[Robotgroup] 60' X100' Steel Building $5000

[Glenn Currie]

A trailer is less hassle than a vehicle.  This has been done, thousands
of times, by Boy Scout troops.  There is still registration needed,
but the driver of the towing vehicle takes on the liability while the
thing is on the move.

(Still anyone that gets hurt, can cause a lawsuit.  Tools can be
dangerous.  Check and see how much The Boy Scouts of America
and the Girl Scouts, spend on insurance each year.)

The thing needs to be parked somewhere between events.

Radio clubs, search and rescue volunteer groups, rescue divers, etc.
in our area have all given it a try.  It can be made to work, but
it gets down to a handful of individuals supplying the enabling
resources - work and money, plus the time to deal with other
organizations, and government agencies.

Expect to receive a tax bill for the "assets" in any one location
that houses, assets of the group - remember you have to register
the trailer and put plates on it.  Who signs the papers, and pays
the bill?  To a tax and regulation authorities, the name on the
papers, is responsible.  If it is an organization - it gets dumped
on the officers and board of directors.

As I said, in small business, people use their own cars and can
report and deduct some business travel expenses - mileage
on their personal vehicle, and need to provide a written record of the
mileage for each trip.  Big companies tend to lease vehicles - they pay
money and the lease company, does a lot of the dealing with
taxing authorities.  Fleet maintenance is also usually sub contracted
out, due to the expenses and accounting procedures that must
be followed.

This is the old 80/20 rule where 20% of the people in a group,
do 80% of the work.  In volunteer organization the division
of labor is even more lopsided, more like 95/5. 

When we did Robofest events, people would come out of the
wood work to play and the planning and financial efforts were
done by 2 - 3 % of the people.  Lots of people helped, but
most never realized all the effort it took to effectively set up
a small trade show, with all the robots.  We tried not to loose
too much money on these events.  We always lost money as
a group and depended on substantial financial contributions
from some people, on the spot, when the City, and others
showed up with their hands out.

I had to put down a $500.00 deposit, on the spot when we
flew a blimp at the convention center.  We had a "free" booth
donated by the SXSW folks, but we had to pay for compressed
air, electricity tables and chairs, Were held for ransom by a City 
official that was
concerned that our mylar blimp "could destroy the air conditioning
equipment".  I paid the deposit, we tethered the radio control blimp
on a monofilimant fishing line.  The "free" booth at SXSW was
expensive for the some of the individuals that made it happen.
(I got the blimp flying deposit back, but it took time - not my idea of 
a good fun.)

At another one of these shows, "free" RG T shirts were handed out.
Those "free" T shirts, cost me $500.00, and I asked that they not
be used as grease rags at the Robo Hut.  I had hoped for the group to 
sell them
to make some money. Financially both I and the group would have been 
better off
just donating cash to the group.

Magic can happen, you have to get the daily grind of expense,
including liability out of the way.  That is another kind of magic.
Get the later magic done, and the other type of  magic can happen.



Cheers,

-Glenn

Clendon Gibson wrote:
> Well what about a covered trailer then?
>
> ----- Original Message ----
> From: Glenn Currie <kd5mfw at texas.net>
> To: The Robot Group Mailing List <robotgroup at puremagic.com>
> Sent: Sunday, March 25, 2007 11:59:01 PM
> Subject: Re: [Robotgroup] 60' X100' Steel Building  $5000
>
> Vehicle inspection,
> Taxes,
> Insurance...
>
> Committee vote to do authorize an oil change.
>
> Keep the ideas coming. 
>
> Few if any organizations should own a vehicle.
> (A trailer is much, much less expensive and might be useful.)
>
> Small business people can file for mileage when driving their
> own car, for business.
>
> Big business lease.
>
> They do this because of the economics of owning a vehicle.
>
> -Glenn
>
> Clendon Gibson wrote:
>   
>> I thought I would throw in an idea. It has a lot of problems but maybe sufficiently covers the issues of a  robo-hut to be worth thinking about.
>>
>> What if the Robot Group owned something like a panel truck that carried essentials for whatever project is ongoing. I'm thinking something like a used Rider or U-Haul truck. On any given Thursday the truck pulls up to whomever's garage. The rest of the group assembles and we sorta tail gate it.
>>
>> This ought to address issues of monthly rent and property taxes. ( I am thinking that the note on the truck and the yearly tax on it would be an order magnitude less then rental property.) 
>>
>> Is this an idea to kick around, or are there too many problems?
>>   
>>     
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Robotgroup mailing list
> Robotgroup at puremagic.com
> http://lists.puremagic.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/robotgroup
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Robotgroup mailing list
> Robotgroup at puremagic.com
> http://lists.puremagic.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/robotgroup
>
>
>
>