Talk:Vision statement

Permanent Location

We have a great landlord, but the facility is inadequate for any growth. The warehouse especially is very difficult to work with. A larger (especially taller) warehouse would give recycling and storage real space to work with. Maybe Free Geek should look into buying a building? Possibly one that would also generate income. The organization could put a safe and clean facility into its vision. This is of course just a sugesstion. Imagine a facility in a neighborhood within close distance to buses, adequate parking, and a floorplan we could design and change. The money for rent could go toward ownership of a building.

10:49, 12 July 2007 nathanb

Couple of notes

As we develop this vision, we should be noting the external factors that may come into play. For instance, increased competition in the industry. What's that look like, and how can FG anticipate it? (There's a little in there about changing technologies which is a good start.)

About buying our own building. In the short run, this doesn't save us money on rent (probably). It means instead that we're paying a mortgage instead of rent. Having our own building could still be a very good thing (more likely to get grants, building equity in the property, more control of how we use the space, etc.). But for the next decade or more we'll not likely see any relief in terms of rent.

RfS 11:50, 17 July 2007 (PDT)

Ways to use the Vision statement

The vision statement document presents a clear picture of a proposed future snapshot in time. This is very very helpful for long term planning in the present time. One question to answer when evaluating program proposals is: "How might this program help realize Free Geek's Vision?" Another question to help this process along is: "How does the Vision statement compare with Free Geek's present reality, and what is needed to bridge the gap?