Kickstarter: Go Fund Me?

LockH

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Jul 9, 2013
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Ummm.. Started out in Victoria BC Canada, then sta
Dear ES Krew...

One old, "disabled" ebike rider had a bit of a disappointment yesterday... I went to my local bank branch to try for a "Small Business Loan"... for "only" $2,000 Cdn... to buy two small folding electric bicycles to start a new business in bike rentals... where the bank might offer financing at less than 20% interest! ... actually, only 19.99% interest... and was declined. [grumble grumble]

About four years ago my life sorta "fell apart"... when I woke up from a week in a coma with a broken shoulder, broken ribs... and the "kicker"... multiple brain contusions. So to this day it's difficult to stand and walks, etc having lost my sense of balance.

And today I exist supported by the Ontario taxpayer... with my only source of income from Disability Support... which I sorta hate... having supported myself since late teens... so I miss work... especially since press reports describe support via Ontario Disability Support payments as "living life below the poverty line"... and I'm not used to getting along on a starvation diet?
Anyway... Kickstarter said just now:
Stay tuned. We'll be in touch soon.
We're reviewing your project to make sure it's in line with our rules.
Response expected: March 26, 2018

... and it occurred to me that when news got back to the `Sphere (Endless-Sphere.com) that I was in hospital and maybe "near death"... a bunch of ES folks passed the proverbial hat around and sent me a Get Well card AND $500 US! (Is there anybuddy on the Sphere that I haven't said THANK YOU to? Kinda/hopefully goes without saying? THANK YOU?

Anywhooo... The site on Kickstarter "Electric Bicycle Rentals":
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1220744480/74979728/build

... and still waiting to hear from Kickstarter whether "All Systems GO"... or not...

... and just thought I'd "put it out there"... "Put up a flag and see if anybuddy salutes", so to say.

Standing by. Over.

(Bike on China-manufacturer site:)
http://fitrider.en.egtcp.com/group-3223/ivelo-m1-e-bike/
 
If was in your City I would invest in it would be a good opportunity to get rich :D
20 of those little fold up you linked would be kick ass. $350 x 20 = $7000
Great price for a 20 fleet of escooters. $1000 a day at $50 x 20 ebikes Maybe $15,000 a month or more depends on the weather etc.
Hope you get the kickstarter fingers crossed :)
 
Thank you SIR. Recall, visitor CrowdFunders to Toronto get to "rent" all day... NO Charge. (Planning to expand out to the Wet Coast anyway...) (Sorry re my Spell Check acting up...)
 
There is def a market for that and its good timing because you gotta hit the good weather.

I was looking through University of Calgary - Outdoor Center to rent a fat bike and saw an ebike rental for a tad more, I got no clue what rides they got. Thats the only rental biz I've seen without searching, I've seen a private person on Kijiji doing fat bike rental. Looking more closely, a bike biz will open up soon Pedego Calgary. offering rentals on assumed purchase.

Its a booming biz this ebike stuff, wish you the best!
 
Thank you SIR. I'm betting on electric traction for bikes... BUT more so on folders and smaller diameter wheels, for portability and also to take on pubic transit vehicles and indoors for "security"... but also knowing that smaller diameter wheels spin up faster ie have "great" acceleration, where in stop-and-go urban traffic the AVERAGE trip speed counts. ... and I'm used to being first across the intersection (spinning 12" tires w/400 watts). :lol:

Re folders, check British company Brompton (just came out with assist...)... and the RadMini... EVen Sondors came out with the Fold & Fold “X”... Folders are HOT (for shorter distance, urban travels...)

:)

(As always, sorry about the Spellcheck...)
 
Yup smaller diameter wheel = more torque. I myself am going smaller and going moto for the durability and fatness. TBH I never ridden anything smaller then 26" for 6'unders be a sight to see tall folk ride.
 
Hehe... already posted to ES a pic of my first vehicle watt has electric traction... and to this day, lacking pedals, so STILL not legal under Fed/Provincial laws... [grumble grumble] But rode many thousands of miles across mostly/sorta "flat", "smooth" crumbling urban pavements...:
photo_zps07a0eba6.jpg


(Not being legal = means I could do anything I wanted... as long as nobody else was bothered by it... and back then I guess folks figured it was some sort of adult kick-scooter.) :wink:
 
Like the U-lock placement.

