The million dollar question is: can we create a business which helps advance society and make a profit at the same time? The cliché ‘have your cake and eat it too’ might come to mind. This group believes that makerspaces offer a rare chance to fulfil both of those needs.
Makerspaces are physical spaces where likeminded people gather for experimental, and technological play. In this open educational resource (OER) we welcome you to explore a slice of the makerspace world – as a commercial, profitable venture. Throughout this OER we attempt to share what we think are the secrets to successful commercial makerspaces.
Objectives
As you progress through this OER, you will:
-
gain an understanding of the origin and types of makerspaces
-
explore the requirements to set up a makerspace as a commercial venture and apply them to your own experiences
-
identify successful makerspaces
-
analyse the potential success of makerspaces as a commercial venture in the world and in your community
Plan for the week
This OER is divided into several sections. Please be sure to click on the main topic, as it constitutes a page introducing the topic and the activities (ex. click on Makerspaces). To avoid confusion, please follow the steps below to ensure you are getting the most from this resource.
- Explore Makerspaces and the Types of Makerspaces. These sections introduce you to the world of makerspaces.
- Peruse Answering the $1M Question. In this section, there are many sub-topics. We understand that your time is limited and you might not be able to get through all of the components. Therefore we ask that you complete at least two sections before proceeding to the next activity. As you read the sections please feel free to respond to the various discussion questions included.
- Click on Samples of Makerspaces. We have a brief summary of a successful venture – TechShop, followed by a brief discussion on War Rooms. There are two activities for you to participate in. Find a Makerspace asks you to identify a successful makerspace. We will broadcast a live interview with a makerspace founder on Friday, November 1, at 3:15 (PST). The recorded interview will be made available for future consumption. If you would like to contribute to the interview questions, please visit the interview page.
- Check out our SWOT and Venture Analysis of the commercial makerspace market.
Please note that many pages have links to external sites embedded within the content. Feel free to take the opportunities for further research, by clicking on the links and exploring the sites.
Thank you for your anticipated participation, we look forward to hearing from all of you.
| ←Authors |