Its def an idea I have been playing with as well, but have no financial backing yet.
Expenses could be paid in a variety of ways.
1. Membership dues.
2. Promissory notes. That if you did make it big or make a profit a percent or cut of that would go back to the hackerspace.
3. Adverts on the equipment used.
I think the biggest thing was the notes to pay back a certain percentage... So you would def need some capital to make some profit on this one tho.
There are a few other ways to make it self-sustaining.
While you could provide free/open access some of the time, you could charge for 24/7 access and locker space. You could also rent out the space for occasional seminars/workshops/corporate off-sites.
Shipping/receiving for parts orders might be handy if many of the occupants have a day job.
There is also the possibility of government grants which, especially in Canada, are available for this kind of program. They would, at least, get the project off the ground even if they weren't used for running expenses.
I do like the idea of promissory notes. That is a great way to fundraise. I think, no matter how we raise the initial capital, the running profits of the hackerspace will stay invested in the hackerspace. I like the idea of it being a self-sufficient organization and suspect the profits on our end could be made just by what the space does to the real estate value.
Expenses could be paid in a variety of ways. 1. Membership dues. 2. Promissory notes. That if you did make it big or make a profit a percent or cut of that would go back to the hackerspace. 3. Adverts on the equipment used.
I think the biggest thing was the notes to pay back a certain percentage... So you would def need some capital to make some profit on this one tho.