the community (or borough) can in fact bear the costs necessary to run the business? (look at population and disposable income statistics)
>
>
> From: Jessi Miano <jessi.mi...@gmail.com>
> To: cortelyou-com...@googlegroups.com
> Sent: Thu, Nov 11, 2010 10:15 am
> Subject: Proposal to the group...
>
> Dear Group:
>
> After many meetings and discussions, we have realized that a not-for-profit is not viable in our current economy. That being said, we asked ourselves, "What does Cortelyou Road need that it doesn't have?" Our answer- an Art-Mart (art gallery, art and music supply store, and performance space) with a sound-proof room in the basement, available for band practice and studio recordings. Here is our proposal:
>
> Ground Floor: Art-mart
>
> • Edibles
> • Space & Goods
> ◦ Sellart and music supplies
> ◦ Rentgallery space out for $x/week (they have the option to sell)
> ▪ We can have multiple sections of gallery space, and rentthem simultaneously and at different rates, depending on location and size
> ▪ In this case, we are simply renting wall space for artists who want todisplay their work. If they were to sell it, it would be sold directly by theartist. This is meant to appeal to people who are willing to haggle the priceof their work, or who don't want to sell their work at all. By renting thiswall space, we will be guaranteed a small rental fee for each section of thewall we rent out. With each rental of wall space, the artist gets an artopening that will include snacks (cheese, crackers, vegetables and dippingsauces, exc.) and wine, and a live band. Tickets will be sold for the show asnormal, but the artist will receive guest passes based on how long they rentthe space for (2 if its a weekly rental, 10 if its monthly), and maybe 10% ofthe door (to encourage their friends to come support them), or something alongthose lines... Obviously, a one-week show opening would be on a much smallerscale than a one-month, and could even happen on a weeknight.
> ◦ Maintaina small book and magazine selection.
> ◦ Smallselection of comic books and graphic novels; locally produced and/or selectedbigger titles
>
> • Classes Workshops and Performances
> ◦ Holdopen classes on the stage during the day
> ▪ Classideas:
> ▪ Kidssing-a-longs
> ▪ Writer'sworkshops
> ▪ Craftlessons (knitting, sewing, book making, etc.)
> ◦ Havemusic performances at night
> ▪ Withyour "donation" ticket, you get a free drink of choice
> ▪ Openmic Sundays are free (since most people perform anyways)
> Loft: Computer lab
> Space allows for 3-5 terminals given refurnishing
>
> ◦ Rentthem at $5/hour
> • Somewith Adobe Creative Suites and other powerful creative software **This can comelater**
> ◦ Rentthem at $10/hour
> • Havepublic access printer/scanner/copier ($.05/pg b&w, $.10/pg color) and faxmachine ($1.00/pg)
> • Perhapswe can also sell small computer accessories such as mice, keyboards, USB hubs,card readers, cables, etc…
> Kids-nook remains the same.
>
> Basement: Rental Space
> • Constructsound-proofed space in 1/3 of the basement
> ◦ Rentit out by the day or hour as studio space for rehearsal and/or recording (priceschedule TBD)
> ◦ Rentthe rooms by hour, day, week, or month depending on the intended purpose (priceschedule TBD)
> ▪ Privatemusic lessons
> ▪ Privateart lessons/personalized art classes
> ▪ Studiospace
> ▪ Privateworkshops
> ▪ Privateparties
> • Usecaged shelving, locking cabinets, and/or construct small closets as supplyrooms (keep beer and drinks separate from art supplies, and keep all thatseparate from cleaning/bathroom supplies)
>
> Wedon’t yet know how much money we’ll have to work with and the budget willcertainly dictate what we can and cannot do. Once we have the blueprintsin hand, we can come up with two basement plans: one for the initialrestoration and build-out, and a long-term, non-cost-prohibitive vision for theoptimal use of the basement in the future.
>
> As for the form the new company willtake, we’re now looking into the B-Corp option.- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -