We are a group of friends living and working together. Our intention is to live differently, so we don't deal with money, what means that whatever we do, we do it because it makes sense and feels right. We are convinced that we get all what we need without the need to work for money. We are doing recycling, that means we collect things people throw away or want to get rid of, like companies not knowing what to do with their pallets. So we collect these things and give them back into being used again. We are also recycling food that is out of date, giving it to animals or making compost out of it. The only money we need is for electricity and telephone and for leaflets we are printing. There is income from the pallets, not much but enough for what we need. The problem is that if we have a legal setup then the costs are too high and there is hardly money left. We tried to make a foundation, but that's also too expensive. What can we do to be legal without paying too much?
2007-12-07 04:00:27 · 5 answers · asked by BeiYin *answers questions* 6 in Society & Culture ➔ Community Service
To be more precize: We could make enough money with the pallets but we haven't received any money and we don't want until we can do so legally. We could make about 500 € a month, that's what we need, but to make this legal we need to pay monthly nearly 1.000€ so then we must force ourselves to collect three times more than we really would need. That's not what we want, apart of that it is just too much work even with volunteers. We would prefer to recycle also the pallets for free, but we can't pay the transport to the mainland, so there is a dilemma...
2007-12-07 04:15:00 · update #1
I have send an email to 'Freegans' and waiting for an answer.
Yes I thought about to connect with an existing nonprofit organization, I will try to find one...
We are in Spain on the island Ibiza and because it is an island that makes it that there are so many pallets, because the transport to the mainland is expensive. Also it is expensive to get rid of the contaminating liquids like milk and juices if these are out of date and the same with food...
2007-12-07 20:15:26 · update #2
I would check with the Freegans and see if they have any insight they can give you.
http://freegan.info/
2007-12-07 04:04:52 · answer #1 · answered by LzT 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
If you know what kind of business you want, then the first thing is to talk to people in that business. How did they get started? What attracted them to that business? What is their favorite thing about that business? What were some obsticles they had to overcome? Who do they recommend for you to speak with? People in your area might not want to talk as much as someone who does not perceive you as competition. Second, you need to find out basic operating costs. If you are selling something, what are the cost of goods? For any business, what is the payroll costs based on how many employees you need and average rate of pay (be sure to include payroll taxes)? How much is rent (be sure to include CAM charges)? How much do you need to spend on advertising? How much liquid cash do you have available right now? Operating costs vary greatly depending on the type of business so it is important to talk to the right people. The more accurate you are, the better you will be prepared and the better chance you business has. Third, build a reasonable business plan based on the operating costs. Another important piece of information is knowing an accurate sales index and inventory plan. These greatly affect cash flow which will make or break a business. Once you have a good business plan, you can apply for an SBA loan. Look to see if you qualify for a lower interest loan based on things such as: Are you a veteran? Are you a woman? Are you a single mom? Are you a minority? etc. You would be surprised what is out there.
2016-05-22 00:30:52 · answer #2 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Can you align yourself with another existing organization that has already jumped through the hoops of becoming a non-profit? Perhaps a food bank or charity like the Salvation Army. That is the way some groups in the States operate but I can't speak for where you are at.
2007-12-07 10:42:51 · answer #3 · answered by Huba 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The Dancing Rabbit ranch or commune or whatever, I think in Missouri, USA, has a setup to what you describe. It's a self-sustaining community. I'm sure a search on Google will turn up its web site and more information. However, laws in Spain are very different than laws in the USA. Still, you might get some ideas.
2007-12-08 08:01:39 · answer #4 · answered by Jayne says READ MORE BOOKS 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It totally depends on where you are - so let us know, and I'll see I can get you a better answer.
2007-12-07 14:27:07 · answer #5 · answered by freshbliss 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