Last month, we launched Open Book Management at the Co-op. We now hold weekly gatherings called "huddles" to review key metrics that help track our Co-op's success, such as store margin, local producer sales, customer comments and Helping Hands forms.  

While any new initiative is a work in progress, we are really encouraged by the results so far.  Take our conversation at yesterday's meeting -- where we discussed the Helping Hands line:


This is exactly the type of engagement and participation we hoped for -- staff are better understanding the key metrics that impact our business and the various ways they can impact and improve our results.  Woo-hoo! 

Last week, I had the pleasure to meet people from start-up co-ops across the country in Bloomington, Indiana for a conference called: Up and Coming, Up and Running 2015.  Co-ops in various stages of organizing attended the conference to learn how to successfully navigate the start-up phase and open a thriving community business -- as we have done here. 

I was asked to provide a presentation on the keys to our success.  While there are many reasons for our success, none is greater than YOU.  Yes, your participation in our Co-op has shaped our success.  Many of you have invested your own money to become an owner of our business, some of you have volunteered time, others were able to make a financial loan to help get us started and more and more of you are doing your shopping at our Co-op -- helping our sales grow and supporting the local producers in our region.  All of these roles play a significant role in our success and, for that, I thank you and celebrate all of us.  Start-up groups across the country are trying to replicate our success. Go Co-ops!
 

TEDxMAN: Changing the Way We Eat