I myself have it hanging off my handlebars and it makes noise hitting the stem tube, acts as my courtesy bell. The bell I purchased has never been used, its just for show. My backup courtesy is just whistling and slowing down or if the path is too narrow, stopping.

With your business plan, whats the insurance like. I hope the payments wouldnt be restrictive.

Luna's got some folders. Last night I watched a bunch of his Youtube video's, man he sure has grown.
MXUS sells bikes too
https://mxus.en.alibaba.com/?spm=a2700.details.shnsopsi9.1.3d3b3b7acUCwWq
https://mxus.en.alibaba.com/product/60543521162-803254770/16_inch_folding_ebike_folding_electric_bike_mini_bicycle.html?spm=a2700.8304367.prewdfa4cf.11.1d2d6e13XKMuAj
 
^^ Ohhh... Insurance... Got that covered already... And a prime rental location... and crew already staffing the site each summer. With a manager. :mrgreen:

Two years ago, I dropped by a local bike store to mention that the City Parks Department was holding a meet in a local park for anybody interested in starting a bike rental operation in that nearby park... beside a bike path... and went with Rob and his Lady to investigate. And darned if Rob didn't win the bidding contest to do the operation for five summers... :mrgreen:

So Rob is already set up and "in gear", with four more summers to go on his contract. :) BUT. Watts missing is any bikes to rent that are electric? He actually DOES have one electric bike for sale at the store... a Trek electric bike, I think it is... but so far, zero rentals that are electrics. His store:
https://velotique.com/

... and near to his store a popular spot, Woodbine Beach, where he's renting bikes already:
https://www.toronto.ca/data/parks/prd/facilities/complex/311/index.html

... including the Ashbridges Bay and Martin Goodman bike trails that go for many miles across the edge of Toronto beside Lake Ontario...

:mrgreen: So, MY plan is to just get these two electric bikes shipped (in their cardboard box shipping containers) to Robs store for him and crew to assemble and put into rental service... and maybe once a year, after the summer rentals are all over, Rob might send me some share of his net, after-tax profits?

AND. My bet is... that these electrics will turn out to be his most popular bikes for rent. So he'll have a ready-made list of folks that want to buy the used ones at the end of each season? And then to plow some of the profits into buying fresh/new electric bikes for year two... And to buy MORE electric bikes to expand to other prime rental locations...

Wanna take on the bike rentals businesses in Calgary? :mrgreen:

Bottom Line/Objective is to promo electric traction and sell electric bikes. (<- Period)

:mrgreen:

L
 
Hehe... I've been saving Mondays to report on ES re the flood of market research reports for sale re electric bikes and components... but speaking of folders:
Folding Electric Bicycle in 2018: What Does the Year Ahead Hold?:
https://www.openpr.com/news/988354/...le-in-2018-What-Does-the-Year-Ahead-Hold.html

Starts:
Qyresearchreports include new market research report Global Folding Electric Bicycle Sales Market Report 2018 to its huge collection of research reports.

The report on the global market for Folding Electric Bicycle is a succinct description of multiple forces that cumulatively contribute to market growth. The researchers of the report employed pragmatic methodologies to measure key indicators such as growth rate, market value, and regional market share. Since the growth of the market for Folding Electric Bicycle relies on several factors, the researchers followed a multifaceted approach to gauge its progress. With an intent to provide a wide purview of the market, the report categorizes the market into multiple segments based on integral parameters. The equanimity of thought maintained throughout the report serves a better understanding to the readers. Ardent initiatives were taken by the researchers to minimize deviations while calculating growth rates and revenue shares.

SOMEBUDDY is excitied (about electric folders...)

