Hey all. I just want to start off by saying I am so glad I joined the list! I am a founding member of Cincinnati's co-op MOBO and we so often feel like we're all alone out there and have no mentorship. So, it's great to actually feel like we're part of something bigger, not just ogle over other people's sites on the internet. So, I have a few questions to start off with

How do other organizations manage to purchase inventory? One company? Two? Whoever's got the best deal? We've tried going through bike shops and because we're not priority---it just takes forever. 

How do you log volunteer hours? Reward volunteers? Keep contact with them?

Anybody have a tiered system of volunteers, where you have a member, an active member and a board member? 

What about open meetings? How can you be a collective but also not let jo-one-timer go on and on at the meeting about how we wouldn't sell him some campy brakes but asked for volunteer time instead and how stupid that is?



On Mon, Oct 20, 2008 at 2:05 PM, bike against <bikeagainst@gmail.com> wrote:


---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Mark H Hendricks <mhendri961@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, Oct 20, 2008 at 10:17 AM
Subject: A Little Help Please!
To: coordinator@fcbikecoop.org


Dear Friends:

It's time to start a cooperative here in The Quad Cities (border of Iowa and Illinois).  Please tell me what I am up against and the pitfalls you might help me avoid.  I am 52 and very experienced at helping businesses market and sell.  I used to run the largest independent Raleigh distributorship (ancient days) and have over twenty years of winter cylecommuting experience.  Any advice you might offer would be greatly appreciated.
--
Best Regards
Mark H. Hendricks
Mhendri961@gmail.com
1-309-762-3252 (direct)



--
Rafael Cletero
Project Coordinator
Fort Collins Bicycle Co-op
ph (970) 484 38 04
www.fcbikecoop.org

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--
MoBo Bicycle Co-op
a project of The Village Green Foundation
1415 Knowlton Ave
Northside
Cincinnati, OH