Order Only: Mulling an idea
May. 21st, 2013 10:06 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
alt_mollyI have had an idea I've been toying with for several weeks.
This all stems from conversations that I had after Arthur's death with Bill, Charlie and Dominic Selwyn about, well, my finances. About generating income streams. The rental from the London property is one such stream (and yes, that has definitely been a help, even though I still feel guilty about it). Mr Derrick (Mr Selwyn's clerk) asked again about making arrangements to claim the proceeds from the labour of a muggleborn. This all collided in the middle of the night in my mind with a jumble of other thoughts about the Order's finances, and Moddey Dhoo, and the barter network, and Fred and George getting out of school, and...
Anyway. I was thinking: what if I use at least some of the income from the London flat to set up a cooperative, a consortium, a place where we could incubate new businesses? There are plenty of old warehouses throughout the country. I made so many contacts through the barter network of people with all sorts of interesting skills, who just need a little push to set up small businesses for themselves. Artisans and such like. All the privations since imports have been cut so drastically over the past decade have made many people quite desperate. And there are so many who would go into business, except that they are half-bloods, or even muggles or muggleborns, and so they have immense difficulty getting licences and so forth.
Some just need space to get started: counters and shelves and bookkeeping help, and perhaps other things like, oh, a commercial kitchen or a small potions lab. Or a storefront that a number of businesses could share. Others need the opportunity to make connections with other small hopeful business owners. Perhaps they could barter skills? One business owner could barter bookkeeping help in exchange for help designing floor space, for example. But the muggleborns, and yes, perhaps people at Sherwood or even the Order...need a front that they can hide behind while still peddling their goods.
Perhaps Laszlo could provide an outlet for would be muggle or muggleborn merchants, (although I suspect they would need to expand their space, and would that even be feasible?) but what about the space for incubating businesses which are just starting up? I know that Fred and George have sketched out a business plan for when they leave school, and I can immediately think of three or four others from my barter network days.
Bill, dear, perhaps I can speak with you about it sometime? And Remus, you too? If only so that you can give me some reassurance that it's not a completely mad idea!
This all stems from conversations that I had after Arthur's death with Bill, Charlie and Dominic Selwyn about, well, my finances. About generating income streams. The rental from the London property is one such stream (and yes, that has definitely been a help, even though I still feel guilty about it). Mr Derrick (Mr Selwyn's clerk) asked again about making arrangements to claim the proceeds from the labour of a muggleborn. This all collided in the middle of the night in my mind with a jumble of other thoughts about the Order's finances, and Moddey Dhoo, and the barter network, and Fred and George getting out of school, and...
Anyway. I was thinking: what if I use at least some of the income from the London flat to set up a cooperative, a consortium, a place where we could incubate new businesses? There are plenty of old warehouses throughout the country. I made so many contacts through the barter network of people with all sorts of interesting skills, who just need a little push to set up small businesses for themselves. Artisans and such like. All the privations since imports have been cut so drastically over the past decade have made many people quite desperate. And there are so many who would go into business, except that they are half-bloods, or even muggles or muggleborns, and so they have immense difficulty getting licences and so forth.
Some just need space to get started: counters and shelves and bookkeeping help, and perhaps other things like, oh, a commercial kitchen or a small potions lab. Or a storefront that a number of businesses could share. Others need the opportunity to make connections with other small hopeful business owners. Perhaps they could barter skills? One business owner could barter bookkeeping help in exchange for help designing floor space, for example. But the muggleborns, and yes, perhaps people at Sherwood or even the Order...need a front that they can hide behind while still peddling their goods.
Perhaps Laszlo could provide an outlet for would be muggle or muggleborn merchants, (although I suspect they would need to expand their space, and would that even be feasible?) but what about the space for incubating businesses which are just starting up? I know that Fred and George have sketched out a business plan for when they leave school, and I can immediately think of three or four others from my barter network days.
Bill, dear, perhaps I can speak with you about it sometime? And Remus, you too? If only so that you can give me some reassurance that it's not a completely mad idea!
(no subject)
Date: 2013-05-23 02:56 am (UTC)And it doesn't have to be secret. I mean to say, if the Ministry nosed into your finances and wanted to know where all that new rent money's been going, this would be an open answer.
And then, of course, you're right, I think you could find ways to also do work you'd have to hide (with Muggles and Muggleborns), but the above board operation could cover that nicely.
(no subject)
Date: 2013-05-23 03:22 am (UTC)I can see how it'd take some time to build up, but with your existing barter connections and the money from the rental, you wouldn't be starting from scratch. And it could be useful for establishing additional connections with sympathetic people, and being able to provide a genuine service for them too.
(no subject)
Date: 2013-05-23 03:33 am (UTC)Dangerous, if anybody takes too close a look. But interesting.