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List:       kde-promo
Subject:    Re: [kde-promo] BootKit Accounting [was KDE in top 1.5%]
From:       Andreas Pour <pour () mieterra ! com>
Date:       2002-02-22 5:58:20
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Mark Bucciarelli wrote:

[ ... ]

Thanks for following up on this.

> It seems this question should be answered before we go to much further.
> 
> [snip]
> 
> On Wednesday 20 February 2002 21:44, Andreas Pour wrote:
> > Let's see if we can get some sort of consensus for this idea here.
> 
> Ok, let's.
> 
> First, is the list of candidates below complete?   If not, suggest an
> alternative.  Monday evening I'll send out the final slate, and people can
> vote for ONE candidate as their favorite.
> 
> I'm not thinking about laptops here.  I am thinking about cd's, t-shirts,
> buttons, etc. that can be sold as well as brochures to give away.
> 
> 1. Exhibitors pay a security deposit equal of 25% of the value (cost, not
> sale price) of the goods they request in their BoothKit.  This is refunded
> when they return the money and surplus inventory.
> 
> 2. Exhibitors pay the full value (cost, not retail) of the goods.  This is
> refunded when they return stuff properly.

[ ... ]

> 1.  Postage and any transaction charges associated with refunds are paid
> by the boothkit distributor, and figured into the pricing of items.

I should mention there are a number of issues with selling things, such
as taxes, which the League would not be capable of dealing with (hiring
a lawyer to consider these issues would far outweigh the costs of just
giving the stuff away for free).

What might be nice, though, is if the PayPal accounts could be used for
payments at shows for merchandise, since, at least in the US, people
often prefer to pay that way.

> 2.  Sales should be tracked.  The sale quantities will inform pricing and
> can help determine how many to send in a booth kit.
> 
> 3.  A goal would be to set up one distributer in each country where KDE
> goes to exhibits.

Right, an "Exhibit Manager".
 
> 4. We need to decide who handles the $$.  I'm not totally comfortable
> KDE-League or KDE e.V., but I'm open to it.  My main reservation is that
> when companies fund something they expect a return, otherwise their
> capital goes elsewhere.  

Neither KDE e.V., which is non-profit, nor the KDE League, which is
not-for-profit, expects a return on capital.

> I don't see (on this list--I haven't looked
> anywhere else!)  any documentation about what return the companies expect.
> Maybe the return is a happy and very productive employee.  Maybe the
> return is an energized set of volunteers attenting every Linux exhibit
> with nice glossy brochures.  Maybe the return is recruiting one new
> developer, a developer who cranks out good kOffice filters in a month.
> But if I'm going to pay some deposit, shill t-shirts, then send the
> earnings back to KDE e.V., I really want them to be open about finances,
> expectations and governance.  

You should forget completely the idea that this type of venture will be
profitable.  The hope will be to limit losses :-) and to make sure
people don't take stuff just to take it (so often you see people at
shows pick up everything free available, only to end up thrown out or
gathering dust).

Ciao,

Dre
 
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