Hold a meeting of potential members to discuss needs and options. Select a steering committee to coordinate the group.
Goal: To assess whether there is enough interest in a co-op to justify further research and planning.
What to do:
- Hold an informational meeting of people who may be interested in a co-op. Publicize the time and purpose of the meeting as widely as possible—through your local paper, word of mouth, radio, internet and so on. Make the meeting time, date, and location as convenient as possible.
- Plan a clear program for the meeting and select a meeting chair.
- Have someone present the basic need for a co-op and discuss how a co-op might help meet that need. Give one or two simple handouts to all attendees. Handout should summarize the basic idea and list names and phone numbers of the core group.
- Consider inviting guests who can provide public support or more detailed background information, such as directors or managers of other area co-ops, business leaders or educators familiar with co-ops, or elected officials.
- Allow plenty of discussion time, so people can ask questions and express their views. Be as clear and specific as possible but also be realistic about what the co-op can and can’t do—especially in its early stages.
- Ask for participants to indicate their interest in the co-op by a show of hands.
- If there is interest, elect a steering commit¬tee to follow up.
- Spend time carefully discussing the purpose or mission of the new co-op. Be sure that the mission statement is clear and concise.
Keep in Mind:
Many groups find it valuable to start a buying club at this stage. If the co-op will be focusing on a specific product line, running a buy club can help members access products and establish a track record with key suppliers. In addition, it can help develop a core membership base and sometimes a small financing base.
Key Decision: Is there sufficient interest in a co-op? Is there a clear need for a food co-op in your community? Is there sufficient interest among potential shoppers and community members? Are people willing to work together to meet their common needs?