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ACTIVITIES |
SUPPORT AVAILABLE
FROM CDI |
OUTCOMES |
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Stage ONE: Exploration
(3-6 months) |
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Explore your new business idea.
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Organizational Development: Form an Organizing Committee with people who represent the cooperative's potential members. Identify your mission and core values.
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Business Development: Define your key business concept - What products and services might the co-op supply that could make a significant economic difference in the lives of its members? Create a project development plan and budget. Secure funds for stage one and begin fundraising for stage two. |
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Business Planning: Conduct Market Research to determine the need for your cooperative's products and services and complete your feasibility analysis to see if you have a viable business idea. |
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Member Development: Share information with potential members about your business idea. |
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CDI can...
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help you put together your Organizing Committee and facilitate a meeting where you define your mission and values;
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help you define your key business concept, facilitate project planning sessions, and help you raise funds to support your development project; |
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help you do market research and feasibility analysis or help you hire a consultant to assist you; |
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help you create print resources for potential members informing them about your project; and |
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share lessons learned by other projects and provide sample project plans, market research, feasibility analysis, and member education materials. |
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At the end of Stage One, you'll have...
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a committed group of people who agree on what they want this business to sell to whom,
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market research that shows there is a large enough market and sufficient product to sell that the cooperative will be financially viable and make a significant economic contribution to its members, |
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a clear plan and budget for each stage of development, |
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funds raised to cover the cost of development for Stage One and some of Stage Two |
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growing interest from potential cooperative members |
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ACTIVITIES |
SUPPORT AVAILABLE
FROM CDI |
OUTCOMES |
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Stage TWO: Business Planning
(3-6 months) |
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Business Planning |
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Business Planning: Create a Business plan and Marketing Plan that describes how you will launch your business, what it will cost, and where you'll get the money.
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Organizational Development: Set up your Founding Board, incorporate your cooperative, and adopt Bylaws that describe how you will work together. |
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Member Development: Recruit members for your cooperative. |
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Business Development: Secure development funds for Stage Two and Three. Raise money (equity) from members and get a loan to launch your business. |
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CDI can... |
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help you create your Business Plan and Marketing Plan or hire a consultant to assist you;
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help you train your founding board and create your legal documents and hire a lawyer to review them: |
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help you reach out to potential members; and |
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share lessons learned by other projects and provide sample business plans, board policies, and legal documents. |
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At the end of Stage Two, you'll have... |
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a Business Plan and Marketing Plan showing how the cooperative will be launched,
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enough members and money to launch your cooperative, |
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a legally incorporated cooperative with a seated board, and |
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funds raised to cover the costs of development for Stage Two |
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ACTIVITIES |
SUPPORT AVAILABLE
FROM CDI |
OUTCOMES |
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Stage THREE: Cooperative Launch
(2-6 months) |
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Launch |
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Organizational Development: Set up office and hire staff
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Business Development: Contract for and market products and services. Pre-sell members and/or customers products and services. |
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Member Development: Orient new members to their roles and responsibilities. |
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CDI can... |
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provide start-up accounting, communications, and support staffing;
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provide management, staff, member and board training programs, |
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share lessons learned by other projects in Stage Three, and |
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provide sample marketing materials, member orientation materials, job descriptions and personnel handbooks. |
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At the end of Stage Three, you'll have... |
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Initial products and services ready to offer,
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An office set up and staffed |
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Customers signed up for products and services |
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Members educated about their rights and responsibilities as co-op members |
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ACTIVITIES |
SUPPORT AVAILABLE
FROM CDI |
OUTCOMES |
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Development |
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Business Development: Provide products and services in response to member needs, engage in sales and marketing and ongoing business development.
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Organizational Development: Provide staff and management education and engage in strategic planning |
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Member Development: Engage in member and board education |
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Celebration: Take time to acknowledge your accomplishments! |
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CDI can... |
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provide ongoing support until the cooperative starts earning a profit
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celebrate with you, and |
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help you connect with other cooperatives through Cooperative Life, the Northeast Federation of Cooperatives. |
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At the end of Stage Four, you'll have... |
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A viable business, up and running, bringing economic benefit to its members.
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