Start a Community Makerspace in a Leased Unit

Hobbyists, students, inventors, artists, small product makers, and parents paying for kids' classes and camps.

Monthly memberships, day passes, paid equipment trainings, classes and workshops, birthday and group events, and rented storage or bench space.

• Hands-on skills with workshop tools
• Teaching and explaining safety
• Community building and organizing
• Basic bookkeeping

• Zoning, fire code and certificate of occupancy for a space with machinery, check with your city or county
• General liability insurance that covers members using tools, and workers' compensation once you hire
• Injury risk, so require safety training and have clear waivers reviewed by a lawyer
• Dust, noise and ventilation rules, plus lease terms for utilities and equipment loads
• Slow early membership, so keep enough cash to cover rent for several months
• Check whether classes for minors need extra background checks or rules in your state

Estimates put startup costs at typically around $40,000 to $150,000, depending on your lease, the tools and equipment you buy and your insurance. Slow early membership is common, so keep enough cash to cover rent for several months.

Estimated monthly revenue is typically around $5,000 to $25,000, depending on how many members you sign up and how many classes and camps you run. Membership may be slow at first, so plan your cash flow.

Check zoning, fire code and certificate of occupancy with your city or county, plus ventilation and noise rules. Also check general liability insurance that covers members using tools, safety training, waivers reviewed by a lawyer, and rules for classes for minors.