:)
 
^^ Thank You SIR... Biz Plan the sum of almost two decades of research. Re urban travels, air pollution/human-caused "global climate change"... "over population"... and my desire to change the future including converting vehicle operation to entertainment. :)
 
I wish you the best and hope the venture goes well for you. It would be nice if you could provide the location with 10 folding electric bikes of good quality and 10 electric beach cruiser bikes of good quality. That way people could see there are plenty available to rent and groups of 4-6 people and families can rent the bikes. That would be providing the location had the space to display the bikes for rent. Might as well have a couple of the bikes available for immediate purchase at the bike shop too seeing how people inevitability get that grin when they ride one and I have yet to see a person who rode one and said they didn't want one :idea:
 
Hehe... For now, targeting the DINKs... (Double Incomes, No Kids). :lol: Haven't been an employee for decades (turned self-employed aka "independently broke") but about the last full-time "job" I had was for a market research firm head office in Toronto. Focus groups, surveys, etc. The company owner also employed her husband, and he and I used to look over her accounts and cry. The lady was expanding her biz so quickly to other cities across canada... Hubby and I could "see the writing on the wall"... where lots of "small" companies have killed themselves off by expanding "too fast"...So my hope is to just get the pair of bikes to start... so they can "prove" watt I suspect will happen. They'll be Number One/most rented bikes right away... such that I/we/he (store owner) will be buying more for Year Two (his third summer of operation at the rental location, and this summer Parks has allowed him to move to a "better" location closer to the car parking lot/entrance-exit to/from the middle of the park... but still close to the nice long paved bike path that features stuff like no cars.

(AND the bank might be more amenable re financing a "proven" new biz...) :wink:

AND... This is a simple plan to get into the bike rental biz... which if/when I can show can be a success, anybuddy on ES can replicate about anywhere? :mrgreen:
 
Incidently... Why not do this alone? Why share any profits? It's Piracy 101. :mrgreen:

I was raised to be a naval officer, but found piracy to be safer and more lucrative... on shore it's termed "business". :lol:

But starting out as an employee, and rising up to be a junior manager with my own staff... I realized that none of my formal educations had taught me anything about "teamwork"... working with a group where everybody wins in shooting towards corporate goals. So I picked up a little book to self-teach myself:
1249071.jpg


Watt made me see God... Hehe... See the light... where too often business meetings are run by lousy "bosses" (derogatory term) maybe falling back to using Roberts Rules ie British parliamentary procedures from the 18th century. And possibly not relevant in this 21st Century? Like, folks are "smarter" these daze? Maybe? Hehe...

So, MY plan again is just to start small as "proof of concept, then grow by involving lots of folks at many different locations.

There's lots of bike rental outfits already of course... just trying to catch the ebike wave before it explodes, and surf that wave, Baby. :mrgreen:
 
If you're looking for a microloan, go to somebody who does that.

https://www.thebalance.com/micro-loans-in-canada-2948489
 
Chalo said:
If you're looking for a microloan, go to somebody who does that.

https://www.thebalance.com/micro-loans-in-canada-2948489

Great suggestion, I know some folks who got a micro loan, built a food product that turned out to be real successful, they eventually sold the company for several million bucks, retained some stake and control, then teamed up with a group of other folks who did the same thing they did and now they all have a group providing micro loans to small green startups. Nice circle of helping others was created.
 
^^ Hehe... THANKS C!...

"Kick$tart – If you’re under 35, living in Newfoundland and Labrador..." Cute name. :mrgreen:

... closer to "home" (currently, far-east Toronto aka Scarborough...):
Alterna Savings; Community Micro Loan Program - small business loans for those wanting to start businesses in Toronto and area.

... includes:
be a self-employed individual with minimal income
[URP]
... and:
pay a competitive interest rate of Alterna Prime plus six percent*...
[URP... URP]

In truth, rather than any interest paid to any financial institution... honestly would rather give free rides to fellow ebikers in Toronto... or visiting... at any locations... anywhere there's operations... in return for chipping in $20 bucks or more... as a "Kickstarter Supporter"?

Objectives again include: 1)Promo electric traction
2) Make money
3) Spread/share any wealth.

... in equal order.
:wink:
L
 
I've done courses over at
https://momentum.org/
where one of their goals is to invest in businesses. Only one location in Cow Town. Must be similar places in T.O. Perhaps I may start my own gig up, Stampede brings in a gazillion bones. Today alone I got asked twice about my ebike. Fun times
 
^^ Hehe... Tapping about a distributed system and sharing profits... Was going for a while to a yummy/local restaurant (have since moved further away...) where I was showing up on my high-speed lawn chair and "eating in"/sitting down rather than "eating out" - I know, strange concept... and got the resto owner to tape one of the resto pamphlet/brochures to my rear antenna... and I was just offering to ride around with his "flag" flying/flapping to advertise his business...

