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The idea.

A franchisable repair/manufacturing hub. Like a pizza chain, but able to build a large variety of items, or outsource to other franchises.

What the hubs are to provide.

Local, walk-in location.

Allows people to come in, talk to a knowledgeable rep. See if their item can be repaired, or if replacement is a better option. In addition, this gives the possibility of quick turn-around. Simple fixes can be fixed soon, pick-ups are readily available.

In addition, smaller hubs are able to leverage the flexibility of CNC machining, while diminishing the downsides of slower turn around. It doesn't matter if it would take forever to print a million of something, because you're serving a smaller community you only need a few. A thousand people don't want a thousand of the same thing, but they do want a thousand variations of the same thing, and this is where the hubs can excel.

Repair services.

Many things can be repaired fairly inexpensively with some know-how. Some fixes are easy and can be done with a flexible, knowledgeable employee in a short amount of time. In addition, with multiple hubs scattered about, each of these people are able to build off of each other knowledge.

The idea is to carefully document each repair process, and by utilizing the in-house manufacturing capabilities, provide replacements.

This also allows us to gather data on stuff that just doesn't work, and gives us a unique insight into pain points that customers have. Allowing us to design our own product lines that focus on items like sustainability and repairability. In house manufacturing when possible allows for larger items to be constructed at a hub, rather than shipping.

Custom manufacturing

People love custom stuff. It's some of the most profitable and largest categories on website like Etsy. In addition, as noted with repair, being able to make our own branded items gives each hub enormous flexibility. Franchising each location, allowing local people to cater to their unique local markets while the larger organization handles items better suited to centralization.