Is it bad...

shuikit

If you go down the route of asking for voluntary donations to fund your garage conversion, which presumably is where you do your guitar teaching, I think you could seen as a charity rather than a serious business.

There are small businesses that do kickstarters to get investments so that they can grow, though they usually give something in return.  Restaurants for example might give you a voucher for a meal in exchange for £50 etc.  This might be a better model?  

Lestratcaster

shuikit said:

If you go down the route of asking for voluntary donations to fund your garage conversion, which presumably is where you do your guitar teaching, I think you could seen as a charity rather than a serious business.

There are small businesses that do kickstarters to get investments so that they can grow, though they usually give something in return.  Restaurants for example might give you a voucher for a meal in exchange for £50 etc.  This might be a better model?  

Its worth thinking about yes, and it will be used for my lessons. That's why my first outlet was my current learners seeing as they'll be using it.

simonk

I expect you were probably thinking out loud so to speak, but your OP contained this: “...How many users are there on here? If everyone gave even a fiver it’d help with say, the roof...”. With hindsight maybe you can see why it’s wound a few people up... you have, after all, no idea what people’s financial situation is.

Lestratcaster

simonk said:

I expect you were probably thinking out loud so to speak, but your OP contained this: “...How many users are there on here? If everyone gave even a fiver it’d help with say, the roof...”. With hindsight maybe you can see why it’s wound a few people up... you have, after all, no idea what people’s financial situation is.

Yes I was, and I've now taken it out as I see the point you've made. It was more me doing the maths, like I have over 500 fb friends so say everyone on that list gave £5 for example I'd have £2500.

Sporky

Would you be willing to give each of them a fiver? 

Lestratcaster

Sporky said:

Would you be willing to give each of them a fiver? 

Depends who it is and what its for.

Philly_Q

I didn't realise until today that with GoFundMe there's no "all or nothing" condition, no return at all to the contributors and you can do whatever the fuck you like with the money.

I wouldn't have the cheek to do it myself, I can't imagine why anyone would feel particularly motivated to contribute, but at least they know what they're getting into.

Sporky

Lestratcaster said:

Sporky said:

Would you be willing to give each of them a fiver? 

Depends who it is and what its for.

Each and every one. 

If you wouldn't be happy giving every one of them a fiver you probably shouldn't be happy with each of the giving you a fiver. 

simonk

Sporky said:

Lestratcaster said:

Sporky said:

Would you be willing to give each of them a fiver? 

Depends who it is and what its for.

Each and every one. 

If you wouldn't be happy giving every one of them a fiver you probably shouldn't be happy with each of the giving you a fiver. 

Pretty soon you’ll end up with this:

https://youtu.be/y6QgHUJIQ5Q

midlifecrisis

i think it can work if you agree to give each donator a set amount of lessons for so much  £ donation,.then you are not asking something for nothing.

Iamnobody

Sorry but I don’t see it as a worthy cause so I’m out!

If you think about it we all have ambitions and generally work hard and save to get them, take out loans and remortgage etc.

Having extended our house last year (and still paying it off)  I’m now I’m saving up for a new driveway and side passage - getting it financed by anyone else wouldn’t enter my thought process.

Your pupils may take a more sympathetic approach if asked as they will directly benefit (or will they? I’m sure they don’t care if a lesson takes place in your spare room) but you also run the risk of sending them to another teacher who isn’t begging as it were.

Emp_Fab

octatonic said:

Emp_Fab said:

To be blunt, if you can't see that asking people to fund your home improvements is wrong, you're a ****.

I don't know about 'Go Fund Me'.....   My reaction is more 'Go F*** Yourself'.

Mr Subtle strikes again.

Whoaaa there....  Ah said A-Whoaaaa there boy !!

The OP comes on here asking for opinions on whether it's alright to use a (predominantly) worthy charity fundraising site to get other people to pay for his garage conversion - and I'm the **** ?????!!!!

Handsome_Chris

Emp_Fab said:

octatonic said:

Emp_Fab said:

To be blunt, if you can't see that asking people to fund your home improvements is wrong, you're a ****.

I don't know about 'Go Fund Me'.....   My reaction is more 'Go F*** Yourself'.

Mr Subtle strikes again.

Whoaaa there....  Ah said A-Whoaaaa there boy !!

The OP comes on here asking for opinions on whether it's alright to use a (predominantly) worthy charity fundraising site to get other people to pay for his garage conversion - and I'm the **** ?????!!!!

@Emp_Fab , I believe you were called "Mr Subtle", and that is all.

strtdv

If you have a decent credit score you can get a £10k loan at 2.8% over 1-3 years. 
You'll only pay £290 in interest over 2 years, £150 if you pay it off in a year. 

I'd take the loan, get the conversion done, and then put up my lesson fees. When they're having lessons in the new room it'll be obvious why you've had to put up prices a bit.

I'm not going to donate money to someone who's perfectly capable of earning the money to pay for something themselves.
You're unlikely to get much on a GoFundMe page, looking at it this sort of thing seems to divide neatly into people finding themselves in an unfortunate position through illness etc ("please contribute to a garage conversion that will allow our disabled son to be properly cared for" etc) which seem to get funded quite well, and those who are either lazy, have made poor life choices, or are otherwise gormless ("I got my girlfriend pregnant and want to move into my parents garage" etc) which don't.

Clarky

couple of tips about converting a garage into a studio:
- have a garage in the first place
- don't put a car in it
- put guitars and music stuff in it
- and a heater 

Emp_Fab

Er.... I believe you called me a "****" too sunshine !

Besides, this is so outrageous, subtlety is an inappropriate response.

Handsome_Chris

Emp_Fab said:

Er.... I believe you called me a "****" too sunshine !

Besides, this is so outrageous, subtlety is an inappropriate response.

@Emp_Fab ,I believe that Clarky was talking about the logistics of turning a garage into a studio.

Bellycaster

*Opens Long Coat* 'Ere I've got some very cheap Bitcoin you can have at Mates Rates, guaranteed to retire you *sniff*

  

strtdv

If you've a less than stellar credit score you may still be able to get a peer to peer loan, although I'd personally be looking for a well above inflation return on my money for that sort of thing

robgilmo

Start a you tube video , do videos every other day in your spare time, like guitar lesson videos, gear reviews, something related to the garage, get 1 million subscribers or more, do it for several years, help shit loads of people out through your you tube channel during these several years or more, then do a go fund me for a practice room in which you will let local bands and musicians practice free of charge, all you ask is they cover the electric bill, yeah, Id chuck a few quid into that. Oh, and you could run a few days helping underprivileged children or children with learning difficulties through musical work shops, All free of charge of course.

Basically , a charity needs to do worthwhile things in order for people to respond.  

And what do you get from it? The satisfaction in knowing that you are doing something constructive and good in your local neighbourhood for people who may not have a chance other wise, oh , and a garage.