Start-up Steps

Men’s Sheds are a grassroots movement, and individual Sheds are independent from Provincial and National Men’s Sheds Associations (although they are encouraged to become members!). There are no hard and fast rules for starting or running your Shed – you can make it fit your interests and local context, or you can model your Shed on another one that seems to be suitable for your community and your peers. Or you can take aspects of several Sheds that you think will work for you and your group and put them together in a hybrid approach to creating a Shed. You need not reinvent the wheel.

We have collected experience and advice from Men’s Shed organizations from Canada, the UK, Ireland, and Australian sources, and have also added our own reflections. Take what fits best for your interests, needs, capacity, and community.

There are typically two ways that Sheds get started:

1. Independent model, where one man or a small group of men who have heard about the benefits of Men’ Sheds and have the interest, time, and energy to get a Shed started. Their professional backgrounds in community development, leadership, etc., may be an advantage, but the main thing is that this group is passionate about and determined to start a shed.

2. Community organization model, where a Shed is started by staff and/or volunteers who already work in a community organization such as a Senior’s Centre. This model benefits from:

• having an experienced coordinator take the lead
• staff already knowing potential men to invite to the Shed
• the organization’s space may be able to be offered at no charge
• staff may also have experience with grant-writing and be able to apply for funds

There are challenges and benefits with each model, but both work. It is also important to remember that the model used initially can change as membership grows. For example, some Sheds start independently, then decide their needs can best be met by affiliating with a community organization. Or Sheds begun by an organization may grow in strength and choose to be more independent. 

Any Shed started by or becoming part of an organization may want to enter into a Memorandum of Understanding with the organization. Such an MOU should identify what each party to the agreement expects of each other, as well as indicate that at some time, the partnership may best be served by ending by mutual agreement.

1) Contact Men’s Sheds Canada 

Connecting with others who have experience in starting Sheds can save you time and effort and help get your Shed off to a good start. Men’s Sheds Canada will provide you with information and resources, answer your questions, and where possible, put you in touch with a Shed in your area that may be willing to meet with you, visit your community, or have you visit their location and see a Shed in action. If you are in B.C., Alberta, Manitoba, or Ontario and have not yet been in touch with the provincial Men’s Shed Association in your region, you will be connected with a Men’s Shed leader there who will provide valuable support for getting started. Being part of the Men’s Shed network from the very beginning will help your Shed successfully launch, grow, and become sustainable over the long term. Contact us at info@mensshedscanada.org

2)  Build your Startup Team

Your first objective is to announce your intention to start a Men’s Shed, casting as broad a net as possible, looking for startup help: i.e. people to be members, advisors, connectors, funding sources, recommenders, etc. At this stage, it’s about creating a buzz, letting people know the party is about to begin, and that they want to be in on it in oh, so many ways.

3) Hold a Launch Meeting

It is often helpful to hold an information meeting with community members, publicized through local media, posters, newsletters, community support groups, and word of mouth. A few points to remember when holding a launch meeting are:

1. Make sure the location is accessible.
2. Try not to schedule a meeting at the same time as another popular event (sports, etc.)
3. People will be more likely to attend if they know refreshments will be served.
4. Most men like to “pay their way,” so have a jar/box handy and a sign saying “refreshments by donation” 
5. Have a short agenda and clear purpose – introductions; review the benefits of a Shed; consider the interests of attendees and what kind of meeting space and activities would accommodate those interests;
6. Have someone take notes of your meeting.
7. Record everyone’s contact information for future contacts.
8. Make a plan for follow-up on items discussed, including:
   1. Finding someone to look after the donations jar till the next meeting;
   2. Finding someone to look after the notes made and the contact list;
   3. Naming a place and date for the next meeting.

At the end of that first meeting, you want to leave with:
    a) a list of potential members,
    b) a list of names of people who won’t/cannot be members but would like to help and how they think they can,
    c) a list for an excited larger group who now understand the objectives and who will spread the word once  you have settled on some details
    d) recorded group suggestions for finding a shop/meeting Space, possible sponsoring organizations, potential startup committee members, etc.

