Today's work

I have a drafty (like a draft?) mission statement up on the first page. I welcome feedback. Now I have to:

- Work on presenting more detailed information. Those rough objectives and the mission aren't enough. I've been told Wrench Nepal needs a 'Vision' as well. What else?

- Work on the budget. This is going to be very important for getting funded. The budget will be tiny compared to that of similar organizations in the US, but still substantial. Here's an initial breakdown (today, there are 63 rupees in a dollar):

Salaries: Rs. 1500/week, for 3 people. Staff should start with 3 people, hopefully at least two of whom will stick with the project into the summer. This seems like decent compensation for 10 hours a week, the initial schedule for set-up and light repair, but I'll have to ask around. Eventually, I'd like to have one full time mechanic (Rs. 1000/week) and 3 'students'.

Rent: Seems to range from Rs. 1,500/mo in quiet part of Kathmandu to 8,500 just outside the tourist center. We need to decide where the shop will do best and who we're trying to reach (remember, Wrench Nepal is also a useful mechanism for reaching tourists and encouraging spending of dollars and pounds in Nepal on envirofriendly transport and entertainment)

Tools: This is a start-up cost. $1000 gets you a full standard Park tool set. Unfortunately, Park won't sell it to me; in fact, they won't even write me back. So, I either have to be sneaky in getting the real deal, or use India tools (perhaps adequate?), then eventually upgrade.

Consumables: Tires, tubes, spokes, etc. These are another start-up cost, as they eventually cover their own price, plus profit. Let's say $100.

Other operating overhead: Electricity, water, soap, a little shop radio. $20, then $10/month.

So, the grand total is about Rs. 36,000 for labor, Rs. 9,000 - 51,000 for rent, Rs. 25,000 - 63,000 for tools, Rs. 6,300 for consumables, Rs. 4410 for other stuff, for the first six months.

Grand totals:
First six months: Rs. 80,710 - 160,710 ($1281 - 2551). A wide range that I will narrow down with research.
Subsequent six month periods: Rs. 69,000 - 111,000 ($1095-1762), which will hopefully be covered by bicycle sales and maintenance.

-Pursue contacts. Orphan home and NGO help in Nepal. More on that later.