Description
Regular users pay for access to your space and a package of access to assets and services
Major variations
Limited access or a variety of different levels of access for different membership packages versus unlimited access to all resources.
Potential impacts
- Making space, tools, machines, and skills to people in your community for them to be able to solve problems and generate positive impacts
- Creation and growth of a community of people and organisations with shared interests – this can give rise to all kinds of benefits including generating new ideas or organisations
Advantages
- This gives a regular and fairly predictable income stream and enables people to access the resources you provide in a manner that suits them
Challenges
- In some places, the people you most want to work with may not be able to afford membership
- Balancing the demands of different members can be difficult without proper policies
- It can be difficult to find the right price points and access levels. Some people will use the services or assets more than others.
Business model canvas
Key partners
- Sources of new members like education institutes or craft associations
- Machine Manufacturers / Resellers
- Businesses or NGOs that target your members
- Government or NGOs who want to support local industry
Key activities
- Attracting customers
- Balancing price, access and usage levels
- Community management
- Providing services
Key resources
- Space
- Community
- Machines, tools, or equipment
- Skills in using machines
Value propositions
- Access to a community
- Ability to test new ideas, products, or processes
- Access to machines and tools
- Opportunity to work on personal projects and develop new skills
Customer relationships
- Long term relationships with community members
Channels
- Cross-selling from training
- Co-location: installing services/ machines next to businesses who will use them
- Referrals – word of mouth
Customer segments
- People who want to learn including schools
- Startup businesses who want to prototype and experiment
- Established businesses who use machines in their work (or could do)
- Entrepreneurs who can use the machines to make money or need certain services on a regular basis
Cost structure
- Cost of staff
- Rent or cost of facility
- Cost of machines & equipment, including maintenance
- Cost of providing any services included in membership packages
- Advertising and marketing costs
Revenue streams
- Membership fees per time period e.g. monthly subscription. There may be different levels of membership for different charges, offering different access (e.g. full time versus part time, or off-peak times only)
- Some spaces charge a one-off joining fee in addition
- Add-on charges for things not included in membership package such as extra machine hours
Complementary models
Providing access to machines, tools, or other equipment for individuals or businesses to use
