Hello All,
We had our most recent Coop Committee meeting last Wednesday, October 2, at Oskar Blues. We covered marketing topics.
In attendance: James, Kim, Gail, John, Kathleen and Ed. We covered marketing and related topics. Here is a summary of the meeting:
Firstly, Kim wanted to add a new Principle to our List of Principles:
‘We will prioritize purchasing used equipment over new’
This was discussed and agreed upon by the group.
The first question that we discussed was ‘Who can Join the Coop’. The answer is any resident of Transylvania County, upon making application.
The second question was ‘How Can They Join’. We discussed having both an on-line application and a paper application. There was some discussion about what criteria (such as part-time residency) might affect membership. There was discussion that the Transylvania County Library faces the same kind of issues. Kim took an Action Item to check with the Library on how they qualify people.
What will be the fees for membership?
We will charge an annual membership fee:
Organizations: $ 100 per year
Individuals/Families: $ 25 per year
We discussed having renewals occur for each joiner one year after joining but this would create a significant accounting effort. We decided that membership will be renewable (paid, that is) in March of each year.
(Post meeting suggestion by Ed: Have a rejoining picnic each March)
We discussed prorating membership for a member who joins for part of the year. We determined that if there are 9 or more months remaining in the membership year, joiner must pay the full fee ($25 o $100). If they join in last 3 months of membership year (December, January, February) they may pay 1/2 price. And then, pay the full membership fee again in March.
How does a person/organization leave the Coop?
By not renewing their annual fee. If they quit during the year, they do not get any refund.
Target Market:
The Target Market for the Coop will be twofold: Organizations (notably nonprofits) and Individuals/Families.
Here is the projected numbers of segments of the target market and the method of communication of Coop services:
Organizations – % of the Total Business to be determined. Communication: Word of Mouth, MTC Newsletter.
Individuals/Families – % of total business to be determined. Here is estimated breakdown of segments:
Retired – 40-45% of Individuals/Famiies. Communication: MTC Newsletter, Next Door
Odd Jobs and Service People 20%. Communication: Next Door, Facebook
People of Need 10%. Communication: Flyers, especially at Community Centers; Radio
Homeowners/Young Families: 25%. Communication: Transylvania Times; Flyers
There was much discussion of the possible use of Facebook, especially a closed group on Facebook. Some people were opposed but some people believe that this would be an effective way to communicate about the Coop. The key seems to be to 1) have a Closed Group and 2) have someone who is dedicated to updating and monitoring it.
Competitors:
We discussed how the Coop might affect for-profit businesses. These businesses were discussed:
McNeelys Rental
Headwaters Outfitters
Sycamore Bicycles
The Hub
Pura Vida Adventures
We came to the conclusion that the impact on these organizations business will be minimal as most users of the coop will be local (so would not impact people from out of town renting or using these companies) and that much of the equipment to be loaned would be smaller items that consumers would likely purchase, not rent, if they needed some (like rakes or shovels)
Action Items:
1. Kim Coram to talk to someone who does Accounting to find out how they do it for their organization: Responsible: Kim Coram
2. Check with Transylvania County Library to find out their membership criteria. Responsible: Kim Coram
3. We need to create list of people that would be willing to pick up dishes, for a fee, from an organization after use, clean, store and return them to the Coop. Kim Coram took an action to put an inquiry in the MTC Newsletter asking for people would would be willing to to this.
Our next meeting will be on Tuesday, October 8, at 6:00 PM at the Canteen in Cedar Mountain. We will discuss the location for the Coop and define the actual operation of the Coop. Some of us may gather about 5:30 PM for Canteen refreshments 😉
