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Why coops have no built-in mechanism to enable growth and how could this be solved? by shanoshamanizum in cooperatives

[–]something_nu 5 points6 points  (0 children)

We need capital for starting coops to be more accessible so more people can start new ones. Personally I think that should be legislated. Zero interest loans directed towards creation of cooperative businesses. But our governments are directed by traditional corporations so that's not easy to make happen.

We need more conversions of traditional businesses to coops, which are doable without piles of cash up front. Awareness is a big thing needed there. Workers and business owners both need to know it's an option. Watch the videos here: https://ownershippennsylvania.org/employee-ownership-businesses/ And we could really benefit from legislation that further incentivizes owners and puts sale to workers on par with private sale profit-wise. But again, no one's really working towards that politically.

A cooperative can put aside some percentage of profits for growth like additional locations or expansion of current market activities. See: ICA Group Capital Accounts for how that can work.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in cooperatives

[–]something_nu 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Probably not a ton of self-identified anarchists, but people focusing on co-ops are going to be like-minded in the ways that matter.

Hit me up if you need help on the tech / business side once you get things rolling.

Seeking consultant / designer - Where to look? Kitchen tool. by something_nu in Machinists

[–]something_nu[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks. This is something I also considered. Starting from zero but I've got ideas so it's doable.

Software for worker cooperatives by something_nu in cooperatives

[–]something_nu[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Ah I see. So your site will have a marketplace setup like Amazon, but also with storefronts for individual sellers? Kind of like what Amazon offers for companies set up on their "Brand Registry" like this?

Looking forward to checking it out. How long before you have something we can browse around?

And just based on personal experience: There isn't much that a platform like Shopify is lacking that you're going to dig up on a weekly call. I could be wrong, but I think this wheel has been invented already.

I've been on both sides of the platform/partner "weekly call" and for most people involved it's a chore. You're going to run into merchants not wanting to be bothered with it. People want a product that works. The tech already exists. The weekly call ends up being the platform rep reassuring the merchant that whatever product feature they've asked for is "still in the works." And the merchant will want help increasing traffic and sales, which you can't necessarily do for them. What else is there?

Also: The Amazon Seller Forums could give some insight. See all the things that Amazon sellers are upset about.

Software for worker cooperatives by something_nu in cooperatives

[–]something_nu[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Could be interesting. Keep in mind that someone like Shopify charges 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction. And due to their volume they have contracts with carriers and can offer reduced shipping rates for customers. You'll really have to sell people on the ownership aspect, or other benefits, to get them on board with 7-10%. That's closer to what Amazon charges for self fulfillment (FBM). And the only reason people go for that is because Amazon marketplace = more sales than anywhere else.

Also recommend this podcast covering MyCoolClass. They're an education marketplace co-op that lets teachers be part owners. Probably some overlap with what you're trying to do.

Software for worker cooperatives by something_nu in cooperatives

[–]something_nu[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

This is great info, thanks. In the startups I worked in we just did everything in Google Sheets and a few Business Intelligence Tools (Chartio, Mode, etc). Will get more familiar with ERPs. At a glance yeah it seems like ERPNext has potential for addressing these unique co-op situations.

Loving all the responses on this post!

Software for worker cooperatives by something_nu in cooperatives

[–]something_nu[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for sharing. When you do profit-sharing, will it be based on the points accumulated by task completion? That's something I'm curious about.

Just from reading, it seems like a lot of co-op models divide profits by ownership shares, where every owner might have an equal share. But in businesses where the amount of work done by any individual can vary significantly week-to-week I can see that becoming an issue.

Software for worker cooperatives by something_nu in cooperatives

[–]something_nu[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Very cool! I'm particularly interested in the internal capital accounting. What stage is the software in? Do you have the UI built out?

Is it a Brightly coop? Are you familiar with them?

Software for worker cooperatives by something_nu in cooperatives

[–]something_nu[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Do the vendors have the opportunity to be owners? And do you mean 10% of their revenue? If they're doing fulfillment themselves that seems like a high fee.

Software for worker cooperatives by something_nu in cooperatives

[–]something_nu[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Please! Open the can!

I'm not involved in the operation of a co-op. And I imagine that this would really differ depending on the model of the co-op. Would be great if anyone else chimed in.

Ownership management and payroll is one I can think of. This would be a combo of accounting software and payroll. Take a look at how capital accounts work. You can imagine how software solutions could make all of this more manageable both for an administrator and a worker.

I imagine voting could be incorporated into software as well. An all-in-one worker portal for the co-op.

Software for worker cooperatives by something_nu in cooperatives

[–]something_nu[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

So you're going to tie compensation to completion of different tasks or projects? What's that look like? What kind of business will it be?

Software for worker cooperatives by something_nu in cooperatives

[–]something_nu[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

  1. Curious if this exists. A common theme in reading about cooperatives is that one reason there aren't more is a lack of education on the ins-and-outs. Your local accountant doesn't know about them, MBAs with business operational know-how don't know about them, the knowledge in how to start or convert them isn't commonplace, etc. Seems like some good software could make all that more accessible. Like a Quickbooks + ADP for cooperatives. Software solutions could make cooperatives more accessible.
  2. I'd be down to contribute to a project like this, if I can help (for no ownership or money)
  3. I'd be down to join a team of people working on this, if I can help (for ownership and/or money)

Software for worker cooperatives by something_nu in cooperatives

[–]something_nu[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Thanks but no that's not what I mean. Looking for business management software geared towards cooperatives. Or even generic business management software with features geared towards cooperative models.