Starting a FabLab

=

A collection of questions starting FabLabs have. Many FabLab initiatives are seeking answers to the same or similar questions. About what to do, what machines to get, how to fund, how to find a place etc. Some questions are 'big' others are very specific and detailed. This is the place to ask those questions, so that in answering them we are at the same time building a collection of questions and answers given.

= How to use this page = When asking a question ==

Put your question in the relevant section (orientation, location, machines and material, funding and business models, community building, other). Then send out e-mails to FabLab people you know to point them to your question(s) and ask them to add any answers they may have. (Otherwise no-one might notice you have a question!) In short: posting a question is not enough, you need to reach out to others to help you find answers! Using this list does not replace talking to people at other FabLabs and learning from their stories, it is merely a place to collect some of those learnings.

When answering a question
When you answer a question, put the answer below the question. Where possible link to other pages in this wiki or sources elsewhere on-line, to avoid replicating content. Do not make assumptions about what the person asking already knows, or come back with put-downs like saying it's a very easy or stupid question. There are no such things as stupid questions: you simply have forgotten whether it was hard to learn something when you learned it yourself. What may seem obvious to you may look completely confusing to someone else. If your answer becomes very lengthy, either try to cut it down in size, or put the answer in a seperate wiki page and link to it here. Add a little bit of context to your answer so that others may be able to judge whether your answer applies to their situation: add your name and FabLab to your answer, or add something like "When I was looking for a location in Berlin, I....."

= Questions on orientation of a FabLab =

= Questions on the location of a FabLab =

= Questions on machines and material =

= Questions on funding an business models =

= Questions on community building and the FabLab network =

= Questions on other topics =