So. Imagine any business having a couple of bikes parked out front for rent? Watt folks can rent by the day, where they ride around wherever on their rental bikes advertising that business?

Hehe... OK... Maybe not THIS "garish"/"over the top"... but you get the idea?
[youtube]7ISTO6n1_xA[/youtube]

Oh... and my "high-speed lawn chair"? It's a chair on wheels... obviously... that I usually leave parked on the lawn... so as far as I know it's the fastest lawn chair in town. I DID want to start buying more to put into the rental biz... but the bike store owner thought these maybe a bit "too weird" for his bike business.
Vienna.jpg

It's from a California co, would you believe?... They market it as a "Cruiser" recumbent trike... but sorta illustrates my having a pole that can mount various flags and flapping things as advertising?
 
Well... poop. :?

preview-logo-color.png

Thanks for sharing your project with us.

We appreciate your interest in creating something with and for the Kickstarter community. However, after a careful review, we’ve determined that your project falls outside of our scope, which means we’re unable to approve it for launch.

"after a careful review"....

:|
 
LockH said:
About four years ago my life sorta "fell apart"... when I woke up from a week in a coma with a broken shoulder, broken ribs... and the "kicker"... multiple brain contusions. So to this day it's difficult to stand and walks, etc having lost my sense of balance.

And today I exist supported by the Ontario taxpayer... with my only source of income from Disability Support... which I sorta hate... having supported myself since late teens... so I miss work...
I wouldn't worry about being on the disability support. Its a statistical fact a large number of migrants that move to western countries have no plans at all to do anything other than live off government support. And they have consistently been happy to let these people in.

In Australia, there is a volunteer firefighting service which services all country areas and even most of the outer city residential areas, called the CFA (Country fire authority)
The new union based state government quite brutally kicked out the free volunteer firefighting service and replaced it with the highly paid MFB union based firing fighting service, and part of that new deal was to give the MFB a more 6 months paid holiday leave annually. So they replaced a free volunteer service with a union that gets paid 6 months holiday. This was all done because Victoria has a union based state government.

https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/cfa-dispute-has-cost-andrews-public-support-20160902-gr7glt.html

http://www.abc.net.au/radio/programs/worldtoday/calls-for-royal-commission-into-vic-firefighters-pay-deal/9518138
Calls for Royal Commission into Vic firefighters pay deal
Details have emerged about the firefighters' pay deal struck with the Victorian government, which includes perks like gift vouchers and generous allowances along with 196 days of holiday, sick, personal, family leave each year.

At the same time, a separate report has revealed a culture of entrenched bullying, harassment and everyday sexism.
The extraordinary revelations have sparked calls for a Royal Commission into how the deal was negotiated.


This kind of stuff happens everywhere, disability support is nothing compared to being paid a full-time job purely on the back of the taxpayer where if you lucky enough you don't do a single thing all year and have effectively replaced someone who was doing the same job for free.
If it was possible they would probably kick you out of your position if it wasn't for the fact it's not volunteering position etc and make it a highly paid full-time job as well.
 
^^ Hi B. Thanks... I think...

You may have noticed that "Phoenix Ebike Promotions" posts a "fair bit" to ES? [cough cough]... Plus, "social media" sites like FacePlant (sp?)... Has tried organizing uphill bike racing (where we all get to cheat... hehe)... etc... and etc... These daze... one thing I miss a LOT really is working in a group... working with others... the "social" aspects most found fun for this "social animal"...

And local "Disability Support" from provincial taxpayers... think of it as "starvation budgeting"... Used to be that "A penny saved is a penny earned"... And not needing/spending much... the opposite side of this coin meant I didn't need to "work the 9 to 5"... I thought I could "work" (earn incomes) `til I died... hadn't thought about my ancestors from Scandinavia catching up with me so early... \

[SIGH] <- Big sigh...

EDIT: ... and got my first tattoo... of an electric bike. Hehe
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