That’s a lot to do in a single meeting, but you don’t get a second chance to make a first impression, so make your meeting as polished and be as prepared as possible.

4) Find a Meeting Space

You will need to find an appropriate meeting space for your Shed. This can be a challenge but is of utmost importance. The interests and activities, plus the long-term goals of initial members, will guide you in your search. Some Sheds start in a park, a community centre, a member’s home, a library, a Legion hall, or a coffee shop.

Initially, rental costs for meeting space can also be a challenge. Some community centres or organizations will allow the use of their space for free or in exchange for help maintaining the building or grounds. There can be more than one meeting location – e.g. a favourite restaurant for breakfast, a borrowed workshop for projects, and a hall for fellowship meetings. One of these will evolve as the primary “home” of the group. But a Shed is most likely to last and grow when the members find a safe place they can call a “home” base.

5) Decide What to Do

Men tend to socialize while doing something. So, after the first meeting or two, having chairs in a meeting space is secondary to having some activity or project to work on. Some sheds will focus on a single activity, and others may have many. Activities, projects and goals may change in time, but doing things will remain a focus that draws guys together. Here is a list of potential activities that your Shed might include:

• Drop-in – socialize with coffee/tea
• Cycling and bike repair
• Woodworking
• Small engine repair
• Cooking
• Gardening
• Mentoring and skill-sharing
• Walking or hiking
• Activism and community involvement
• Volunteering
• Music – listening and playing
• Culture-specific events/activities
• Workshops with guests
• Watch topic-specific videos followed by a discussion
• Book clubs
• Computers/technology workshops
• Home repair
• Health-related discussions and guest speakers

6) Find Others

The group that launches a Shed may be small and decide to stay small and closely connected, but Sheds will usually need to reach out and draw others. There are many ways to spark publicity and community interest:

     • Get to know the local news media and invite them to do an interview story about shedding.
    • Talk to people in your neighbourhood like the local hardware store owner, community organizations,    retirement facilities, etc.
    •Talk to your municipal politicians about the benefits of a Men’s Shed in the community.

Research has shown that some places work best for getting information to men. Here is a list of places to get the word out:

• Community bulletin boards
• Union or professional email lists
• Local neighbourhood or seniors publications
• Activity-specific places (sports, arts, or theatre)
• Cultural events and publications (e.g. pow-wow, seniors fair etc.)
• Social media
• Organizations for newcomers
• Other community organizations
• Places of worship

7) Startup and operating Costs

Depending on your location and activities, your Shed may incur various costs. Try to determine early on how much your Shed will cost (a) to get started, and (b) to operate annually.

Some Sheds are cost-free (e.g., a small group meeting in a coffee shop). Other Sheds have high expenses (e.g., a group that rents space to set up a workshop). But for most Sheds, there are some basic costs such as rent and insurance. Your costs will differ depending on how large the Shed is, its goals, and what kinds of activities it plans, but there will be costs. This means that you will also need to think about how you will pay for both initial and ongoing expenses. Here is a list of ideas to enable a Shed to raise money:

       • Member donations
      • Initial or annual membership fees (if you decide to have an annual membership fee, do this from the   beginning, as this can be tricky to incorporate later on)
      • Selling member-made crafts at local farmer’s markets
      • Hold a BBQ at a local hardware store or other community location
      • Become involved in other community events or organize one
      • Develop a tool-lending library and charge a small fee for loans
      • Do work in the community for donations – this works well in smaller communities
      • Provide low-cost repair services (e.g., bike repair, small engine repair)
      • Approach other organizations that might be able to donate supplies

8) Funding:

While a Shed will need to think of ways to raise money to cover ongoing operational costs, there can also be costs to getting a Shed started, such as:

    (a) renting a hall
    (b) taking an ad in a local paper
    (c) buying coffee and donuts for a launch meeting,
    (d) covering the costs of inviting an experienced Shedder to come and meet with local men

Not having any capital to do the above can be challenging to get started. The good news is that there is a grant of up to $1,000 to cover the costs needed to launch a Shed. Information about Start-up Grants is here.