At Outpost: Growth is Awesome!
Pam Mehnert, General Manager Outpost Natural Foods Milwaukie-area, WI At Outpost growth means serving its members better, and expanding the positive impact of the co-op on the local economy and community.
3 steps toward sustainable business growth
In the midst of growth, leaders may see that they are outgrowing their structure and systems but feel so overwhelmed that they can’t imagine stopping long enough to make changes. Guess what? We will never feel like we have the time to make big changes. What’s the solution? Shift the workplace culture into one that views itself as a constantly expanding organization instead of [...]
Better Outreach, Better Engagement
Kari Bradley, General Manager - Hunger Mountain Co-op Michael Levine, Owner - Flywheel Communications Montpelier, VT Hunger Mountain Co-op partnered with a local firm to produce a serious of focused and ultimately successful member engagement events. Hear from the source about what they learned.
A Nested Hierarchy of Engagement
Leslie Watson, Board Member Northeast Investment Cooperative, Twin Cities, MN Participation by all stakeholders is a fundamental force in cooperatives and other democratic organizations. The International Cooperative Alliance states in their Blueprint for a Cooperative Decade that “Participation is once again becoming one of the cooperative sector’s most valuable assets.” Leslie Watson, a board leadership consultant with CDS Consulting Co-op and a board member [...]
Why Grow Co-ops: The Social + Economic Benefits
Doug Hoffer, State Auditor of Vermont In terms that economists and policy-makers can appreciate, Doug Hoffer enumerates a handful (but certainly not all) of the benefits to local communities and economies of growing cooperative enterprises of all sorts.
Communities: Align, Engage, and Participate
At Mississippi Markets, successful growth means defining the key stakeholders, and then working to align, engage, and foster participation. For their expanding Twin Cities cooperative, the formula seems to be working!
Investing in Staff Satisfaction
By Carolee Colter, Helena O'Connor Don’t open a shop unless you like to smile. – Chinese proverb Embedded in the words of this proverb is the assumption that happy workers are good for business. Most of us have been customers in places where the employees did not seem to want to be there. Attitudes show, and they impact the shopping experience. At worst, unhappy [...]
This powerful transparent practice can change your store
Transparency in management implies openness, communication and accountability. One powerful transparent practice is Open Book Management. By teaching staff members about the financial health of the business, managers invite them into the conversation about strengthening the financial bottom line. Just Food Co-op, a community-owned natural foods retailer in Northfield, Minn., opened its doors in 2004. Once it successfully navigated the initial challenges that every [...]
